50 Years of Environment

Singapore's Journey Towards Environmental Sustainability

Yong Soon Tan

• Publisher: ICP
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9789814696241
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Asian History
• Index: History

In conjunction with Singapore's 50th birthday in August 2015, 50 Years of Environment: Singapore's Journey Towards Environmental Sustainability takes the reader through Singapore's environmental journey over the past 50 years, to its present day challenges and solutions, and seeks to explore what lies ahead for Singapore's environmental future. This book is divided into three parts. The first, drawn largely from the book Clean, Green and Blue: Singapore's Journey Towards Environmental and Water Sustainability, will explore the historical developments in Singapore's environmental journey and the development of NEWater. The second part will be a collection of essays that examine the present environmental challenges that Singapore faces and the ways in which it is addressing those issues through community engagement, international engagement, research and technology, and industry solutions in order to develop sustainable strategies and solutions. Part Three will bring the book to a close by tying the historical and contemporary threads together and discusses the future challenges for Singapore's environment.

Contents:

• Endorsements
• Preface
• About the Editor
• About the Contributors
• Appreciation
• Journey to the Present:
  • Reflections on Singapore's Environmental Journey (Tan Yong Soon, Lee Tung Jean and Karen Tan)
  • Cleaning the Land and Rivers (Tan Yong Soon, Lee Tung Jean and Karen Tan)
  • Applying Economic Principles to Environmental Policy (Tan Yong Soon, Lee Tung Jean and Karen Tan)
  • The Search for NEWater: The Singapore Water Story (Lee Ek Tieng)
  • Environmental Planning For Sustainable Development (Tan Yong Soon)
• Present Challenges:
  • Frontier Research in Environment and Water: Integrated Research Approach for Sustainable Solutions (Lee Lai Yoke and Ong Choon Nam)
  • Energy Transitions — Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Challenges in the Tropics (Nilesh Y Jadhav, Subodh Mhaisalkar and Hans B (Teddy) Püttgen)
  • Developing a Vibrant Sustainable Energy Industry (Edwin Khew, Christophe Inglin, Sanjay Kuttan and Low Kian Beng)
  • Community Engagement to Promote Environmental Ownership and Secure Our Future (Chew Gek Khim)
  • Island in the World: Singapore's Environment and the International Dimensions (Simon Tay and Cheong Poh Kwan)
• Moving into the Future:
  • Environmental Sustainability and Sustainable Development (Tan Yong Soon and Kwek Leng Joo)

Readership: General readers who are interested in learning more about Singapore's environmental journey, present day developments, and the potential environmental challenges in the future.
Key Features:

• Contains a great variety of contributions from leading individuals in the public, private and people sectors, and leading academics at the forefront of environmental research and development
• Provides a good overview of Singapore's history in improving environmental conditions, present challenges, and possible future developments for Singapore's environment
• Suitable for a variety of readers, ranging from the general reader to academics and practitioners

PART 1

Journey to the Present

CHAPTER 1

Reflections on Singapore’s Environmental Journey

Tan Yong Soon, Lee Tung Jean and Karen Tan

We have built, we have progressed. But no other hallmark of success will be more distinctive than that of achieving our position as the cleanest and greenest city in South Asia. For, only a people with high social and educational standards can maintain a clean and green city. It requires organisation to keep the community cleaned and trimmed particularly when the population has a density of 8,500 persons per square mile. And it requires a people conscious of their responsibilities, not just to their own families, but also to their neighbours and all others in the community who will be affected by their thoughtless anti-social behaviour. Only a people proud of their community performance, feeling for the well-being of their fellow citizens, can keep up high personal and public standards of hygiene.

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the launch of the inaugural Keep Singapore Clean campaign in 1968

Residents in Singapore breathe in clean air, drink clean water direct from the tap, live on clean land, and enjoy good public hygiene. However, Singapore is not a green utopia with zero carbon emissions, large-scale renewable energy sources, or cutting edge zero-energy buildings. What it does have is a practical, cost-effective, and efficient approach towards sustaining its environment, which contributes to the high quality of life in Singapore.

In a world where rapid industrialisation and urbanisation have led to tremendous pressures on environment and water resources, visitors to Singapore often ask: how is it possible that a small city state sitting on barely 700 square kilometres of land, housing close to 5 million people, and bustling with a world class airport, the world’s busiest port and many other industries, can remain clean, green, and environmentally sustainable? They want to understand how Singapore has achieved this and hear about Singapore’s experience.

Clear Vision

The answer is that it starts with a clear vision from the very top that a clean and good quality living environment is important, and a strong commitment to implement that vision. Poverty, economic uncertainty, and a living environment defined by night soil buckets, polluted rivers, water rationing, unhygienic street hawkers, and smoke-emitting/effluent-discharging industries may seem like a distant memory today, but they were a reality faced by many Singaporeans as late as the 1960s and 1970s. The transformation of Singapore from a poor, developing nation to a vibrant and prosperous city state has taken place over a relatively short period of three to four decades.

