Celebrating World Wetlands Day in Singapore

Happy World Wetlands Day!

Wetlands are crucial and unique ecosystems that are extremely diverse in the biodiversity that they host as well as the ecosystem services they provide. Having been recently involved in a mangrove rehabilitation project in Chek Jawa Wetlands, Pulau Ubin, I am here to share more about my experiences and what these wetlands mean to me.

Since last December, I have been involved in a mangrove project as a student researcher. Chek Jawa was the chosen site for rehabilitation because of the suitable abiotic (physical) factors, such as water salinity and wave currents, present there. As part of the project, we planted mangrove seedlings inside concrete pods which act as barriers to block the waves from washing away the seedlings. 

These seedlings would hopefully grow into trees in the following years and contribute to the stabilisation of the shoreline as well as the collection of sediment. The images below show the eco-engineered pods and the seedlings which we planted inside them.

From shovelling ridiculous amounts debris to slogging through chest deep muddy water and being surrounded by aggressive macaques, this project has been an interesting couple of months. 

As I painstakingly tended to these seedlings, I also gradually grew to appreciate the various interlinked factors which make up this complex mangrove ecosystem. 

I experienced firsthand the speed and extent of which coastal erosion could destructively take place, claiming the lives of many seedlings that we had worked so hard to plant. There were also the unrelenting tides, the wild boars, macaques, migratory birds and many other wildlife and the soft, sloppy, debris-ridden mud – these were all part of a larger wedge of nature which was cruel as it was beautiful. 

To me, these wetlands represent more than just another green space or another placeholder for Singapore’s Garden City title. Instead, they represent a daily struggle for survival in which we are inevitably a part of. They represent our hope that by caring for nature, we will, in turn, be solving the problems which we have wrought upon ourselves. 

Having personally witnessed the alarming threat of coastal erosion as well as the potential for the restoration of our wetlands, I think I can safely vouch for the importance of conserving these areas.

While these projects and their results are just the beginning of mangrove rehabilitation in Singapore, with luck, they could potentially represent the future of coastal protection along Singapore’s shores. 

What can you do 

Undeniably, public outreach could be considered to be the most important aspect of wetland conservation. Education and awareness are often key factors in determining the long-term sustainability of wetland rehabilitation projects^[1]. With increasing awareness and appreciation for the importance of Singapore’s wetlands, public support for conservation plans would hopefully be on the rise. 

As an individual, volunteering for wetlands-related activities such as clean ups, guided walks or even research would be a good place to start. The National Parks Board offers various volunteering opportunities which allow volunteers to access our wetlands and to, more importantly, understand the complexities behind these majestic ecosystems as well as the issues they face. With sufficient knowledge, spreading awareness will fall into place as the next step towards aiding the conservation of our wetlands.

Wetlands are extremely important habitats. Their inherent uniqueness and complex underlying ecological processes make them one of the most beautiful and crucial ecosystems in the world. It is imperative that they are sustainably conserved, preferably before the regret of their past decimation extends to haunt our uncertain future.