It is timely for Singapore to work on climate adaptation

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In 2019, then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally speech that Singapore’s climate change defences 

were as existential for the country as its armed forces

.

But one area we could do better in is to help people understand that climate adaptation also requires action on their part.

Unlike neighbouring countries, Singapore has not yet faced severe climate impacts, so climate change can feel like a distant concern for many. And this sentiment could slow the urgency of preparing for climate shocks. The problem is not ignorance, apathy or a lack of moral concern.....the way climate impacts are framed could be preventing the masses from taking action. Climate impacts are often described as happening years later from 2050, elsewhere in the Arctic and deep rainforest, or at a larger scale. “These framings, while scientifically accurate, unintentionally generate psychological escape routes. Together, they form what I call a ‘Pandora’s box of excuses’ that allows people to care abstractly while postponing action indefinitely