Tuesday, April 7, 2009
How significant(important) is Marina Barrage to Singapore's development?
Water is a very precious resource for any nation, especially a land like ours where rainwater is our only supply of freshwater. Besides importing water, recycling waste water and desalinating seawater, reservoirs are important water resources. Marina Barrage is our newest reservoir created by building a dam across a channel. This reservoir not only collects rainwater but serves as part of a flood control scheme to stop flooding in low-lying areas in certain parts of the city. In addition its calm water body is intended for recreational water activities.The Solar Park is the part that provides electrical power for the site and the barrage.
Water is a very precious resource for any nation, especially a land like ours where rainwater is our only supply of freshwater. Besides importing water, recycling waste water and desalinating seawater, reservoirs are important water resources. Marina Barrage is our newest reservoir created by building a dam across a channel. This reservoir not only collects rainwater but serves as part of a flood control scheme to stop flooding in low-lying areas in certain parts of the city. In addition its calm water body is intended for recreational water activities.The Solar Park is the part that provides electrical power for the site and the barrage.
6:09 AM
Station 1: rooftop
Objective:
To understand the importance of the physical location and structure of the barrage in relation to Singapore's economic development.
Instructions:
As you make your way tot he rooftop, Observe your surroundings, particularly the design of the barrage.
1. Take a look at the architectural structure of the barrage. What are your thoughts and feelings? Why do you think it is built this way?What are its purpose?
When i first reached the roof top i felt that it was rather hot and the heat made me feel uneasy and sweaty but the scenery is very beautiful. The barrage is also built based on some facts from feng shui. The barrage looks like a "9" which means long in chinese, this is because they want us to have a long suppy of water and that this barrage will stand for very long and never falls. Even the number of crest gates were 9. It is also built to provide a place for recreational activities and also as a new tourist attraction as once the casinoes and the intergrated resorts are done, the view will allow them to see all of them and the Central Business District with the Singapore Flyer.
2.When you reached the rooftop, walk along the pathway designated. What are some of the interesting sights or developments that caught your attention?
The Singapore Flyer , the Central Business District with its huge skyscrapers , the Esplanade, the golf course and the currently developing Integrated Resorts.
3.Locate a spot along the pathway. Your teacher will direct you to a particular spot. Sketch what you see in the landscape before you in the space provided.Provide as much detail as possible in your sketch.
4.Do you think the physical features or developments that you have sketched are important to Singapore's economic development? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Yes.It will help to make a huge reservoir that will give us enough water to use after the contract with Malaysia expires. It also acts as a wall to prevent flooding from happening to low lying areas of Singapore.
5:52 AM
station 2: Gallery Walk
Monday, April 6, 2009
Objectives:
1. To identify and appreciate the major challenges in the development of Singapore.
2. To understand and appreciate how the barrage can help Singapore to overcome these challenges.
Instructions:
This gallery showcases the development of Singapore and highlights some of the challenges facing Singapore. Take your time to go through the gallery to try and understand what some of these challenges are and how the barrage can help Singapore to overcome some of these challenges.
Gallery 1 showcases the environmental challenges of today
Gallery 2 recounts the clean up of the Singapore and Kallang Rivers.
Gallery 3 features the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme, launched by PUB in 2007.
Gallery 4 details the intricate construction and operations of the dam.
Gallery 5 showcases how Singapore's careful planning and management of its limited land area to maximize its potential.
Gallery 6 displays an unwavering commitment from 3P (People, Private, Public) sectors to care for the environment and water.
1. List down some of the problems or challenges that Singapore faces in her development over the years.
Examples are Cleaning of the Singapore and Kallang Rivers, Shortage of Land area , Increasing number of residents in Singapore, ending of water contract with Malaysia , Public health Control and the climate change.
2. Classify these problems or challenges into categories, e.g., Physical , Environmental, Economic Problems.
Environmental Problems are cleaning of the Singapore and Kallang Rivers and Climate Change.
Economic Problems are Shortage of Land area and ending of water contract with Malaysia.
Social Problems are Increasing number of residents in Singapore and Public health control.
3.How can the Barrage help solve Singapore's problems or challenges? Write your response in the space provided.
The barrage is a big reservoir to collect water for Singapore as Singapore do not have natural water and the barrage also has a dam which helps to control the tides of the river and sea. This has help us to prevent flooding to low lying area of Singapore such as Chinatown and the water shortage that we will face after the contract with Malaysia terminates.
