PUB to launch guidebook for building owners, developers to enhance flood resilience of premises

SINGAPORE – Building owners and developers will be able to draw ideas from a guidebook on how to improve the flood resilience of their premises come mid-2026.

The guidebook – which will be launched by national water agency PUB – will contain measures that landowners and industry professionals such as architects and engineers can consider adopting to counter inland and coastal flooding, as well as case studies of how such measures have been applied.

It will be co-created by an 11-member Alliance for Action committee, which will draw on the industry experience and expertise of the members, said PUB in a statement on May 20. The committee was launched by the agency on May 19 and comprises architects, engineers and developers.

Announced during the debate on the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s budget in March, the guidebook will complement PUB’s code of practice for coastal protection.  

The committee will wrap up its recommendations by the first quarter of 2026, said PUB, adding that the guidebook will be launched by mid-2026.

Countries such as the US, the Netherlands and Japan have published guidebooks for implementing flood-resilient developments. The committee will refer to these publications while developing a guidebook that is suitable for Singapore.

For example, it will refer to guidebooks such as the Climate Ready DC Resilient Design Guidelines from the US and Multi-Level Safety: Water Resilient Urban And Building Design from the Netherlands, PUB told The Straits Times.

The US document gives strategies on avoiding and minimising flood damage through measures such as dry flood-proofing; using materials resistant to water damage; or building vegetative, or green, roofs to retain rainwater.

Development-specific flood resilience measures already in place here will also be considered, said PUB, citing an example of raising the crest level at entrances with steps at some MRT stations.

Not only will the committee develop the guidebook for the planning and designing of flood-resilient developments, it will also provide advice on development-specific measures applicable to Singapore’s built environment.

It will recommend ways as well to promote adoption of flood-resilient design in developments here.

In recent months,

heavy downpours have led to flash floods

in places like Yishun, Holland, Bukit Timah and Mountbatten. In January, residents in Jalan Seaview, in Mountbatten, were affected by flash floods during the

first monsoon surge on Jan 10,

as the deluge coincided with a high tide of 2.8m.

At the launch of the committee, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon said the guidebook aims to set out principles and guidelines instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

It will also contain measures building owners can adopt at the development level without compromising the land use objectives, he said.

This grants designers and building owners more room for flexibility and space for creativity in applying solutions that integrate best with the design intent, Dr Koh said.

“We hope to strike a balance between providing adequate and practical guidance to building and land owners to achieve effective flood resilience without being overly prescriptive and impeding creativity and customisation based on different needs and interests.”

He added: “This close collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential for the successful and sustainable implementation of our long-term climate adaptation plans.”

The committee is co-led by PUB chief executive Ong Tze-Ch’in, the Singapore Institute of Architects’ immediate past president Melvin H.J. Tan and Professional Engineers Board president Lim Peng Hong.

Mr Tan said that while all efforts are focused on creating a sustainable built environment, it is imperative that architects, consultants and developers have a preventive mindset that allows developments to be designed sensitively and yet provide protection.

“We envision the guidebook to provide suggestions on a mix of both hard and soft strategies that will not only be barrier-free but also realise Singapore’s vision of a City in Nature,” he added.