Habitat loss associated with land reclamation and shoreline development is becoming increasingly ... more Habitat loss associated with land reclamation and shoreline development is becoming increasingly prevalent as coastal cities expand. In Singapore, the majority of its the losses of mangrove forests, coral reefs and sand/mudflats habitats occurred disappeared between the 1920s and 1990s. Our study quantifies additional coastal transformations over the subsequent two decades (1990-2010), analyses the potential impact of future development plans and synthesises the mitigation options available. Comparison of topographical maps between 1993 and 2011 revealed declines in total cover of intertidal coral reef flats (from 16.0 km2 to 9.0 km2) and sand/mudflats has (from 8.0 km2 to 5.0 km2), largely due to extensive land reclamation. Conversely, mangrove forests have increased (4.8 km2 to 6.4 km2) due to restoration efforts and greater regulatory protection. However, 15 and 50-year projections based on Singapore’s 2008 Master Plan and 2011 Concept Plan show that all habitats are predicted to shrink further as new reclamations are completed. Such ecological decline may be counteracted, at least in part, if agencies and managers use ecological engineering to help conserve biodiversity. The problems exemplified by Singapore, and the potential future solutions discussed in our paper, provide guidance for urban marine conservation in coastal cities that are experiencing rapid development and land use change.
Habitat loss associated with land reclamation and shoreline development is becoming increasingly ... more Habitat loss associated with land reclamation and shoreline development is becoming increasingly prevalent as coastal cities expand. In Singapore, the majority of its the losses of mangrove forests, coral reefs and sand/mudflats habitats occurred disappeared between the 1920s and 1990s. Our study quantifies additional coastal transformations over the subsequent two decades (1990-2010), analyses the potential impact of future development plans and synthesises the mitigation options available. Comparison of topographical maps between 1993 and 2011 revealed declines in total cover of intertidal coral reef flats (from 16.0 km2 to 9.0 km2) and sand/mudflats has (from 8.0 km2 to 5.0 km2), largely due to extensive land reclamation. Conversely, mangrove forests have increased (4.8 km2 to 6.4 km2) due to restoration efforts and greater regulatory protection. However, 15 and 50-year projections based on Singapore’s 2008 Master Plan and 2011 Concept Plan show that all habitats are predicted to shrink further as new reclamations are completed. Such ecological decline may be counteracted, at least in part, if agencies and managers use ecological engineering to help conserve biodiversity. The problems exemplified by Singapore, and the potential future solutions discussed in our paper, provide guidance for urban marine conservation in coastal cities that are experiencing rapid development and land use change.
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Papers by Samantha Lai