Netherlands-based research institute Deltares and the National University of Singapore have signed an MoU to explore development of a new Singapore Centre on Urban Resilience (SeCURE).

The centre’s aim will be to contribute to solving urban resilience challenges for southeast Asian cities, such as climate change-induced flooding and drought.

SeCURE is envisaged as focusing on developing methods and the delivery of services that enable optimisation of resilience measures, strategies and investments. The work is likely to take a comprehensive, systems-based approach and to use big data.

Deltares notes that SeCURE could also facilitate and stimulate cross-disciplinary cooperation across south east Asia.

Deltares’ Dr Rinus Vis said: ‘There is an urgent need to increase the resilience and to realise sustainable inclusive growth of urban systems that are under a threat of increased shocks and stresses, due to uncontrolled growth and climate change. Solving these problems requires huge investments to be optimised in terms of both financial and societal return.’