Draft #1 Technical Report (Introduction)

Background Information
In recent studies, the rate of Singapore heating up is double than that of the world at about 0.25°C per decade (Ng & Tang, 2019). The temperature in Singapore could increase gradually to 40°C between the years 2045 and 2065 due to the astronomical amount of greenhouse gases the world continues to emit. In addition to the rising temperatures from climate change, Singapore is forced to contend with high humidity levels throughout the year (Low, 2019).

Being geographically located near the equator, the island undergoes a tropical climate. Furthermore, Singapore is surrounded by ocean where the heat and wind will convect water into the country through the breeze and rainfall (Billy Aircon, n.d.). Hence, the high humidity levels as a result of rainfall and temperature from climate change may cause people to be more susceptible to heat-related health dangers (Ng & Tang, 2019).

According to National Climate Change Secretary (NCCS, 2018), water resources is one of the elements that would be affected by climate change. Upturn in the unpredictability of weather patterns could pose a plethora of obstacles to the management of water resources. In Singapore, spells of drought can affect the dependability of its water supply, whereas unforeseen events of intense rainfall could swamp the drainage system, causing flash floods. With reference to the Public Utilities Board (PUB), managing the water supplies to meet the growing demands of the country require the involvement and contribution of the community (PUB, 2019). This explains how each individual plays an essential role in managing the water demands and ensuring sufficient water supply in the future.

In this report, team WATERHACK will discuss about the ideal school environment in terms of climate, the problems that arise due to higher relative humidity levels in Singapore, the proposed engineering solution developed to mitigate these problems and the water recycling benefits of implementing this solution.


Problem Statement
An ideal forward-looking university should be a conducive and comfortable place for students to be in. In the current SIT@Dover campus, outdoor study areas can be very warm during hot days which will cause students to feel muggy even with the presence of fans. Therefore, the team believes that SIT@Punggol campus should incorporate dehumidifiers around outdoor study areas so as to maximise student’s productivity in their learning process and at the same time, reduce the risk of any heat-related health dangers . These portable dehumidifiers can play a part in lowering the humidity level around the vicinity which will enhance students’ well-being when studying outdoor around the new campus.


Purpose Statement
This report aims to propose the implementation of portable dehumidifiers in outdoor study areas around SIT@Punggol campus to the estate planning committee in hopes of mitigating the effects of high temperature and humidity on students.