The Housing & Development Board is clearing the forests in Woodlands and Sembawang for new HDB projects. For the sake of our future generations, I am lobbying for your support to go against it by sharing your thoughts in the feedback forms below by next Tuesday December 10:
– Sembawang feedback form
– Woodlands feedback form
I have written to the ST Forum and my letter was published yesterday as below.
Clearing of forests to build flats goes against Green Plan targets
I read with despair about the Housing Board’s plans to clear the forests in Sembawang and Woodlands for the building of new HDB blocks (Forests being cleared for upcoming Sembawang, Woodlands HDB projects contain endangered wildlife, Dec 1).
We understand that deforestation has irreversible negative consequences on the natural environment. Deforestation is the main cause of climate change. The resulting soil erosion causes serious flooding, especially in a place with low-lying terrain like Singapore.
The clearing of forested areas comprising 53ha in Sembawang and 7.27ha in Woodlands seems to go against the two major targets of the Singapore Green Plan 2030:
- To double the annual tree planting rate between 2020 and 2030, to plant one million more trees across Singapore; and
- To increase nature parks’ land area by over 50 per cent from the 2020 baseline.
A piece of land requires 600 to 1,000 years to grow into a natural forest, provided it is free from human intervention. Yet, we need only significantly less time to destroy it and clear the land to build new homes.
Have we considered the interests of Singapore’s endangered species in these two forested areas?
The report said the Woodlands site, about the size of 13 football fields, is home to 195 species of flora and 95 species of fauna, while the Sembawang site is home to 128 species of flora and 28 large plant specimens.
There is proof that the process of relocating can cause these animals stress. Many of these endangered species may not survive.
For your reference, below is the last two paragraphs in my original letter that have been removed to shorten for publication. It details my suggestion for an alternative solution.
“If relocation is the choice, why don’t we relocate human beings instead? What about relocating the residents from aging HDB blocks to rebuild these old estates and create more new homes? At least we won’t be upsetting the natural balance of ecosystem with the unthoughtful means of deforestation.
Above all, there are already 1.13 million HDB flats in Singapore and tens of thousands in the supply pipeline. With a falling and record low fertility rate and an aging population, is it really imminent to build more public homes while depriving the endangered species of plants, insects and animals of a home?”
To save the future of Singapore from climate change, please provide your valuable feedback against the HDB decision by Dec 10 (next Tue).
– Sembawang feedback form
– Woodlands feedback form
– Please tick “Environmental Baseline Conditions”
Thank you very much for your efforts to protect our environment.
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““If relocation is the choice, why don’t we relocate human beings instead? What about relocating the residents from aging HDB blocks to rebuild these old estates and create more new homes? At least we won’t be upsetting the natural balance of ecosystem with the unthoughtful means of deforestation.”
The answer is quite simple and obvious isn’t it? Relocating humans esp old folks are not only expensive (think of all the inconvienience compensation; determining market value and wrangling) but also logistically-fraught. On the other hand, relocating animals (at least in the minds of the government body in charge of housing) is much cheaper in comparison – clearly loss and destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity are not factored in or externalised.
Following recent reports of residents in AMK affected by SERS are a prominent reason enough….
The housing board chose to do this because the destruction of the original habitants of Singapore, including all the endangered plants, animals and insects, cannot make any complaint or protest to protect their rights. They don’t even have the right to vote in elections.