Measures to Limit Human Traffic to Core and Sensitive Nature Areas
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the ecological impact of visitorship at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve increasing to 700,000 people and the potential for redirecting traffic to adjacent buffer parks. Mr Leon Perera inquired about the effects of this increased footfall and whether the Ministry would implement strategic trail closures to protect sensitive core nature areas. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee explained that NParks has realigned trails to steer visitors away from core conservation zones and installed railings to ensure they remain on designated paths. He stated that nature reserves are closed nightly from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am to protect nocturnal wildlife rhythms and that the park network is being expanded to distribute recreational demand. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee also highlighted the importance of responsible public behavior to ensure native biodiversity thrives within Singapore’s green spaces.
Transcript
45 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) as visitorship at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has increased from 400,000 to 700,000 people in 2020, what is the ecological impact of the increased footfall on the core nature areas; (b) what are the visitorship rates at adjacent buffer parks like Hindhede, Dairy Farm and Bukit Batok Nature Park; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider limiting the traffic to core nature areas through strategic trail closures and by redirecting the public to less sensitive buffer parks.
Mr Desmond Lee: We have seen high visitorship to our parks and nature reserves during the COVID-19 pandemic, including nature parks adjacent to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
NParks has taken steps to mitigate ecological impact to our core nature areas. For instance, NParks has realigned trails in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to direct human traffic away from the Reserve’s core conservation areas, allowing these areas to serve as wildlife refuges undisturbed by human activity. NParks has also installed railings along the trails to help visitors keep to designated trails. In addition, our nature reserves and many of the surrounding nature parks are closed to the public from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am daily. This protects the nocturnal rhythms of the animals from human activity.
NParks will continue to expand the network of parks, including nature parks, so that more Singaporeans can enjoy nature-based recreation. This will help to spread out the demand for such recreational experiences. We would also like to remind park users to be responsible towards our flora and fauna, so that our native biodiversity can continue to thrive in our green spaces.