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  Hansard 6 Mar 06
Environmental issues raised by Dr Geh Min during Parliament, 6 Mar 06
Blue Plan, Biodiversity Protection, Global warming and rising sea levels

Transcript of ESTIMATES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 (Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006)

Dr Geh Min (Nominated Member): Sir, I heard from the Minister that Singapore is land scarce, so we have optimised what little we have through a comprehensive Master Plan, and the result has been very impressive. I agree.

But Singapore is far more than a garden city or even "a city in a garden". We are actually 64 tropical islands set in Singapore waters. And our seas are as much an integral part of Singapore as our land; but while we have done very well on land, I believe that our marine and coastal areas have suffered from the lack of more integrated planning and protection.

I therefore propose that we develop a Master Plan for all coastal and marine areas, not just Marina Bay. In this Master Plan, we incorporate a detailed and comprehensive Blue Plan for marine conservation that is based on regular surveys of our seas.

This should be under an agency with overall authority and responsibility which will work with other agencies and stakeholders to coordinate and integrate the planning, implementation and regular review of the Master Plan, like the URA does, but of course not dominated by urban planners. This agency should also coordinate project and research future challenges and threats, such as climate change.

Yes, we must have our port, petrochemical industry, land reclamation, but I believe a Master Plan will improve on our present rather patchy approach, which has resulted in the negative impact or neglect of certain aspects of our marine resources and environment. In addition, we are going to face new challenges to our marine and coastal areas and their management and protection as a result of climate change.

One of the areas that I feel, despite what the Minister said about Marina Bay, that has suffered neglect is leisure and recreational facilities. I think it is fair to say that a generation ago, a larger proportion of Singaporeans used to live and play in our seas and offshore islands than they do now today.

This is not due to a lack of interest on the part of Singaporeans. For example, East Coast Parkway is always packed, especially on weekends; trips to Chek Jawa are snapped up and even oversubscribed the moment they are announced; we have 100,000 certified divers, 3,000 amateur boaters and sailors and about 250,000 fishermen, and Singaporeans are estimated to spend about $32 million per annum on overseas dive trips.

But increasingly, Singaporeans have had to look overseas or within our restricted inland waters to pursue water sports and hobbies, because our marine areas are out of bounds, difficult to access or degraded.

For example, divers in Pulau Hantu and the southern islands tell me it is perpetual haze down there. And this compromises their safety as well as their enjoyment. Yet, Pulau Hantu was and still can be ideal for beginners who want to learn to dive; if we work for a creative co-existence.

Yes, we have ambitious tourist and leisure developments. We have just heard some of them. But these need to be supported by a rich menu of choices, both for tourists and locals. I believe that most successful tourist destinations and activities exist in symbiosis with local patronage.

Another area of neglect is the scientific and educational area. When I wrote to the Forum page, asking for Chek Jawa to be saved, URA replied initially that they did not think the area merited it as there were no coral reefs. We have 73 patch reefs and 35 fringing reefs in the southern islands but still no marine conservation area. 12.30 pm

Their potential for research and advancement of our life science industry is enormous, as well as the ecological, education and recreation services they provide. This is a new growth area and Singapore does need new growth areas. I believe the fact that our corals and marine life have managed to survive, despite our port, land reclamation, petrochemical and other activities, is testimony to their hardiness, and we should seek to protect them as best as we can with a comprehensive Blue Plan and Development Guide Plans, as we do for land.

We are likely to have to face the impact of global warming and possible sea rises, and this will have serious implications not just on the environment but social and economic impacts as well. Surely, this requires a proactive multi-agency approach in an integrated manner.

Many countries already have done comprehensive studies on this issue. Has Singapore done research on this and, if so, can we know the results or the findings? How will our land reclamation be affected? How will projects like Marina Bay be affected? Will erosion be a problem? I believe it is better to know what we have and what we can expect and plan accordingly, rather than not know or ignore it just to make planning easier.

I, therefore, call for a Master Plan and a Blue Plan for Singapore's waters and off-shore islands.

Biodiversity Protection

Sir, Singapore has some of the richest biodiversity in the world, both terrestrial and marine, and new species are constantly being discovered. Yet, we still describe ourselves as a country with no natural resources. I believe the statement is only accurate in a very narrow sense and timeframe which is now outdated, ie, a natural resource is something that is immediately translatable into hard cash in a manufacturing-based economy. In this era of a knowledge-based economy with large investments in the life sciences, I believe it is high time we made the long overdue connection with nature, and value our biodiversity as a precious natural resource.

