Showcasing Singapore’s Biodiversity
15 August 2011
"This publication informs the people living in Singapore that there is a lot of biodiversity on the island. While Singapore has lost most of its forests, mangroves and a lot of its reefs, the island’s diversity is still rich and needs to be conserved."
Prof Peter Ng, NUS Department of Biological Sciences.
“Singapore Biodiversity – An Encyclopedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development” is the first book on Singapore’s biodiversity over 200 years.
The banded leaf monkey is one of only three species of non-human primates native to Singapore
The Singapore freshwater crab is endemic to Singapore
Animals native to Singapore, such as the banded leaf monkey and the Singapore freshwater crab, are among the over 1,500 entries documented in the newly launched encyclopedia titled “Singapore Biodiversity – An Encyclopedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development”. This is the first such publishing endeavour on Singapore’s biodiversity over 200 years.
Said one of its General Editors, Prof Peter Ng of the NUS Department of Biological Sciences: “This publication informs the people living in Singapore that there is a lot of biodiversity on the island. …While Singapore has lost most of its forests, mangroves and a lot of its reefs, the island’s diversity is still rich and needs to be conserved.” Prof Ng is also Director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and the Tropical Marine Science Institute at NUS.
Highlighting Singapore’s achievements in conserving its rich natural heritage despite the country being small in size and having a dense urban landscape, the 552-page book consists of two sections.
The first section is a collection of essays by a total of 65 scientists, academics and policy makers, covering every aspect of Singapore’s natural environment. From it, readers can gain insights on topics such as climate and terrain, ecosystems, past and present research, and important issues such as threats to biodiversity, climate change, public policy, and sustainable development.
In the second part of the book, there is an A-Z listing and description of Singapore’s biodiversity ranging from Abalones to Zooxanthellae and all the incredible life forms in between. Compiled by a large team of scientists and subject experts, this section treats more than 40,000 species of organisms in Singapore.
While Singapore has lost a lot of its biodiversity, researchers are still rediscovering species thought to have died out and even new ones, said Prof Ng. “The last decade has seen the rediscovery of some 500 new species, new records and rediscoveries – in this small island. My feel is that if we keep as many natural habitats as possible and try to bring back what we can – many species will come back!”
The idea of the book was first mooted three years ago by Prof Ng and Prof Leo Tan, also from the NUS Department of Biological Sciences and former Chairman of National Parks Board. Recalling the challenges with realising this publication, Prof Ng said that obtaining funding was no easy feat. A total of S$1.1 million was eventually raised through generous donations from ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Limited, Keppel Corporation Limited, Lee Foundation, Ngee Ann Kongsi, Mr Sam Goi and Mr Oei Hong Leong.
The book’s General Editors are Prof Ng, Prof Richard Corlett and Assoc Prof Hugh Tan, all from the NUS Department of Biological Sciences, and its publisher is Editions Didier Millet.