SPEAKER
Mr. Cheong Kok Hwee
Director (Park Planning)
National Parks Board

Cheong Kok Hwee is Director (Park Planning) at Policy and Planning Division, National Parks Board (NParks). Kok Hwee joined NParks in May 2009 after spending a decade working on strategic and physical land use planning, urban design and conservation work in Urban Redevelopment Authority and then with a private consultancy firm. Kok Hwee has been involved in securing spaces for parks and greenery, master planning work and evaluating land use proposals and development projects. Some projects include Jurong Innovation District, Tengah Town, Jurong Lake District and Cross Island Line. Most recently, Kok Hwee has been part of the teams involved in the planning of Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park, Khatib Bongsu Nature Park, Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network and Bukit Batok Nature Corridor.

A graduate from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Geography and a major in Economics, Kok Hwee also holds a Masters of Education (Leadership, Policy and Change) from Monash University of Australia. A strong believer of lifelong learning, he participates actively as a trainer and facilitator in various talks, workshops and seminars on land use planning.

SPEAKER
Associate Prof. Dan Friess
Deputy Director (Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions); Dean's Chair (Department of Geography)
National University of Singapore

Dr Friess is a coastal geographer and an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography in NUS where he is also the Co-Director for the NUS Bachelor of Environmental Studies programme. He obtained his PhD in wetland geography from the University of Cambridge in the UK. His research uses the framework of ecosystem services to investigate changes to coastal ecosystems, and how best to protect them. He is also the Deputy Director for the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, a group of researchers advancing the implementation of ecosystem-based carbon capture and policy in Southeast Asia. Additionally, he is a Lead PI for the NRF-funded project Assessing Singapore's Natural Capital - the first assessment of Singapore's terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems and their ecosystem services. The topics of his research include quantifying ecosystem services, sea-level rise and ecosystem services, land use change and ecosystem services, ecosystem services restoration and policy.

SPEAKER
Dr. Karenne Tun
Director (National Biodiversity Centre - Coastal & Marine and Terrestrial  
National Parks Board  

Dr Karenne Tun is the Director of the Coastal and Marine and Terrestrial Branches at the National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board (NParks). She joined NParks in 2013, after an 18 year circuit within academia, non-profit organisations and private environmental consultancy, during which time she obtained her PhD from the National University of Singapore where she focused on developing tools for coral reef monitoring and management. Karenne’s interest in the marine environment was ignited as an undergraduate, where, over the years, her fascination turned to concern at their rapid decline, particularly within the region.

Karenne subsequent work at NUS focused on studying the impacts of anthropogenic activities on coral reefs, before moving onto coordinating coral reef monitoring efforts in the Southeast Asian region. Karenne’s current work at NParks covers issues related to the management and conservation of Singapore’s coastal and marine and terrestrial environments and the biodiversity they support. Her team is also responsible for managing Singapore’s first Marine Park - the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, and works closely with the wider community to encourage responsible stewardship and sustainable use of the Marine Park to achieve the overarching objectives of conservation, outreach, education and research.

SPEAKER
Mr. Jonathan Tan
Manager (National Biodiversity Centre - Coastal & Marine)
National Parks Board

Jonathan is part of the Coastal and Marine Branch of the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC). The team’s core work involves consulting on infrastructure projects and urban planning to ensure development takes place sensitively and impact on biodiversity is minimised. NBC’s work also includes research such as the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey, which he is currently leading. Jonathan is also involved in the operations of the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park; this includes conservation programmes for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle and Neptune’s Cup sponge, coral reef restoration work, and education and outreach initiatives. In his free time, he volunteers for surveys of Singapore’s intertidal habitats and for guided walks in both coastal and terrestrial environments. He has a particular interest in the ecology of artificial shorelines, how they can be recolonised by marine life, and the lessons they hold for conserving Singapore’s natural heritage for future generations.

MODERATOR
Dr. Nigel Goh
Director (CUGE Research)
National Parks Board

Dr Nigel Goh is Director of Research at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore. He spent 4 years as Senior Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, during which he authored the booklet, ‘Detours, Dead-ends and Diversions: Singapore’s Road to Development Reconsidered’. His prior professional experience includes research at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with over 20 internationally peer-reviewed papers; followed by commercial R&D in the pharmaceutical industry. At NUS, he also headed collaboration and technology marketing around intellectual property created from the research. He obtained his PhD in Marine Ecology from NUS in 1996 and an MBA from the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University in 2013.