Human-Environment Conflict (Natural Hazards: Falling Trees)

[fblike]

{Tree crashed into the roof of the 3rd floor. © Tok Wei Min}

{Close-up of it’s uprooted…root. © Wilson Yap}

Previously we mentioned about how falling trees and tree branches can cause deaths or traffic accidents. Here’s one example that is much much closer to (my) home.

We used to have these really pretty looking cypress trees that enhances the landscape but because of this incident, checks were conducted and the verdict that the roots and trunk of this type of trees were too weak for its height. Thus these trees were good for the “summer” periods when it’s hot and sunny, but when the monsoon season rolls about, there is a risk that these trees might be uprooted with the heavy downpours and strong winds. After this incident, all similar trees were cut down and removed. Only those which have thicker, sturdier trunks and roots were allowed to remain.

Yet another reminder of the human-environment conflict – the natural environment can be a potential hazard and pose a certain threat to the safety of human communities. Hence there is a need to strike a balance and ensure cohesion between human community and the natural environment: certain precautions and considerations e.g. type of trees you plant near buildings have to be sturdy and can withstand weather conditions in that area, rather than just blind and impulsive pro-environmental actions.

Henderson Waves (Singapore)

[fblike]

{Henderson Waves  © designboom}

Henderson Waves – nature walkways constructed high in the foliage of the treetops allow visitors to both indulge in the occasional experience with nature away from the traffic, without actually leaving the city altogether. Instead of going far away from the city centre, these walkways allow city dwellers to go far higher from the hustle and bustle of city life.

I’m personally a fan of Henderson waves, because it’s situated conveniently in the heart of the island, where it’s equally accessible to people from all sides of the island. it’s also especially close to the CBD area where all the most stress and workaholics reside. people like bankers and accountants and businessmen who are often on-the-go and on-the-ball practically 24/7can make use of this walkway to get away abit without actually losing (phone) connection with their urban life.

{Henderson Waves overlooking Telok Blangah Road © Eustaquio Santimano}

However i think we don’t really put our treetop walks to good use. often i ask my friends along for a walk they decline, suggesting alternative air-conditioned and more “down-to-earth” places to hang out at. it’s really a lot to do with singapore’s weather i think, it gets unbearably hot and humid up there if you happen to be there at the wrong time of the day, or the year. that’s probably what puts singaporeans off from really utilizing this urban “linear ribbon” of green escape to it’s fullest.

Urban Parks – Little Guilin


[fblike]

Little Guilin (“Xiao Guilin”)

{Little Guilin’s sign. © Slow Rider}

{The scenic view of guilin’s cliffs. © Slow Rider}

Area scan of Little Guilin (“Xiao Guilin”)

Constructed from a disused granite quarry, Bukit Batok Town Park is commonly known as “Little Guilin” or “Xiao Guilin”, after the scenic spot in China. Comprising 42 ha of land, it is located at Bukit Batok East Avenue 5. The name “Bukit Batok” has been suggested to be derived from the noise made by the blasting in the granite quarry that now form the natural surroundings of Little Guilin.

The Housing and Development Board had originally intended to fill the quarry up and build a road on it in 1984. It was converted to a pond instead when it was realized that the existing quarry had rugged granite outcrops and a contrasting backdrop of green hills that gave it a pleasant look. The surrounding areas were also beautified and made accessible by placing granite blocks on the retaining walls and adding footpaths, lights and seating.

{Fishing! © Serene Ng}

In 1996, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) conceptualised the Development Plan Guide for Yishun and Bukit Batok, which proposed the use of the surrounding parks to enhance the residential landscape for the area. It also proposed links between the Town Park and Nature Parks, and eventually linking them via park connectors to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Sungei Pandan.

Besides being used for exercise and walks, the town park has also been used as a stage for Chinese opera, dance and music performances.

