Our Mission
The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) was created in 2008 with the mission to conduct fundamental research on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and climate change in and around Southeast Asia, toward safer and more sustainable societies.
The need for an institution like EOS has never been more important for Singapore and Southeast Asia. Disasters connected with natural hazards affect increasingly large populations, and in many cases are compounded by the threat of climate change and rising sea levels. To illustrate, the global economy suffered losses due to geo-disasters of ~US$232 billion in 2019, with a large number of these occurring in Asia (Aon, 2020). Similarly, it is estimated that climate change and related disasters could directly cost the Asian economy ~US $8.5 trillion by 2030 as increased drought, flooding and crop failures hamper growth and threaten infrastructure.
EOS will help to build the social compact for Singapore to tackle the challenges of climate change and sustainability, which is central to the major Green Plan policy priority of the Government. Building stronger capabilities to understand, mitigate and respond to natural hazards, disasters and climate change is critical to the sustainability and resilience of urban communities and infrastructure around our region. EOS generates scientific breakthroughs that meet our societal needs and improve the lives of those that live in Singapore and Southeast Asia.