Raffles Institution

Humanities Department
Raffles Programme
Year Two Geography 2022

Formative Assessment: Response to Geographical Issue Marks : ____/10

Name: ________________________ ( ) Class : 2/____ Date:__________

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On December 2015, global leaders met in Paris to eke out a climate deal. Negotiated
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris
Agreement sought to hold the increase in the global average temperature to “well below”
2°C above pre-industrial levels. This was carried out amid consensus from the scientific
community that the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere is
directly linked to the rising average global temperature on Earth, and that human activities
are the main cause. Already, global impacts of climate change can be seen today in the
increased frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events from heatwaves,
droughts, flooding, winter storms, hurricanes and wildfires. As a responsible member of
the international community, Singapore will be expected to take concrete action, along
with other countries, as climate change issues take on greater importance.

THE ISSUE
Overview
Singapore is not insulated from the impact of climate change. In response to the global
challenge that climate change poses, the Singapore Government has initiated a national
movement for sustainable development – the Singapore Green Plan 2030. One of the
pillars of the plan involves transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. The effects of
climate change have intensified and global momentum to address climate change has
accelerated significantly. The impacts of climate change in Singapore are real, and can be
seen in the following instances.

Rising Average Temperatures

Singapore is subject to warmer temperatures from climate change but is also warming at
twice the global average rate. The increased warming from greenhouse gases is
compounded by our high urban density—of buildings, roads and people—within our
720km2 of land area. In a highly built up environment, heat tends to get trapped in
materials such as concrete, steel and asphalt, leading to what is known as the urban heat
island (UHI) effect. To make matters worse, motorised vehicles, industries and other
human activities generate even more heat within the city. Higher annual temperatures can
also lead to heat stress as well as greater use of air-conditioning, increasing Singapore’s
energy demands. This in turn results in higher domestic carbon emissions.

Higher rainfall and rising sea levels

Higher rainfall is linked to rising temperatures. Though levels fluctuate over time naturally,
records from 1875 reveal a significant increasing trend from the 1980s to the present day.
In addition, rainfall totals have been increasing about a centimetre per year, with the last
decade of 2010-2020 being the wettest on record. Total volume of rain has not only been
bigger, but total duration of rainfall has also been shorter. That means it has more
intensity, leading to greater frequency of urban flooding.

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The risk of flooding is exacerbated by the fact that, as a low-lying island where 30% of
land lies less than 5m above sea level, the rise in sea level poses the most immediate
threat to Singapore. According to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), mean sea
level around the island is currently 14cm above pre-1970 levels. At current projections,
sea levels will rise by 1 metre by the year 2100.

RESPONSES
Case A: Reducing Fossil Fuel Use

As the vast majority of Singapore’s carbon emissions come from burning fossil fuels for
energy, the most direct way to reduce emissions is to reduce use of fossil fuels. Singapore
has limited access to alternative or renewable energy such as wind or hydro-power. As
such, apart from actively supporting research on clean energy technologies, Singapore
has switched from carbon-intensive fuel oil to natural gas, which has lower carbon content
per unit of electricity generated.

As natural gas already constitutes more than 95 per cent of fuel mix for electricity
generation today, there are limits to how much further Singapore can reduce emissions. In
recent years the Government has devoted more resources to tackle climate change and
translate them into action. To reduce carbon emissions, a carbon tax was introduced in
2019 at $5 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions to encourage enterprises reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions further. The government intends to raise this in future.

Case B: Partnering with Community to Plant Trees

Trees play an important role in creating a liveable environment in our city. They serve as
natural air filters, providing us with clean air. Denser tree canopies reflect radiant heat and
cool our surface and ambient temperatures through shade and evapo-transpiration, and
help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and climate change. By providing cool
and shaded environments, trees help to enhance the physical, mental and social aspects
of community well-being. Trees also reduce greenhouse gases when they take in carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as wood. This process, known as carbon
sequestration, is essential in our long-term fight against climate change and its impact on
our country.

The OneMillionTrees movement was launched by NParks in Apr 2020 as part of the City
in Nature vision in a concerted effort to increase the number of trees planted throughout
the whole of Singapore. NParks aims to double the annual tree planting rate from 50,000
trees each year to 100,000 trees annually, by planting one million more trees across the
island between 2020 and 2030. To date, over 316,000 trees have been planted in
partnership with the community, and the government’s aim is to partner Singaporeans
from all walks of life to be stewards of our island's greenery.

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RESPONSE TO GEOGRAPHICAL ISSUE (RGI) – RESPONSE SHEET
Section A: Extracting Data (1 mark)

1. From Fig. 1 below, state the highest annual mean temperature recorded in Singapore
between 1948 and 2019.

Fig. 1: Annual Mean Temperature in Singapore from 1948 to 2019

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Section B: Response to the Issue (4 marks)

2. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of one of the responses (Case A or Case B) in
mitigating the impacts of climate change in Singapore.

Criterion used for evaluation:

Responses Strengths Limitations

Case B:
Planting trees

Present your points from Section B in paragraph form below:

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Section C: Proposed Actions (5 marks)

3. After learning about the issues faced by Singapore, what actions can you take as an
individual to respond to or address the issues discussed?

Action taken as an individual How this action addresses the issue

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Annex A: Rubrics for Assessment

Section B, Q2: Response to the Issue (4 marks)

Section C, Q3: Proposed Actions (5 marks)