Environmental Security study guide SMC 2018: Preservation and use of natural resources

ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY COUNCIL Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to understand the importance of preserving ’s natural resources and its impact on our national heritage and the people’s sense of belonging to the nation.

[Topic 1: Should our islets be developed?]

Introduction

Singapore currently has 60 islets comprising 50 natural islets and 10 artificial ones. This is in addition to its mainland and our largest islet, Pulau Ujong, that measures 710 km2.

Many of our natural islets are small in terms of landmass, and are also mostly uninhabited. The few larger natural islets closer to the mainland are being used for military training as well as industrial, oil and refinery work. Such examples include main offshore military ground , and Keppel Island. Given the covert nature and sensitivity of the nature of work on these islands, these islets are highly secured and are unopened to the public.

With the exception of Island and other islets currently in use, the larger natural offshore islets of Singapore such as Coney Island are open to the public for tourism and recreation. Though generative in terms of tourism revenue, there are still limitations as most of these islets do not allow overnight stays, with the exception of and

St John’s Island.

Singapore’s artificial islets were created and connected via land reclamation works.

Some examples include Island and these islets are all currently in use. For

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Environmental Security study guide SMC 2018: Preservation and use of natural resources

example, Sentosa Island currently hosts recreational and tourist activities, and permanent accommodation on Sentosa Cove. is another prominent artificial islet, responsible for most of Singapore’s industrial processes, such as chemical industries, and oil refineries.

However, many of Singapore’s islets still remain undeveloped as there have been no existing plans to do so and also inaccessible, like and Pulau Ketam. Yet, they continue to hold great potential in terms of tourism and industrial expansion. The government and various stakeholders such as state supported enterprises (eg.

Sembcorp) have considered development projects on the islands, but no action has yet to be taken, as these islets host a wide biodiversity and are also home to our local flora and fauna.

Historical Background

Prior to Singapore’s independence, the number of islets (excluding the mainland) stood at 63. In the late 20th century, was added to the southern bank of the

Singapore River. In 1957, Christmas Island1, lying south of Java, , had its sovereignty transferred to Australia. Terembu Retan Laut is now part of the mainland, and is located at Container Terminal. With such changes over the years,

Singapore today has 60 islets to her name.

In the past, these islets were developed mainly for industrialisation purposes

(e.g.Jurong Island and ). Today, these islets are still used to host plants and refineries. Working together with the government, oil

1 "Kerr, A. (2009). A federation in these seas: An account of the acquisition by Australia of its external territories, with selected documents". Barton, A.C.T.: Attorney General's Dept, p. 329. (Call no.: R 325.394 KER)

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companies such as Esso2 and MobilOil created Jurong Island by combining 7 small islets via land reclamation as land had become scarce on the mainland. This land reclamation project started in 1995, and was completed in 2009, growing by over 3 times the size of the original islands. It is now home to many chemical, and plants.

In addition, Singapore has used its islets for military and defense purposes such as the building of military bases, the largest islet being Pulau Tekong, where most of its military and National Servicemen reside. Moreover, Tekong’s surrounding islets (within shooting range) are also military bases.

Leisure is also a big highlight of Singapore’s islets, especially the Southern ones.

Sentosa, Pulau Ubin and St John’s Island are examples of Singapore islets that are known to host thousands of tourists each year. Sentosa is known for its tourist friendly facilities, amusement park and its beautiful beaches, while more remote islets such as

Pulau Ubin or St John’s Island are known for the rich aquamarine life around its waters, especially the rich coral population around the southern islets. The large number of tourists who visit these areas also generate large amounts of revenue for Singapore, which encourages the concept of ecotourism on these islets.

Timeline

Date/Year Event

1819 Island named ‘Singapore’ by Sir Stamford Raffles

2 Jurong Town Corporation. (2000). The making of Jurong Island: The right chemistry. Singapore: Jurong Town Corporation

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15 February 1942 Japanese took control of Singapore in WW2, British surrender

1958 Sovereignty of was transferred to Australia under the UK’s Christmas Island Act; 20 million dollars given to Singapore as compensation

1963 Singapore joined Malaya, with Sabah and Sarawak, to form the nation of Malaysia

9 August 1965 Separation from Malaysia to form its own independent state

1972 Pulau Saigon became an extension of the main island, was previously a triangular island in the middle of the

1 September 1972 The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was formed to oversee the development, management and promotion of the island resort, Sentosa Island. It also manages the (eg. St John’s Island, Sisters’ Islands, Pulau Hantu, etc)

31 January 1974 In 1974 Laju Incident, where 4 armed terrorists attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom, hijacking the Laju and taking crew members hostage was resolved by the government providing safe passage of the terrorists to the Middle East

1975 - 1983 Terembu Retan Laut (now part of Pasir Panjang Container Terminal of the mainland) was reclaimed.

