Singapore has completed its first below-sea-level land reclamation using empoldering, a Dutch-inspired method, creating an 800ha polder at the north-western tip of Pulau Tekong.
Announced jointly by the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and national water agency PUB on 8 September 2025, the reclaimed area is intended for military training, freeing up space on the mainland for new housing and public infrastructure.
The reclamation, equivalent in size to about two Toa Payoh towns, marks a significant milestone in the city-state’s land-use and climate adaptation strategies.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited the site on 8 September, returning to a project he first introduced in 2016 while serving as Minister for National Development.
Polder at Pulau Tekong in 2016 (© KARI (2016)
First below-sea-level reclamation in Singapore
This is the first time Singapore has reclaimed land below mean sea level. At its lowest point, the Tekong polder lies approximately 1.2 metres below average sea level.
Compared to conventional land reclamation, which involves raising land above sea level with large volumes of sand, empoldering uses significantly less sand — achieving close to 50 percent savings, according to PUB and HDB.
The project also reused over 10 million cubic metres of clayey soil excavated during the stormwater pond construction.
Structural features of the Tekong polder
Coastal dike
A 10km-long coastal dike was constructed around the reclaimed area to protect it from the sea. It stands at up to 6 metres above mean sea level and encloses the low-lying land within.
The dike was the first major infrastructure element to be completed. A maintenance road was built along the crest of the dike, allowing 24/7 access. An additional 21km of internal roads enables vehicle movement throughout the reclaimed zone.
Authorities stated that the dike’s height can be raised in the future to cope with projected sea-level rises of up to 5 metres by 2100.
A 10km-long coastal dike protecting the low-lying polder land from the sea (Credit: HDB)
Drainage and stormwater management
Given Singapore’s high rainfall and the polder’s low elevation, a comprehensive drainage system was installed, including:
- A 45km-long network of channels and pipes
- Over 30 water control structures, such as inlet and outlet gates
- A 116ha stormwater collection pond, capable of holding up to 5 million cubic metres of water — equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-size swimming pools
During dry periods, water is recirculated within the system to avoid stagnation. In heavy rain, the system diverts runoff into the stormwater pond and then to sea via pumping stations.
Automated water control and real-time monitoring
The polder is monitored through over 170 CCTV cameras and 260 sensors. These allow remote and real-time operations from the Tekong control centre and PUB’s joint operations centre on mainland Singapore.
Thomas Pang, PUB’s senior principal engineer, stated that the system verifies alerts, monitors water levels and quality, and provides fast incident response capabilities.
Two specialised pumping stations support the polder:
- The Central Pumping Station, located beside the stormwater pond, maintains water circulation.
- The Drainage Pumping Station, located near the coastal dike, discharges excess rainwater when the pond reaches its threshold.
Central Pumping Station (Credit: HDB)
Adapted Dutch expertise and long-term sustainability
HDB and PUB consulted Dutch experts, drawing from the Netherlands’ established empoldering and dike safety standards, while adapting them for Singapore’s tropical context.
While wave action is milder in Singapore, intense rainfall required a re-engineered drainage and pumping system to maintain internal water balance.
Authorities emphasised that this initial project will guide assessments of empoldering’s feasibility for future reclamation initiatives. Operational cost data will be collected after a sustained period of maintenance and use.
Empoldering’s reduced reliance on sand is particularly valuable, given that sand is increasingly affected by global export restrictions.
Despite the high global demand for sand—estimated at around 50 billion tonnes annually—many countries are imposing restrictions or outright bans on sand exports to safeguard their coastal ecosystems and communities.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia have all enacted measures over the past two decades to halt or limit sand exports, largely due to concerns about environmental degradation, shoreline erosion, and damage to marine biodiversity
Wikipedia
In particular, Indonesia’s recent lift of its 20‑year ban in 2023 sparked legal pushback and public outcry, prompting its Supreme Court to annul parts of the facilitating regulation earlier this year, citing conflicts with maritime law and the risk of ecological harm
Once final commissioning of infrastructure components is completed in 2025, the site will be handed over to PUB and the Ministry of Defence.
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