Singapore will build its new airport terminal higher than the rest of the city and has constructed seawalls along much of its coastline in the fight against climate change.

Changi Airport's proposed fifth terminal will be built 5.5 metres (18 feet) above sea level, the government said in a climate change report released at the weekend.

From 2011, the government required all new reclaimed land to be at least four metres higher than the mean sea level, up from three metres previously, the report said, and roads near coastal areas have been raised.

"We are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability," the report said, noting that Singapore is a low-lying tropical island.

"Climate change could pose tough challenges as Changi Airport faces flood risks from more intense rainfall and rising sea levels," the report said.

It also detailed other steps the government is taking to combat climate change, including covering some 70 percent of the coastline with sea walls and rock slopes to prevent erosion.