Initially earmarked by the Singapore government for agrotechnology development, Sungei Buloh has come a long way to become the first wetland reserve on our little red dot. Urban planners back in the 1980s had thought Sungei Buloh to be ideal for prawn farming due to rich nutrients present in the waterlogged mangrove swamps and had made plans to develop the area as such. However, a group of wildlife enthusiasts and ornithologists pushed for the site to be conserved as a bird sanctuary, citing the large number of species of birds which stop over at the mangroves enroute their migratory journey. Land was eventually set aside for the very first time for nature conservation since the state’s independence – a significant milestone in the history of conservation in Singapore.
Officially gazetted as a nature reserve in 2002, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve has and continues to play a notable role in the East Asian Australasian Flyway, one of the nine global systems for waterbird migrations which directly links important sites and habitats. With its wide mudflats and dense mangrove, the reserve is a suitable feeding and roosting ground for troves of migratory birds that land on our shores every year during the migratory season. Sungei Buloh is thus, an important site for migratory birds along the flyway. Its rich biodiversity makes it a haven for birdlife from as far as Siberia!
More than being a crucial stop-over point for birds, Sungei Buloh is also a nature sanctuary for Singapore’s citizens. With its lush greenery and well-maintained nature trails, Sungei Buloh provides respite from the hustle and bustle of life in metropolitan Singapore. Tucked away in the Northwestern part of the island which is relatively remote, the reserve is the epitome of tranquillity. There was little to no sound of bustling traffic and no skyscrapers in plain sight. Instead, loud mating calls of cicadas reverberated through the air, and the sight of mudskippers hopping from one puddle to another is commonplace. Right at the end of the coastal trail, dense mangroves lined the shore which overlooked the Straits of Johor. The receded water line allows visitors to spot schools of fish and even baby horseshoe crabs, sights uncommon to the typical Singaporean life. Do pay a visit to the first reserve declared as an ASEAN Heritage Park in Singapore!
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