In many of the seminars I gave, very few people asked about climate change's impact on investments and Singapore. It is only in my last seminar with a group of very high net worth clients that this was discussed.
I often hear my colleagues and friends talk about their desire to own a landed property in Singapore or Malaysia. But very little is discussed about how vulnerable these two countries are to climate change.
In Johor, some towns like Segamat are submerged in 2m high water for several weeks a year. Many low lying parts of Malaysia will increasingly be at risk unless the government invests heavily in storm drains.
Singapore will also suffer the same fate. Rising sea levels will require dykes and levees like Amsterdam to keep out the water. By 2028, Singapore, Iskandar, KL, and Jakarta may become very different from today. Floods, famine, increasingly violent typhoons and extremely heavy rain will wreak havoc on these mega cities.
Putting all your eggs in one destination is extremely foolhardy. I have friends who just buy rows of shophouses and bungalows in Singapore. Nothing but Singapore. I also have learned friends who sink all their money into Iskandar and KL. Perhaps its their homeland and they are emotionally attached to Malaysia. Maybe it's just irrational optimism. But I've got my doubts.
The best places to escape to are well north or south of the equator, and that means countries like New Zealand, some parts of Australia, UK, most of northern Europe, Canada and the northern parts of the US. China's atmosphere is too polluted. Japan has earthquake risk. Korea, Chile, Argentina, France and most of Europe is not bad but language is a problem.
http://yahoosg.tumblr.com/post/63719064286/the-cities-highlighted-in-red-will-reach-climate
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