 Source: Little Guilin (“Xiao Guilin”)

Urban Parks – Lorong Halus Wetland Park

[fblike]

{Some of the inhabitants you can catch at Punggol Promenade & Lor Halus Wetland Park if you’re lucky! © NParks}

Located along the eastern bank of Serangoon Reservoir, Lorong Halus Wetland was transformed from a landfill into a haven for biodiversity. Spend some time exploring this wetland that spans the area of 18 football fields! Visitors entering Lorong Halus Wetland from Punggol Promenade will be greeted by the elegantly designed Lorong Halus Bridge, which is a charming addition to the natural surroundings. It is also part of the North Eastern Riverine Loop that aims to bring the public closer to the natural environment – vegetation and water.

{Lor Halus Bridge at sunrise. © Tze Ru Pang}

“Usually pedestrian bridges in Singapore are carried out as pile and beam bridges and henceforth tend to look heavy. In this case a more filigree truss structure was chosen. Five 30m long compartments span between concrete piles with steel caps. The number of piles into the riverbed was decreased by the greater span, reducing the impact on the bridge’s natural environment to a minimum. 

The pedestrian bridge is lit up with ultra-efficient 10W LED linear lighting bars, replacing the conventional method of using fluorescent lights.” (Source: World Architecture News)

Having personally been to the Punggol Promenade, crossed the Lorong Halus Bridge, and cycling through the Lorong Halus Wetland that links you all the way to Pasir Ris, I have to say that it is a really beautiful space of greenery and artfully constructed footpaths which are made from light gravel and pebbles blends perfectly into the natural landscape, and that, makes your walk all the more enjoyable as you feel like part of the natural environment. When it first opened, there were few visitors, only a sprinkling of adventurous cyclists like myself, and landscape photographers who were there to take advantage of the abundant sunlight and vast space. Since then, on my frequent visits back, both on my bike or on foot, I’ve seen parents bringing their children for a day out exploring the biodiversity of the area, and reading from the informative signages about the Wetland and its inhabitants. I’ve also seen couples, young and old, taking strolls in the evenings.

{People coming back from the Lor Halus Wetland Park via the Bridge. ©  Slow Rider}

Converting this area into a wetland, at close range to all the HDB flats makes it a great escape for us city people. Despite being located in close proximity to the residential areas, when you’re strolling along Punggol Promenade or Lorong Halus Wetland, you practically feel as if you’ve travelled out of town to the countryside, the feeling you get is of a well-maintained Pulau Ubin, without the inconvenience of a bum-boat ride (as enjoyable old school as it may be :D). Only a stone’s throw and a short walk away from our homes, there is such an expanse of greenery and wealth of biodiversity – our dose of interaction with the natural environment made convenient. Beautiful.

If you’re interested in exploring the Lorong Halus Wetland Park, along with the rest of the equally attractive spots along the North Eastern Riverine Loop, do check this extremely comprehensive NParks guide out.

Human-Environment Conflict (Human Hazards: Nature Reserves)

[fblike]

{Map of one of the hiking trails in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. © NParks}

Having mentioned in previous posts here and here  of how elements of the natural environment can prove to be hazardous, this post is about another dimension of the Human-environment conflict – humans being a threat to the natural environment.

With elements of the natural environment in our urban city, and us working towards sustainable urban design, it is not always easy to keep people interested in the natural environment, and yet manage the human effects such that the natural environment is not harmed beyond restoration. Just as how the natural environment can unintentionally cause harm to the human community, humans too can pose a certain threat to natural environment.

The nature and heritage trails of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Singapore) is one example. A few weeks back, we had a guest speaker from NParks come to give us an introduction about the nature efforts of the organisation. Karen Teo is a Senior Outreach Officer of Central Nature Reserve Branch, Conservation Division, in NParks. Out of the many things that she shared, one of the most memorable ones was her recount of how they had to eventually make the decision of permanently closing down a trail because of the damage that visitors were causing it. After several temporary closures for restoration works done over a period of 5 (i think) years, it was evident that if they do not take action, the damage to the area covered by the trail would soon be irreversible. Her recount is an alarming and unexpected insight into how the interest of the human community can bring harm to the natural environment.

Doing some digging around, I found that the NParks website has this document: Trail Manners, appealing to members of the public about the Do’s and Don’ts when they go onto the trails in the reserve.