At the end of the gallery, there is a showcase highlighing how the barrage actually works. You can activate the prototype model to learn more about how the barrage work.
4.How does the barrage control flooding? With the help of well-labeled diagrams, explain your answer below.
The barrage is a dam that acts as a physical barrier to separate the reservoir from the sea.The steel crest gates of the Barrage will act as a tidal barrier to keep the high tides out.Under normal conditions, the crest gates will remain in an upright position to isolate the reservoir from the sea.
5:37 AM
Station 3: platform
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Objectives:
1.To understand the impact of the barrage on the environment.
2. To understand why the barrage is built at its current location.
Instructions
1. Sketch what you see in the surrounding in the space provided.
2.Note if there are ships passing by the barrage or near the barrage.
3. Based on your observations, what are some of the environmental issues that may arise as a result of the barrage being built at its current location.
The sea water will have less minerals flowing in from the inside of Singapore and the plants and corals living in the ocean will be affected as they can't grow as well as they should be.
4.How will it affect us?
Some tourists actually came to view the corals may not see them any more as they will become lesser and lesser, this will lead to decreasing number of tourists coming to Singapore.
5. Suggest ways that we can prevent this to happen.
We could add in the minerals manually by adding fertilizers into the sea.
we could decrease the amount of time the dam is shut so that the minerals can pass through.
6.Look at the map which shows the location of the Marina Barrage and also the locations of various rivers in Singapore.Based on the map and your observations at the platform, suggest some reasons why the Barrage is built at its current location.
It is located at the mouth of major rivers such as Kallang,Geylang , Singapore and Bukit Timah rivers.It is also where all the rainwater will flow to after heavy rains. They also wan to shut the water in so that it would become a very big reservoir to store water for use.
3:15 AM
Station 4: Dam
Friday, April 3, 2009
Objective:
To understand the innner workings of the Marina Barrage
Instructions:
Walk along the damn to the other side of the bank.Observe the surrounding as you
walk.
Q1: What are your thoughts and feelings as you walk along the dam to the other side of the bank?
A:It was very hot and humid, it was also very tiring but it is amazing how the engineers and
architects can built something like the Marina Barrage.
Q2:Suggest a method that you can use to measure the length of the dam without the use of any tools or equipment.
A:Counting the number of footsteps required to reached the end of the dam, then multiple it
by the length of both of your legs.
Q3:What do you think will happen if there are sudden increases in the water level on either side of the dam?
A:The other side will not be affected because the dam is able to control the flow of water to
either side of the dam by closing or shutting up the 9 gates of the barrage.
Q4:What do you think is the purpose of the dam?Give evidence to support your answer.
A: The purpose of the damn is to control the water level of the reservoir and prevent flooding
from occurring when there is heavy rain. Flooding problems in Singapore has significantly
decreased.
Q5:What do you understand by the term "reservoir"?
A:It is a place used to store clean water for use.
Q6:Based on your observations, do you think the barrage is a "reservoir"? Give reasons to
support your answers.
A: The Barrage is a reservoir because it can store water for use. It is also a dam because it
obstruct the flow of water.
5:52 AM
Group Reflections
Thursday, April 2, 2009
It helps to clean and control the water level, thus it has prevented flooding and also helped improved the lives of Singaporean living in the low lying areas of Singapore sure as Chinatown.
It is also the dream of our Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew for two decades. It is also the very first reservoir to be built in the heart of the city.It is also a new tourist attractions that Singaporeans and foreigners like to visit.
It is also a way to make our rivers clean so that we can get fresh water even after our contract with Malaysia expires.
6:09 AM
Extra Information
Built across the mouth of the Marina Channel, the Marina Barrage creates Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and the first in the heart of the city. With a catchment area of 10,000 hectares, or one-sixth the size of Singapore, the Marina catchment is the island’s largest and most urbanized catchment. Together with two other new reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir will boost Singapore’s water catchment from half to two-third’s of the country’s land area.
The Barrage consists of nine crest gates which block out the tides. Each is 28 meters tall. Several large capacity low head propeller pumps are installed in the barrage capable of pumping out excess water from the man made reservoir.
The Marina Barrage is the result of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s vision nearly two decades ago when he envisaged damming the mouth of the Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.
The Marina Barrage was also featured in 1 of the episodes of the Mediacorp drama series, Tables of Glory.
5:59 AM