Opening Remarks by Minister Desmond Lee at the Launch of Wonderful Wetlands Series
Jun 5, 2022
A very good morning to all. I am glad to be here with all of you today to launch the Wonderful Wetlands Series.
Today, we also celebrate World Environment Day. Which reminds us of the importance of sustainable development, and how we all have a part to play in protecting our environment.
And this morning, I’m very proud to be alongside many of our young Singaporeans from the Polytechnic, ITE, from the community to plant mangroves and also to help support the important research that is happening right here in Gardens by the Bay, and in fact, all over Singapore.
In Singapore, we are pursuing sustainable development through the Singapore Green Plan. The Singapore Green Plan is a whole-of-nation sustainability movement that covers many many areas, and one important area is transforming Singapore into a City in Nature.
And why do we want our city to be a City in Nature? Because actually if you compare ourselves to other countries, you will find that we are one of the few sovereign city-states in the world. One city and the city is the whole country. And in fact, the larger countries, we have beautiful cities, modern cities, but nature is all around the city, all outside the city, vast tracts of nature, forests, streams, rivers, gorges, mountains, valleys. But for Singapore, we have the city, and nature exist within the city.
And in fact, based on our initial checks, we are probably one of the only two major cities in the world, which have primary rainforests inside the heart of the city, as opposed to primary rainforests outside the city where of course, there are many examples. So imagine a city, where in its heart, it is primary rainforest, within a half an hour drive, you will be able to move from one habitat to another, whereas in other countries you have to take a tour bus for hours and hours before you go from one nature area to another.
In Singapore, thanks to good long-term planning, stewardship, and striking the right balance, we have Rocky Shores in the South, Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, as well as mangrove mudflats in the north, we have primary and secondary rainforests in the heart of the city.
And let me just talk a bit about the role of Gardens by the Bay in the work of transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. Gardens by the Bay, you play a very important role in all these efforts, and you have been a strong advocate for sustainability since you opened in 2012, some 10 years ago. Whether it is rainwater harvesting for plant irrigation, to the use of renewable energy from horticultural waste to power your Conservatories.
And when I first joined MND nine years ago, this was one of the first places I visited. Right beneath this facility, is a biomass engine that makes use of horticultural waste, don’t let it be waste, turn waste into gold, into energy, to power the cooling system that you see here. And in fact, the Gardens by the Bay is designed with sustainability in mind.
Last November, I was here at the Gardens to launch the Kingfisher Wetlands. These wetlands not only provide spaces for nature-based recreation, but also new habitats for native biodiversity. A national park built on land reclaimed many decades ago, but not just a park for people to enjoy, but also a park for native wildlife to make home.
In fact, surveys conducted by our colleagues from Gardens by the Bay, as well as volunteers, and citizen scientists have reported an increase in the number of bird species sighted in these Gardens, especially at the Kingfisher Wetlands. Gardens by the Bay is also partnering the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions as well as DHI Water and Environment, to use Kingfisher Wetlands as a living laboratory, as a living classroom, to support blue carbon science research
1, which can potentially help us to reduce our carbon footprint and help tackle the effects of climate change.
Now we all know that mangrove habitats are very good places to sequester carbon, sometimes when you compare to terrestrial forests, mangrove habitats are known to be very good carbon capture sources. But the mechanics as well as the science behind it, I think there is still tremendous opportunity for research and for Singapore and Singaporeans to be at the forefront, partnering scientists from around the world.
And in fact, Southeast Asia has got many mangrove habitats, many of which are being deforested at an alarming rate, we would have to have research, to convince many partners on the importance of protecting our mangrove wetlands.
Launch of the Wonderful Wetlands Series
In support of the scientific work at our wetlands here in Gardens by the Bay, I am happy to announce the launch of the Wonderful Wetlands series today, which aims to promote awareness on biodiversity as well as climate change. This series uses the Kingfisher Wetlands as a platform to engage everyone on the value of mangroves in our ecosystem. So not just a laboratory, but also a classroom.
