My morning walk took a depressing turn the other day when I discovered another of Singapore’s few remaining green spaces set to disappear. Holland Plains a favourite (if incongruous) spot of mine in the heart of the city, is also the latest plot of empty land to be slated for development. To paraphrase, the singer Joni Mitchell, Singapore just keeps on paving paradise.
While this scraggly patch of scrubland, might not look like much it still offers a sanctuary for a diverse range of plants, insects, birds and reptiles and acts as an important buffer to the nearby Green Corridor.
As well as putting an even greater strain on individual species chance of survival, the loss of such semi-wild spaces leads to an increase in animal - human conflicts (conflicts which humans rarely lose) – something which I am more than aware of through my time at ACRES.
Even beyond the impact on biodiversity there is the important roles these spaces play in reducing temperatures and providing recreational spaces that can help mental and physical well-being. Holland Plains for example was randomly a favourite spot for model plane enthusiasts!
I’ve seen so many of these spaces disappear in the ten years we have lived in Singapore and while the likes of Tengah, Dover and Kranji forest hit the headlines, I can also name countless smaller plots that have vanished or are earmarked for development. Patches of forest in Woodlands and Sembawang are the latest sites that are under threat from being cleared, despite being home to rare butterflies like the Common Birdwing.
In fact an environmental study found that the 7.27ha patch of Woodlands forest slated for clearing was home to incredibly rich levels of biodiversity, with over 195 different species of flora and 95 species of fauna, including the cave nectar bat an important pollinator.
The government did give a right to reply on the plans in light of the report but the reality was they didn’t offer a lot of time to do so. Unfortunately, we’ve been here before, and despite public concerns and well supported petitions, little seems to slow (let alone stop) the country’s relentless drive to develop.
While the Singapore government is clearly doing many good things in protecting green spaces as part of their Green Plan, I get the feeling that there’s little flexibility in how they go about it.
You can read more about the difficult balancing act that Singapore faces in trying to keep its green vision for the future while meeting the demands of its human population in this excellent deep dive piece by the Eco-Business team from a few years back.
I guess the point of this mini-rant is that its all very well spending lots of money on major projects like creating new parks or planting one million trees by 2030, but it’s also important not to overlook the value of what we’ve already got.
The reality is that restoration is always more costly and complex than preservation, something Singapore’s urban planners shouldn’t forget.