The Role of the State in Nature Conservation in Singapore
Author(s)
Ooi, G. L.
Abstract
The city-state of Singapore, not unlike many of the developing Southeast Asian countries, has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization since its emergence from British colonial rule in the late 1950s. Both the processes of urbanization and industrialization have been important components of the state-initiated and state-led planning strategies to modernize the economy and society of Singapore. Such planning strategies have focused on providing urban infrastructure and services to attract foreign direct investment. Urban development has implied the expansion of the built environment not only at the expense of agricultural land in the city-state but also its nature reserves. What has been paradoxical has been the existence of legislation that had been introduced to protect nature reserves since British colonial rule in Singapore. The discussion in this article focuses on the process of nature conservation as it has been incorporated into the development of the city-state of Singapore.
