Singapore's integrated urban coastal management

As a bustling island city-state, Singapore relies heavily on our coastal and marine environment for trade, industry and recreation. This places significant pressure on our limited coastal and marine areas, which requires a holistic approach to plan, manage and conserve these environments.

To protect our limited coastal and marine areas, NParks has adopted a holistic framework for conservation and development.

Integrated Urban Coastal Management Framework 

NParks introduced the Integrated Urban Coastal Management (IUCM) in 2018. The IUCM is a proactive planning and management framework that emphasises collaboration among stakeholders to optimise resource use and conserve sensitive habitats. It enhances coordination among government entities and integrates governance, policies and processes for sustainable development of coastal and marine areas.

Singapore’s IUCM is dynamic and reiterative as it is based on establishing continuous baselines and feedback loops to adapt to ongoing changes in the coastal and marine environment.

PEMSEA Regional IUCM Demonstration Site and Learning Centre

In November 2013, Singapore was recognised as a Regional IUCM Demonstration Site and Learning Centre for Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

This designation highlights Singapore's success in balancing coastal development with marine environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, and enables sharing of best practices in the region and beyond.