Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2024 saw the signing of three Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with industry partners, expanding collaboration between the parties in research and technology in coastal protection and flood management solution development.
The Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore, a multi-institutional, inter-disciplinary research centre dedicated to strengthening local capabilities and expertise in coastal protection and flood management research and solution development, signed a MOU with the Singapore Water Association (SWA) and the Forum for Climate Change Adaptation (FCCA) to bring together industry and academic expertise to develop comprehensive solutions for coastal protection. CFI Singapore is hosted by NUS and led by faculty from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
This will be done through the establishment of an ecosystem that fosters collaboration among stakeholders, facilitate information sharing and promote innovative approaches to coastal resilience. The ecosystem also seeks to organise collaborative initiatives such as co-hosted knowledge-sharing sessions, postgraduate courses, and an Innovations & Transition Lab.
In his welcome address, Mr Charles Quek, Vice President (General Affairs) of SWA, acknowledged the role CFI Singapore played in advancing their understanding and action on climate change and coastal protection, having been at the “forefront of pioneering solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change on our coastal regions.” He added, “We are particularly excited about the upcoming tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, to be signed later on, between SWA, FCCA and CFI Singapore.”
The tripartite MOU signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mr Chiew Men Leong, President of SWA and Mr Chua Soon Guan, Deputy Chief Executive of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) signed an MOU with Delta Marine Consultants (DMC) and Van Oord. DMC, an internationally renowned coastal engineering design firm, recently joined Van Oord - a Dutch coastal construction company.
Marking a new chapter in their collaboration, Mr Yang Zi Qian, Managing Director of DMC, will lead an upcoming PhD research project on coastal protection under the supervision of Professor Adrian Law, Executive Director of CFI Singapore.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Richard Liew, Head of CEE, said: “Van Oord and DMC have been invaluable supporters of the coastal protection research initiatives at the Coastal and Flood Resilience Institute, Singapore, hosted at NUS. Their contributions have been instrumental in advancing our understanding and capabilities in this crucial area.”
They were also joined by Her Excellency Anneke Adema, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore. In her speech, Ambassador Anneke Adema outlined the similarities between the Netherlands and Singapore. She added, “Both our countries experience similar challenges in coastal protection as we are only slightly above sea level. There is plenty we can learn from one another in protecting our coasts.”
As a reaffirmation of their longstanding partnership, an MOU was signed between CEE and Woh Hup Private Limited. The partnership will tap CEE’s capabilities to support the development of innovative solutions and the application of technology to conduct joint research projects aimed at promoting technology translation in urban and land-scarce coastal areas.
The partnership will focus on three key areas:
- Innovative engineering solutions for coastal protection and flood management
- Integrated nature-based solutions for coastal protection
- Sustainable infrastructure solutions for coastal protection and flood management
The MOU was signed by Prof Liew, Head of CEE and Mr Yong De-Rhong, Executive Director of Woh Hup. This expands on their already strong partnership, with Woh Hup’s commitment to provide additional support through their expertise.
In his speech, Prof Liew touched on Woh Hup’s experience in the industry as “one of the oldest and largest local construction companies in Singapore.” He added, “This agreement not only formalises our collaboration but also paves the way for continued innovation and excellence in coastal protection. I am confident that together, we will achieve remarkable advancements.”