29 May 1990 NSmen spotted 3 wild Indian Elephants on Pulau Tekong that had swum across the Straits of Johor; they were captured a week later and released to a national park in Malaysia

1995 - 2009 Land reclamation works of Jurong Island began, and ended 20 years ahead of schedule, with a reclaimed area of 32 km2 (previously less than 10 km2) Jurong Island was officially opened in 2000 Pulau Buaya was joined to Jurong Island in 2010

2015 Coney Island was open to the general public Opening of the Sisters’ Island Marine Park Opening of the aforementioned public gallery on St John’s Island4

2017 First curated trails on St John’s Island opened

Current Situation:

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Environmental Security study guide SMC 2018: Preservation and use of natural resources

On the mainland of Singapore, the limited land available is utilised to maximum efficiency and effectiveness. The mainland has been developed for residential, industrial and other special uses such as parks and defence facilities(Fig 1). A prominent example of this is public housing in Singapore. The Housing Development Board, HDB for short, was tasked to build flats to accommodate Singapore’s growing population. To maximise land space and ensure faster delivery, flats were built vertically and in a generic blockish style.

Fig 1: 2011 concept plan, showing the allocation of land use in Singapore(http://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.sg/2013/02/land-use-plan.html?m=1)

SIngapore’s artificial islets (Fig 2) have been also been developed for industrial purposes and commercialised for tourism.

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Islet Revenue

Jurong Island 47 billion in investments3 (2015) in terms of production and exports

Sentosa 2 billion (Resorts World Sentosa, 2017)4 200 million (Sentosa Development Corporation, 2017)5 Fig 2. Artificial Islets in Singapore

Natural islets (Fig 3) that have been developed extensively for tourism and ecological protection purposes.

Islet Description

Pulau Ubin An island located northeast of Singapore, it is a location filled with a variety of unique flora and fauna, multiple birds and mangrove species. Currently, it attracts over 300,000 visitors per year6.

St John’s Island Initially used as a camp to quarantine cholera patients, this island in the south of the mainland was transformed to a tourism spot, dotted with swimming lagoons and coral reefs in the 1970s7.

3 Woo, Jacqueline. "Jurong Island's chemical romance." The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/business/jurong-islands-chemical-romance. 4 Genting Singapore PLC, 2016 Annual Report, Dec. 31, 2016, from Genting Singapore website, http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/GENS%20-%20AR%202016.ashx?App=Prospectus&FileID=30928, accessed February 13, 2018 5 Sentosa Development Corporation, 2015/2016 Annual Report, Mar. 31, 2016, from Sentosa Development Corporation website, http://www.sentosa.gov.sg/sentosaAR15_16/pdf/Sentosa_AR_1516_Financial_Report.pdf, accessed Febraury 12, 2018 6 Zaccheus, Melody. "Turn Pulau Ubin into ecotourism spot?" The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/turn-pulau-ubin-into-ecotourism-spot 7 " Saint John's Island (St. John's Island)." Travel Guide. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.guidegecko.com/day-trips-2/c,80

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Sisters’ Islands A favourite location for snorkelling and diving activities8, Sisters’ Island also hosts a Marine Park and guided walks opened in 20149, educating the visitor on the protection of endangered marine species Fig 3: Natural Islets of Singapore

Key Areas of Concern:

Ranking 196th (out of 257 countries) in land mass globally, Singapore has always been plagued with the issue of land shortage. In spite of efforts to maximise land use in

Singapore as aforementioned, the scarcity of land is a growing concern in the face of a growing population and slowing economy. This then begs the question of whether our islets should be developed to solve this issue and help further develop our nation socially, economically, ecologically and politically, with the potential these lands hold.

Ecological/Environmental vs Economic Growth

There is much value in expanding production and the population onto these islets, with

Jurong Island and Sentosa being prominent examples of successful development outside the main island. For example, Sentosa Cove contributes an appreciable amount of revenue to Singapore’s economy, because it provides the most extravagant

8 "Sisters' Island." Sisters' Island - Cruise. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.islandcruise.com.sg/place-of-interest/sisters-island/ 9 "Sisters' Islands Marine Park." National Parks Board. Accessed February 13, 2018. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/sisters-islands-marine- park

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accommodation within Singapore, the majority of which are owned by foreigners.

