MND said that stakeholders will be engaged to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, with their feedback carefully considered. “Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible.”
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Government will do studies on rich marine biodiversity before western island reclamation
Ang Qing Straits Times Aug 25, 2026, 05:00 AM
SINGAPORE – Recognising the biodiversity value of the western islands and its surrounding waters, the authorities are carefully studying plans for future reclamation, and will be conducting technical studies as well as engaging stakeholders.
This comes as scientists and nature groups have stressed the need for comprehensive studies and public consultation before reclamation begins because they believe the works will cause irreversible loss to the mature habitats in the area.
A spokesman for the Ministry of National Development (MND) told The Straits Times: “As part of the planning process, the Government will be conducting technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile.
“These studies include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, as well as engineering and environmental studies, to better understand the various development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas like biodiversity and hydrodynamics.”
Eleven scientists and nature groups spoke to ST in the wake of the announcement of the planned reclamation at the 2026 National Day Rally. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced that an island for industry, energy and defence needs would be reclaimed in coming decades by combining several southern islands.
The intertidal habitats for various islands and surrounding reefs which could fall within the potential reclamation area cover about 592.8ha, according to data from the National Parks Board’s Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey. This is larger than the resort island of Sentosa, and makes up more than half the intertidal areas of the Southern Islands.
Huang Danwei, director of the National Institute for Marine and Ocean Sciences, pointed out that reefs in Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau date back about 8,000 years.
“The area highlighted for potential reclamation is a very large one, containing many sensitive marine habitats and ecosystems that have high value for climate mitigation, ecological connectivity, science and potential medicines,” he said, warning that Singapore will lose many of these functions if the entire area undergoes land reclamation.
The mega-project could impact some of the most significant and valuable marine habitats in the Southern Islands, where nearly all of Singapore’s remaining natural coral reefs are found, the researchers said.
Acknowledging the strategic need backing the reclamation, scientists and nature groups called for the protection of as many of these habitats and their species as possible, given their immense ecological value.
Huang noted that the coral reefs of Pulau Hantu, Pulau Semakau and others in the area have shown how these natural habitats can persist even in the face of human activity, having recovered following global-scale coral bleaching events in 1998, 2010, 2016 and 2024.
“There is no mitigation for reefs lost by direct burial for land reclamation,” he said.
“Corals that can be transplanted are a few months or even years old, but they will not come close to restoring the ecosystem functions and services of coral reefs built over eight millennia.”
Chou Loke Ming, emeritus professor at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences, believes that mature marine habitats like reefs, seagrass and mangroves qualify as natural heritage sites. These have consistently served the ecosystem in valuable ways, such as by acting as nurseries supporting fish populations and absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide.
The veteran marine scientist called for a new mindset on reclamation, where Singapore works towards building with nature instead of at the expense of it.
For instance, the reclamation boundary could be made flexible to avoid burying most of these habitats, he suggested.
Marine scientists and other stakeholders had proposed in the 2018 Singapore Blue Plan that Pulau Semakau, Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong, together with other nearby reefs, be designated as a marine reserve. The proposal was not taken up.
Marine biologist Zeehan Jaafar, lead editor of the plan, said the connected reef-mangrove-seagrass coastal systems at Pulau Semakau are no longer observed anywhere else in Singapore.
Coral reefs have persisted on and near the landfill island despite development, with research done to understand why and how they continue to exist.
She noted that the affected areas rank among the most studied marine sites globally, and said their loss will take away long-term insights into coastal system processes.
“These areas are important to further understand our marine biodiversity and coastal ecological processes, especially as the biodiversity has been resilient in the face of increasing marine urbanisation,” she said.
Jani Tanzil, facility director for St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that these spaces are valuable, as Singapore’s marine ecosystems sit at the confluence of waters like the South China Sea and Java Sea, making them a nature corridor that helps connect biodiversity and fisheries in the region.
Tanzil and marine conservationist Ria Tan highlighted the role that the affected area plays as a “mother site” that provides genetic material to sustain nearby ecosystems beyond its boundaries.
Said Tanzil: “We must still consider all options. Studies and solutions must be comprehensive, even if it means challenging how development is done.”
Neo Mei Lin, a senior research fellow at St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the wild populations of giant clams that she studies exist in the potentially affected areas.
