Singapore is well known for being a clean and green city. However, many are unaware of the efforts Singapore’s government and councils have put in to ensure this, though rapidly urbanizing.

AIR POLLUTION

“Did you know? The total carbon emission in 2005 is 40, 377 kilo tonnes.”

And it had been fluctuating between that and about 30, 000 kilo tonnes annually, till date.

The main contributors of carbon emissions and harmful fine particles in Singapore’s air are electricity generators, buildings and factories. Not excluding the burgeoning car population, construction boom and growing industrial hubs like Jurong Island as well.

This is a growing concern in Singapore, as its level of harmful particles in the air  exceeds current limits set by the World Health Organisation. Furthermore, the harmful air particles are so fine that it would settle in one’s lungs and can cause health problems.

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LAND POLLUTION

Wastes at shores of Sungei Seletar

Initially, I personally referred land pollution to only littering, illegal dumping of domestic waste and poor waste management from construction sites and industrial estates. Yes, these are the main causes of land pollution in Singapore.

However, I did some research, and found out that, it also refers to the degradation of Earth’s land surfaces caused by human activities and their misuse of land resources. And in Singapore, with the numerous construction towards urbanization, various forestlands were destructed and exploited, which also contributed to land pollution by definition.

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WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution plays a part in land pollution as well. When waste are being disposed into the sea, they are being pushed by waves on to shore. Water pollution does not only consist of solid material waste, but also wastes in liquid form such as oil and nitrogen oxide from factories and industrial areas.

These harmful waste, both solid materials such as plastic, and liquid wastes are  harmful to the marine biodiversity, which may in turn harm us as well.

For instance, in the fishes we are consuming, there may be bits of plastic in them, as they consumed it from the wastes in the sea. Thus, actions have to be taken to minimise water pollution as it also concerns our health in the long run.