Singapore will transform into a greener city in the next 10 years, with more plant life and nature integrated into urbanised areas.
In announcing the new vision on 5 March, Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said the project is strategic as it will enhance and extend Singapore’s natural capital.
“(It will) provide Singaporeans with a better quality of life, while coexisting with our flora and fauna. Indeed, with climate change, more extreme weather conditions, increased urbanisation, we must do more,” he told Parliament.
Work will be carried out by the National Parks Board (NParks) in four key steps, he added.
These are: extending the Nature Park Network, intensifying nature in gardens and parks, restoring nature into the built environment and strengthening connectivity between Singapore’s green spaces.
The Nature Park Network, which covers 350 hectares, will get an additional 200 hectares by 2030. These parks serve as buffers to protect nature reserves from the impact of urbanisation and human activities.
Nature lovers can also expect 140 hectares of new gardens and parks in the next five years. Waterways and water bodies in parks will also be naturalised.
This had been done in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Lakeside Garden, where concrete canals were transformed into natural rivers that help shield against the rise in sea levels and flooding.
Thirty therapeutic gardens designed for seniors and those with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dementia will also be built by 2030. NParks also aims to have an additional 185km of nature ways by then.
There will also be more greenery in the industrial estates, with another 100,000 trees to be planted in places like Tuas Industrial Estate.
Singapore has 340 kilometres of park connectors island-wide and this will be increased to 500 kilometres by 2030.
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Source: The Straits Times, 5 March 2020