Cross-agency Programmes to Deal with High Exposure to Adverse Weather Risks for Different Economic Sectors
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye’s inquiry regarding extending cross-agency meteorological programs to sectors like construction and maritime to improve workplace safety. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien highlighted existing collaborations, including the 2023 Heat Stress Advisory and ongoing partnerships with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. She noted the launch of the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore, which utilizes artificial intelligence and high-resolution modelling to enhance prediction capabilities. These advancements provide timely, localized weather data to mitigate risks for outdoor workers and support port operations control centres. Such initiatives aim to optimize decision-making across weather-dependent sectors and ensure safety of navigation through improved vessel traffic information.
Transcript
17 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the Aviation Meteorological Programme launched by CAAS and NEA in December 2025 (a) whether similar cross-agency programmes are being considered for sectors with high exposure to adverse weather risks, such as construction and maritime; and (b) whether such programmes can strengthen workplace safety for workers exposed to adverse weather risks.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Government agencies work together to address the impacts of adverse weather on various stakeholders. For example, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the National Environment Agency launched a Heat Stress Advisory in July 2023 to help the public make more informed decisions on undertaking prolonged outdoor activities. This was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health's expert panel.
The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) will continue to collaborate with agencies to manage the impacts of adverse weather. Besides the Aviation Meteorological Programme which focuses on addressing weather-related impacts on the aviation sector, MSS works with various stakeholders, such as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Ministry of Manpower, to identify weather-related challenges. To address these challenges, MSS launched the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore (CAWRAS) in September last year to advance research and development in this area. CAWRAS will leverage technological advancements, such as high-resolution modelling and artificial intelligence to enhance weather prediction capabilities for downstream users to mitigate weather-related risks and optimise decision-making in weather-dependent sectors. This includes providing more timely and localised weather information to manage adverse weather risks for workers, and supporting MPA's Port Operations Control Centres by providing vessel traffic information services to ensure safety of navigation and port operations.