Singapore is a small country with no natural resources. In the 1960s, it had a small, but rapidly growing population of 1.6 million. The economy was highly dependent on entrepôt trade and the provision of services to British military bases in Singapore. The country had only a small manufacturing base, with little industrial know-how and domestic capital. When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its per capita gross domestic product was barely US$1,525 (S$4,700). As a fledgling nation, it faced problems such as ensuring national security and defence, mass unemployment at rates of 10 to 12%, housing shortages, and a low standard of living. It also had to grapple with the lack of resources and land. This was further compounded by the challenges posed by the planned withdrawal of the British troops from the late 1960s.¹

To survive, economic development was paramount as it held the key to providing resources to improve Singapore and better the lives of the people. Singapore invested heavily to promote economic growth, embarking on an aggressive strategy of export-oriented industrialisation and attracting foreign investment, backed by government incentives and tax holidays. Education was also viewed as a critical factor, with many schools built in the early post-independence years. Through these efforts, Singapore’s per capita gross domestic product in 2005 reached nearly US$27,000 (S$45,000).

However, what is perhaps even more noteworthy is that despite its unrelenting industrialisation, breakneck growth, and rapid urbanisation over its relatively short forty-year history, Singapore has managed to turn itself into a clean and green city with a high-quality living environment.

Building Up the Environmental Infrastructure

The government recognised the importance of a good environment, and hence the need to balance economic development with a good environment, very early in Singapore’s development. It has always believed that a clean and green environment is necessary to provide a good quality of life, not just for the present generation, but for generations to come. The government also realised that a clean and green environment helps to attract investments and retain talents, supporting further growth. A poor environment and a lack of water will cause health and other serious problems. If the environment and water resources are managed well, quality of life and even economic competitiveness will be greatly enhanced.

The government, therefore, invested in critical environmental infrastructure from the early days, despite competing demands for funding. S$2 billion was spent on drainage development projects over the past thirty years; S$1.8 billion on sewerage and used water treatment infrastructure in the 1970s and 1980s, and another S$3.65 billion on the construction of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS); over S$300 million on cleaning up the Singapore River from 1977 to 1987; S$270 million on constructing the Marina Barrage; S$100 million on Singapore’s first incineration plant in 1973, a further S$1.6 billion on its other incineration plants, and S$600 million on an offshore landfill island. The heavy investment in the environment was all the more visionary as the new nation did not have enough money, especially in the early years. The benefits were long term while the costs were immediate, but Singapore was prepared to borrow from the World Bank to develop its environmental infrastructure, where necessary. For Singapore, it was never a case of pursuing growth at all costs and cleaning up afterwards. Investing in the environment continues to be of high priority today, to upgrade Singapore’s environmental infrastructure and improve its efficiency.

Communicating the Vision

The Singapore Government has always made clear to the public the national priority placed on the environment so that its vision for the environment can be shared and supported by everyone. The first yearly “Keep Singapore Clean” campaign was launched in October 1968, by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to educate all Singaporeans on the importance of keeping shared public spaces clean. This annual campaign took on an additional dimension in 1971 with the launch of Tree Planting Day. Far from being just one day in a year, Tree Planting Day symbolised the government’s vision for Singapore to be transformed into a tropical garden city — both clean and green — and became a tradition spanning the next twenty years. In 1990, the first Clean and Green Week was launched, incorporating both the Keep Singapore Clean campaign and tree-planting activities. In addition, Clean and Green Week also aimed to increase community awareness of global environmental concerns and encourage community participation in caring for the environment. In 2007, Clean and Green Week was rebranded Clean and Green Singapore, in order to send a clear message that environmentally-friendly lifestyles and habits should be practised all year round. Each successive prime minister, from Lee Kuan Yew to Goh Chok Tong to Lee Hsien Loong, has strongly signalled the importance attached to keeping Singapore clean by personally launching the campaign nearly every year for the past forty years. On the few occasions when the prime minister could not do this, it was the deputy prime minister who officiated at the event.

Building Capabilities

The importance that Singapore has long placed on the environment is underscored by the fact that the Anti-Pollution Unit (APU) formed in 1970 to combat air pollution was placed under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) at the outset. Not long afterwards, in September 1972, the Ministry of the Environment (ENV) was established. This was immediately after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. The Stockholm Conference was the first international forum aimed at addressing global environmental challenges, and Singapore was one of the first countries to form a Ministry dedicated to creating and sustaining a good environment for its people.

Prior to the formation of ENV, there were, of course, other organisations responsible for public health and environment-related services in Singapore. Two local authorities, the Rural Board and the City Council, together with the Government Health Department provided both personal and environmental health services in the 1950s. These included water supply, sanitation and sewage disposal, cleansing services, as well as vector and disease control and food hygiene. Drainage was overseen by the Public Works Department (PWD).