Jurong Island is also vital for our economy, contributing 32% of production in our manufacturing sector10. Despite having no crude oil deposits, Jurong Island is also one of the world’s top few oil refinery centres.

However, not considering the problems that can result from the development of these islets is imprudent. A major disadvantage arising from industrialisation is the degradation of the environment. A prominent example would be the growth of Jurong

Island, which has resulted in a considerable increase in the generation of air pollutants.

This is because of numerous oil refineries that are stationed on the islet, which give off harmful byproducts into the atmosphere like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

Moreover, chemical fires and explosions from such refineries also pose considerable risks to the livelihoods of the workers located on the island, and the environment around it. In 2016, a plant in Jurong Island caught fire which raged on for 5 hours, resulting in the release of large amounts of oil into the ocean11. This affected a large number of marine life and birds that rely on fish for survival.

Moreover, rich marine wildlife live on and in the waters of many of Singapore’s Southern

Islands, such as St John’s Island, Sisters’ Island, or even , can also be threatened, such as dragonfly nymphs unique only to Singapore. These islets host a

10 Yip, John. "The right mix - the chemicals industry in Singapore." The right mix - the chemicals industry in Singapore | JobsCentral Community. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://community.jobscentral.com.sg/articles/right-mix-chemicals-industry-singapore 11 Cheong, Danson, and Shiying Wong. "Fire at petrochemical plant rages for 5 hours." The Straits Times. April 20, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fire-at-petrochemical- plant-rages-for-5-hours

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rich diversity of coral reefs along the coastline of the islands. With land reclamation, dredging of shipping channels and dumping of earth spoils, large amounts of sediments, pebbles and sand, have been deposited onto these corals, which damage these delicate forms of life. It is important that we look towards preserving these flora, fauna and wildlife, for these irreplaceable species are integral for natural sustainability and the balance of our ecosystem. Thus, it is crucial that we consider the level and extent of economic development we wish to pursue as a Cabinet, and how we can minimise and/or balance environmental and ecological damage with the course of action we decide to take.

Heritage vs Economic Growth

The damage to local cultures and marine wildlife can also be a significant drawback to the development of these islets. In the cases of Ubin and Tekong, the relocation of native people on these islands and the development of land has led to the erosion of local heritage with the loss of land that local traditions were practiced on. These islands used to boast larger local populations in the 1960s until Tekong was transformed into a military training ground. The years of reclamation and relocating the population to the mainland has resulted in much of the local culture and infrastructure being forgotten and abandoned such as the kampong housing unique to Singapore’s past. It is important for us to remember and preserve heritage, for not only does it serve the purpose of reflecting and charting our growth as a nation, but also is what will unite our citizens together under collective memories and experiences passed down from our forefathers.

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It is thus imperative to start the search for alternative ways to preserve and remember this heritage even as we continue our pursuit of economic success through development of our islets.

Past Actions:

Most notably in the development of islets, one should always consider the government as an important stakeholder in the management and development of our local islets, given that they are the decision makers of our nation. Throughout history, the Singapore government has made plans to secure our local coasts, and has implemented guidelines, to ensure uniformity across the development of islands, as well as planned for the widening of existing beaches with rocks. They also have plans in the works to plant more mangroves along coastlines to reduce the impact of waves to prevent coastal erosion, such as the Tekong Mangrove Restoration Project12. The government also currently manages all islets (eg. Tekong) used for military purposes, with the

Ministry of Defense overseeing the matters of such islands. However, the government has not said much or done much in terms of looking towards developing or expanding smaller islets (such as Pulau Hantu).

Another key stakeholder in the development of islets would is National Parks Board

(NParks). Numerous efforts have been made by NParks to preserve natural flora and fauna on these islands, including artificial habitats built on Pulau Ubin to support native

12 Tan, Ria. "NParks to conduct coastal protection and restoration works at Pulau Tekong." Wild Singapore (web log), May 12, 2010. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2010/05/nparks-to-conduct-coastal-protection.html

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wildlife, such as birds and bats. Actions such as the Hornbill Preservation projects13 and iSeahorse Project have been carried out on Pulau Ubin to protect the natural wildlife living there.

