SINGAPORE: Telok Ayer is among the warmest spots in Singapore, a new study has found.
This is despite the neighbourhood’s green spaces, low-rise buildings and proximity to the bay area.
Being surrounded by tall buildings which block the cooling effect from the nearby coastline is one of the reasons why the area in the heart of the city has earned its spot, according to sustainable development consultancy Arup, which conducted the research.
Many shophouses there that feature dark terracotta roofs also do Telok Ayer no favours. They may be aesthetically pleasing but can reach high temperatures due to solar radiation. When the heat is transferred to air around the buildings, it warms up the entire street.
Other areas that came under the spotlight were more predictable, like Raffles Place, Shenton Way and Lau Pa Sat, which feature hard, impermeable surfaces or tall, closely packed buildings.
Temperatures in these locations can be up to 6 degrees Celsius higher than in the heartlands, the study found. Researchers mapped the whole of Singapore, with a particular focus on a 150 sq km snapshot of the nation’s urban centre using Arup’s digital heat analytics tool.
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Other neighbourhoods that experienced a temperature difference of above 5 degrees Celsius compared to their surroundings included industrial zones like Kampong Ubi, places with high population density in Rochor and Marine Parade, and areas within Orchard as well as Sembawang.
The same study found that the coolest spot in Singapore is at Upper Peirce Reservoir, where 88 per cent of the park is made up of water, and the remaining 12 per cent vegetation. It is about 6.5 degrees Celsius cooler than the island’s hottest spots.
The research, which also looked at other major cities including Cairo, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mumbai, and New York, found that the hottest spots had less than 6 per cent vegetation cover. In contrast, the coolest spots had over 70 per cent and were found almost entirely in parks, away from residential and commercial areas.
COOLING THE COUNTRY DOWN
The phenomenon where built-up areas tend to be warmer than rural or heartland areas is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect.
To counter this, design elements that cool buildings, like increased tree canopy cover or reflective roofs may help, said Dr Shawn Lum from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
“Many parts of the city, including some that are maybe more prone to absorbing and radiating heat – you can’t just tear them down and rebuild,” said Dr Lum, a senior lecturer at NTU’s Asian School of the Environment.
Instead, buildings may need to be retrofitted, he said.
“Paints or some kind of cladding that either reflect or somehow just shield the buildings and keep them from absorbing too much sunlight can be done but they might be costly,” he said.
Change in some norms may also help, Dr Lum added.
This includes dressing comfortably for the heat and getting used to slightly higher temperatures indoors so that air conditioning, which generates heat in the environment, does not have to be set too low.
ONGOING EFFORTS
Singapore is already making efforts to tamper the heat, said Mr Tony Chan, Arup’s associate principal for Cities and Planning in Singapore. As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the government is conducting a digital urban climate study, he noted.
“(It) all adds to the body of knowledge to help us implement strategies moving forward in terms of mitigating against heat,” he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.
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“Although quite unique geographically, in terms of the humidity and tropical climate, the lessons learned here can be applied to many cities, especially around Southeast Asia.”
Dr Lum noted that nature has a ready-made solution – trees. They not only provide cover from the sun, but also release water vapour that absorbs heat and cools the surrounding.
Singapore also already has an advantage in reducing temperatures given the infrastructure planning that has been put in place, he said.
“(Singapore) spaced (out) the buildings, (made) the roads wide enough to be able to accommodate trees. It wasn’t just sticking trees into the existing urban plan,” he said.
“That already gives us one leg up on addressing this problem.”