Join forces to protect biodiversity
-
Sep 3, 2010 - Straits Times
by Esther Teo
THE public and private sectors must join forces to tackle the ongoing loss of biodiversity, a conference heard on Friday.
Rapid urbanisation has made the problem more urgent, said Hitachi group chief environmental strategy officer Takashi Hatchoji.
Countries face the perennial policy dilemma of pursuing economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who was guest of honour at the Hitachi Eco Conference.
He said companies could incorporate biodiversity conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility mandate and forge partnerships with relevant government agencies to promote the cause.
Mr Hatchoji said the conference would allow participants to exchange information and discuss pragmatic, effective solutions. 'With rapid growth in Asia, biodiversity conservation and urban development are key issues we have to face... Public and private partnerships play an active role in achieving a responsible balance with the environment,' he added.
Singapore is leading the way on the international front by partnering the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to develop an index that can track biodiversity in cities, Mr Mah said.
This index will serve as a self-assessment tool for cities to benchmark and evaluate their biodiversity conservation efforts. It might be adopted at the Convention on Biological Diversity 10th Conference of Parties in Japan next month.
National Parks Board deputy chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Leong said the index - with its 23 different indicators - will give cities the scope to pick areas they are comfortable with improving on. For Singapore, this might include having more park connectors and adding greenery to both the streetscape and skyline, he added.
In fact, the 'green cover' here has jumped from just 36 per cent in 1986 to almost half the Republic's land area today.
The conference, held at Capella Singapore, was attended by about 300 people including government officials, non-governmental organisations and business leaders.
-
In fact, the 'green cover' here has jumped from just 36 per cent in 1986 to almost half the Republic's land area today.
I don't think this statement is true, so built up nowadays as compare to1986.
-
Biodiversity - include the mixing of bacteria and virus from different ethnicity....into a soup more illness and antibiotics drug resistance bacteria
-