NParks has made plans for conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. Programmes launched include the Plant-a-Coral,

Seed-a-Reef programmes and the Sisters’ Island Marine Park. For the case of the

Marine Park, a boardwalk, intertidal pools and a floating pontoon will be sensitively established, offering the public more opportunities for close-up encounters with marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Further inland, there will be a coastal plant conservation area and forest trails for the public to explore and learn more about coastal plants and the natural heritage on the island.

There will also be a coastal plant conservation area, reef enhancement units and a coral nursery on Small Sister’s Island. NParks will also set up Singapore’s first turtle hatchery, which will be developed through a $500,000 donation from HSBC14.

In addition to the government and its various ministries, various local organisations in the Cabinet, private firms as well as state supported enterprises (eg. Sembcorp) are also potential stakeholders that have roles to play in the development of islets.

13 "Mygreenspace." Return Of The King. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/mygreenspace/issue-04-vol-1- 2010/conservation/return-of-the-king.

14 Tan, Audrey. "Move to save Singapore's endangered sea turtles." The Straits Times. November 14, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/move-to-save- -endangered-sea-turtles

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Questions to Answer As representatives of various ministries and organisations in the Cabinet, representatives are urged to work together to develop such plans, in their capacities of their roles to achieve balanced development, commercial or not. They are also urged to be aware that this list is not exhaustive, and that they should consider aspects and questions beyond what is provided, and brought up during debate.

1. In the development of our islets, what factors should the Cabinet consider? 2. What sort of legislation and guidelines need to be implemented and enforced in order to balance the various concerns? 3. How else can we meaningfully engage those within and without this Cabinet (eg. private firms) in the development of our local islets? 4. Which other industries can we develop, or expand on these islets, in addition to tourism? 5. In the development of islets, how else can we purpose development to cater to various audiences and their needs? (eg. tourists, the youth, the aged) 6. In the case of Pulau Ubin, what is the line to draw between industrial development and the heritage and lives of the people? 7. How else can we preserve the natural wildlife on such islets while they are being developed? 8. Apart from NParks who is currently spearheading such efforts in the preservation of flora and fauna on these islets, who are some other stakeholders that should be involved?

Bibliography 1. Cheong, Danson, and Shiying Wong. "Fire at petrochemical plant rages for 5 hours." The Straits Times. April 20, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fire-at- petrochemical-plant-rages-for-5-hours 2. Genting Singapore PLC, 2016 Annual Report, Dec. 31, 2016, from Genting Singapore website, http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/GENS%20- %20AR%202016.ashx?App=Prospectus&FileID=30928, accessed February 13, 2018 3. Jurong Town Corporation. (2000). The making of Jurong Island: The right chemistry. Singapore: Jurong Town Corporation 4. “Kerr, A. (2009). A federation in these seas: An account of the acquisition by Australia of its external territories, with selected documents". Barton, A.C.T.: Attorney General's Dept, p. 329. (Call no.: R 325.394 KER) 5. “Mygreenspace." Return Of The King. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/mygreenspace/issue-04- vol-1-2010/conservation/return-of-the-king. 6. Saint John's Island (St. John's Island)." Travel Guide. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.guidegecko.com/day-trips-2/c,80

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7. Sentosa Development Corporation, 2015/2016 Annual Report, Mar. 31, 2016, from Sentosa Development Corporation website, http://www.sentosa.gov.sg/sentosaAR15_16/pdf/Sentosa_AR_1516_Financial_Report.pdf, accessed Febraury 12, 2018 8. “Sisters' Island." Sisters' Island - Singapore Island Cruise. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.islandcruise.com.sg/place-of-interest/sisters-island/ 9. “Sisters' Islands Marine Park." National Parks Board. Accessed February 13, 2018. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/sisters-islands-marine- park 10. Tan, Audrey. "Move to save Singapore's endangered sea turtles." The Straits Times. November 14, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/move-to-save-singapores-endangered-sea-turtles 11. Tan, Ria. "NParks to conduct coastal protection and restoration works at Pulau Tekong." Wild Singapore (web log), May 12, 2010. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2010/05/nparks-to-conduct-coastal-protection.html 12. Woo, Jacqueline. "Jurong Island's chemical romance." The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/business/jurong-islands-chemical-romance. 13. Yip, John. "The right mix - the chemicals industry in Singapore." The right mix - the chemicals industry in Singapore | JobsCentral Community. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://community.jobscentral.com.sg/articles/right-mix-chemicals-industry-singapore 14. Zaccheus, Melody. "Turn Pulau Ubin into ecotourism spot?" The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/turn-pulau-ubin-into- ecotourism-spot

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[Topic B: How should Singapore manage rapid urbanisation?]

