Inaugural Singapore Water Association – South East Asia Symposium on Coastal Protection

Resisting Rising Seas – A Strategic Imperative for South East Asia

Date: TUESDAY, 24th June 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Singapore Expo Meeting Rooms , ROOM 5, ROOM 10

Convenor: Singapore Water Association (SWA) Coastal Protection Chapter

Synopsis

Convened by the Singapore Water Association, the symposium, with a focus on South East Asia, centres on implementation of innovative solutions and collaborations between industry stakeholders to address the challenge of coastal protection in the region. Working with partners, this symposium aims to bring together experts, practitioners, engineers and industry partners as well as international organisations to share and discuss real-life case studies on implementation and collaborations to bring about solutioning for coastal protection in Southeast Asia. The session also aims to bring about solutioning and networking between industry stakeholders to uplift the capability and capacity of the industry to support the new focus area.

Objectives of the Symposium
  1. Promote Regional Collaboration
    Facilitate knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships among stakeholders across Southeast Asia to address shared coastal protection challenges.
  2. Showcase Innovative Coastal Protection Solutions
    Highlight successful real-life case studies and technical solutions—especially nature-based and engineering approaches—to inspire regional adoption.
  3. Enhance Industry Capability and Capacity
    Strengthen the region’s ability to address coastal threats through professional development, collaborative research, and policy alignment.
  4. Encourage Multilateral Support and Financing
    Promote opportunities for financial and technical assistance from institutions like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
  5. Bridge Policy and Practice
    Drive actionable dialogue between policymakers, practitioners, and private-sector players to integrate coastal resilience into planning and implementation.
  6. Support Singapore’s Works in Coastal Protection
    Position Singapore in climate adaptation and coastal infrastructure development.
Targeted Audiences
  1. Government Agencies & Policymakers
  2. International Development and Financing Institutions
  3. Engineering, Environmental & Urban Planning Professionals
  4. Academia & Research Institutions
  5. Private Sector & Industry Practitioners
  6. NGOs & Community-Based Organizations
  7. Professional Associations & Think Tanks

Programme Schedule

Opening
2:00 PM – 2:05 PM Welcome Remarks
• Mr Chew Men Leong, Singapore Water Association (SWA) President
2:05 PM – 2:15PM Opening Keynote
• Mr Chua Soon Guan, Deputy Chief Executive, PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency
Segment 1: Regional Perspectives and Case Studies
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM Regional Plans on Coastal Protection and Case Studies
• Mr Norio Saito, Senior Director, Head of Water & Urban, Asian Development Bank
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Coastal Resilience as a Regional Imperative
• Ms Maria Angelica Sotomayor, Water Practice Manager, East Asia and Pacific Region, WorldBank
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM Sustainable Coastal Protection and Development: A Chinese Perspective on Collaboration and Innovation
• Invited Speaker from International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center (INTCE), Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) of China
3:00 PM – 3:05 PM Short Break
Segment 2: LOI Exchange Ceremony
3:05 PM – 3:15 PM Exchange of Letter of Intent (LOI)
International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center (INTCE), Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) of China and Singapore Companies
Segment 3: Case Studies in Coastal Resilience by Coastal Protection Chapter Members
3:15 PM – 3:25 PM Economic Evaluation of Coastal Resilience Investments
• Mr Alexus van der Weyden, Economist and Director, Frontier Economics
3:25 PM – 3:35 PM Coastal Resilience in Action: Case Studies and Best Practices
• Mr Adam Hosking, Global Director Resilience & Climate Response, Jacobs
3:35 PM – 3:45 PM Adaptation Pathways for Singapore's Coastline
• Mr Matthijs Bos, Leading Professional Flood Risk International, Royal HaskoningDHV and invited guest
3:45 PM – 3:55 PM Engineering Resilient Shorelines in Sarawak, Vietnam and Indonesia
• Ms Pritha Hariram, Coastal Protection Chapter Vice-Chair, Head of APAC, Water Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation, Ramboll
3:55 PM – 4:00 PM Short Break
Segment 4: Local Projects and Regional Collaboration
4:00 PM – 4:10 PM Building a Resilient Coastline: Singapore’s Coastal Protection Roadmap
• Ms Hazel Khoo, Director of Coastal Protection Department, PUB
4:10 PM – 4:20 PM Perspective on Future Cities and Climate Adaptation
• Mr James Lam, Coastal Protection Chapter Chair, Executive Director, Coastal Engineering and Management, Surbana Jurong Consultants
4:10 PM – 4:20 PM Perspective on Future Cities and Climate Adaptation
• Mr James Lam, Coastal Protection Chapter Chair, Executive Director, Coastal Engineering and Management, Surbana Jurong Consultants
4:30 PM – 4:55 PM Panel Discussion: Coastal Protection for the Region – Enabling Policy and Practice
• Panellists:
  • Ms Hazel Khoo, Director of Coastal Protection Department, PUB
  • Prof Adrian Law, Executive Director, CFIsg
  • Mr Peter Ho, FCCA Co-Chair
• Moderator: Mr James Lam, Coastal Protection Chapter Chair, Executive Director, Coastal Engineering and Management, Surbana Jurong Consultants
4:55 PM – 5:00 PM Closing Remarks by Mr Charles Quek, SWA Vice-President (General Affairs), Coastal Protection Chapter Advisor

** Light Refreshment will be served throughout the session **

Young Water Professionals Committee will be the emcee for Segment 1, Segment 2 and Segment 3. SWA Secretariat to emcee for Segment 4

For more detailed programme, please visit here.