Assoc Prof Diong Cheong Hoong, President, Singapore Institute of Biology;

Distinguished Speakers and Delegates;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The earth's environment has been a subject of intense study by scientists, and many of their findings are alarming. For instance, natural ecosystems, which have taken millions of years to evolve, are fragile and their existence are increasingly under threat due to habitat destruction, alteration and the invasion of exotic species. Biological diversity is being lost at a rapidly increasing rate. Indeed, some scientists estimate that human activities cause the extinction of 50 to 100 species of animals and plants a day, compared to a natural extinction rate of 10 species per century. The natural environment clearly deserves attention.

What does this mean for a small city-state like Singapore, where land is limited? Indeed, much of Singapore’s pristine natural areas disappeared in the early part of this century. Fortunately, however, Singapore still has a rich biodiversity of plants and animals, with species numbers far exceeding that of the United Kingdom or Canada. Still, more than 10% of our mammal and bird species have been lost in the last 150 years. Many of our plant species are thankfully not in a state of rapid decline, according to National Institute of Education scientists who conducted a limited study of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

For the proper management of our natural areas, including the native plants and animals they harbour, well-planned scientific studies must be carried out. The National Parks Board, for instance, coordinated a Nature Reserves Survey that was completed not long ago to document Singapore's indigenous biodiversity. More of such surveys would have to be done in the future to help take stock of our natural heritage with a view to protecting it.

In the face of Singapore’s rapid urbanisation, special effort is made to preserve and indeed enhance our garden environment – both in respect of our nature areas and also our man-made parks and green spaces. Only then can we truly achieve our goal of making Singapore a most liveable and attractive city. Singapore’s "greening" programme started way back in the 1960s and has picked up momentum over the years. The National Parks Board aims to create a pervasive garden environment over the whole island, making Singapore our city within a garden.

To overcome the constraints of land scarcity in Singapore, conjuring innovative ways of maximising land use becomes a constant challenge. One important strategy we have adopted is to incorporate as many compatible uses in our green spaces. Parks, for instance, are increasingly being opened up for other compatible uses, from horticultural planting to venues for staging outdoor concerts. They serve as landscaped areas where Singaporeans can play, relax, learn or simply enjoy being close to nature. Roadside trees are another important component of our greening programme. These ubiquitous roadside tress do a lot more that offer shade and soften the built environment; they also serve as habitats and food for birds, lizards and insects, and reduce air and noise pollution.

Singapore’s nature areas are especially important, as has been acknowledged in the Singapore Green Plan. These nature areas range from the primary rain forests in our nature reserves to the secondary forests and mangroves in places such as Sungei Buloh Nature Park, a thriving bird sanctuary. These nature areas serve as the protective refuge for our native plants and animals. They are also essential for the crucial ecological life processes that go on even in urbanised settlements, such as the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle. These days, they are also being used as "nature labs" to enrich the minds of our younger generation.

Small countries like Singapore, however, are inevitably confronted by the dilemma between releasing more land for development or conserving nature areas. Indeed, our experience in recent times has shown that even the provision of basic amenities to make some of these nature sites more accessible to the general public could draw loud protests from some nature-lovers. The Government takes the view that neither development nor conservation is mutually exclusive – it is not a case of having one or the other, period. Rather, it is a case of striking an optimal balance so as to accommodate both these important needs.

Singapore has come a long way from being a nation of polluted waterways and disease-threatened slums. Even as we became more and more urbanised, we have taken pains not to be blanketed in concrete. We treasure our garden city. This is the result of the combined efforts of many people, including professionals in the fields of urban planning, park planning, botany and zoology, amongst others.

This Asia-Pacific Congress has brought together eminent scientists from diverse fields of biology, academics from our tertiary institutions, officials from government agencies, and teachers and students. This is indeed an excellent platform to share ideas on how to protect our natural environment before it is too late. I hope that your discussions will spawn collaborative efforts in the many exciting areas covered in the conference programme. I would also like to wish our overseas guests a most pleasant stay in Singapore.

Thank you.