Singapore’s Sentosa island will soon host what it calls ‘Asia’s first experiential climate adaptation hub’ – a move announced on Thursday along with a national call for the public to share their views on the city-state’s inaugural climate adaptation plan.
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More than 100 representatives across society gathered at Sentosa for the first session of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s (MSE) National Adaptation Conversation, a new platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share aspirations and weigh the trade-offs involved in strengthening the country’s resilience to climate change.
Singapore had earlier in March declared 2026 to be the Year of Climate Adaptation to signal that it is now a matter of national priority.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu led the dialogue and broke ground for the hub, called Changing Course – Climate Adaptation Hub. The project is a joint effort between local social enterprise Terra SG and the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), which oversees the management and promotion of the island as a resort and leisure destination.
It marked the start of a three-year partnership between SDC and MSE’s SG Eco Fund, which provides up to S$1 million (about US$775,000) in financial support for community-driven environmental and sustainability initiatives in Singapore. Through the partnership, the two organisations will collaborate on community sustainability programmes, including advancing the Cooling Sentosa Roadmap, an island-wide initiative to lower temperatures without relying on air conditioning, and showcasing SG Eco Fund grant recipients through Sentosa events.
The ministry and government agencies have been conducting engagements since March, involving different stakeholders to raise awareness on the need for climate adaptation and gather perspectives on how Singapore can strengthen its resilience to climate change.
Over the coming months, the National Adaptation Conversation will run further sessions on specific adaptation areas: heat, coastal and flood resilience, water and food resilience, urban liveability and infrastructure, biodiversity and greenery, and public health.
MSE said that the platforms would “provide deeper conversations on adaptation challenges and opportunities, and opportunities for co-creating solutions and building ownership amongst stakeholders.”
The ministry added it would step up its engagement efforts through focus groups, community dialogues, sector-specific engagements and public events, including an interactive public exhibition in October and November aimed at helping the public understand how a changing climate will affect their daily lives and what they can do about it.
Fu had said in May that the overarching adaptation plan, targeted for publication in 2027, would take stock of current measures and identify climate risks rather than immediately prescribe solutions.
This is meant to pave the way for further discussions among government agencies, businesses and banks that could help finance solutions arising from the plan.
The new Sentosa-based adaptation hub will be at Imbiah Lookout, next to Sentosa Nature Discovery. It will open to the public for free by the end of 2026.
SDC and Terra SG describe the hub as a “living classroom” where visitors can learn how habitats and ecosystems respond and adapt to a changing climate.
The attraction is organised around a briefing node and seven themed zones, each built around a species or ecological process found on the island. Terra SG said it developed the educational content with students, teachers and academics and the hub is the first project supported by the SG Eco Fund’s Climate Adaptation Package.
The package is a S$5 million (US$3.8 million) fund that backs community projects on heat resilience, flooding, water conservation and local produce, with grants covering up to 90 per cent of supportable costs.
“Sustainability is most meaningful when people can experience it for themselves,” said SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng. “Changing Course reflects our vision of Sentosa as a place where guests can discover not only nature but also how we can strengthen it for future generations.”
Desmond Ho, trust secretary of the SG Eco Fund, said the partnership was intended to widen participation in adaptation efforts beyond government.
“Building climate resilience is a shared responsibility that requires the collective efforts of stakeholders across the public, private and community sectors,” he said. “Through our partnership with SDC, we hope to deepen the awareness of the impacts of climate change and inspire more ground-up action to strengthen Singapore’s climate adaptation.”
From 30 July, members of the public can also submit feedback and ideas directly to the National Adaptation Conversation website.
