Singapore, Nature and a World Reimagined
Singapore is widely admired for being clean, verdant and maintained with purposefulness and precision. The verdure is not accidental — Singapore as a “Garden City” was a bold and strategic vision that went far beyond the greening of our city.
Singapore developing into a “City In Nature”, however, was not preordained; its evolution was decades in the making, requiring a combination of coordinated urban planning, horticultural wizardry, ecological understanding, landscape design expertise, raising capacity, hard work and more. Most of all, becoming a City in Nature required a change in outlook, of how we view nature and its role in society.
The three-part IPS-Nathan Lectures on “Singapore, Nature and a World Reimagined” makes a case for the value of biodiversity for our City in Nature and beyond. The lectures will also suggest ways in which Singapore can better protect and value biodiversity, how we can make nature an integral and indispensable part of our lives, and how we can contribute to improving prospects for vibrant ecosystems far beyond our shores.
Shawn Lum, the 18th S R Nathan Fellow, is a scientist, a teacher and an active participant in civil society. His experiences in the study and conservation of nature and biodiversity are distilled into his three lectures, offering insights and inspiration for Singapore’s continued journey as a City In Nature.
Singapore, Nature and the Wider World
Of the 193 member states in the United Nations, Singapore lies somewhere around the 10th percentile for total land area. In terms of its importance to global biodiversity, Singapore is home to some species of plants and animals that are not found anywhere else and is also one of the last remaining sanctuaries for several critically endangered animals. These contributions aside, Singapore can do little to reverse the global decline in biodiversity and ecosystem health owing to the obvious fact that we do not have vast ecosystems. Or do we, by believing this narrative, undervalue the potentially large impact we might have in protecting nature far beyond our shores? How can Singapore help realise a secure future for wondrous biodiversity, for life-giving ecosystems and for humanity itself?
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• Speech by IPS Director Mr Janadas Devan at the IPS-Nathan Lectures by Dr Shawn Lum — Lecture III