Mandai development plan: Choose site with care

Letter from Wong Yew Kwan,
Former Commissioner of Parks and Recreation
Straits Times Forum 2 Jan 08

THE Straits Times recently carried articles concerning the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) potential plan to create an eco-tourism area near the Singapore Zoo.

Needless to say, the STB's intention is good, for increased tourism will mean more money for Singapore. However, the question as raised by the Nature Society is that such a project, involving removal of vegetation and construction of buildings, would affect the plant and animal ecology, not only of the subject site but also that of the Nature Reserve, although the subject site, covering some 30 ha in size, is not part of the Nature Reserve.

Based on the map appearing in The Straits Times in connection with Ms Lim Wei Chean's article on Dec 7, and from the relevant biodiversity information I could gather, I agree with the Nature Society that, for the STB's proposed development, it would be far better to make use of the adjacent alternative site (hugging close to the Bukit Timah Expressway) proposed by the society.

I am not worried about plants in the present case, but the various animal species still found in the reserve, especially rare and endangered ones. If the forest of the STB site is undisturbed, the area would act as a good link or fording area for these precious animals to go between the forest on one side of Mandai Lake Road and the other. If the two STB proposed sites are used, then the fording link would be lost, and this would lead to isolation of the animal populations.

The alternative site proposed by the Nature Society is quite close to the zoo and it would not be difficult for tourists to go from there to the zoo and the Night Safari, should this be a desirable consideration. Indeed, with some planning, one could build an aerial link between the alternative site and the zoo or Night Safari. With such a link, visitors would cause minimal disturbance to the animal populations, day or night, while going between the two areas.

The article, 'Mandai at risk?' (The Sunday Times, Nov 25) cautioned that Singapore is not a choice site for such tourism activities. If we wish to promote eco-tourism, it is better for tourists to have excursions from their hotels which are not far away rather than from new chalets set up at the edge of the reserves - so there will be minimal disturbance to the natural environment.

RELATED LINKS

Plans for Mandai: Forest Science Crapped in Singapore
beyond price: what is the true value of Mandai forest? on Joseph Lai's eart-h.com

Mandai: Relocate site? Few back Nature Society option
Planned Nature-Themed Attraction in Mandai
Some nature lovers not convinced that development will harm area's ecology
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 14 Dec 07;

Nature Calls
mr brown comments on plans to develop Mandai.

Mandai: Nature Society moots two new spots for attraction
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 7 Dec 07;

STB reply: Sensitive approach to Mandai revamp
STB-NParks' wildlife studies to feature in plans
Today Online 5 Dec 07;

Leave the beautiful Mandai rainforest alone
Letter from George Pasqual, Straits Times Forum 27 Nov 07;

Mandai at risk?
Straits Times 25 Nov 07

Beware the wildlife tradeoff
If not properly done, plans to turn Mandai into nature retreat could backfire
Letter from Marianne Maes, Today Online 22 Nov 07

Do we need another nature-themed attraction?
NO: Nature Society thinks it will cause greater damage to nature reserve
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 22 Nov 07

YES: A nature escape will add to Singapore's attraction as a tourist destination, say travel agents
30ha of greenery in Mandai has been set aside for a new attraction near the Zoo and Night Safari, and the idea is already drawing varied reactions
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 22 Nov 07;

Mandai: a repeat of the losses at Bukit Timah Nature Reseve
due to over-development? and more thoughts on the nature scouter blog

Nature Society expresses concerns about plans for Mandai
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 21 Nov 07;

Mandai to be turned into Asia's top nature spot
Channel NewsAsia 20 Nov 07