Singapore is a tiny city-state with a population of close to 5 million residing on a small land mass of 710.2 km2 with virtually no hinterland. This is unlike cities in other countries (e.g. Melbourne with a population of about 4 million with a city area of 8806km2) that have huge rural areas with high biodiversity value. Singapore, as one of the world's most densely populated areas in the world, faces enormous challenges in urban planning and balancing residential areas for its growing population, commercial and industrial zones for economic activity and carving out green spaces for recreational purposes. Recognising the land scarcity challenges early on, the Singapore government has since incorporated green spaces into urban planning to fulfill our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (formerly Prime Minister of Singapore)'s vision of developing the country into a Garden City.
Till today, the Garden City vision still holds relevance with the country's aim to position itself as a global and vibrant city that attracts human and financial capital. Having green spaces mitigates the harsh concrete environment and contributes towards a more liveable city state that is able to provide recreational places for its residents to enjoy, relax and be inspired. This has allowed Singapore to meet the lifestyle and recreational needs of an increasingly sophisticated population, and enhanced Singapore's attractiveness as a choice destination for foreign businesses and talents.
Prudent planning over the years has enabled Singapore to increase its green cover from 35.7% to 46.5% between 1986 and 2007, despite the population growing by 68% in the same period. Currently, close to 10% of the total land area is set aside for parks and nature reserves. Singapore today has four nature reserves and two national parks that are protected by legislation, namely the Parks and Trees Act 2005. Besides these, there are also 22 nature areas that are covered under the Special and Detailed Controls Plan which is administered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. This is established under the authority of the Planning Act. All the above areas are rich in biodiversity.
In the context of PowerSeraya and its subsidiaries, its power generating operations sit on land that is obtained on a long-term lease from JTC Corporation, the industrial landlord that is owned by the state. None of the land that is occupied by PowerSeraya is protected by law for biodiversity nor is it adjacent to any protected areas or any of the 22 nature areas mentioned above.