Introduction

Urbanisation is defined by the OECD as an increase in the proportion of a population living in urban areas; or the process by which a large number of people becomes permanently concentrated in relatively small areas, forming cities. However, as

Singapore is 1 out of 4 city-states and countries in the world to be 100% urbanised, this

Cabinet discussion should focus on the internal problems arising from rapid urbanisation and strategies to further develop our nation-state at possibly a global level.

Under Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy, Singapore has been transformed - from Third World to First; via urbanisation which has brought about important benefits for our local economy, culture and society. However, rapid urbanisation has come with trade-offs.

Thus, there is a great need to consider the question of how Singapore, moving forward, should manage rapid urbanisation.

As well managed cities are both efficient and effective, enabling economies of scale and networks to function seamlessly, it is important that SIngapore develops an urban model that is forward looking and can make economic activity more environmentally-friendly and enriching.

Being a metropolitan city which enjoys the luxury of being one of the top global cities for information exchange the the diversity of bright minds, it is without a doubt that

SIngapore is able to spark innovation and create employment via the exchange of

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ideas. In a land scarce and resource constrained country like Singapore, urbanisation is crucial for economic growth - even though we have thus far been successful, with our annual GDP growing at the rate of 5.5%15.

Yet urbanisation remains our greatest challenge and biggest opportunity.

Representatives of the Cabinet should consider the implications of rapid urbanisation and the consequences of improper planning and address the need to increase land space for Singapore. The increase in environmental issues, such as flash floods, air pollution and loss of greenery, are a result of rapid urbanisation. Apart from the environmental trade off that comes with economic growth, rapid urbanisation has also brought about social issues such as socioeconomic inequality that may threaten to tear apart our delicate social fabric. Bringing Singapore forward globally in its expansion of urbanisation should also be considered, given the increasingly interconnected world we live in today. Thus, representatives are urged to consider the various sides to this issue, and have a well rounded debate to resolve this issue.

Historical Background (timeline)

Sir Stamford Raffles created the first urban plan in the 1822s called the Raffles Town

Plan16. Among its key features were a grid layout for the road network and a clear segregation of residential communities by ethnic groups. Areas were zoned off for a

15 "Singapore GDP Growth Rate 1975-2017 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast." Singapore GDP Growth Rate | 1975-2017 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast. Accessed December 18, 2017. https://tradingeconomics.com/singapore/gdp-growth. 16 1. Dale, O. J. (1999). Urban planning in Singapore: The transformation of a city. Shah Alam, Malaysia: Oxford University Press, pp. 14–15. (Call no.: RSING 307.1216 DAL); Ooi, G. L. (2004). Future of space: Planning, space and the city. Singapore: Eastern University Press, p. 99. (Call no.: RSING 307.1216095957 OOI); Khublall, N., & Yuen, B. (1991). Development control and planning law: Singapore. Singapore: Longman Singapore, p. 8. (Call no.: RSING 346.5957045 KHU); Lim, W. S. W. (1990). Cities for people: Reflections of a Southeast Asian architect. Singapore: Select Books, p. 171. (Call no.: RSING 711.40959 LIM)

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separate Commercial area and for governmental functions.

At the turn of the 20th century, cities had become extremely overcrowded; slums sprouted up and roads were congested as they were unable to cope with the increasing usage of motor vehicles. Following this, multiple master plans and land use plans were developed by the government to fully utilise the limited land space in Singapore.

The first statutory master plan was completed in 1955, as a result of a diagnostic survey on Singapore that was conducted in 195117. It was approved in 1958.

In 1971, Singapore conceived its first concept plan, which is a long-range plan to guide the country’s physical development for the next 20 years, which includes rapid creations of housing districts and industries. Plans were also made for numerous expressways and the Mass Rapid Transit for pan-island transportation. Land was also put aside for

Changi Airport. T1 and PIE opened in 1981, and MRT network completed in 1987.

Following this, more concepts plans and master plan were created and reviewed for the next two decades, in particularly in 1991, 2001 and 2011. The latest concept plan was released in 2013 and is said to project Singapore’s land use plan up to 2030. These concept plans begin to include other aspects of city life into the plans, such as cultural and commerce areas outside of the CBD, to improve quality of lives outside the city and easing congestion within it. Land for technological and science parks are also allocated to improve the knowledge and RnD sector.

17 Singapore Improvement Trust. (1957). Annual report 1956 (p. 7). Singapore: Singapore Improvement Trust. Call no.: RCLOS 711.4095951 SIN-[RFL].

