Being at the Marina Barrage for the first time was an eye opener for me during the Singapore International Water Festival. I explored the six galleries at the Sustainable Singapore Gallery and one gallery that interested me was Gallery 4.

I learnt how the Marina Barrage worked as a water supply and flood control area in Singapore. This is particularly important to Singapore’s water conservation and management. I learnt that being situated in the city, Marina Barrage is connected to canals and rivers in the city areas and help prevent flooding in low-lying areas in the city.

This is important if we want to manage water issues like flooding in the city areas, especially in heavy rain seasons. Recently, the heavy rainfall had been causing floods in the central areas of Singapore, like Chinatown and Marina areas. There has been much concern over the intense storms in Singapore between June and July this year.

The PUB is making the review the design and capacity of a major canal, the Stamford Canal a top priority even though flood-prone areas have been reduced from 3200 ha in the 1970s to 66 ha.

By Charlotte Lai Hong Lan, School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic