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I refer to the report “Ideas for coastal protection from S’pore tertiary students good enough to consider: PUB” (Oct 30) on PUB’s coastal protection competition. The winning proposals included a fibreglass jetty and seawalls. While these are effective responses to rising sea levels, they might not be the most sustainable solutions due to environmental impacts and high maintenance cost. First, seawalls and jetties can negatively impact the environment. While seawalls protect shorelines they are built on, they cause further erosion on adjacent shores. This is because they create turbulence and suspend sediments in the waves they deflect, adversely affecting adjacent shores over time. As for jetties, they are also known to cause both sediment accumulation and erosion. This causes environmental degradation which destroys biodiversity at shorelines and impacts the ecosystems. Furthermore, building and maintaining them is costly. It was reported in 2019 that Singapore would need to spend $100 billion over the next 100 years to protect itself against rising sea levels. While the Government is prepared to spend money, the cost of protecting shorelines is known to increase exponentially. So in the long run, Singapore might need to spend much more. Thus, finding more cost-effective and sustainable solutions is advisable. Sustainability helps Singapore achieve social, environmental and economic goals in the long run. When we prioritise sustainable solutions, we can address rising sea levels without compromising any of these goals. A sustainable solution Singapore could consider is having oyster reefs and coastal vegetation. For example, the United States has started using columns which oysters can attach to and grow. This helps to dissipate wave energy, mitigating the impact of larger waves that come with rising sea levels and climate change. Singapore could also share its solutions with other countries in the region. This would expand Singapore’s network of researchers and experts. By learning from and working with other countries, Singapore can better prepare itself to combat rising sea levels.