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Recently, it was also announced that an underground masterplan would be released by the government in 2019, whereby potential uses of subterranean space would be known by the public18.

Timeline:

1981: Setup of the 1991: New 1822: Raffles came up with Pan Island and revised the first city plan for Expressway (PIE), concept plan Singapore, which set up the and Terminal 1 from 1971 basic segregation of housing by ethnic groups. 1955: Creation of the first master plan

1820 1920 1950 1970 1980 2000

1987: Completion of 1927: Creation of the the Mass Rapid Singapore Transport (MRT) Improvement 1971: Creation of network, on the North- Trust(SIT) under the the first concept Singapore plan, which outline 2011: Improvement the land use for the Creation of the future of Singapore latest concept plan, set to last till 2030

Fig. 1. Timeline of Singapore’s urbanisation events

Current Situation

18 Ng, Jun Sen. "Masterplan of Singapore's underground spaces ready by 2019." The Straits Times. February 12, 2018. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/masterplan-of- spores-underground-spaces-ready-by-next-year

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Today, Singapore is a highly urbanised country, and is still experiencing strong and stable economic growth. It is considered a first world country. Singapore’s GDP per capita is at a strong $90,50019, unemployment rate at a healthy 2.1%20 and our inflation rate is at 0.4% in December 2017. The period of urbanisation also contributed greatly to

Singapore’s infrastructure, allowing it to be voted by Mercer as the best infrastructure in the entire world21. Such high level of infrastructure has contributed to the increase in efficiency and the improvement of standards of living, providing cleaner and more user- friendly facilities.

Physical impact

Singapore has a wide variety of facilities and infrastructure that helps to maintain

Singaporeans’ standards of living; this includes the public facilities like stadiums and libraries, transport network such as train tracks and stations. However due to the lack in land space, the issue of overcrowding has become very prevalent in Singapore. Being the second most densely populated country in the world has taken its toll on

Singapore’s facilities The overuse of its public transport has led to more frequent breakdowns and delays, affecting thousands with every breakdown. Moreover, the increase in usage of roads has led to the overcrowding of Singapore’s streets and

19 "COUNTRY COMPARISON :: GDP - PER CAPITA (PPP)." Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed February 05, 2018. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html. 20 "Singapore Unemployment Rate 1986-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar." Singapore Unemployment Rate | 1986-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar. Accessed February 05, 2018. https://tradingeconomics.com/singapore/unemployment-rate. 21 "Singapore has the best infrastructure in the world: survey." The Business Times. March 14, 2017. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-has-the- best-infrastructure-in-the-world-survey

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highways, resulting in Singapore streets having an average of 34% increase in travel time in 201622.

Social Impact

Singapore is a multicultural and multireligious society, and was found to be the most religiously diverse country in the world23. Even so, with rapid urbanisation, Singapore is facing a threat of the loss of heritage and culture. In order to create space for more infrastructure such as malls and new housing estates to be built to sustain our growing population, places with major historical, and traditional value are often the target for these new projects. For example, Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates, is to be replaced with new public flats, as announced by the Minister of National

Development24. Thousands of graves in Bukit Brown have also been exhumed to build a new highway to ease the congestion along the Pan-Island Expressway(PIE)25. The loss of history to the development of modern infrastructure needs to be considered in planning for Singapore’s road ahead.

Environmental Impact

Currently, Singapore emits a high amount of carbon dioxide per capita into the atmosphere. Despite containing only 0.1% of the world population, emissions in

22 TomTom Traffic Index. Accessed February 02, 2018. https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/trafficindex/city/singapore. 23 Liu, Joseph. "Global Religious Diversity." Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. April 04, 2014. Accessed February 02, 2018. http://www.pewforum.org/2014/04/04/global-religious-diversity/ 24 Ng, Huiwen. "Dakota Crescent to be redeveloped for public housing; iconic dove playground and parts of estate to be retained." The Straits Times. December 11, 2017. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/dakota-crescent-to-be-redeveloped-for-public-housing- iconic-dove-playground-and. 25Han, Kirsten. "Land-starved Singapore exhumes its cemeteries to build roads and malls." The Guardian. August 07, 2015. Accessed February 05, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/aug/07/land- starved-singapore-exhumes-its-cemeteries-to-build-roads-and-malls.

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Singapore account for 0.2% of total global emissions of carbon dioxide. It was ranked

26 out 142 countries in terms of carbon dioxide emissions per capita26.

