@aphale_esha
Mumbai: Transformation of Singapore, a clear 180 from the hyper-polluted backwater with murky rivers to currently the cleanest and greenest cities in the world today, is a rather commendable one. This feat was only possible due to the persistence and determination of the Singaporean government, local bodies, and citizens.
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s former prime minister, had a plan and vision for the city when he began his governance in 1959. Lee Kuan Yew was often referred to as the ‘Chief Gardener’ for his belief in the power of plants. He knew that surrounding his city with biodiversity would help in the mental and physical well-being of the residents.
Lee Kuan Yew wanted to make Singapore a nice place to live in, so people would come and invest in the city. While biodiversity doesn’t typically seem to be highly important to a city but rather a great “add-on,” the biodiversity in the city-state was non-negotiable in its development and planning.
A tour of the city, in recent times, affirms that the former prime minister’s vision has come to life. Plants crawling up skyscrapers, a garden or park in virtually every corner of the city, and teams of eco-volunteers who scour the island nation looking after its wildlife of all stripes.
Despite depleting resources, pollution, no proper sanitation, and a high unemployment rate, Singapore managed to transform itself into the sanctuary it is today. The odds were stacked against the city-state, owing to the size of the island and the fact there wasn’t any sanitary water available.
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India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also believes that a developing country like India could learn a lot from Singapore. If a city-state with depleting resources could transform itself into an oasis, a country like India could take inspiration from it. Labour is abundant and readily available, creating various task forces to target the problem of growing levels of pollution and unsanitary spaces.
Starting in the 1960s and for the next thirty years, the city-state used every bit of resource they could to efficiently clean up its sits polluted areas and replace them with greenery. National Parks Board (NPB) and similar agencies were created and established to keep the foliage alive.
Singapore’s governance and civic planning are constructive and not chaotic. As a country’s politics should be, the Singaporean government believes in finding a way to move forward while also building bridges and good international relations.
“This is especially important to Singapore. For what we lack in resources and strategic mass, we can make up with nimbleness and unity of purpose and action. We may be small, but we can be fast and we do things together.” Singapore’s Minister of Health, Ong Ye Kung, said in a speech at the Singapore Perspectives 2022 forum organised by the Institute of Policy Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).
An attitude like this is the reason why 37,400 international companies have set up their headquarters in Singapore, a city-state that’s been ranked ninth in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business List. It is an economic, as well as a cultural, hub due to its unwavering support as a governing state and the marginally low tax rate.
It is evident through the city’s planning that creating a concrete jungle was never what they intended for the town. “Biophilic City in a Garden” is what Singapore is called now. That title is only given due to urban planning, public awareness campaigns, and the willingness of Singaporeans to play their part in sustaining the city’s clean image.
The government imposed the “Resource Sustainability Act” in 2019, which helps keep things in place. “An Act to impose obligations relating to the collection and treatment of electrical and electronic waste and food waste, to require reporting of packaging imported into or used in Singapore, to regulate persons operating producer responsibility schemes, and to promote resource sustainability.”
Upon reading the fine print of the Act, it is evident that the Act is giving legislative effect to the regulatory measures that will target three priority waste streams. These streams are e-waste, food waste, packaging waste, and plastic. This is due to the high generative value of these waste streams and how difficult the recycling process is.
Certain obligations are being imposed on businesses across various sectors and different industries to minimise the production of waste. By introducing and implementing such an Act, Singapore is paving a road to zero waste, part of a much larger master plan that reiterates Singapore’s commitment to sustainability.
Through this act, the Singapore government is single-handedly targeting the three major streams of waste and successfully creating a plan to evade itself from generating even an ounce of waste. By this, it is evident that creating a waste-free environment is not impossible but rather a very achievable venture.
While Singapore has already proven its commitment to going waste-free, the city has taken this commitment a step further by ensuring that no water gets wasted. Through an intensive four-step process – conventional treatment, micro-filtration, reverse osmosis, and Ultra-Violet (UV) treatment – Singapore has turned wastewater into drinkable water, which is distributed to its drinking water reservoir and also used in various industries.
This process of treatment could only be possible due to the elaborate, yet efficient, stormwater disposal system. While the stormwater disposal system is considered one of the best in the world, Singapore remains to be one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. But, yet again, through smart work and collaborative effort, Singapore has managed to tackle this issue and ensure a robust supply of water to future generations.
Despite the pandemic wreaking havoc on several governments and their general workings around the world, Singapore has managed to sustain its cleanliness agenda. In a tweet made by Lee Hsien Loong, the current Prime Minister of Singapore, he introduced the formation of a Singapore Clean Taskforce (SCT). This task force would focus on improving cleanliness and sanitation; two things that are deemed to be important to Singaporean culture, and also of hyper-importance during a pandemic.
In 2021’s budget discussion, Singapore has introduced the “Singapore Green Plan 2030” (SGP 2030). This plan includes, as its tagline suggests, building a sustainable home for all. Encouraging and catalysing the use of electric vehicles by ramping up charger deployment and introducing incentives will reduce pollution levels and the mining of fossil fuels. Another element in encouraging the use of electric vehicles is by increasing the duty of petrol. Incentives and the increment of petrol will lead to a larger section of the population opting for electric vehicles.
A sophisticated public mode of transport, which is not only cost-effective but time-saving, exists in Singapor0e which helps people get around the city at menial costs. Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which is a subway line that stretches across the city, makes commuting easy. Since it is underground, the abundant space is used for walking around or for city buses. Additionally, to this the act’s introduction of electric vehicles will lead to a considerably reduced air pollution level.
As evidence suggests, even though the procurement rate of electric vehicles is higher than the purchase of vehicles that require petrol or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) it is better economically and environmentally, in the long run. All that is needed to start the vehicle is to charge it using electricity. This will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and in turn, bring down the rate of air pollution drastically.
According to the plan, the government will only issue green bonds on select public infrastructure projects. This will, inadvertently, see exponential growth in the incorporation of greenery into public spaces. This plan, coupled with the Resource Sustainability Act 2019, guarantees that Singapore will go waste-free in the next five to 10 years.
Any country needs a concrete structure to fall back on and refer to while achieving certain community goals. By inculcating cleanliness in their laws, introducing acts that help further sanitation, and denoting a large chunk of the budget to the same, Singapore ensures no place for error.
A lot of its success can directly be traced back to the education that is offered and received in Singapore. Owing to how primary education is free, sometimes a negligible fee of 13 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) is charged, the literacy rate is at an all-time high.
The curriculum and education system that exists in Singapore is deemed as one of the best education systems in the world. Crime and disorganisation are directly related to the literacy rate and education in a country. The crime rate in Singapore is between moderate to low, a scenario that seems rather unattainable by other countries.
The vision that the late prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, had carefully crafted for the city when such a feat seemed impossible is now a bustling reality that doesn’t seem to falter. Lee Kuan Yew, who was the longest-serving prime minister, cultivated Singapore and guaranteed its success with his political pragmatism and his ability of forward-thinking. He knew that relying on technology wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, and that results in matters more than promises.
According to Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”, if an individual’s basic needs of shelter, food, education, and security are met, that individual can focus on progress and growth. The structure and way of living in Singapore, which was designed by Lee Kuan Yew, ensures the above-given needs and proves the theory correct. The city-state is a living and breathing example that determination and perseverance, along with long-term planning, can help achieve and sustain even the most impossible of visions.
About the Author: Esha Aphale is a student of International Studies and Journalism, and has a keen interest in reading, writing, and world affairs.
