Faced with the prospect of a long, slow submersion into the very waters that serve as the lifeblood of this maritime trading hub, Singapore has reached out to the world’s greatest experts on the subject of battling back the sea – the Dutch. “We are already in consultations with Delft in Holland to learn how we can build dikes,” said Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister, in an interview last Friday. Story by Wayne Arnold for International Herald Tribune An earlier article in der Spiegel This would be a sensible precaution, but I cannot help wondering if the National Climate Change Committee has sufficient remit to moderate Singapore’s own ecological footprint per capita?

Potentially yet another new chapter in the history of Singapore. We saw the relocation of Clifford Pier to make way for Marina Barrage, so the possibility of a ring around the whole island-state should not be too far fetched.

A more complicated heritage emerges. According to its home page, the Singapore Heritage Society promotes a wider interest in Singapore’s cultural heritage and history. It operates as a non-profit, non-government organisation and is a registered charity. The Society’s functions are to promote active interest in the cultural life and history of Singapore and to initiate action on research, evaluation, documentation, publication, collection, display, and preservation and restoration of skills and items of historical interest. Geraldine Lowe-Ismail is among its committee members.