Have you experienced a flash flood in Singapore?

“I experienced one in Orchard Road, 5 years ago.”

Flash Flood in Orchard Road

Did you know that rapid urbanization is one of the major cause of such floods?

Due to the rapid urbanization, many new buildings and shopping malls have been constructed at Orchard Road. And for this to be done, trees were being cut down, and there is an increasing amount of concrete that is paved onto the land.  As concrete is non-porous, when rain falls, the concrete lands were not able to absorb the rainwater. Thus, the rainwater flows off the surface of the land as surface runoff, unlike the past, where there were trees and grasslands, where soil could absorb the water. Due to this, during heavy rainfall, flash floods like the one in Orchard Road is more likely to occur, as more water collects on the land.

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In addition, there is an increase in rainfall in Singapore annually.

Rising level of Rainfall

Thus, with minimal forestry areas in Singapore to act as a “sponge” to absorb rainwater, rapid urbanization may perpetuate the issue of flash floods in Singapore.