Despite this, Singapore is constantly attempting to reduce its contribution to the global emissions of greenhouses gases, as it has promised to reduce 36% of its carbon emissions from 2005 levels27. For example, the government is slowly phasing out oil for as the fuel to burn in power plants, as natural gas emits 40% less CO2 than fuel oil for every unit of gas burned. Moreover, the 2017 budget also proposed an implementation of the carbon tax and the water tax in 2019, so that the population would reduce the usage of our limited resources.

Urbanisation has also created conditions for floods to occur frequently in city regions, such as . The use of concrete all over the city area as it commercialises, aggravates the situation since concrete is non permeable to water. With an increase of rainfall, flooding incidents are likely to occur28.

These are a some of the secondary issues that arise from the rapid urbanisation of

Singapore, that must be managed. Beyond this, we should also consider Singapore’s delicate social structure and how this plays a role in our rapid development. To what extent will the changing environment caused by rapid urbanisation change our traditions

26 "SINGAPORE'S EMISSIONS PROFILE." National Climate Change Secretariat. Accessed February 05, 2018.https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/national-circumstances/singapore's- emissions-profile 27 Powell, Natalie. "Singapore Pledges Environmental Commitment at Paris Climate Talks." Channel NewsAsia. March 17, 2017. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-pledges- environmental-commitment-at-paris-climate-talk-8226654. 28 Mukherjee, Debu . "EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON FLOOD - A REVIEW WITH RECENT FLOOD IN CHENNAI (INDIA)." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES & RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY, July 5(7), 2016, 1-5. Accessed February 3, 2018. Keyword: Flood, Urbanization, Runoff, Landscape, Pavingetc.

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and heritage, or even our general attitudes and the stability and security of our state?

Moreover, given that by international standards Singapore is fully urbanised, how else can Singapore efficiently and effectively manage itself economically to remain sustainable?

Key Areas of Concern

The question of how Singapore should manage rapid urbanisation should always be considered while taking into account Singapore’s context. It is without a doubt that rapid urbanisation brings about a host of secondary problems and issues, which are mainly related to the conservation of the environment; preservation of culture and values; and the rejuvenation of the greying population and lagging economy.

● Loss of green space The opportunity cost of developing new space for housing and industries are the green areas that we possess. Over the years, more and more green spaces are being used up to build more residential areas and highways to accommodate Singapore’s growing population. For instance, the building of the Cross Island Line which spans from to Jurong, poses a potential environmental issue. This is because the line has an option to go directly through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, or an extra 9km skirting route which goes below private homes25 Both outcomes are not favourable, and the

Cabinet is urged to consider which of these two options would be more economically and environmentally viable.

● Social disruption The Population White paper released in 2013 projects for Singapore to reach a

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population of 6.9 million by 203029. The intention was to address SIngapore’s shrinking population by allowing for the immigration of permanent residents as well as foreign workers. However, this will only mean increasing difficulty in maintaining the population of the second densest in population in the world, just behind Monaco.

Stress is also a major health issue that can be attributed to over competition which is brought by urbanisation. Currently, children and teenagers are facing increasing levels of stress. This can be the result of unrealistic expectations set by their parents or even themselves, or due to issues with social interactions. Excessive stress can trigger mental and physical problems such as anxiety, depression, as well as insomnia or even self harming behaviour30. Even adults are not spared from stress, especially because of the increased competition in the job market. A survey by advisory firm Willis Towers

Watson shown that 56% of employers reported stress as a problem employees face significantly, followed by physical inactivity at 52% and lack of sleep and obesity at 32% and 24%. The high level of stress faced by employees may lead to the physical issues that were stated.

Overpopulation will be a huge problem in time to come, from congestion on public transport and roads, to increased breakdowns on the MRT, or even potential social discourse and xenophobic sentiments rising because of the increase in foreigners in

Singapore’s total population.

29 Chia , Yan Min. "Singapore's population could hit 6.9m by 2030." The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-population-could-hit- 69m-by-2030-0.

