Suggestions to further protect nature here will be studied: Desmond Lee

Proposals include ensuring environmental impact assessments are mandated by law

- Ang Qing

The Government will carefully study recommendations to protect nature here by nearly 40 conservationists and local scientists, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.

These suggestions include studying the protection of Mandai and Tagore forests as nature parks, improving an islandwide ecological profiling exercise to map how Singapore's land-based habitats are linked to one another, and ensuring that environmental impact assessments are mandated by law.

Mr Lee, who is also Minister-incharge of Social Services Integration, was speaking on April 28 at the Central Public Library at the launch of the Singapore Terrestrial Conservation Plan, a book that maps the state of biodiversity here and consolidates the aspirations of the nature community.