Pulau Semakau

1°12′22″N 103°45′43″E Template:SG neighbourhood

File:Pulau semakau landfill.jpg

Location of Pulau Semakau Landfill and neighbouring islands.

Pulau Semakau is located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The current island was formed by the amalgamation of the then much smaller Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng. Pulau Semakau is Singapore's first offshore landfill and now the only remaining landfill in Singapore.

History

Pulau Semakau was home to a small village community. Most of the villagers were subsistence fishermen, making a living off the nearby reefs. One of the oldest residents continued to live on the island even after the settlers were relocated to the mainland. He eventually moved out as well, as the jetty fell into disrepair.

Semakau landfill

Semakau landfill receiving station

Pulau Semakau is Singapore's only landfill situated offshore among the southern islands of Singapore. It covers a total area of 3.5 square kilometres and has a capacity of 63 million m³. To create the required landfill space, a 7 km perimeter rock bund was built to enclose a part of the sea off Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng. It is currently estimated that the landfill, which began operations on 1 Apr 1999, will last till 2040. The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, along with the National Environment Agency which manages the landfill, hopes this deadline will be extended through various waste minimisation and resource conservation initiatives.

Semakau Landfill is filled mainly with inert ash produced by Singapore's four incineration plants, which incinerate the country's waste, shipped there in a covered barge (to prevent the ash from get blown into the air) every night. Contrary to popular belief that Semakau Landfill would be another dirty and smelly landfill, the care put into the design and operational work at the landfill have ensured that the site is clean, free of smell and scenic. During construction, silt screens were installed to ensure that the corals were not affected during the reclamation works. The landfill is lined with an impermeable membrane, and clay and any leachate produced is processed at a leachate treatment plant. Regular water testing is carried out to ensure the integrity of the impermeable liners.

Pulau Semakau, Western Islands, Singapore. View of Phase 2 wet cell of the Semakau Landfill from the western rock bund.

Flora and fauna

Two plots of mangroves totaling 136,000 square metres, which were planted just outside the perimeter bund to replace those affected by the construction work, are growing well. This is a good indication that there has been no seepage through the liners. Another design feature is the built-in channels that allow the flow of seawater into non-active cells, keeping the water fresh at all times. The natural habitat on Pulau Semakau has also been preserved.

Today, after years of operation, the mangrove, landfill and island habitats are growing well. Birds can be seen in the air and on the open landscape, fishes swim in and out of the lagoons, and marine life is observed in the mangrove mudflats and the western shorelines of Pulau Semakau.

Preliminary results of a 2005 survey of the mangroves of Semakau revealed four plants listed as endangered in Singapore [1]. Among them is the Seashore Bat Lily (Tacca leontopetaloides) which so far has only been recorded in one area of Singapore: Pulau Semakau. Semakau also has vast stretches of Tape seagrass (Enhalus acoroides) which is considered rare and vulnerable in Singapore. Semakau is also the only known location in Singapore of the seagrass Syringodium isoetifolium.

Recreational activities

Semakau landfill scenery

The National Environment Agency on 16 July 2005 officially opened Semakau Landfill to the public for selected recreational activities. It was launched by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, with 40 families of the former residents of Pulau Sakeng, one of the small islands from which Semakau Landfill was built, invited back to their former home as guests of the event. The residents had left over 10 years ago. The opinions of various interest groups and organisations such as Nature Society of Singapore, Sport Fishing Association (Singapore) and Wild Singapore in using Semakau Landfill for recreational purposes were sought. Currently, members of the public who wish to visit the island are advised to contact the Nature Society, Sport Fishing Association, or the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research which conducts guided walks on the shores of Semakau for the public. All groups are led by a trained guide. This supervision is in place to protect the landfill's natural environment.

Further, facilities have been put in place, such as strategically-located shelters lightning arresters and lifebuoys, as well as directional signage and clear markings of no-access areas to keep visitors away from the operation areas.

Target interest groups in Singapore now have a unique recreational destination in the form of a huge open ash-filled landfill tucked away in the pristine waters of southern Singapore, coexisting with a mix of mangrove, grassland and shoreline habitats.

External links

• Pulau Semakau on wildsingapore - Web resources on Pulau Semakau.
• Pulau Semakau - Singapore Lifestyle Wiki - Write-up on Pulau Semakau.
• Survey of Semakau mangroves, Jun 05 - Preliminary results for mangrove and intertidal flora and fauna.
• Satellate image of Pulau Semakau - Google Maps