Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 3 Sep 10;
SINGAPORE : Singapore is in the final stages of developing the world's first City Biodiversity Index.
The self assessment tool aims to assist cities in benchmarking their biodiversity conservation efforts.
Stakeholders are hopeful that the index will be adopted internationally when it is discussed at the Convention on Biological Diversity's 10th Conference of Parties meeting in Nagoya, Japan next month.
Planting trees and building park connectors are some examples how a city like Singapore conserves its biodiversity.
Three hundred experts from Singapore and abroad, who are attending the Hitachi Eco Conference, are looking at ways on how to push the conservation message.
For land-scarce Singapore, it can be a tricky issue.
Singapore National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said: "While Singapore is blessed with a rich natural heritage, we face the dilemma in maintaining a careful balance between biodiversity conservation and other competing needs to meet our needs, social and recreational objectives.
"With a limited space of 710 square kilometres, we need to pay particular attention to land use planning to make sure that every piece of land is well -used.
So the proposed City Biodiversity Index aims to be a comprehensive measuring tool.
More than 30 cities like London and Paris have completed or are in various stages of test bedding the index that has over 20 assessment indicators.
But just how did Singapore fare?
Dr Leong Chee Chiew, deputy CEO, N Parks and Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, said: "I would say that we are okay. I think as Singapore goes, we know that there are certain areas that we are strong in, and areas that we need to improve in.
"Each of us can do our part to reduce the fragmentation, increase the natural linkages between habitats and eco-systems, so that the conservation strategy of Singapore will not be confined to nature reserves."
The index has since been fine-tuned to make it more applicable to cities with different characteristics.
Dr Leong said: "It gives a lot of scope for cities to pick up on areas on what they can improve on, and that gives us hope that it will be adopted. We hope that with the adoption in October, we can move to the next phase of training and working with the Convention to help cities use it."
If adopted, cities are likely to be assessed every three or four years. - CNA/ms
Singapore's okay but we can do better: NParks
Saifulbahri Ismail Today Online 4 Sep 10;
SINGAPORE - While Singapore has been able to maintain a healthy biodiversity, it can improve the natural links between habitats and eco-systems.
The room for improvement was highlighted by a self-assessment tool which Singapore has completed and can be used by cities to benchmark their biodiversity conservation efforts.
More than 30 cities, including Montreal, Nagoya, Brussels and Singapore have completed or are test-bedding the City Biodiversity Index, which was mooted by Singapore in May 2008.
How did Singapore do?
Dr Lawrence Leong, deputy chief executive officer of the National Parks Board (NParks), said: "I would say that we are ... okay. I think as far as Singapore goes, we know there are certain areas that we are strong in, we know there are areas that we will need to improve in."
NParks said the index has been fine-tuned to give cities the scope to pick areas they are comfortable with improving on.
Dr Leong said this might include having more park connectors and adding greenery to Singapore's streets and skyline.
In fact, the "green cover" here has jumped from 36 per cent in 1986 to almost half the Republic's land area today.
Dr Leong was speaking on the sidelines of the Hitachi Eco-Conference on Friday.
The index was developed in partnership with the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
It will be tabled for adoption at a meeting in Nagoya, Japan, next month.
Dr Leong is hopeful that it will be adopted. He said: "There is potential for the index ... The response from cities so far being willing to test-bed it and to adopt it as a measure in their various programmes gives us a lot of encouragement."
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who opened the eco-conference, said the focus and challenge of promoting biodiversity now is in the cities.
He said companies could incorporate biodiversity conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility mandate and forge partnerships with relevant government agencies to promote the cause. Saifulbahri Ismail
Join forces to protect biodiversity
Esther Teo Straits Times 3 Sep 10;
THE public and private sectors must join forces to tackle the ongoing loss of biodiversity, a conference heard on Friday.
Rapid urbanisation has made the problem more urgent, said Hitachi group chief environmental strategy officer Takashi Hatchoji.
Countries face the perennial policy dilemma of pursuing economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who was guest of honour at the Hitachi Eco Conference.
He said companies could incorporate biodiversity conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility mandate and forge partnerships with relevant government agencies to promote the cause.
Mr Hatchoji said the conference would allow participants to exchange information and discuss pragmatic, effective solutions. 'With rapid growth in Asia, biodiversity conservation and urban development are key issues we have to face... Public and private partnerships play an active role in achieving a responsible balance with the environment,' he added.
Singapore is leading the way on the international front by partnering the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to develop an index that can track biodiversity in cities, Mr Mah said.
This index will serve as a self-assessment tool for cities to benchmark and evaluate their biodiversity conservation efforts. It might be adopted at the Convention on Biological Diversity 10th Conference of Parties in Japan next month.
