Actual and Expected Conversion of Natural Spaces to Urban Development and Carbon Sequestered under URA Concept Plan
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the extent of land converted from natural spaces to urban developments and its impact on carbon sequestration, as raised by Ms Anthea Ong. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong clarified that green spaces have increased from 5,500 hectares in 2000 to 7,800 hectares today, with plans to add 1,000 more hectares under Master Plan 2019. He detailed the "City in Nature" vision, which includes establishing a new nature park at Sungei Khatib Bongsu and planting one million trees by 2030. The Minister noted that developments near sensitive areas undergo robust environmental assessments and emphasized the role of natural ecosystems in providing carbon storage. These efforts align with Singapore’s commitment to strengthen climate resilience and meet its pledge to peak carbon emissions at 65 MtCO2e around 2030.
Transcript
11 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the past 20 years, how much land has been converted from natural spaces to urban developments; (b) how much land is expected to be converted from natural spaces to urban developments under the URA Concept Plan; (c) what is the area of primary and mature secondary forests expected to be affected under the URA Concept Plan; and (d) what is the amount of carbon that is currently sequestered by the area expected to be affected under the URA Concept Plan.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The question by Ms Ong presumes that we are reducing the green and natural spaces in Singapore. But in fact, our urban plans seek to expand such spaces. In 2000, we had about 5,500 hectares of land in nature reserves, nature areas, nature parks, parks and gardens. We have increased this to 7,800 hectares today.
Under the Master Plan 2019, which guides development over the next 10 to 15 years, we will add another 1,000 hectares of parks, gardens, and park connectors. We announced plans to transform Singapore from a City in a Garden into a City in Nature during the Committee of Supply debate in March 2020, including plans for a new nature park at Sungei Khatib Bongsu, and planting one million trees by 2030. We will also continue implementing innovative and practical solutions to intensify greenery and restore nature in our urban areas, to further enhance liveability for our residents. In addition, where there are any new developments close to sensitive nature areas, robust assessments are undertaken in consultation with stakeholders, to ensure that the development works are done in an environmentally sensitive manner.
These efforts, together with other efforts to enhance our natural ecosystem and marine environment that provide carbon storage and sequestration, will strengthen our climate resilience. Singapore is committed to tackling climate change and meeting our pledge to peak emissions at 65 MtCO2e around 2030 in support of the transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.