Singapore’s first large-scale mangrove restoration project moves ahead

Government organization National Parks (NParks) has just released the latest update on the OCBC Mangrove Park – Singapore’s first large-scale Ecological Mangrove Restoration project.

“Last year, we announced the establishment of the OCBC Mangrove Park at Sungei Durian ponds along the southern coast of Pulau Ubin, the first large-scale Ecological Mangrove Restoration project in Singapore,” said NParks.

Site preparation will commence in 2024, which include earth-filling to raise the elevation of the pond beds, improving hydrology, and maximising sediment retention.

With this, an estimated 8,000 mangrove plants are expected to naturally establish at the site.

“Ahead of this, we engaged academics, the nature community and Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) to discuss the design concept and findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which studied the potential impacts of the proposed works on the environment,” NParks said.

The study concluded that the proposed works would not cause significant environmental impacts with the use of silt curtains and silt fences as mitigation measures.

Furthermore, the restored mangrove ecosystem, which is expected to be rich in flora and fauna, will benefit and support the adjacent coastal habitats within Ubin, said the organization.