Singapore’s lush greenery and streetscapes did not happen by chance but was a mandate that was started by the late Mr. Lee Kwan Yew more than 50 years ago. As a result, we reap the benefits of having beautiful parks and gardens – green lungs cleansing the air for our highly urbanised city, cooler temperatures and open spaces for exercise and mental wellness. We are thankful that the pandemic has reminded us of the importance of our green assets and the need to steward them for future generations.
Singapore faces similar environmental challenges faced by major cities around the world including urban heat, air pollutions and flash flooding. As Singapore continues to invest into the Green movement, this gives room for more pilots and research programmes to develop more green and resilient built environments, our city in nature.
With modern engineering, entire facades of buildings can be covered with a living green skin (of plants) which lowers the temperature by 5 – 8 degrees, which is much needed in sunny Singapore. Advances in light technologies allows us to introduce more natural greenery into indoor spaces which purifies our indoor air, reduce VOC and PM 2.5, and provides therapeutic relief amidst busy city lifestyles. Sustainable use of water, crucial for our tiny island, like studying the feasibility of using the runoff from cooling systems and rainwater harvesting to irrigate plants creates more circular usage of previous resources. These interdisciplinary solutions allow for more resilient environments for our future generations.
We hope the above can inspire future green stewards and if you would like to take part in any of our green projects or have an idea to share, do write to us! We welcome all; no green fingers needed 😊