30 Teo, Joyce. "More children and teens are stressed out." The Straits Times. March 13, 2017. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/more-children-and-teens-are-stressed- out

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● Global warming

Singapore has a relatively high carbon footprint because of our need for fossil fuels in our intense manufacturing industries, as well as our high usage of power plants and incinerators across the island. In fact, we account for a higher proportion of carbon dioxide emissions than the proportion of our population to the world. Although

Singapore has been making improvements with the implementation of the carbon tax in

2019, it needs to think of other measures that could help reduce our carbon dioxide emissions

With increased carbon emissions in the world, Singapore also faces the danger of increased sea levels due to the melting of polar ice caps. Even though 70-80% of

Singapore is covered with sea walls, we cannot be complacent of such a threat which can affect the CBD areas of Singapore, such as and City Hall which are located extremely close to the coastlines. It is important that we manage the emissions and our contributions to global warming as we pursue greater urbanization because it has long term impacts such as rising sea levels that will flood our lands and destroy our abilities to succeed as a nation.

Past actions

Rapid urbanisation has given rise environmental issues, which include land, sea and air pollution. As a result, the Singapore government has implemented several policies to curb the negative effect that development and industrialisation had brought onto our environment.

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Our founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, called for the cleanup of the Singapore River in

1977. It was taken up by the Environmental Ministry and was completed in 10 years. It involved the relocation of 4000 squatters, moving hawkers to hawker centres and cargo ships that used to move in the river were moved to a new lighter anchorage at Pasir

Panjang31

In 2016, a plan was made for a 30 ha forest located at Lentor to be cut down to make space for private housing. However, this forest is home to a large variety of animal and plant species, including endangered species of the Sunda pangolin and the flying lemur.

Responding to the concerns of environmental groups, the URA decided to gradually remove the forest while using the increased time of clearing to relocate these animals to surrounding green areas, such as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve32.

As aforementioned, Singapore has limited land area. It is important that we protect the land we already have in face of global warming and rising sea levels. In order to protect

Singapore’s coasts, multiple efforts have been made to extend the height of roads near low areas. In 2010, extra efforts was made to stabilise the shorelines at East Coast

Park, by placing sand filled bags into the ground to prevent sand erosion of the coast. In

2011, the minimum land reclamation was raised from 3m to 4m, and in 2016, Nicoll

31 Choo, Felicia. "5 interesting facts about the Singapore River clean-up." The Straits Times. January 19, 2016. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/5-interesting-facts-about-the- singapore-river-clean-up. 32 Tan, Audrey. "Plan to save wildlife at Lentor site marked for housing." The Straits Times. December 08, 2016. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/plan-to-save- wildlife-at-site-marked-for-housing.

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Drive, located at Changi, was raised by 0.8m33.

In terms of social issues, the government has been stepping up in its effort to reduce stress in the population, to improve the quality of lives of the citizens. In 2016,

NurtureSG was formed under the Ministry of Health(MOH) as a taskforce to promote the mental and physical health of youths. Programmes were suggested to teach children to handle their stress better, such as by training them to notice their peers who are also under stress and creating a workgroup to examine suicidal and self-harming behaviours34.

In conclusion, the rapid urbanisation of Singapore has advanced Singapore’s economy to unpredictable proportions, improving standards of living for millions of residents staying here, as well as being responsible for the construction of stable infrastructure and maintaining stable financial and legal frameworks. However, the cost of environmental pollution and social disruption should be not be ignored, and need to be considered in the management of rapid urbanisation.

Questions To Answer As representatives of various ministries and organisations in the Cabinet, representatives are urged to work together to develop such plans, in their capacities of their roles to achieve balanced development, commercial or not. They are also urged to be aware that this list is not exhaustive, and that they should consider aspects and questions beyond what is provided, and brought up during debate.

1. Given its limited land area, how can Singapore maximise its land usage? 2. Besides the government, who else should manage the problems that arise from Singapore’s rapid urbanisation and why?

33Tang, Fan Xi, and Yang Chen Lin. "As sea levels rise, Singapore prepares to stem the tide." The Straits Times. May 28, 2017. Accessed February 05, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/as-sea-levels- rise-singapore-prepares-to-stem-the-tide. 34

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Environmental Security study guide SMC 2018: Preservation and use of natural resources

3. Should private companies play a role in managing rapid urbanisation? 4. What are the factors, (other than the ones stated here), should be considered in urban planning? 5. What are the measures Singapore can take to ensure that its growth from rapid urbanisation is sustainable? 6. How should we manage the loss of green space, whilst ensuring that the decisions made and actions taken in rapid urbanisation remain economically and environmentally viable? 7. In our quest to achieve rapid urbanisation, how do we strike a balance between urbanisation and the quality of life of our locals - taking into consideration physical and environmental changes - and the impacts of rapid urbanisation on our delicate social fabric? 8. How do we minimise the implications of rapid urbanisation on our society, given the existingly high stress levels of locals?

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