For example, 62% of all cancer drugs are said to be created from bioprospecting discoveries, and the patenting of bioprospecting discoveries has exploded from less than a dozen in 2000 to over 100 in 2005. But experts tell me that it is actually in the realm of biomimetics, where the gains are enormous and the potential is endless. Bioprospecting, not just for molecules but for ideas and solutions from nature which can be replicated or redesigned in the laboratory by reverse engineering, is where the real value is. But this requires close collaboration between the biologist, engineer and, of course, nature, and we have all three.

The richer our endowment of biodiversity, the larger our capital for investments and spin-offs. Many countries which are rich in biodiversity, eg, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, now have strict laws protecting them from commercial exploitation by other countries, and they also have multilateral agreements. But Singapore still lacks laws that are designed to protect our biodiversity. Yes, we have laws that protect our nature reserves, but these cover only a very small fraction of the island, ie, less than 3%, and our primary forest, less than 1%. Biodiversity in other parts of our island is not protected. In particular, marine biodiversity is at risk. We have no marine reserves, we have high biodiversity, and they are exposed to high risks.

This lack of adequate laws is particularly surprising when we consider that Singapore is exceptional and, I believe, even unique. We have a rich biodiversity. We have the capability to develop it, both the infrastructure and expertise in life science research, unlike most biodiverse countries. And we have them concentrated in a very small area. It takes less than an hour to go from the field to the lab. Which other country has this? We have a "3-in-1" in a highly concentrated form. Moreover, our geographical location in Southeast Asia near the epicentre of global biodiversity provides us with regional opportunities to develop our shared biodiversity.

I, therefore, urge the Government to:
(1) recognise our biodiversity as a valuable economic and scientific resource;
(2) give it the legal protection it deserves and desperately needs; and
(3) leverage on our unique position, both locally and regionally, to develop the use of it in a sustainable manner.

If we fail to recognise and respond to this window of opportunity, we will end up as a nation with no natural resources. It will then be a small consolation to realise that this description is not a result of a lack of natural endowments or a lack of ability and opportunity to use them, but a lack of foresight.

Greening of Singapore

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof): Sir, Singaporeans who have grown up with greening programmes started by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in 1963 are happy to learn that the Government has announced a plan for the Garden City by the Bay at Marina South, East and Centre. Looking at the pictures circulated by the Minister earlier, we are quite excited to know what is coming. Indeed, this is a major undertaking that will complement the existing Botanic Gardens.

Being an avid gardener myself, I am fascinated by the unstinting efforts of the National Parks Board (NPB) people who scoured the tropical and sub-tropical forests in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America to identify and bring back unique species previously unknown here. They had enriched our flora collection and made Singapore an attractive place. So, every time I drive along a canopy-covered road and slopes lined up with shrubs with unique species of trees adorning our roadside and road dividers, I am reminded of their hard work and creativity in enriching our natural heritage.

It is a refreshing experience being able to enjoy the shade, greenery and beauty of the rain trees and pueh poui that we brought from tropical America and the yellow pinda from Australia. One day, as I was driving near Grange Road, I was pleasantly surprised to find even some "Tongkat Ali" trees among the shrubs by the roadside. I hope the plants will be allowed to grow and achieve their optimum potential. Sir, I had planted a number of similar species in our gardens in Tampines without labelling them - to hide them from the eyes of the public - but they were found missing less than a year later!

Sir, what strikes me in reading about the new botanical garden and the upgrading work of our parks is that the concept tends to be restricted to work done on land only. In areas where there are both land and water bodies, such as East Coast Park, Sembawang Park, Seletar, MacRitchie and Bedok Reservoir Parks, the gardens or park developments often end at points where the land meets the water. This does not seem natural, as the geographical landscape forms a continuum between land and water, regardless of whether it is the coastal or inland features.

While we are successful in creating and beautifying the landscapes, we tend to disregard the waterscape, as Dr Geh Min just mentioned earlier. In some places, such as at Bedok Reservoir, it is painful to our eyes to see the cold, solid grey granite lining up the watermarks.

