Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on nature reserves and nature areas
May 9, 2016
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) what percentage of land is currently gazetted as nature reserves and nature areas respectively; and
(b) whether there are plans to increase the number or size of nature reserves or nature areas.
Answer:
Singapore is a city-state, and unlike other countries with large land mass, Singapore has to accommodate all our needs within limited land. Nonetheless, we recognise the value of these greenery and biodiversity systems and make a constant effort to sustain them. Today, there are four gazetted Nature Reserves and 20 recognised Nature Areas in Singapore. Nature Reserves and Nature Areas make up about 5% and 3% of Singapore’s land area respectively. Together, they occupy about 5,400 hectares. This is a significant size, and is equivalent to about eight Ang Mo Kio towns, or almost half of all housing land in Singapore.
In addition to setting aside land for Nature Reserves and Nature Areas, we have been adopting unique solutions to conserve nature in our urban setting. For instance, by incorporating green spaces extensively within our urban environment, we have retained a fascinating diversity of native plant species in our city. We have also weaved nature deep into our heartlands through an extensive network of park connectors, Nature Ways and projects like the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme. We will continue to look for opportunities to integrate greenery and biodiversity in our urban environment, and create a high quality living environment for all.