Singapore: Singapore Environment Profile

Singapore is a small island nation with over five million people, separated from the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Jabor. It is the focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

Singapore lies north of Indonesia's Riau Islands separated by the Singapore Strait. the country of Singapore actually comprises 63 distinct islands.

Major environmental issues of Singapore include:

• industrial water pollution;
• limited natural freshwater resources;
• loss of tidelands from man-made fill;
• limited land availability presenting waste disposal problems; and,
• seasonal smoke/air pollution resulting from forest burning in Indonesia.
   

The earliest documented inhabitation of Singapore dates to the second century AD, when it was an outliying element of the Sumatran Srivijava empire.

The Englishman Thomas Stamford Raffles came to Singapore and entered into an agreement with sultan Hussein Shah; Raffles represented the British East India Company, who sought to improve the southern elements of Singapore. Singapore was then founded as a British trading colony in 1819. By 1824 the entirety of Singapore evolved into a British Crown Possession. The population of Singapore reached a level of 100,000 by the year 1869.

Japan invaded Singapore early in World War II, but Britain regained control after the Japanese surrender. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Great Britain granted independence to Singapore in 1969.

Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

Disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of freshwater to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits.

Geography

The nation of Singapore consists of 63 separate islands situated in Southeast Asia between Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes. The largest island, which is also the chief population centre, is known as Pulau Ujong. Other islands of significant size are Sentosa, Pulau Tekong, pulau Ubin and Jurong Island. Two human contructed causeways connect Singapore to the Malay Peninsula. Ongoing fill of tidelands and wetlands has increased the land area of singapore by about 20 percent over the last half century, and may increase the national land area by a further 10 percent by the year 2035.

Geographic Coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E

Area:697 km2 ( 687 km2 land and 10 km2 water)

Land Boundaries: None

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime Claims: Territorial sea: three nautical miles. Eexclusive fishing zone:within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practise.

Natural Hazards: None

Terrain: Lowland topography; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and the Bukit Timah nature preserve, the chief remaining intact rainforest in Singapore. The highest point of the nation isBukit Timah (166 m).
Climate

Because of its location close to the equator, there is little temperature distinction among the seasons; however, there is a pronounced change in wind and rainfall, dominated by the winter monsoon regime extending from November to January. Year around the temperature varies diurnally from 22 to 32 degrees Celsius, with the lower value occurring at night. Humidity is quite high all year long, with characteristic afternoon relative humitity levels of about 73 percent. The months of July to October typically bring a visibility recing smoke haze from slash-and-burn activity in Indonesia.

Tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms

Despite occasional smog regional haze, Singapore has generally enjoyed good air quality. This happy situation does not happen by accident. It is the result of farsighted vision, meticulous planning and an uncompromising approach in the pursuit of clean air. The result is a air quality which is well within the standards of the World  (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Prevention, monitoring, enforcement and education is for Singapore strategy in managing air pollution. But while This strategy has served us well so far, we are now facing three major challenges must be overcome before we can continue to enjoy the air quality at which we grew accustomed.

They are:

• PM 2.5 (or very fine particles of 2.5 microns or less) that studies have shown to be related to many respiratory problems and cardiovascular  diseases;
• Our vulnerability to transboundary air pollution;
• global climate change caused by emissions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges in today's world, with effects and impacts that will grow in coming decades. already changes happening around us: rising water levels , Extreme weather events, and more frequently and increasingly severe floods and droughts. These widespread changes in the future could disrupt our present way of life.

Climate change a global challenge; one that requires global solutions commitment countries in the world. Studies have shown that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy and deforestation are largely responsible for an unprecedented increase in global temperatures in the last 100 years.

Singapore has been working with its neighbours to tackle transboundary air pollution and will continue to do so. However, the main strategies to address Particulate Matter 2.5 lie in using cleaner fuels and setting more stringent emission standards. As for global climate change, the key lies in using energy more efficiently. This is reflected in the two new targets set in the revised SGP 2012:

• To reduce the ambient PM 2.5 level to within an annual averageof 15μg/Nm3 by 2014
• To improve carbon intensity (i.e CO²emission per GDP Dollar)
• by 25% from 1990 level by 2012

International Environmental Agreements