Sir, I have seen the works of park planners and designers in the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Holland where there were major reclamation works done. The planners take both land and water as an undivided continuum and the results are fascinating. May I ask the Minister whether his Ministry will consider extending the greening programme to cover the water areas as well, especially our southern islands?

The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Heng Chee How): Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank Dr Geh Min and Mr Yatiman Yusof for their views on the greening of Singapore and the conservation and protection of biodiversity.

First, let me speak on Singapore as a Garden City. Indeed, we are well-known as a Garden City, and this is the result of 40 years of deliberate national planning and effort, not by chance. The result has provided a pleasant and high quality living environment for our people. But we cannot become complacent about these achievements. We must continue to innovate and remake our city. Our vision is to evolve Singapore into "A City in a Garden" that is characterised by a matrix of parks, gardens and green spaces interconnected to form a green mantle throughout the island. To achieve this goal, we would do so through a four-pronged strategy.

First, we will build on and expand our greenery capital through developing our parks, building a park connector network, extending it, intensifying streetscape greenery and, as Mr Yatiman Yusof suggested, better integrating greenery with our water bodies.

Second, we will strengthen the public, people and private sector partnerships in greening efforts, so that it would not just be a Government effort but it would be a national, community and total effort.

Third, we will showcase our horticultural excellence through developing signature parks, including waterfront gardens and staging a world-class garden festival.

Fourth, we will work with industry to upgrade the skills and competencies to sustain our City in a Garden.

Sir, allow me to elaborate on some of the key areas. On signature gardens, we are developing a distinctive collection of "Gardens by the Bay" in the heart of Marina Bay. Minister Mr Mah Bow Tan has elaborated on the three interconnected waterfront gardens totalling 94 hectares around Marina Bay, and has actually provided us with the artist's impression of those three gardens.

The Garden at Marina South, which will be adjacent to the Integrated Resort, we believe would be a wonderful location to showcase tropical blooms and foliage colours at their best. We are also studying the feasibility of a conservatory that can house flowering plants from cooler climates. The Garden at Marina East will comprise water-theme gardens and have a staging area for water sports in the Bay, while the one at Marina Centre will be a waterfront promenade linking the cultural core at the Esplanade Theatres to Kallang Basin. These waterfront Gardens will complement the developments around Marina Bay and offer a new, exciting experience for Singaporeans and visitors.

In designing our regional and neighbourhood parks, NParks also gives due consideration to the development of the interface between land and water. In deciding the appropriate treatment, NParks will consider the site conditions, intended uses, and surrounding features. For example, the Ecolake at the Botanic Gardens incorporates a natural grass embankment, while mangrove areas line Sungei Tampines. The Boardwalk at Pulau Ubin allows us to get close to nature without spoiling the ambience or damaging the surrounding ecosystems.

Other efforts to beautify our waterbodies are underway. PUB has initiated an Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme to develop our waterbodies into clean and vibrant attractions. NParks will work with PUB and other relevant agencies to realise the full potential of our waterbodies as quality recreational destinations, and to strengthen our greenery infrastructure. I think this would be encouragement to both Mr Yatiman Yusof as well as to Dr Geh Min.

Sir, for example, NParks and PUB are working on a preliminary masterplan to revitalise the Kallang riverscape. There are exciting ideas to transform the entire length of the Kallang River and its canals into beautiful recreational and lifestyle venues that will enhance the quality of life for Singaporeans. The vision is to create a river system with clean and fresh waters, integrated with landscaped banks, where there can be swimming, fishing, boating and other sporting activities in the waters, and recreational activities along the banks and connected gardens.

Sir, I will now move on to speak on the conservation of biodiversity. We are, as the Government, indeed mindful of the need to conserve our natural heritage and biodiversity. As the Minister has pointed out earlier, we are not just talking about building a city, but about an entire experience of what it means to create a national outcome that takes into account the richness not only of the buildings and infrastructures but of the natural gifts as well. We recognise the importance of doing so, including the potential value that a rich biodiversity can contribute to bioscience research, education, tourism and leisure. Mr Yatiman Yusof's illustration just now of the "Tongkat Ali" tree is one example where the right kinds of vegetation with medicinal and other properties could be exploited. The need to conserve our natural heritage is, therefore, taken into consideration as we plan for the use of our land, coast and sea in an integrated manner.

