Singapore launched the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore (CAWRAS) on Friday as a national platform to advance tropical weather and climate science while building local expertise in the field.
The alliance is jointly established by the National Environment Agency (NEA), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
It will co-ordinate research to improve Singapore’s ability to forecast weather and understand long-term climate shifts across Southeast Asia.
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USD25 million Weather Science Research Programme
As its first initiative, CAWRAS will oversee the SGD25 million (USD19.45 million) Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP), funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan.
The programme will be led by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore and will fund 10 projects to improve weather observations, develop next-generation models, re-analyse past climate data, and enhance forecasts with advanced post-processing.
According to the National Environment Agency’s media release, some projects will apply artificial intelligence to improve predictions of convective hazards such as heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Others will focus on high-resolution modelling of urban weather and the role of ocean and land conditions in shaping local climate.
These projects will be supported by the new Climate and Weather Research and Evaluation Testbed, offering datasets, advanced models, and supercomputing resources.
Experts show strong support to CAWRAS
The alliance is vital to Singapore, especially as the country faces rising heat, sea levels, and heavier rainfall.
Ms Koh Li-Na, Director-General of the Meteorological Service Singapore, said CAWRAS shows a strong commitment by the research institutions to collectively tackle the challenges of predicting weather in a tropical urban environment.
Professor Lim Keng Hui of A*STAR added that its expertise in AI and modelling will help turn “scientific innovations into practical solutions” for sectors like aviation and urban planning.
NTU’s Professor Ernst Kuipers said the university will combine advanced modelling and Earth sciences to strengthen Singapore’s role as a hub for tropical climate research, while NUS’ Professor Liu Bin noted the alliance will also nurture the next generation of weather and climate scientists.
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