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Research has shown that children’s identities are rooted in and enriched by relationships to natural places and to other living things (Clayton and Myers 2009). Nature can thus provide a good site for unsupervised experimentation as children can learn to manipulate objects in their environment, allowing them to not only explore the physical properties of the objects but also to explore and develop their own abilities, creativity and identity.
There are also other research studies that revealed physical natural environment as being important in the identity development of not only children, but in ad
ults too. Natural environment appears to provide an optimal level of sensory stimulation, hence providing the space for people to do self-reflection. Long et al. (2003) described nature as an important location for seeking solitude experiences that promote inner peace and self-discovery. Meanwhile, Korpela (1989, 1992) found that natural settings are used by people to reflect on personal matters and to regulate their emotional state and self-concept. Photo Credit: Your Life Purpose
The plans proposed by the Singapore government in the Population White Paper, which is to develop Singapore’s natural environment and other available land into infrastructures, houses, facilities and other amenities in order to support the projected 6.9 million population, would definitely leave an impact on the identity development of Singaporeans, both children and adults.
Children would lose the opportunity to explore natural environments and the plant and animal species that could be found together in those natural environments. This would make them unable to to explore their abilities and creativity to the fullest, hence affecting their identity development. Meanwhile, adults would lose the natural spaces that could have been used by them in seeking solitude and doing self-reflection, thus impeding their identity development. In addition, as Singaporeans have lesser opportunities to directly interact with the natural environment, they would develop a weaker environmental identity, which would eventually affect their attitudes and behavior towards environmental problems and issues.