At the recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dedicated nearly half of his speech to shoring up Singapore's coastal defence. SMU Associate Professor of Humanities Winston Chow, an expert in urban vulnerability to climate change, said that “it’s great that PM Lee is taking this existential threat of climate change and rising sea levels seriously”. He pointed out the threat is definitely existential for Singapore as it has no hinterland to retreat to, and suggested looking at more than just engineering-based solutions.