Singapore, a city-state of just 700 square kilometershas once again challenged the limits of geography. The country has built its first polder, one that will allow it to continue expanding its territory. The work, which covers some 800 hectares – the equivalent of 8,000 football fields – is part of a strategy that combines advanced engineering, climate adaptation and military needs.
The project is located next to the island of Tekong Islandin the northeast of the country, and consists of a basin surrounded by dikes and kept dry by pumps. Its deepest point is more than a meter below sea level. Work began in 2016 and they have already completed the drying of the land. Unlike traditional landfilling – which involves pouring sand or earth over the sea – the polder system pumps out the water and reduces costs by half.
Inspired by the experience of the Netherlands, where much of the territory remains below sea level, Singaporean engineers They opted for this method to save resources and gain space facing the constant pressure of urban growth. Since independence, Singapore has expanded its territory by more than 130 square kilometers, but lack of land remains one of its biggest challenges.
The new land will not be used for housing or parks, but to the army. Pulau Tekong, the country’s second largest island, is under military control and is home to the main training centers of the Singapore Armed Forces. With the new polder, part of the land currently occupied by the army on the main island may be released for civil use.
Behind this decision there is a singular paradox: one of the smallest countries on the planet It has a disproportionately powerful armed forces. With some 50,000 active soldiers and 250,000 reservists, Singapore has more tanks per square kilometer than any other country in the world. Its land fleet includes more than 170 Leopard 2SG tanks – a number similar to the British one – and more than 3,000 armored vehicles.
The air force is not far behind either: operates a hundred American F-15 and F-16 fighters and has ordered 20 F-35s, in addition to 150 additional aircraft including helicopters and support aircraft. Altogether, Singapore has four active air bases and regularly trains in other countries, such as Taiwan, due to lack of space.
In a nation where every square meter counts, even the sea has had to give way to strategic needs. With this new polder, Singapore demonstrates that its military power is not measured by the size of its territory, but for its ability to shape it.
