Singapore: What is there worth conserving?

World Rhino Day falls on 22 September, and this year, the Singapore Zoo will launch a rhinoceros conservation awareness campaign, titled Rhinos in Trouble: The Hornest Truth, from 20 September to 20 October 2014. Strange, isn’t it, that Singapore is campaigning to conserve rhinoceroses, when they can only be found in captivity in the zoo?

Indeed, Singapore is often seen as a less than ideal place for conservation efforts, with its limited land size and natural biodiversity. In fact, a commonly heard question is, “Singapore is so small, what is there to conserve?” Or, indeed, what difference would it make in the world to conserve anything in Singapore, since we are but a little red dot? Well, in my opinion, Singapore is small, but sure can do big things with regards to the environment.

For one, the rhinoceros conservation campaign in Singapore aims to raise awareness about the plight of rhinoceroses in the wild. Wildlife Reserves Singapore works closely with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and Wildlife Conservation Society (Vietnam) to stamp out illegal trade of rhino horns. So how useful and significant are Singapore’s efforts in this area that seemingly does not concern us?

Well, Singapore is in fact a significant stakeholder in wildlife trade. With her porous ports and strategic port location, Singapore makes for an ideal transit point for wildlife trade. In fact, in January this year, eight pieces of rhinoceros horns weighing a total of about 21.5kg were confiscated at Changi Airport by the Singapore authorities. Contrary to popular belief, there is indeed much Singapore can do to support conservation efforts worldwide.

Furthermore, with Singapore serving as a regional hub for many businesses and industries, there is no doubt that she plays an important role in serving as a hub for conservation efforts in the region and in the world. For instance, the World Wildlife Fund in Singapore is active in conservation programmes in over 22 countries in the Asia Pacific region and works to deliver positive and lasting change in this region. With Singapore’s human capital and knowledge resource, there is certainly much she can contribute to global conservation efforts.

Conservation work in Singapore does not take the form which we commonly perceive, simply because the nature of Singapore is indeed different from other countries. But that definitely doesn’t make conservation in Singapore any less significant, because although Singapore does not directly conserve wildlife or biodiversity, she is an important rallying force for global conservation efforts, and that should not be discounted.

References:

Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 2014. Rhinos in trouble: learn the hornest truth at singapore zoo’s rhino conservation awareness campaign. Wildlife Press, 19 September 2014. URL: http://wrscomsg.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/rhinos-in-trouble-learn-the-hornest-truth-at-singapore-zoos-rhino-conservation-awareness-campaign/ (accessed 21 Sep 2014)

World Wildlife Fund. Conservation work in Singapore. URL: http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/singapore/ (accessed 21 Sep 2014)