Ms Goh Hanyan and Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash with participants at the Let’s Get Flood-Wise community workshop
at Siglap Community Club on 8 November 2025.
8 November 2025 – National water agency PUB, in collaboration with Siglap Community Emergency and Engagement Committee (C2E), Eastwood Ria Residents’ Network and Siglap Community Club, held the Let’s Get Flood-Wise community workshop from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, bringing together about 25 community leaders, volunteers, and residents to raise awareness on flood risks and brainstorm ideas to strengthen flood resilience ahead of the year-end Northeast monsoon season.
2 Ms Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, was in attendance to address and engage participants. Ms Goh reiterated that Singapore experiences intense rainfall that can lead to flash floods, and while the Government continues to invest in drainage infrastructure, like the ongoing upgrading works along a stretch of Siglap Canal (refer to Annex), absolute protection is not always feasible – making community preparedness essential. Also present was Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State at Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Manpower, Mayor of South East District and Adviser to East Coast GRC Grassroots Organisations, who added that their active community participation will ensure diverse voices are heard and localised solutions are co-created with those most affected, leading to more meaningful and effective outcomes.
3 This workshop originated from proactive discussions between Eastwood Ria Residents' Network and Siglap C2E regarding additional emergency preparedness skills for residents. PUB was approached and specially tailored the workshop objectives and content to address the specific needs and circumstances of our community. The workshop also complements PUB’s upcoming flood resilience campaign by encouraging localised actions based on flash flood scenarios. It aims to strengthen community preparedness and flood resilience by empowering residents to take proactive steps before, during, and after flood events. Participants were introduced to flood protection devices such as portable flood barriers and inflatable flood bags. During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to discuss possible community responses that span different phases—prevention, response, and recovery. The insights and ideas generated will be integrated into Siglap C2E’s emergency playbook and may serve as a reference for other constituencies.
4 The workshop builds on previous flood resilience community engagement efforts by PUB and partners. In the past year, PUB has organised a series of educational flood resilience drills, engaging stakeholders from different sectors such as a religious institution, a nursing home and private premises. To continue efforts to increase community participation and enhance our preparedness and resilience against floods, PUB and PA C2Es will explore further collaborations in other constituencies across Singapore.
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Annex: Drainage Improvement Works along Siglap Canal