As part of this process, key coastal and inter-tidal ecosystems at Labrador and Sungei Buloh have been gazetted as Nature Reserves. Sisters' Islands were identified as a marine nature area. These are actual steps taken and they reflect this Government's commitment to conserving biodiversity. And we will continue to keep as many areas in their natural state for as long as possible. But as a small country with limited land and waters, we also have to take a pragmatic approach. So nature conservation will have to be balanced with other competing needs - not to be sacrificed, but to be balanced.

NParks, URA, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and PUB will undertake other efforts to conserve our natural heritage and biodiversity:
(1) NParks collaborates with NGOs and academic institutions to monitor the biodiversity and health of our ecosystems;
(2) NParks maintains a repository of information on Singapore's natural habitats, both marine and terrestrial, and, as Dr Geh Min will know, has also recently commissioned a survey in order to update the knowledge and information in that repository;
(3) URA works with NParks to assess the environmental impact of development projects near our islands and, where necessary, will mandate that protective measures be put in place to minimise adverse impact.

Sir, currently, we already have various regulations protecting our biodiversity. The Parks and Trees Act empowers NParks to take action against biodiversity-related offences in parks and nature reserves. Offences against biodiversity of State lands, including poaching from the seabed within Singapore waters, are also regulated and, in this case, under the State Lands Encroachments Act. The Endangered Species Act enforces against poaching of endangered species from our nature areas for export. We have laws and regulations that we can apply in order to safeguard our biodiversity and our natural heritage.

Sir, our challenge, going forward, is to transform Singapore into a City in a Garden, not only known for its parks and greenery, but also for its beautiful streets, inter-connected parks, waterfront gardens, beautiful rivers and canals, and integrated land-water developments. This will make Singapore a truly exciting place to live, work and play in.

Dr Geh Min: I would like to thank the Minister of State for his lengthy and comprehensive reply. But I also raised the question of new challenges, such as global warming. I saw in the Straits Times today an article on land erosion off East Coast and Pasir Ris Park. If I may have Mr Speaker's permission to briefly read, "When the beaches were first reclaimed, the elevated breakwaters were intended to protect the shore immediately behind them. However, it now appears that in some parts of beaches, including East Coast Park, erosion may have occurred even behind breakwaters. This could be because the height and force of the waves have been greater than anticipated."

There is a strong possibility that we will have even stronger waves even though we are immune from the tsunami, or if we think we are. With all these plans, including Marina Bay, what studies have we done as to the impact, maybe not now, maybe not 10 years, but 20, 30 or 40 years? I think any developments we have, surely we want them to last and not going to be re-remade every five years, even though we review them every five years. What plans have we got to protect Singapore - the coast, the marine areas and the land - from climate change. I would be grateful if the Minister of State would clarify that.

Mr Heng Chee How: Mr Chairman, Sir, with regard to studies on global warming and the effects of global warming on tide levels, sea levels and so on, the correct Ministry to address such a topic to would be the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. However, given that Dr Geh Min has spoken on the East Coast Park, citing the newspaper report, she would like to note that the stretch that was highlighted, indeed, relates to a stretch of reclaimed land and it is something that resources have gone into creating, and NParks and other related agencies are monitoring. It is also cited in the newspaper report the actions that they are taking, by way of monitoring and also to discuss and evaluate how best to reinforce and further protect those investments.

The Chairman: Dr Geh Min, make it very brief, please.

Dr Geh Min: Yes. Thank you for that reply. But I think this illustrates what I was trying to say that we need a more integrated approach. If the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources is responsible for the erosion but the Ministry of National Development is responsible for the planning, then I think there is a lack of integration there which illustrates what I was trying to say that on the water and coastal areas, we could do with much better integration under one agency that would coordinate all the different stakeholders, both Government and non-Government.

Mr Heng Chee How: Mr Chairman, Sir, I can assure the Member that there is coordination amongst Government ministries and amongst statutory bodies and all the agencies that work under the Government umbrella. Depending on the subject matter, different agencies will be involved and they will work together as a team to review and to take coordinated action. It is not possible to set up one agency that can conceivably attend to every possible combination of circumstances, but a coordinated approach is needed, a coordinated approach there is.
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