Building a city for both people and nature

Our responsibility is not to choose one objective at the expense of the other, but to plan carefully for both. Recent discussions about places such as Maju Forest, Gillman Barracks and our western islands reflect something important: many Singaporeans care deeply about the natural environment around us. I do too. Our forests, mangroves and coastlines are not simply undeveloped land waiting for another use. They are habitats built up over decades, sometimes much longer. They support biodiversity, cool our city, connect ecological systems, and provide places of respite and wonder. So when Singaporeans ask whether a City in Nature should conserve more of these existing habitats, it is a fair and important question. There is no simple answer. In land-scarce Singapore, we also have to provide for the many needs of current and future generations – homes, jobs, transport, energy, climate resilience and national security. And as a city-state, these pressures are especially intense, because we have no hinterland where we can site a nation's needs. Our responsibility is therefore not to choose one objective at the expense of the other. It is to plan carefully for both. Mature forests, mangroves and coastal habitats have ecological value that cannot simply be replaced by planting new trees or creating new parks. We want our children to be able to immerse themselves in nature, marvel at the rich biodiversity around them, and experience the calm that nature provides. But we also have a responsibility to plan for their other needs. Our children will need good jobs made possible because we create space for new industries. They will require transport, energy and climate infrastructure built ahead of time. They should inherit a nation that remains safe and secure. All of these require land. Housing is another pressing need. Households are getting smaller, with many more people wanting homes of their own, including singles and seniors, while staying near family for mutual care and support. Access to good and affordable public housing for every Singaporean has been part of our social compact since independence, and remains a commitment of this Government. To fulfil these aspirations, we have to plan ahead and ensure sufficient housing supply. The difficult question is: How do we meet these needs while ensuring that nature remains an integral part of Singapore? We cannot answer this by looking at each parcel of land in isolation. Nature functions as a connected system. Ecological networks link our forests, waterways, mangroves and coastal habitats. Our development needs are interconnected too. Homes require transport and amenities. Businesses require infrastructure. Energy and climate resilience require land and coastal space. National security requires areas for critical capabilities. There will be occasions when development must proceed to meet an important national need. There will also be occasions when conservation should prevail. And in many cases, thoughtful planning allows us to do both – changing the footprint of a development, retaining important habitats and ecological connections, and weaving nature into the places we build. This is where science guides how we balance development and conservation. The National Parks Board's Ecological Profiling Exercise identifies our important biodiversity areas and the ecological corridors connecting them. This gives us an islandwide picture of how different habitats relate to one another. The Urban Redevelopment Authority's Long-Term Plan and Master Plan in turn map out Singapore's future needs, including an islandwide network of parks, nature areas, waterways and ecological links. This provides a long-term vision for where nature will be conserved, restored and expanded as Singapore develops. At the site level, developments that may have significant environmental impacts are also subject to environmental impact assessments, which help agencies understand ecological value, assess potential impacts and develop mitigation measures. Development and conservation decisions are integrated holistically within this broader framework. We do not start from the assumption that every piece of land identified for possible development must be fully developed. Environmental studies and public feedback can and do change our plans. For example, the upcoming Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park was initially planned for industrial use. After careful study, we decided to conserve it due to its close ecological connection with Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It will become one of Singapore's larger nature parks. Where development does proceed, we work with stakeholders to minimise ecological impact and incorporate nature wherever possible. Bidadari is one example where HDB worked with the Nature Society Singapore to retain an important hillock used by migratory birds. HDB also planned housing and community spaces to be seamlessly connected to Bidadari Park and Bidadari Greenway, so residents can enjoy daily contact with nature. Bidadari is one example where HDB worked with the Nature Society Singapore to retain an important hillock used by migratory birds. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI This illustrates another important point. Our choices are not always binary: develop and lose nature, or conserve and gain nature. Nature can regenerate. Ecological connections can be strengthened. And development itself can sometimes create the conditions for new ecological value to emerge. Sungei Api-Api in Pasir Ris is a good example. We created this canal to improve drainage capacity and manage stormwater flows more effectively. But we also carefully designed it to harness natural tidal processes and sediment flows. Together with the planting of native mangroves, these conditions enabled the habitat to regenerate and expand over time. Today, it is a thriving mangrove ecosystem. That is why we should look at Singapore's ecological balance sheet as a whole. We have to consider the ecological value of each site, but we also have to consider the larger picture – how Singapore's natural systems fit together, and how they change over time. Today, more than 7,800ha of land is set aside for green spaces. This will increase to 8,800ha by 2035. We are also extending our park connector network, restoring habitats and waterways, and bringing greenery directly into our estates and buildings. All households will be within a 10-minute walk of a park by 2030. Our aim is to strengthen this overall ecological system over time – improving the quality of our habitats, the biodiversity they sustain, how well they are connected, and the resilience of our natural environment. Science helps us understand the ecological consequences of our choices. We must then weigh these alongside the needs of people, communities and Singapore as a whole. These choices often involve competing considerations, and there will be different views on where the balance should be struck. That is why we engage nature groups, researchers, residents and members of the public as we develop our plans. We will continue to listen carefully, engage deeply and take these views seriously. There will not always be consensus. Where the case for conservation is strong, we are prepared to adjust our plans. Where development remains necessary, we will explain the reasons clearly, minimise the impact as far as possible, and work with stakeholders to find better ways to proceed. Ultimately, these are judgments that the Government must make on behalf of Singapore and Singaporeans. We have to carefully weigh the needs and ecological value of each site, while also considering the needs of our country as a whole and over the longer term. These are difficult choices, but they are not new ones for Singapore. From the earliest years of nation-building, we have had to make space for development while protecting and restoring the natural environment around us. By the 1930s, Singapore had lost most of its original forest cover to agriculture and development. After independence, we transformed polluted rivers into clean waterways. We planted trees across the island, created nature reserves and nature parks, restored mangroves and strengthened ecological connections. At the same time, we set aside land for homes, new industries, critical infrastructure and national security, so that each generation inherited the capacity to build on the success of the last. Today, Singapore is both a thriving global city and one of the greenest cities in the world. We got here by planning for development and nature together. That is what we will continue to do – so that our people and our natural environment can thrive together in our City in Nature. Chee Hong Tat is Minister for National Development.