Zoe Ong
Senior Assistant Director, Coastal Protection Department, PUB, The National Water Agency Singapore
As a key member of the Coastal Protection Department at PUB, Ms Ong plays a pivotal role in spearheading whole-of-nation initiatives to protect Singapore from the threats of sea level rise. Currently, she leads the Site-Specific Study at the Northwest Coast of Singapore which aims to develop a climate-resilient master plan and integrated solutions for coastal protection and stormwater management. With a strong background in land development, dredging, reclamation, and environmental studies, Ms Ong obtained her Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) in 2011, followed by a Master of Science (Project Management) in 2015 from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Keynote Lecture 5 – Development Of Innovative Coastal Protection And Flood Management Solutions
Climate change is resulting in more extreme weather patterns, posing an existential threat to coastal cities like Singapore, which are particularly vulnerable due to their low-lying nature. Since being appointed the national coastal protection agency in 2020, PUB has gone beyond its role in draining planning and stormwater management and embarked on master-planning and site-specific studies, strengthened competencies in coastal hydrodynamic modelling, and launched research initiatives to develop effective strategies to safeguard Singapore’s resilience against the impacts of climate change.
Singapore faces additional challenges due to its limited land, high urbanisation, and dense population, while the rate and extent of sea level rise remain uncertain. However, we believe these uncertainties present opportunities to recreate our coastal areas, and with this aim in mind, the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore was launched to spearhead research and development. In this session, you will learn about the development of innovative, flexible, and multi-functional solutions for coastal protection and flood management.
