Thread by @audreytrp

What does the latest @IPCC_CH means for Singapore?

straitstimes.com/singapore/envi…

TL;DR? The report examines how global climate will change w the amt of heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere. But diff places experience impacts differently.

Singapore is keeping an eye out for a # of indicators that affect lives and infra here.

1) HEAT. We all know it’s alr hot; and warming here (1.8 deg C) is alr higher than global average (1.1 deg C) coz of urbanisation. And the @MetServiceSG says it’s likely to get worse.

Of course, we’re trying a few things to mitigate this; like planting trees everywhere and trying cool paint on some public housing blocks.

straitstimes.com/singapore/hous…

2) Sea level rise

The proj for global mean SLR of up to abt 1m by 2100 dont differ much from previous reports. But there’s more discussion on extreme sea level events.

They may have lower chances of happening, but with devastating conseq if they do.

Coastal studies commissioned by @PUBsingapore are underway, and Singapore is looking to study other processes that can influence sea level changes here.

straitstimes.com/singapore/envi…

3) Rainfall.

Recently we saw some flash floods that some attributed to climate change, tho this is really not backed up by studies yet. BUT, a warmer atmosphere “holds” more water and the latest report indicates that more rain could fall over SEA.

If Singapore was a bathtub and the amount of rain falling over the country came from taps, then climate change is but one spigot. Many other “taps” control rainfall over the country & models are being developed to better tease out these impacts.

straitstimes.com/singapore/envi…

These are just some indicators that have direct impact on Singapore. But the country is part of the global community too, which will face much more dire futures if ALL countries don’t move to cut emissions to net zero by 2050. Singapore’s pledge is to achieve these “when viable”.

A sobering finding is that key warming threshold of 1.5 deg C will be breached in the 2030s- sooner than many think!

That’s not to say there’s no point trying. “With every additional increment of global warming, changes in extremes continue to become larger,” IPCC warns.

Flood of tweets from climate reps worldwide, but here's more from @FogartyClimate & I, with input from our experts here in Singapore, incl urban climate expert @winstontlchow and @EOS_SG 's sea lvl expert Benjamin Horton:

straitstimes.com/world/climate-…

To localise the findings of the IPCC report for Singapore and South-east Asia, and to better keep an eye out on the indicators of concern as mentioned above, climate scientists in Singapore are developing a regional climate model. Here's how it works:

straitstimes.com/singapore/envi…