July 21st, 2009
Conserving Singapore
As I awoke, the sun was coming up and I heard a chorus of birds, insects clattering a mating call and the chatter from a Plantain Squirrel. I would’ve never have thought I would be awoken by such beautiful sounds staying at one of the Luxury Singapore Business hotels. But here I was, with may hotel window open and listening not only to the city traffic but to Singapore’s wonderful nature.
But, this was small consolation as I reflect on the many extinct species which has been caused by the nearly complete devastation of Singapore’s forests. Ever since the 1900′s when Singapore was established as a colonial trading post. It only took about seven decades to wipe out the birds, fish, mammals, Insects and plants which mother nature so diligently worked on. Currently, more than half of the native freshwater fish, a quarter of the seed plants, one-third of the birds and a few mammals are now extinct. That’s truly a significant statistic.
Singapore’s tiger is already extinct and so is the leopard, the sambar and the barking deer. It really amazed me to find out that the Hornbills, the Broadbills and the Trogons are gone too. I’ve seen indications that there are limits to the regenerative ability of Singapore’s forest. There’s been too much fragmentation and isolation which makes regeneration an impossibility. The delicate complex ecosystem that was once Singapore’s rainforest is falling apart at the seams, ever so slowly, but steadily. This even despite it is now officially protected as a Nature Reserve. The Central Catchment Nature Reserve forest. It’s a part of the remnant terrestrial forest. Only about 2,000 hectares and make up roughly 4 percent of the original forest which covered Singapore.
A Green Plan is currently being revised and the Society’s Conservation Committee has submitted a comprehensive report recommending existing nature as well as new sites be preserved. But until then, the natural heritage will be under scrutiny. I’ve added my voice to the cause and hopefully you will too.
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