Forum: Clearing of forests to build flats seems to go against Green Plan targets
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I read with despair about the Housing Board’s plans to clear the forests in Sembawang and Woodlands for the building of new HDB blocks ( Forests being cleared for upcoming Sembawang, Woodlands HDB projects contain endangered wildlife,
We understand that deforestation has irreversible negative consequences on the natural environment. Deforestation is the main cause of climate change. The resulting soil erosion causes serious flooding, especially in a place with low-lying terrain like Singapore.
The clearing of forested areas comprising 53ha in Sembawang and 7.27ha in Woodlands seems to go against the two major targets of the Singapore Green Plan 2030:
To double the annual tree planting rate between 2020 and 2030, to plant one million more trees across Singapore; and
To increase nature parks’ land area by over 50 per cent from the 2020 baseline.
A piece of land requires 600 to 1,000 years to grow into a natural forest, provided it is free from human intervention. Yet, we need only significantly less time to destroy it and clear the land to build new homes.
Have we considered the interests of Singapore’s endangered species in these two forested areas?
The report said the Woodlands site, about the size of 13 football fields, is home to 195 species of flora and 95 species of fauna, while the Sembawang site is home to 128 species of flora and 28 large plant specimens.
There is proof that the process of relocating can cause these animals stress. Many of these endangered species may not survive.
Vina Ip