“The astronomical loss of marine habitats and its biodiversity is expected to be more devastating than the past island reclamation projects,” she said.
Nature groups similarly stressed the need for the careful development of these spaces, which are key educational and recreational sites.
The chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s marine conservation group, Lester Tan, said that the islands function as vital outdoor classrooms and living laboratories.
“Losing these accessible areas means losing the exact spaces where we cultivate the next generation of conservationists and build the genuine public appreciation necessary to sustain our national conservation goals,” he said.
Tan called for detailed environmental studies to guide this development, as well as for the Government to adopt a strict marine spatial zoning strategy that would identify and preserve the most resilient core reefs.
Likewise, a spokesman for the Ichthyological Society of Singapore said the society founded by youth hopes the area will be rigorously surveyed to catalogue the rich biodiversity slated for development.
He said: “Transparency is a must to ensure that the youth feel like they have a stake in their future.”
The MND spokesperson said that stakeholders will be engaged to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, with their feedback carefully considered.
“Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible.”
Marine community fears loss of biodiversity hotspot to proposed western island development
The government says it recognises the biodiversity value of the western islands and will conduct technical studies, including environmental assessments, before development plans proceed.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 25 Aug 2026 11:15AM
SINGAPORE: Local marine conservation advocates and recreational divers have raised concerns over development plans for a cluster of islands west of Singapore, including one of the country's most popular dive sites.
In response to the concerns, a Ministry of National Development (MND) spokesperson said the government “recognises the biodiversity value of the western Islands and its surrounding”, and it is “carefully studying the plans as there is a need to plan ahead and create options for the future".
As part of the planning process, the ministry said it will conduct technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile. These will include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, and engineering and environmental studies, to better understand development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas such as biodiversity and hydrodynamics.
"We will engage stakeholders early to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, and their feedback will be carefully considered," the spokesperson said. "Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible."
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at his National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 23) that several islands, including Semakau, Bukom and Pulau Sudong, could be merged to support new industries and future power generation needs.
Pulau Hantu sits amid the three islands, and dive operators fear reclamation or access restrictions could harm both the marine environment and the local diving industry built around the site.
Mr Wong also announced that steps will be taken to improve access to Sentosa's western coastline, which is home to rich marine life and unique geology, while preserving its natural character.
Advocates are also calling for biodiversity experts and community groups to be more closely involved in the planning process, so that ecological and environmental concerns are brought to the table.
BIODIVERSITY VALUE OF ISLANDS
Stakeholders and observers highlighted the biodiversity value of the marine life and habitat at the islands slated for development.
Dr Lim Swee Cheng, a marine biologist and curator at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said the island cluster represents a "very substantial portion of Singapore's remaining southern marine habitats", known among researchers and naturalists for its rich coral reefs and associated marine life.
"Some of these areas have remained relatively undisturbed because of restricted access, which has allowed comparatively healthy reef communities to persist despite Singapore's long history of coastal development," he said.
Ms Jharyathri Thiagarajah, who leads outreach and education at the museum, said Singapore's offshore islands are valuable as they support marine life and habitats "that are increasingly rare in our highly urbanised environment."
Ms Thiagarajah has led visits for students and members of the public to the islands, including Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau, since 2015.
From a biodiversity conservation perspective, such a development could permanently erase or alter habitats, species and ecological relationships that researchers may not even fully understand yet, she said. "Once these natural environments are gone, they cannot simply be recreated elsewhere."
Ms Kong Man Jing, co-founder of science and nature social media channel Just Keep Thinking, said reefs in the island cluster are the result of around 8,000 years of natural development, something that is "incredibly difficult to contemplate losing".
"The Southern Islands also form an ecologically connected network, with reefs around islands such as Sudong, Pawai and Senang identified as important sources of coral larvae for other reefs," said Ms Kong.
INVOLVEMENT IN FORMULATING PLANS
Community groups interviewed said they hoped to be involved in formulating plans to develop the island cluster.
Mr Stephen Beng, immediate past chairperson of the Friends of Marine Park group, called for stakeholders and domain experts to be included further upstream in the planning process.
"Our southern waters are not merely space to be allocated," said Mr Beng, calling them strategic assets and a legacy responsibility.
CNA understands that Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan met with members of the group on Monday to discuss their concerns.
