Research topic
Flooding in Singapore
Hypothesis
There are low-lying areas along East Coast Beach that are prone to flooding.
What I need to find out
-Evidences of low-lying areas
-Flooded areas/wet soil/wet sand/wet rocks/erosion
-Land inclination angle
-Structures with evidence like erosion (concrete, cement) & weathering
-Measures taken to prevent flooding (structures like breakwaters or plants)
-Interviews with regulars at East Coast Beach
Methodology/Steps/Procedures
1. Walk around the beach.
2. Notice the changes in the colour of the sand (whether the colour darkens).
3. Note the length from the sea of where the colour changes.
4. Walk towards the front of the beach (as close as possible to the sea).
5. Look at the general view of the beach/park (the buildings, structures on the land).
6. Walk around and look for flooded areas as well.
Land inclination angle
1. Stand on higher ground (eg. a breakwater).
2. Using a tool made of a protractor, an eraser, a straw and string, look through the straw.
3. Determine the angle of land inclination.
Evidences in structures
1. Walk around and look at the structures.
2. Look out for structures that have eroded surfaces.
3. Look out for pavements/etc. that have erosion too.
4. Notice the differences in colour on structures like breakwaters (may indicate sea level).
5. Note the different trees and plants as well.
Evidences on preventing flooding
1. Walk around and look out for structures that help to prevent flooding or help to reduce flooding (things like drains, trees, breakwaters, seawalls, etc.).
Interviews
1. Interview the people at East Coast Beach, especially those who work there or go there regularly on:
-How often it floods
-Heavy rainfall?
-High tides?
-Do the shops get flooded?
-When was the last flood that took place?
-etc.
Sharing of Findings
Before we actually went to search for evidence, here are some of the knowledge and information we knew beforehand:
-Monsoon season is from about November to February
-On 5 March 2006, it was reported that some parts of the park are experiencing soil erosion which caused certain beachfront areas to collapse. One of the reasons were global warming which has resulted in a higher sea level, thus bringing the coast further inland.
First, we went to the front of the beach to get a general view of the park from the beach.
Here is a bird's eye view of the order:
Then, we walked along the beach spotting for any evidences of flooding. One example is erosion. This concrete pavement has been eroded. It should be because of flooding and over time it has eroded.
Trees have been planted to prevent sand erosion. The roots help hold the sand together thus the sand will not erode and go to the sea during flooding. The picture is not that clear but there is a difference in colour in the trees. The bottom part is darker and it also seems that the bark at the bottom has been eroded (is that possible?).
Thus this shows flooding does take place since the trees are a prevention measure.
Buttress roots can be seen in the photos. This is evidence of flooding as the soil on top of the roots have been washed away by the water. Because of the soil erosion, the buttress roots are exposed and can be seen clearly.
Note the colour changes in the breakwater. The darkened part indicates how high the sea level rises. This could be evidence of flooding as that level is definitely higher than the ground level thus when the sea level reaches that level it will flood.
The presence of the breakwaters are also evidence that flooding takes place there. In order to prevent flooding, the government could have built the breakwaters .
The photo shows an eroded breakwater. When waves hit the breakwater, they lose energy, sediments are deposited and a sandbar is formed. Thus there is sand can be seen on the breakwater. Hence this shows that flooding has taken place as well.
The inclination from this breakwater to the newer breakwater in front of the eroded one is 80 degrees.
The colour changes in the sand also indicate how far the tide can go. The clear line between the darkened part and the lighter part of the sand shows that the water can actually go that far normally.
The presence of these drains indicate that there is flooding. The drains are there to drain away the water, thus it shows that flooding takes place in East Coast Park. There might have been flooding previously which may be the reason why drains have been placed there.
This drain shows the possible flood water level (it is higher than the ground level). Sand covers the drain holes on all sides. The sand might have been blown by the wind, or been swept by the water during flooding, thus covering the drain holes.
Rubbish, seaweed and different sediments from the sea on the beach indicates how far the seawater goes.
The presence of sand on the jetty could be because of flooding. The sand may have been washed up by the water onto the jetty. Thus flooding could have taken place.
The first photo shows the left side of the the jetty. The second photo shows the right side of the jetty. On the left side of the jetty, there are a lot of rubbish, seaweed, sediments, etc most likely washed onto the shore by the water. However, on the right side of the jetty it is very clean. Furthermore, the coastline on the left side is further inland than the coastline on the right side of the jetty. This shows that flooding takes place on the left side.
The sketch below shows a rough estimate of the coastline comparison.
We interviewed a cleaner that was cleaning up the rubbish on the beach. He was from China so we had a bit of difficulty communicating with his accent but we managed to learn that the rubbish was on the beach often (it appears frequently because of the sea and most probably flooding) which is also why cleaners have to be hired to clean the beach. This is evidence of flooding too.
We did not manage to interview the shopkeepers though because they were too busy.
Also, another reason why there might be flooding may be because of rainfall. Flooding may not necessarily be because of the sea all the time.
Therefore, after analysing the evidence at East Coast Beach, I can conclude that there are low-lying areas along East Coast Beach that are prone to flooding, and that flooding does take place at East Coast Beach.
Reflections
The trip to East Coast Beach was definitely a memorable and educational experience. It made me see the park in a different light.
Unlike the previous times I went there for leisure, this time I went with a different purpose and mindset. I learnt many new things and had the opportunity to experience what I have learnt in class first-hand.
For example, I learnt about erosion and flooding, but never got to see it for myself. Also, even though I knew (through common sense) that it does flood in East Coast Beach, I did not know the reason why and did not check it out for myself.
This trip made me feel like a detective in some way, checking for evidences :D
I also understood more about Singapore and our beaches and coastal areas.
-Pae En Qi (29), Sec 2-1 ACE Geography
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