Local government was abolished when Singapore gained self-government in 1959. Administrative changes were made to integrate the City Council and the Rural Board with the various ministries. The PWD came under the new Ministry of National Development (MND). The City Engineers Department from the City Council was merged with the PWD. The City Health Department and the Rural Health Department were integrated into the Ministry of Health (MOH).²

When the City Council was dissolved, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) was set up as a Statutory Board³ under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on 1 May 1963 to succeed the City Council in coordinating the supply of electricity, piped gas, and water for Singapore. Specifically in relation to water, the PUB was handed the mission of ensuring that Singapore’s industrial and economic development and its population’s well-being would be sustained by the provision of an adequate and dependable supply of water. It was entrusted with improving and extending the existing water distribution systems, planning and implementing new water schemes to meet projected water needs, and spearheading public campaigns to conserve water.⁴ As a result of these changes, the MOH was in charge of public health services, except for sewerage and drainage, which were carried out by the MND. PUB was responsible for water supply.

When ENV was formed in 1972, the departments under the MOH and MND which dealt with pollution control, sewerage, drainage, and environmental health, were absorbed into the new Ministry. The APU was also subsequently transferred from the PMO to the Ministry in 1983. In 2001, recognising that Singapore’s water catchment and supply systems, drainage systems, water reclamation plants, and sewerage systems are part of a comprehensive water cycle, the PUB was reconstituted to become Singapore’s national water authority, overseeing the entire water loop. The sewerage and drainage departments from the Ministry were transferred to PUB. PUB itself was transferred from the MTI to the Environment Ministry. The regulation of the electricity and gas industries, formerly undertaken by the PUB, was transferred to a new Statutory Board, the Energy Market Authority (EMA), under MTI.

In 2002, a new Statutory Board, the National Environment Agency (NEA) was formed under the Environment Ministry through integrating the Environmental Public Health and Environmental Policy and Management Divisions of the Ministry with the Meteorological Services Department (MSD), formerly under the Ministry of Transport (MOT). The aim was to create a leaner, more policy-focussed Ministry and a more streamlined, operations-focussed Statutory Board. The division of responsibility between policy formulation and operational implementation would allow the Ministry to focus on setting strategic policy directions and addressing key policy concerns. NEA on the other hand would direct its efforts towards the effective implementation of policies.

Environment and water as well as public health issues in Singapore today are, therefore, comprehensively overseen by the Ministry of the Environment (renamed in 2004 as the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources) and its two Statutory Boards, NEA and PUB.

Long-term Planning

To turn its vision for the environment into reality, Singapore relies on long-term and integrated planning. This is critical since the environment is a long-term issue. Moreover, while the effects of poor planning may not be immediately observable, they can have longer term repercussions. Policies and measures to protect and improve the environment may oft-times result in short-term costs. Without a clear vision and the adoption of a long-term perspective, it would be difficult for any city to take actions which incur short-term costs in order to achieve long-term environmental gain. For example, requiring industries to satisfy good air emission standards can increase the cost of doing business and may thus turn away some investments, with the resultant loss of jobs. Restricting vehicular usage and setting high emission standards may be unpopular, especially when coupled with an increasingly affluent population’s desire to own cars. Providing proper sanitation and sufficient water incurs heavy infrastructural expenditure. Such environmental policies and developments will often have pay-offs only decades later.

That said, having borne the short-term costs in support of its vision, Singapore is enjoying the benefits of many of its past policies and actions today. For instance, the Marina Barrage, which was completed in 2008 to form a reservoir in the heart of the city, is the outcome of cleaning up the Singapore River, which started way back in 1977. Ranked as the most liveable city in Asia⁵ and Asia’s most competitive economy,⁶ Singapore is an example of a bustling city that can be both environmentally “liveable” and economically vibrant.

Integrated Planning and Development Control Process

The formation of the Environment Ministry did not mean that the Ministry and its Statutory Boards operated in isolation to meet and safeguard their own interests. On the contrary, an integrated approach has been adopted in formulating and implementing environmental policies. This is a structured framework in which all government agencies work together to identify a clear vision and shared outcomes, and coordinate the efforts required by agencies to achieve these goals. Such an approach also allows trade-offs to be objectively discussed and deliberated on, with decisions made in light of overall national interest.

Perhaps the best illustration is Singapore’s integrated planning and development control process. With limited land, land-use planning is of utmost importance in ensuring that the best possible use is made of Singapore’s land without compromising its development needs.

At the macro level, Singapore’s development is guided by the Concept Plan, which was introduced in 1971 and updated every ten years. Through the Concept Plan process spearheaded by the MND and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), representatives from all the relevant government agencies come together to map out the land-use vision for Singapore over the next forty to fifty years. It ensures that land resources are used well so that quality of life improves even as Singapore continues to develop and its population to grow. One level down, the Master Plan translates the broad, long-term strategies of the Concept Plan into detailed plans, even to the extent of specifying the permissible land use and density for each parcel of land. It guides Singapore’s development in the medium term, over a period spanning ten to fifteen years, and is reviewed every five years. Similar to the Concept Plan, the Master Plan is a coll...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Endorsements
• Preface
• Contents
• About the Editor
• About the Contributors
• Appreciation
• Part 1 Journey to the Present
• Part 2 Present Challenges
• Part 3 Moving into the Future