On the plans for Sentosa, Dr Lim said Tanjong Rimau - located at the island’s westernmost tip - remains one of its relatively less disturbed coastal habitats. It still supports notable intertidal and marine biodiversity, even as Sentosa is widely associated with mass tourism and heavy development, he said.
In a highly urbanised coastline like Singapore's, sites like Tanjong Rimau help connect marine organisms across fragmented habitats, said Dr Lim.
He called for comprehensive assessments across all the affected areas before works proceed, including baseline biodiversity surveys, hydrodynamic modelling, impact assessments and long-term monitoring.
Ms Kong said she hopes that any plans being studied would carefully consider the ecological significance of all affected areas across the various islands.
"We have submitted questions to the relevant agencies on the reclamation footprint, timing of environmental studies, whether ecological findings could influence the design, and whether there will be opportunities for expert and public input," added Ms Kong.
Over the years, the authorities have made efforts to preserve marine biodiversity as the offshore islands are gradually developed for the country's future needs.
For example, from September 2014 to January 2015, over 700 coral colonies and other species such as giant clams were relocated from Pulau Semakau to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, as part of a move to convert a lagoon into a new landfill cell to meet Singapore's future waste disposal needs.
In July 2015, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and volunteers from various environmental interest groups also relocated 2,300 hard coral colonies from Sultan Shoal to St John's and Sisters' Islands, to protect them from the impact of the Tuas Terminal development.
CONCERNS OF LOCAL DIVING COMMUNITY
Local diving operators told CNA that the island cluster is one of the few places in Singapore where divers can experience thriving marine biodiversity in the wild without travelling overseas.
Mr Martin Benedict, owner of local diving firm Marlin Divers, pointed out that Pulau Hantu is the only site in Singapore safe for regular diving, as its location shields divers from strong currents, making it suitable for beginners.
Its proximity to the mainland also makes it convenient for a day trip, he said. Around 50 divers visit the popular site every weekend day, he added.
Ms Serene Pek, co-owner of Cuddlefish Divers, said Pulau Hantu is often regarded as "the heart of Singapore's recreational diving scene".
"Despite being located within one of the world's busiest ports, the waters around Pulau Hantu support diverse marine life, such as seahorses, nudibranchs, octopuses, cuttlefish, reef fish, stingrays, sharks and so many more," she said.
It is not the only dive site in Singapore, but by far the most popular, she added.
Ms Pek said her firm is concerned about the potential impact of the island cluster's development on the local diving industry and Singapore's marine ecosystem.
"We started our business with local operations since day one … It's been our bread and butter," she said.
Cuddlefish Divers has been operating for eight years. It organises local dive trips every weekend, with a total of four trips each accommodating up to 15 divers.
With full details and environmental assessments yet to be released, Ms Pek said reclamation activities could nonetheless affect water quality, underwater visibility, sedimentation patterns and marine habitats.
"If environmental conditions deteriorate or access becomes restricted, it may reduce the attractiveness and viability of local diving activities," she said.
For now, her firm is awaiting further details about the reclamation plans and hopes to engage with the relevant stakeholders and agencies.
Mr Benedict said the development announced on Sunday would affect his company and he would lose "quite a lot of business", especially since he operates only locally.
He may also consider pivoting to run dive trips overseas, though that would bring its own logistical headaches, he said.
"When it comes to marine biodiversity, it's not simply that they will regrow somewhere else. There are things you can't see on mainland Singapore," he said.
Commentary: NDR 2026 – if Singapore can plan 50 years ahead for infrastructure, can it do the same for nature?
Long-term plans for Singapore’s western islands offer something precious: time to get it right, says NUS’ Melissa Low.
Melissa Low Channel NewsAsia 26 Aug 2026 01:11PM
SINGAPORE: Plans to study the creation of a “western island”, potentially joining Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sudong and several smaller islands, come at an interesting moment for Singapore.
Over the past weeks, proposed developments at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks have generated intense public discussion about the value of nature and how Singapore makes difficult land-use choices.
The debate has been about more than how much nature should be retained. It has raised questions about how environmental considerations and public participation are weighed in the planning process.
The western island raises similar questions, but on a far larger scale and over a much longer timeframe.
