Jose Hong Straits Times 31 May 12;
A LEADING environmental conservation organisation has relocated its Asian headquarters from Japan to Singapore with the aim of working more closely with its regional partners.
BirdLife International is the world's largest alliance of conservation groups with operations in six continents and more than 2.7 million members.
Its move is expected to bring additional firepower to the conservation cause in the region.
For one thing, the organisation plans to launch a US$60 million (S$75 million) Forests of Hope fund by the end of the year. The fund is dedicated to the conservation of tropical rainforests throughout the region, and already has US$5 million in the kitty.
Ms Cristi Nozawa, regional director of BirdLife International's Asia division, said that the group's decision to move to Singapore was based on two reasons: First, as most of its Asian partners are located in South and South-east Asia, relocating to Singapore would allow for closer collaboration with them. Second, Singapore presents opportunities for forging new partnerships with corporate organisations.
'Singapore is trying to achieve a balance between development and being a city-state that takes nature into consideration, and we'd like to contribute to that,' Ms Nozawa said, adding that the group would develop conservation programmes in the region.
Planning the move to Singapore took several years, and since 2008 involved various players, including the Economic Development Board (EDB), the Nature Society (Singapore), and law firm Drew and Napier.
Mr Kelvin Wong, executive director of EDB's International Organisations Programme Office, said BirdLife International would help make Singapore 'a hub for international non-profit organisations to advance their social, economic and developmental efforts in Asia and beyond'.
Nature Society president Shawn Lum said BirdLife International's move will likely result in other conservation groups here holding more meetings and workshops to further the environmental cause.
