Singapore's vulnerabilities
1. Limited land and natural resources
a) difficult to achieve sustainable urban development
b) vulnerable to food, water and energy insecurities
2. Changing demographics
a) decreasing birth rate, ageing population and increasingly diverse society
b) vulnerable to labour shortage and economic slowdown
3. External shocks and global uncertainties
a) economic, social and environmental uncertainties
b) vulnerable to climate change, pandemics and financial crises
The limited land in Singapore must be optimised for our current and future needs. An example is the management of Dover Forest. The eastern half of the forest would be developed for housing while the western half would be retained as a nature park for now. Watch the video below to learn more about the plans for Dover Forest.
As we do not have many local sources of food, we depend on overseas food suppliers. Hence, we are vulnerable to disruptions in the global food supply.
An example is the export ban by Malaysia in 2022, which affected Singapore's import of fresh chicken and eggs from Malaysia.
Why is a declining population a threat in Singapore?
Births of Singaporean babies fell 4 per cent to 30,429
The citizen population continues to age, with 19.1 per cent reaching 65 years or older
Falling birth rates makes Singapore vulnerable as with fewer births, our local population starts to decrease, and we become more reliant on people from other countries for manpower in Singapore.
An ageing population makes Singapore vulnerable as more resources must be allocated to care for the aged.
Increasing Diverse Population
As shown in the chart below, Singapore's population is made up of Singapore citizens, new citizens, PRs, international students, migrant domestic workers, and other foreigners.
Singapore’s diverse population could result in disputes amongst people, as the differences between various groups may cause misunderstandings or disagreements.
Singapore vulnerable to labour shortages