Happenings this week and next week

Earlier this week on 1 September at Hort Park

The gov agencies involved in urban planning and housing organised the follow-up engagement that was promised in the last parliament session (where 18 MPs raised questions and concerns about Maju/Gillman projects)

It was a by-invitation focus group discussion format of just 5 tables. At each table were 1 or 2 Gillman residents alongside other stakeholders: university student/professor, nature advocate, construction practitioner. And of course the gov agency reps and event facilitator.

The good: It was an engagement between varied stakeholders. Some residents were invited. Such sessions can be part of future EIA/HIA public consultation.

The negatives: Insufficient time (left with approx 1 hour after formalities). Facilitator methods and preparations can be improved. Lack of materials such as topography map limited discussions to high-level concepts instead of a more meaningful outcome.

Maju had a separate session of 5 tables on 29 August.

Next Week: Parliament session 8 September

If you've been wanting to contact your MP (or Minister), please do so before the parliament session. The official parliament questions will be published on 7 September.

Deforestation affects everyone. It isn't about taking sides. 

Based on ministry responses to Gillman and Maju over the past months, it became clear that there is a gap in the way Singapore plans for the future: climate change resilience isn't quantified and therefore NOT factored into our masterplanning of land use decisions, among others. 

When the EIA and no other SG framework exists to quantify nature-based solutions, will Singapore consider the GEP Global Ecosystem Product. It quantifies the intangible. It puts a number to ecological benefits/risks. Therefore enabling better development planning and economic modelling – and has been a global standard since 2021. Link to an article. Good intro.

Along with the SEEA-EA accounting framework, the GEP has been applied with success across 34 countries and counting. Ranging from specific one-off decisions to large scale long term planning. NUS also hosted a guest speaker this September to lecture on GEP.

So at the upcoming parliament, this is the question I hope gets addressed: Is Singapore moving full steam ahead with best possible projections... or based on assumptions that haven't yet weighed in recent AI disruptions and climate change defenses? 

I would respectfully, like to know.