Singapore will undoubtedly need to provide for future industrial and energy infrastructure. As a small country with severe land and resource constraints, long-term planning has always been one of our strengths.
But a project that may unfold over 50 years offers something else precious: time to get it right.
We have an opportunity to understand environmental consequences, examine alternatives and engage the public before major spatial choices become difficult, or impossible to reverse.
THE SEA IS NOT EMPTY SPACE
The starting point should be understanding what already exists around the Southern Islands.
On a map, the spaces separating these islands may appear to be stretches of open sea. Ecologically, they are anything but empty.
Singapore's southern waters contain a mosaic of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, intertidal areas, mangrove forests and other marine habitats. These ecosystems support biodiversity and are interconnected in ways that do not correspond neatly with the boundaries we draw around individual islands.
These habitats also matter for the climate. NUS research has identified Pulau Semakau as home to one of Singapore's three largest seagrass meadows, while seagrass has also been documented at Pulau Sudong. Seagrasses and mangroves are increasingly recognised as “blue carbon” ecosystems because of their ability to capture and store carbon dioxide, and hence tackle climate change.
The environmental consequences of creating a much larger island cannot be measured simply by the hectares of new land created.
Reclamation can bury marine habitats. Sediment and increased turbidity can affect corals and seagrasses beyond the development footprint. Altered coastlines can change currents and sediment movement, while joining islands could affect ecological connectivity across a much larger marine landscape.
These effects may not be easy to mitigate. Before another transformation of these islands is contemplated, we should ask what can be avoided in the first place.
There is a cultural dimension too. At this year's National Day Parade, Singapore celebrated its Orang Laut heritage through Aok Diko, performed by Asnida Daud and inspired by her childhood memories of Pulau Sudong. Shortly afterwards, Pulau Sudong was named among the islands being considered for the western island.
This tension is worth reflecting on – celebrating the stories of Singapore's island communities while fundamentally transforming the landscapes from which those stories emerged. Heritage cannot exist only in memory. It should factor into decisions about the future.
LOOK BEYOND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS
In response to concerns raised by the marine community, a Ministry of Development (MND) spokesperson said that the government “recognises the biodiversity value of the western islands and its surrounding”. The ministry said it will conduct assessments such as feasibility studies, site surveys and environmental studies to inform its development plans.
Environmental impact assessments are important tools for identifying the effects of individual projects and determining how they can be avoided, minimised or mitigated. But nature operates at a larger scale.
A forest patch may be cleared in one part of Singapore. A coastal habitat may be reclaimed elsewhere. Another development may retain a wildlife corridor while reducing the habitat surrounding it. Each decision may appear manageable individually.
Over decades, however, these decisions can add up to an ecological network that is increasingly fragmented and less resilient.
This is one of the deeper concerns underlying the reaction to Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. The question is not whether Singapore should never develop another forest. It is about the overall trajectory: What are we progressively losing? What are we retaining? And what will Singapore's ecological landscape look like for the next generation?
A project on the scale and timeframe of the western island presents an opportunity to assess environmental impacts strategically and cumulatively from the earliest stages and across different development scenarios and over time, rather than relying only on project-level studies as individual components are developed.
DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE AREN’T ALWAYS IN CONTEST
Singapore's land constraints require difficult choices, but those choices need not amount to a contest between development and nature. Framing the issue that way obscures the range of possibilities planners actually have.
The choice is rarely between developing something and developing nothing. It is between different forms of development, locations, scales, timelines and environmental consequences.
That is particularly important with a 50-year horizon. Technologies will change. Our energy system will evolve. Economic needs may change. Climate risks certainly will.
Long-term planning should therefore preserve options while progressively improving our understanding of their consequences.
Nature itself should also be understood as infrastructure. Coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves and forests contribute to biodiversity, coastal resilience, recreation and quality of life. In an increasingly dense Singapore, these functions may become more valuable, not less.
ENGAGE BEFORE THE CHOICES NARROW
Finally, the western island gives Singapore an opportunity to rethink when public engagement happens.
The debate on Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest suggests consultation becomes most difficult when people believe the fundamental planning decision has already been made and they are being asked primarily to comment on mitigation or details.
There is little reason for that to happen with a project that is decades in the making.