Firstly, members of the public, you can sign up to be citizen scientists, and help us to monitor mangrove activities at the Kingfisher Wetlands. As participants, you will get to learn about scientific research, help us collect scientific data to assess mangrove health, such as by measuring the mangrove saplings’ height as well as girth. Now this important data will contribute to ongoing studies on using urban wetlands as a potential nature-based solution. So that’s first, join us as citizen scientists.
Second, you can also register for public lectures on blue carbon and coastal ecosystems. In fact, today, to kickstart the series of public lectures, we are very privileged to have with us Professor Koh Lian Pin from the National University of Singapore, who will be sharing with all of us about nature-based solutions, and how they can help to mitigate the impact of climate change. I’m sure all of us are looking forward to hearing from him shortly.
Participants of our public lectures will also get to experience an Augmented Reality (AR) tour of the Kingfisher Wetlands, where you can embark on a self-guided journey to discover the biodiversity and the sustainability elements all around the wetlands. This is a pilot project supported by the Singapore Tourism Board. I got a preview of the AR tour this morning – I enjoyed it and learnt a lot from it. I’m sure later on when you go and explore, you will find that this new way of learning will be so much more interactive.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the SG Eco Fund and Temasek for sponsoring this Wonderful Wetlands series. In fact, the SG Eco Fund Board of Trustees, Advisory Committee and Secretariat have joined us here today – thank you for your support.
Now to kick-start this series, I joined our partners for the Gardens’ very first community mangrove planting session at the Kingfisher Wetlands earlier this morning.
These native mangroves planted will serve as habitats to strengthen our conservation efforts, and contribute to our efforts to plant one million more trees island-wide between 2020 and the end of this decade in 2030, under our OneMillionTrees movement.
Engaging the Youth for Sustainability Action
We will continue to work closely with all our partners and the community on our environmental sustainability efforts.
And as part of these efforts, Gardens by the Bay is nurturing our young Singaporeans as stewards of our environment. Young people are our future, and you will one day take on the responsibility of protecting our natural heritage, and protecting and enhancing our City in Nature. So it is important for all of us to engage with our next generation early.
For instance, the Gardens launched the Green Guardians programme this February, from pre-school, all the way to secondary school, for students to learn about biodiversity conservation and sustainability.
And to reach out to a wider group of students, Gardens by the Bay will further strengthen its partnerships with our tertiary institutions.
Earlier today, I had the privilege to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Gardens by the Bay, Republic Polytechnic as well as ITE.
Under this MOU, the Gardens by the Bay will collaborate with our two institutions to develop professional opportunities for our students as well as our teachers in areas such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and landscape management.
Our ITE and Polytechnic are premier institutions with lots of knowledge and research on horticulture and landscaping and we look forward to that very good partnership between the two institutions and the Gardens, to transfer the knowledge that all our students have learnt, which have been imparted by our lecturers and teachers. So that the Gardens will continue to flourish, and so that Singapore will continue to benefit. And that our City in Nature branding can have resonance in the region and around the world, contributing to a more sustainable world.
Now what can our students expect from this MOU? They can get involved in horticultural maintenance and long-term monitoring of the mangroves at the Kingfisher Wetlands. So you will monitor what you have just planted this morning.
In addition, I am pleased to announce that Gardens by the Bay will be offering six book prizes annually to ITE students pursuing your Nitec studies in Urban Greenery and Landscape, and Higher Nitec in Landscape Management and Design.
These programmes and initiatives will also help to encourage skills upgrading and most importantly, lifelong learning in the field of horticulture, to prepare our young people for the future, as you help to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.
Conclusion
To conclude, I hope that you and your family and friends will enjoy the exciting line-up of activities under the Wonderful Wetlands series.
If you would like to get involved, do find out more information on the programmes and activities from our Gardens by the Bay website.
Let’s continue to work together to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, and grow a sustainable Singapore for our future generations.
Thank you.
1 “Blue carbon” is the carbon content that is absorbed and stored by marine ecosystems, like mangroves and other wetlands.