National Parks Board deputy chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Leong said the index - with its 23 different indicators - will give cities the scope to pick areas they are comfortable with improving on. For Singapore, this might include having more park connectors and adding greenery to both the streetscape and skyline, he added.
In fact, the 'green cover' here has jumped from just 36 per cent in 1986 to almost half the Republic's land area today.
The conference, held at Capella Singapore, was attended by about 300 people including government officials, non-governmental organisations and business leaders.
SPEECH BY MR MAH BOW TAN, MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT HITACHI ECO CONFERENCE 2010 ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2010 AT 9.30AM, CAPELLA SINGAPORE, SENTOSA
MND website 3 Sep 10;
Mr Takashi Hatchoji
Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, Hitachi Group Chief Environmental Strategy Officer, Hitachi, Ltd.
Mr Yasunori Taga
Chief Executive and Chief Innovation Officer for Asia, Hitachi, Ltd.
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen,
1 The theme for today’s conference, “Conserving Biodiversity through Efforts by Public and Private Partnerships” is both apt and timely. This year, the global community is celebrating the United Nations’ International Year of Biodiversity. According to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (or CBD), the world has failed to meet the target set in 2002 to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The CBD report calls for urgent and effective actions by both the public and private sectors to address the continued loss in biodiversity.
2 Biodiversity contributes to our fundamental well-being. The wide variety of plants, animals and organisms help to create ecosystems which can boost our capacity to manage the potential impact of global warming. But countries around the globe face the perennial policy dilemma of pursuing economic growth and ensuring environmental sustainability. Singapore is no exception.
3 I commend Hitachi for organising this conference which provides a useful platform to discuss the issue of biodiversity loss and what more we can do about biodiversity conservation. It is important for the three ‘Ps’ – the public, private and people sectors, to understand the value of biodiversity and the need for its conservation.
Singapore’s Efforts in Conserving Biodiversity
4 Let me share with you Singapore’s experience in conserving our biodiversity. Despite being a highly urbanised and densely populated country, we are in fact quite well endowed in biodiversity. At last count, we have over 2,000 species of native plants, more than 370 species of birds, 280 species of butterflies and 98 species of reptiles. Our waters harbour about 250 species of hard corals, which is one third of the global total, and this, despite us being one of the busiest ports in the world. We have 12 of the 23 seagrass species found in the Indo-Pacific region in our waters.
5 While Singapore is blessed with a rich natural heritage, we have to maintain a careful balance between biodiversity conservation and other competing needs to meet our economic, social and recreational objectives. With a limited land space of 710 square kilometres, we need to pay particular attention to land use planning to ensure that every piece of land is used efficiently. As a result, we are able to dedicate a significant 10% of our land to parks and nature conservation. In addition to parkland and nature reserves, we have invested heavily in streetscape greenery and park connectors. This has allowed us to achieve an overall green cover which has grown from just 36% in 1986 to almost 50% of our total land area today.
6 With this pervasive matrix of tropical greenery in place, we are working towards creating a truly unique urban ecosystem where biodiversity can thrive within our environment.
7 We also see the importance of raising public awareness on biodiversity conservation. As part of Singapore’s celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity, the National Parks Board (NParks) organised the BiodiverCity Photo Competition in May this year, attracting over 2,000 entries from students and members of public. NParks also rallied 91 schools in Singapore to participate in the global Green Wave campaign to celebrate the United Nations’ International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May this year.
8 On the international front, Singapore has partnered the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity to develop a Cities Biodiversity Index. This index serves as a self-assessment tool for cities to benchmark and evaluate their biodiversity conservation efforts. After pilot testing by several cities around the world, we will discuss the adoption of this Index at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 10th Conference of Parties meeting in Nagoya, Japan next month.
Private Sector Involvement
9 Biodiversity conservation cannot be undertaken by the Government alone. We need the continuous support of corporations and the general public. Corporations can incorporate biodiversity conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility mandate. They can also forge partnerships with relevant government agencies to promote this cause. For example, NParks works with many corporations whose staff volunteer their time to participate in educational projects in our parks and nature reserves. Corporations have also donated generously to NParks’ Garden City Fund to provide resources to complement the Government’s efforts to ensure the health of Singapore’s biodiversity.
10 I am heartened that Hitachi Singapore has taken the step to commit itself to an Environmental Vision 2025, where the company aims to conserve the environment and realise a sustainable society through prevention of global warming, conservation of resources and preservation of ecosystems. I hope that Hitachi’s example will encourage more companies to come forward and play their part in sustaining our living Planet.
Conclusion
11 To conclude, with the sharing of knowledge and expertise by distinguished biodiversity and environment experts such as Professor Leo Tan and Dr Thomas Lovejoy, I am confident that today’s conference can help to increase awareness on the importance of biodiversity conservation, and the roles we each can play to contribute to this global effort.
12 I wish you a fruitful conference ahead. Thank you.
