Tackling Urban Heat

Singapore has adopted a science-based and proactive approach to tackle urban heat, which has three prongs:

1. Deepening our understanding of the science behind how rising temperatures affects Singapore and our residents.
   We measure the urban heat island – also known as UHI – effect through an island-wide network of sensors, and conduct R&D to study the factors contributing to urban heat, test different heat mitigation strategies and assess the effects of heat on public health.
2. Reviewing efforts to strengthen the community's resilience to heat.
   We ensure that guidelines on managing heat stress at workplaces are regularly updated based on the latest scientific evidence. We have also launched a Heat Stress Advisory to help the general population make more informed decisions on undertaking prolonged outdoor activities so that they can minimise the risk of heat stress and heat-related illnesses.
3. Designing effective heat mitigation strategies and scaling them up.
   First, we promote cooling in our urban environment. This is done through the introduction of measures such as urban planning and building guidelines and infusing more greenery. We are also monitoring the developments of other heat mitigation strategies, such as cool paints, to examine if these should also be deployed on all our buildings. Second, we reduce the heat generated from human activities by electrifying our vehicle population and increasing the energy efficiency of industrial, commercial and residential buildings.