Singapore’s plan to clear forest for housing faces a backlash

Singapore faces public backlash over plans to clear a portion of its dwindling secondary forests for high-density housing, prompting the government to modify the proposal. The city-state, akin to dense urban centers like Hong Kong, London, and Sydney, is struggling to meet its growing housing demands amid soaring property prices.

Singapore, roughly the size of New York City, announced in July that it intended to clear two-thirds of the 23-hectare Maju Forest in the island's west to construct more public housing. This announcement sparked outrage, with over 49,000 people signing petitions urging the government to build on brownfield land or densify older public housing estates.

Over 700 residents even wrote to their MPs to save Maju Forest. A recent rally in support of nature and biodiversity saw around 2,000 participants. The government, after reviewing public feedback, announced it would adjust the plan to retain more greenery but did not disclose specifics. A Ministry of National Development spokesperson said the plan would result in fewer homes.

Singapore, with a population of 6.11 million as of June 2021, is projected to reach between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030. The Maju Forest, once a rubber plantation and fruit orchard, is now a scenic hiking spot with abandoned railway tracks. A government-commissioned study revealed that clearing the forest would result in the loss of 7,331 hectares of secondary forests, which is 1.2 times the size of all parks and nature reserves in the city-state.

Nature Society Singapore President Leong Kwok Peng criticized the government for giving conflicting messages about planting trees and clearing forests, emphasizing that mature forests offer public health infrastructure benefits.