EXAMINATION ON THE HYDROLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL IMPACTS OF LAND RECLAMATION ON THE JOHOR STRAITS NAVIGATIONAL CHANNEL AT PULAU TEKONG, SINGAPORE

Demand for land scarce Singapore has always been high. Land reclamation was crucial to the development and survival of Singapore. During the 1990s, exceptional growth in the economy and population saw the demand for land resources at an all time high and saw the Housing Development Board (HDB) of Singapore absorbing the training grounds of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in the mainland. In exchange, the HDB had to reclaim the nearby Pulau Tekong island, located just off the north-eastern coast bordering the Johor Straits navigational channel. Shortly after commencement, disagreement rose between Malaysia and Singapore. By 2003, Malaysia has successful obtained an injunction from International Tribunal Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to halt Singapore's reclamation activities on grounds that the reclamation causes severe impact on the Johor Straits and the surrounding ecology. This thesis examines the possible impact through hydrological, environmental and political aspect. Using data from Acoustic Doppler profilers, tidal stations and compilation of articles and through the use of statistics and graphs, it is shown that there is no adverse impact on the local ecology and little impact in the Johor Straits. The changes in the Johor Straits can be seen through a slight increase in the tidal range and a moderate increase in the current speed. The thesis concludes that these changes however, are not significant and do not adversely affect mariners using the Johor Straits.Faculty of Scienc