Protecting
Introduction
Singapore has always been a Garden City for me. A lot of effort has been put into maintaining our green landscapes over the years. Through the constant upkeep across the island – including our well-loved nature reserves and water catchment areas – our gardens and parks have become an integral part of the quintessential Singaporean lifestyle. These pockets of greenery have also always been a source of inspiration for many of the landscaping projects we’ve undertaken over the years here at NRE1988.
While we bask in the luxuries of what mother nature has to offer, it’s difficult to fathom the amount of work that goes into keeping our parks and gardens as lush and beautiful as they are today. We can truly credit this to many dedicated conservationists who have been working tirelessly to keep them alive and rejuvenated. Though it is a good thing and we can clearly see the benefits of their efforts, some still ponder about the hard work that goes into preserving the biodiversity that’s been gifted to us, questioning the need for constant upkeep. We are indeed at an interesting impasse in the lifespan of our natural landscapes.
Is Singapore’s Biodiversity a modern conundrum?
The issue here is a lack of understanding with regards to how much thought and effort goes into preservation. The term “Urban Jungle” has often been another name thrown around to describe Singapore as well, but the word “Urban” doesn’t necessarily correlate to the definition of “Modern” we may assume. According to the World Trade Organisation, Singapore is still a developing country and while we may not fully utilise our stature, we rival the level of urban living compared to other developed nations. We are constantly upgrading and making use of our landscape to support our tiny island. Due to this rapid growth, we’ve had to make some smart, strategic decisions when it came to utilising our rich natural environments for urbanisation.
While human well-being is very much connected to and dependent on the environment, and intricately its sustainability, man-made projects often have a significant, and sometimes irreversible impact on the geological, biological and physical (natural) environment, including excessive water and resource usage, along with habitat destruction.
The fact of the matter is that humans cannot survive without being cradled by the natural environment. It provides us with the basic necessities we need for survival, along with positive psychological effects on mental health. Therefore, it has always been paramount that we try to predict and preserve the environmental impacts of developments as they may alter the quality of the biodiversity and subsequently our good-living for many years to come. Luckily for us, much is being done to ensure we do not reach a point of no return. In this instance, the term “Urban” ties itself to the word “Jungle” which is exactly what Singapore aims to achieve for generations to come.
How can we protect Singapore’s Biodiversity?
In the past decade, it’s heartening to see that parks and greenery are always part of Singapore’s appeal, with much effort being placed on preservation. Though we strive to build ourselves a green metropolis for future generations, we cannot predict what would happen if we continuously develop our island oasis, even with years of experience and numerous studies. In addition, we may not fully understand what the designated environment contains.
This is why the need to study and understand the natural environment arises. Having comprehensive information, doing research along with Environmental-Social Impact Assessments can help ensure that there are no hidden agendas mooted for development projects, no severe repercussions that are very likely to occur, and that environmental issues have been assessed fairly before any key decisions are made in the future.
We also live in a data-driven world and with information so readily available, there are numerous benefits to using it to preserve Gaia’s gift to us. The more data we have on hand, the easier and faster it is to make important, informed decisions quickly and cost-effectively, especially in the areas of conservation. By doing so, we can log and identify at-risk plants, trees and animals, which will, in turn, define arguments in guiding conservation efforts. It helps eliminate ambiguity, subjectivity and duplication of efforts for both conservation and maximization of use and profitability for future developments. The good news is that government bodies are very much aligned with our sentiments and have taken strides in this direction.
It is heartening to see that parks and greenery are always meticulously planned into new developmental projects. In the years to come, we can look forward to more initiatives by the National Parks Board (NParks) as they work with the community to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.
I am proud of our Garden City and take pride in learning what her natural state has to offer, and much like the next Singaporean, I want to continuously enjoy the biodiversity of our country for as long as I can. Together, we need to ensure that we leave behind a lush, natural environment of better quality for humans and other living creatures to benefit equally and enjoy, not just as the Garden City, but as a thriving green dot on a global scale as well.
About the Author:
A. Sunderason, Director, NRE 1988.
As the head of the team, Sunderason drives NRE 1988 forward as he focuses on future expansion and technological development. With a keen eye for service quality, he expertly oversees the business in all areas of work and ensures that clients’ needs are adequately met, exceeding expectations. He also handles vital training for all staff and tinkers with procedures. His penchant for excellence pushes him constantly as he strives for growth, both in a personal capacity and for the company.
Sunderason holds a Masters in Environmental Management from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Business in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)