# Singapore Endorses the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use: Endorsement Reaffirms Our Commitment to Sustainable Development

- **Source:** Ministry of National Development
- **Published:** 2021-11-12T10:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Ministry of National Development
- **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/singapore-endorses-the-glasgow-leaders-declaration-on-forests-and-land-use-endorsement-reaffirms-our-commitment-to-sustainable-development
- **Topics:** New Launches, Sustainability & PropTech

## Featured rationale

Stronger conservation and ecological-connectivity requirements may shape future site selection and project design, while improved greenery could enhance the liveability of surrounding developments.

## AI summary

Singapore endorsed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration while committing to conserve biodiversity areas and plant one million additional trees island-wide between 2020 and 2030.

## Original article

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee announces that Singapore has endorsed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, UK.

Singapore is committed to national and global climate action. Forests and terrestrial ecosystems play an important role in reducing the effects of climate change, and it is crucial to ensure sustainable land use and the conservation of forests.

Through the endorsement of the Declaration, Singapore reaffirms our commitment to developing our city sustainably and protecting nature that thrives in our midst. Singapore has already been taking active steps to achieve these goals. Earlier this year, Singapore launched the Singapore Green Plan 2030, our national movement for sustainable development. One of the key pillars under the Green Plan is to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.

Minister Desmond Lee said, “Sustainability and stewardship are core principles in our approach to land use planning. As a small city-state with many competing demands for our limited land, we will continue to develop our city sustainably while conserving nature within our urban environment. That is why Singapore has decided to endorse the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and celebrate the work by nature groups and NGOs, private enterprise, our researchers and the wider community, who have partnered us in transforming Singapore into a City in Nature and making Singapore greener and more liveable and sustainable.”

As part of our City in Nature vision, core biodiversity areas will be conserved and protected, natural habitats will be enhanced and restored, and Singapore’s ecological resilience will be strengthened. For example, we are adding new nature parks which buffer our nature reserves, restoring tropical rainforest and wetland habitats in national parks and gardens, integrating greenery more intensively into our urban environment, and strengthening ecological connectivity between biodiverse green spaces. We will also plant one million more trees island-wide between 2020 and 2030. These will contribute to restoring and strengthening our core forests, provide more habitats for our native biodiversity, and create green corridors that enhance connectivity between our green spaces for flora and fauna. 

Together, these strategies will not only provide Singaporeans with greater access to nature and its benefits on health and well-being, but will also conserve our rich native biodiversity for future generations to enjoy. They will also help strengthen Singapore’s resilience to the effects of climate change, through the application of nature-based solutions to help protect our coastlines from erosion, cool the urban environment, and reduce the risk of flash floods.

At the same time, given our tight physical constraints and many competing demands for land, there will be some vegetated sites that have to be developed to meet our people’s needs. Some of these sites had formerly been used for human habitation, agriculture, and industry. They were then cleared while awaiting redevelopment and have become vegetated over time. As a city-state, the needs of our country have to be catered for within the limits of our city, unlike most other cities which have large hinterlands. Space is needed to continue meeting our people’s evolving needs, ranging from public housing and industry, to food security. Therefore, we carefully balance development and conservation in our land use planning. 

To help us achieve this, a science-based approach is adopted. As part of the planning process, the ecological value of sites is assessed, and this is taken into account when selecting sites for development. For example, in assessing whether to develop vacant sites that were previously cleared for human use but have since become vegetated, factors such as whether they provide critical refugia for native biodiversity, and whether they play an important role for ecological connectivity are taken into account. For sites identified for development, the potential environmental impacts are carefully studied and mitigated. Natural elements will be conserved and integrated within developments where possible, to facilitate ecological function. 

These tensions notwithstanding, Singapore’s commitment to conserve and restore core forests and other terrestrial ecosystems is a key component of our approach to long-term planning. 

In this regard, Singapore stands together with the international community in taking global climate action for sustainable urban development and the protection of our biodiversity and carbon sinks.

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 新加坡支持《格拉斯哥领导人关于森林与土地利用的宣言》：此举重申我国对可持续发展的承诺

国家发展部部长李智陞宣布，新加坡在英国格拉斯哥举行的《联合国气候变化框架公约》（UNFCCC）第26次缔约方大会（COP26）上，支持《格拉斯哥领导人关于森林与土地利用的宣言》。

新加坡致力于在国家和全球层面采取气候行动。森林和陆地生态系统在减缓气候变化影响方面发挥着重要作用，确保可持续的土地利用和森林保护至关重要。

通过支持该宣言，新加坡重申我们以可持续方式建设城市、并保护我们身边自然的承诺。新加坡早已采取积极步骤以实现这些目标。今年较早时，新加坡推出《新加坡绿色发展蓝图2030》，作为我们推动可持续发展的全国运动。该蓝图的关键支柱之一，是将新加坡转型为“花园中的城市”。

李智陞部长表示：“可持续性与守护责任是我们土地利用规划方法的核心原则。作为土地有限、多方需求相互竞争的小城市国家，我们将继续以可持续方式发展城市，同时在都市环境中保育自然。这正是新加坡决定支持《格拉斯哥领导人关于森林与土地利用的宣言》的原因。我要借此机会肯定并赞扬自然团体和非政府组织、私营企业、研究人员及更广泛的社群，他们与我们携手把新加坡转型为‘花园中的城市’，让新加坡更绿、更宜居、更可持续。”

作为我们“花园中的城市”愿景的一部分，核心生物多样性区域将得到保育与保护，自然栖息地将获提升与修复，新加坡的生态韧性亦将加强。例如，我们正在增设缓冲自然保护区的新自然公园，在国家公园与花园中修复热带雨林和湿地栖息地，更密集地把绿化融入都市环境，并加强生物多样性绿地之间的生态连通性。我们还将在2020年至2030年间在全岛再种植一百万棵树。这些举措将有助于修复并强化我们的核心森林，为本土生物多样性提供更多栖息地，并打造加强绿地之间动植物连通性的绿色廊道。

综合而言，这些策略不仅能让新加坡人更便利地亲近自然，并享有其对健康与福祉的益处，也能为我们丰富的本土生物多样性保育，让后代得以享用。这些策略亦将通过应用基于自然的解决方案，帮助保护海岸线免受侵蚀、冷却都市环境，并降低暴洪风险，从而增强新加坡应对气候变化影响的韧性。

与此同时，鉴于我们物理空间紧张、土地多方需求相互竞争，部分植被地段仍须开发，以满足人民需要。其中一些地段曾用于人居、农业和工业。其后在等待重新开发期间被清空，并随时间逐渐恢复植被。作为城市国家，我国的需要必须在城市范围内得到满足，这与大多数拥有广阔腹地的其他城市不同。我们需要空间继续满足人民不断演变的需求，涵盖公共住房与工业，以至粮食安全。因此，我们在土地利用规划中审慎平衡发展与保育。

为实现这一目标，我们采取基于科学的方法。在规划过程中，会评估地段的生态价值，并在选择开发地段时予以考虑。例如，在评估是否开发原先为人居用途而清理、其后恢复植被的空置地段时，会考虑它们是否为本土生物多样性提供关键庇护所，以及是否在生态连通性方面发挥重要作用等因素。对于已确定开发的地段，将仔细研究并缓解潜在环境影响。在可能的情况下，将保育自然元素并将其融入发展项目中，以促进生态功能。

尽管存在这些张力，新加坡保育和修复核心森林及其他陆地生态系统的承诺，仍是我们长期规划方法的关键组成部分。

在这方面，新加坡与国际社会站在一起，为可持续城市发展、保护我们的生物多样性与碳汇采取全球气候行动。