 

Human-Environment Conflict (Natural Hazards: Falling Trees)

[fblike]

Conserving and preserving the natural environment is a good thing, trees for example, help lower the temperature and provide shade for both pedestrians and drivers. The presence of trees are especially beneficial for tropical countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and most of the SEA countries.

However, the natural environment also has the potential to be destructive and elements of nature like trees can prove to be a threat to the safety of human communities when they are not managed, or when weather conditions change.

Sophie Howard, a 13-year-old girl was sitting on a bench under a tree in a Recreation Park when a tree branch sudden broke off and dropped onto her head. She sustained serious head injuries and died almost immediately. This incident was reported in the BBC News: ‘Sudden drop’ branch killed girl in Peterborough Park’ . It was definitely a devastating example of how elements of nature can be potential hazards, often unpredictably or unexpectedly.

“This occurs in mature broadleaf trees when a sudden downpour follows a long dry period and water being sucked through the tree causes the brittle branches to literally explode … Prior to this tragedy the propensity of this tree to the phenomenon of sudden branch drop had not been recognised.”

Closer to home, we’ve also experienced some accidents that could have been fatal. Despite the governments good intentions of a “Garden City”, trees alongside roads can be a huge hazard to both pedestrians and drivers if they fall.

Just 2 days ago, on Saturday, a tree along Upper Bukit Timah Road uprooted and fell through the roof of a pedestrian walkway before landing heavily on a car on the road. Due to the length of the tree, the fallen tree completely covered the width of the entire road, creating a road block. Fortunately, there no heavy traffic on the 2 lanes when the tree fell around noon. Had there been more cars, the consequences would be much more dire as cars would have crashed into one another due to the sudden obstacle.

{Tree falls suddenly and lands on car. © Asia One News}

{Tree falls completely through the roof of pedestrian walkway. © Asia One News}

When accidents like these happen, it brings up the question and debate of who should be responsible, and if there is negligence involved. In Singapore, trees along the roads are under the management of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). The car owner from the Bukit Timah incident said that,

“flimsy would be an understatement” to describe the condition of the tree, and that SLA should do a better job of maintaining the condition of the trees.

It also appears that accidents like these happen quite frequently,

{Fallen tree branch crashes onto taxi, 60-year-old taxi driver sent to Singapore General Hospital (December 2011) ©  Channel News Asia}

Hence in the above cases we see prime examples of how there can be conflict between human communities and the natural environment. In urban areas, the natural environment needs to be conserved, and yet at the same time there are many factors to be considered in order for humans and the natural environment to co-exist safely. Sustainable urban design has to also be SAFE for the human community. Trees cannot be planted at random, their locations have to be carefully considered, and their maintenance consistent to reduce their propensity to be a hazard to humans.

Psychological Causes of Risk Mis-estimation and Failure to take Appropriate Actions

According to Ehrlick & Ornstein’s “old mind” theory, human beings ten not to notice or react to “slow motion disasters” i.e. environmental degradation that occurs gradually over long periods of time without visible changes.

Cognitive Basis for under-estimation of risks

There are so many possibilities of death, and yet our cognition is limited. There are limits to the time, energy, attention and perception that a person can devote to hazards and threats in daily life. Unless a person ignores some hazards, he or she would fall prey to the”obsessive preoccupation with risk” state that would impair any normal, productive existence (similar to effects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). It is therefore only logical and necessary for a person to estimate the risk of certain threats and neglect some. And in this case, the most logical way to go about eliminating attention to threats is to ignore those with relatively low probabilities.

Hence in cases like death caused by natural hazards such as falling tree branches or trees, humans tend to under-estimate or completely neglect the possibility of death caused by something so common in their natural environment.

And that brings to the table, the need for consistent maintenance and regulation of our eco-urban developments and infrastructure. Even more because sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure and developments are necessary in this time of global environmental concern, we should also invest in psychology research of our human psyche in tandem with environmental developments, such that we do not unwittingly neglect these threats that our natural environment can pose to our safety.

Even closer to home…