Climate change and Singapore

• Main Author: Ng, Gwendolyn Ling Kuan
• Other Authors: Bengt Ramberg
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Maritime studies
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/93616; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/7457
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Arctic is a region located at the Northern Hemisphere, accounting for about 6 percent of the Earth’s total surface area. The Arctic which was covered in ice caps and glaciers was once impenetrable by humans. At present, ships are able to pass through this region for a period of 3 to 4 weeks. This phenomenon is caused by climate change, resulting from the increasing release of Greenhouse gases into the Earth’s atmosphere which accelerated the melting of Arctic’s ice caps and glaciers. This led to the opening of the Arctic sea routes and a more accessible Arctic region. Although there are no official routes through the Arctic as ice is constantly changing in pattern, explorers have found three main Arctic passages namely the Northeast Passage also known as the Northern Sea Route (NSR), Northwest Passage (NWP) and the Central Arctic Ocean Route. Commercial shipping is benefitting from the shorter distances of these routes as compared to the traditional Suez Canal Route. This report focuses only on the NSR as it is the most commercially viable route. The Arctic is most vulnerable to climate change and this report will touch on the possible impacts of global warming and climate change on the Arctic as well as how this would lead to the opening of the various Arctic sea routes. Furthermore, an outlook into the year 2050 will be discussed with issues on the demand and supply of oil and gas. In addition, alternative sources of energy and modes of transportation would be looked into for the future. Last but not least, propositions on possible business opportunities for the Singapore maritime industry are proposed in view of the opening of the NSR.