The timing is also worth reflecting on. The western island proposal comes just as residents, nature groups and members of the public have invested considerable time and effort engaging on Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. Repeated cycles of public mobilisation around individual development proposals risks generating consultation fatigue, particularly as difficult land-use choices become more frequent.
Moving engagement upstream could allow different possibilities and their consequences to be considered more strategically.
Marine scientists, nature groups, island communities and their descendants, recreational users, industry and the wider public could be engaged while alternatives are still being examined. Baseline environmental information could be made accessible, and Singaporeans could be shown not simply a preferred proposal, but the different options being considered, the needs they are intended to meet, and their respective consequences.
This should include greater clarity about the assumptions underpinning the western island itself. What are Singapore's projected energy, industrial and infrastructure needs over the next 30 to 50 years? How much additional land would different scenarios require, and when?
Which technologies and industries are being planned for, and how certain are those assumptions given the pace of technological change? Could some needs be met through existing industrial land, redevelopment, greater land-use efficiency or different energy pathways? And what would happen if some of the most ecologically sensitive areas were taken off the table from the outset?
MND has said it will “engage stakeholders early to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence”.
Public participation does not mean every preference must be adopted, nor does it remove the government's responsibility to make difficult decisions in the national interest. But participation is most meaningful when there are still real choices to influence.
Singapore has earned an international reputation for planning infrastructure decades ahead. The western island offers an opportunity to apply the same long-term thinking to our natural environment.
If we are planning Singapore's energy and economic infrastructure 50 years into the future, we should plan the future of its ecological infrastructure over the same horizon.
Melissa Low is Head of NUS Sustainability Academy and Research Fellow at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not represent the views and opinions of NUS.
Forum: Some balance needed in western island reclamation and preserving marine biodiversity
Straits Times Aug 28, 2026, 05:00 AM
As a marine biologist, I find the land reclamation project of several southern islands to create a new “western island” recently announced at the National Day Rally striking because of its scale and location.
A large part of the sea in the Singapore Strait will be converted into a massive land mass, obliterating small islands within and completely burying rich marine habitats such as coral reef, mangrove and seagrass.
If this had happened before the mid-1990s, no one would have raised an eyebrow. From the late 1990s, some development agencies started commissioning impact assessment studies and adopted mitigation measures to minimise habitat degradation. In the following decade, the National Parks Board was given the authority to protect and conserve Singapore’s marine biodiversity.
The development of the Semakau landfill showed that development and nature can coexist.
Pre-development considerations included protection of the island’s western reef using sediment screens. The loss of a section of Semakau’s mature mangrove forest was mitigated by restoring two nearby sites with mangrove saplings, which have today developed into healthy forests.
The establishment of the Sister’s Islands Marine Park in 2014 also emphasised Singapore’s commitment to marine biodiversity protection.
Today, while we understand the need for development for the western island project, is the destruction of marine natural heritage unavoidable? If the habitats must be obliterated, how do we affirm our commitment to sustainable development?
I am confident that we have the capacity to address the situation.
For a project of such scale, conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be important. It must go beyond assessing what is presently in the area and species of conservation value, and account for ecosystem services benefits and heritage value that will be lost. A more realistic valuation will help when considering trade-offs.
A large volume of the sea will also disappear. As marine life occupies all levels of the water column, measuring the impact on marine life based solely on the reclamation area is a poor underestimate of the space lost to swimming species.
All other options should be explored first. Is it possible to have an island of the same area but shaped to avoid burying these habitats? Can the island’s boundary be irregular like natural shorelines?
If the reclamation must destroy natural habitats, then a second option is restoration.
For restoration and nature-based solutions to be effective, we need to rethink seawalls. Instead of a single seawall, we need multiple lines of defence in the sea beyond that first seawall, including a hard outermost structure to deflect or buffer incoming waves. This will create sheltered conditions and provide opportunities for shallow lagoons or large tidal pools to form that can support regenerated seagrass and mangrove habitats.
Such interventions are costly, but the marine ecosystem benefits from the restored habitats.
For the longer term, a strategic marine spatial plan that includes biodiversity distribution will be useful to decision makers so that restoration initiatives can be implemented in places that are unlikely to be developed.
There are numerous project-based EIA reports currently undertaken by different agencies. Integrating the information gathered along with past published data, including that of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey, can provide a robust database that will go towards supporting a strategic EIA.
Chou Loke Ming
