Biodiversity: Nature Conservation in the Greening of Singapore - In a small city-state where land is considered a scarce resource, the tension between urban development and biodiversity conservation, which often involves protecting areas of forest from being cleared for development, has always been present. In the years immediately after independence, the Singapore government was more focused on bread-and-butter issues. Biodiversity conservation was generally not high on its list of priorities. More recently, however, the issue of biodiversity conservation has become more prominent in Singapore, both for the government and its citizens. This has predominantly been influenced by regional and international events and trends which have increasingly emphasised the need for countries to show that they are being responsible global citizens in the area of environmental protection. This study documents the evolution of Singapore’s biodiversity conservation efforts and the on-going paradigm shifts in biodiversity conservation as Singapore moves from a Garden City to a City in a Garden. The Singapore Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series draws on original Urban Systems Studies research by the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore (CLC) into Singapore’s development over the last half-century. The series is organised around domains such as water, transport, housing, planning, industry and the environment. Developed in close collaboration with relevant government agencies and drawing on exclusive interviews with pioneer leaders, these practitioner-centric booklets present a succinct overview and key principles of Singapore’s development model. Important events, policies, institutions, and laws are also summarised in concise annexes. The booklets are used as course material in CLC’s Leaders in Urban Governance Programme. The Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore (CLC) was set up in 2008 based on a strategic blueprint developed by Singapore’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development. The Centre’s mission is to distil, create and share knowledge on liveable and sustainable cities. CLC distils key learning points from Singapore’s experiences over the last half-century, while creating knowledge to address emerging challenges. It also shares knowledge with, and learns from, other cities and experts. The Centre works across three main areas - Research, Capability Development, and Knowledge Platforms. Through these activities, CLC hopes to provide urban leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and support to make our cities better. ISBN-13: 978-981-4609-69-2 ISBN-10: 981-4609-69-2 90000 For product information, visit www.cengageasia.com 9 789814 609692 CVR_Bio_SL.indd 1 J1500515-Size: 205x265mm Spine: 5mm 4cx0c 17/6/15 2:42 PM S U S S B S BIODIVERSITY N C G S i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 1 17/6/15 9:37 AM Singapore Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series Water: From Scarce Resource to National Asset Transport: Overcoming Constraints, Sustaining Mobility Industrial Infrastructure: Growing in Tandem with the Economy Sustainable Environment: Balancing Growth with the Environment Housing: Turning Squatters into Stakeholders Biodiversity: Nature Conservation in the Greening of Singapore i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 2 17/6/15 9:37 AM S U S S B S BIODIVERSITY N C G S Centre for Liveable Cities Ministry of National Development, Singapore National Parks Board Ministry of National Development, Singapore ® Andover • Melbourne • Mexico City • Boston, MA • Toronto • Hong Kong • New Delhi • Seoul • Singapore • Tokyo i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 3 17/6/15 9:37 AM ® Biodiversity: Nature Conservation © 2015 Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd in the Greening of Singapore Singapore Urban Systems ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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Khew Sin Khoon Compositor: International Typesetters Pte Ltd Printed in Singapore 1 2 3 4 5 19 18 17 16 15 i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 4 17/6/15 9:37 AM Contents List of Exhibits ........................................................................ vii List of Appendices ..................................................................... vii Editorial Committee ................................................................... ix National Parks Board .................................................................. xi Foreword ............................................................................. xiii Preface ............................................................................... xv Acknowledgements . xvii 1. Introduction .................................................................... 1 2. Biodiversity and Liveability in Singapore ......................................... 5 3. Biodiversity Conservation in Pre-Independent Singapore ......................... 9 4. The Early Approach to Biodiversity Conservation in Singapore, ................... 11 Post-Independence 4.1 e Garden City 12 (i) City Greening* 12 (ii) Building up Expertise on Flora and Fauna 13 4.2 Early Government Institutions — Challenges and Evolution 14 (i) e Nature Reserves Board 14 (ii) Formation of the National Parks Board (NParks) 15 4.3 e Role of Non-governmental Organisations 18 4.4 Consolidating Environmental Conservation E orts 19 (i) e Singapore Green Plan 20 (ii) Pulau Semakau 20 Box Story 1: Planting Mangroves at Pulau Semakau 22 i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 5 17/6/15 9:37 AM vi Contents 5. A New Era of Conservation ...................................................... 27 5.1 Chek Jawa and Marine Conservation 27 5.2 e Gazetting of New Nature Reserves 29 Box Story 2: Conserving Labrador Shore 30 5.3 Biodiversity Surveys 31 5.4 International Developments 32 (i) Dispute with Malaysia over Land Reclamation Activities by Singapore 33 (ii) US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement 34 (iii) e World Economic Forum Environmental Sustainability Index Report 35 (iv) e Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity 35 Box Story 3: e Development of the Singapore Index 37 5.5 National Biodiversity Centre 38 5.6 A New Era of Biodiversity Conservation 39 (i) Conservation in a Heavily Urbanised Environment 39 (ii) Biodiversity in a ‘City in a Garden’ 40 (iii) A Marine Park For All 43 (iv) Managing Human-Wildlife Coexistence in the City 44 6. Future Directions and Challenges ................................................ 49 6.1 A Comprehensive Master Plan for Nature Conservation 50 (i) A Matrix for Ecological Connectivity 50 (ii) Integration and Use of Technology in Research, Planning and Management 51 (iii) Citizen Science — Towards Community Ownership and Stewardship 51 7. Biodiversity Conservation — Planning and Governance Lessons .................. 55 8. Conclusion ..................................................................... 57 References ........................................................................... 59 Appendices .......................................................................... 63 * Note: e sub-section ‘City Greening’ under ‘e Garden City’, was adapted from portions of a case study titled, ‘Growing a city in a garden’, with permission of the authors. e case study can be found in Case Studies in Public Governance — Building Institutions in Singapore, a volume edited by June Gwee of the Civil Service College of Singapore and published by Routledge in 2012. i-xviii_Bio_SL.indd 6 17/6/15 9:37 AM List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 Area of Nature Reserves, Nature Reserve Bu ers and Number of Nature Areas in Singapore (pre-1961 to present) ..........................................