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SINGAPORE – Development in Singapore will be done in a way that is more sensitive to wildlife and the natural environment, under radical changes made to the existing environmental impact assessment (EIA) framework.
Three key changes will be made to the framework, which was first introduced in 2008, The Straits Times has learned.
One change involves the introduction of biodiversity impact assessment guidelines, which were developed by the National Parks Board (NParks) in consultation with experts here. The guidelines, similar to those that already exist for noise or pollution control in workplaces, will ensure that consultants evaluating sites marked for development have a set of standards to follow.
Another change will see the transparency of environmental studies improved, with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) specifying on its website the circumstances under which such studies should be conducted. For example, an environmental study should be conducted if development works are located near an area of ecological importance, such as nature reserves.
And with the exception of reports that contain sensitive information, such as those with safety considerations, developers will now post all environmental study reports online, and the links will be available on the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) website. ).
The third change to the framework will make the planning process, and not just the development work itself, more sensitive to Singapore’s natural environment.
This will be done through prior engagement with nature groups in the planning and development process, and through the introduction of a basic ecology course and EIA process for development agency planners.
The course will be rolled out at the end of next year and will be led by NParks.
While these changes to the framework are not officially codified in an EIA law, it still has regulatory force, the Ministry of National Development (MND) told The Straits Times earlier this week.
For example, the recently amended Wildlife Act, which took effect on June 1 of this year, empowers NParks to issue wildlife-related requirements as formal instructions to developers and allows NParks to take direct enforcement action against developers who do not comply with the required measures. .
Strike a balance
While Singapore may be a densely urbanized city, it still has green spaces that are home to rich and diverse wildlife, including globally critically endangered species such as the Sunda pangolin, Raffles’ banded langur, and the headed bulbul. straw.
But as a small nation with just 720 square kilometers of land, Singapore has always had to strike a balance between development and conservation, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who had championed the changes under the EIA, in an email to ST.
“We must protect and enhance our natural capital. At the same time, we must host a nation, develop industry, create jobs, provide services, and safeguard the earth for future generations, so it is critical that we consider the tradeoffs that we are taking precautions against to the use of the land, with the aim of achieving a balance, “he said earlier last week.
“Earlier this year, we outlined our plans for a City in Nature and recognize that our planning processes need to be improved together to support this vision.”
In 2017, Lee said in his first interview as a full minister that the government wants to strengthen the EIA process, learn from the lessons of previous projects and improve them. That year, his ministry embarked on a review of the EIA framework in collaboration with the nature community and government agencies that was completed earlier this year.
Nature groups respond
Members of the nature community addressed by ST welcomed the changes within the EIA framework and said they put Singapore on the right track to achieve its City in Nature vision.
Sankar Ananthanarayanan, co-founder of the nature group Herpetological Society of Singapore that studies reptiles and amphibians, and Dr. Siti Maryam Yaakub of the volunteer group TeamSeagrass, said they were pleased to see efforts to make EIA reports more transparent.
“In the past, obtaining information was very difficult and much of the engagement was done behind closed doors. Making information more accessible could drive discussion of the findings. It is a big step forward,” said Mr. Sankar.
Access to previous EIA reports, such as the one made for the Cross Island MRT line, had initially been relatively limited, as people had to make an appointment to view a physical copy of the roughly 1,000-page report. The Land Transportation Authority later put the document online after people complained about the inconvenience.
Dr. Siti added: “The move toward more transparency in approaches is especially important. The move toward early stakeholder engagement is also a welcome move, and nature groups like TeamSeagrass look forward to engaging with developers and agencies. development to ensure that we safeguard our natural heritage. “
For Dr Shawn Lum, President of the Nature Society (Singapore), the changes to the EIA framework were significant not only in terms of the new initiatives, but also in what they represented: raising awareness of native biodiversity not only for individual projects, but also for national level as well.
“The EIAs performed for each project can be comprehensive, and mitigation measures could help safeguard biodiversity within the project site. But their effectiveness can be reduced by considering the development around it,” said Dr. Lum.
Take, for example, the new town of Tengah, which will be built in a secondary forest. HDB had created a forest corridor to traverse the development and allow animals to cross between western catchment forests and central nature reserves. But last October, ST reported that part of the greenway on the parcel next to Tengah was leveled for an HDB Build-To-Order project.
Said Dr. Lum: “Such incidents are not the fault of the developer. Therefore, raising industry standards, such as having ecology lessons for planners, could help reduce the occurrence of such events.”
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