Urban Ecosystems: Nature in our Cities - Ms Holly Siow - TEMBUSU Asia - Deltares

Urban Ecosystems:
Nature in our Cities
Ms Holly Siow – TEMBUSU Asia

Global Megatrends
              RAPID URBANISATION
              CLIMATE CHANGE & RESOURCE
              SCARCITY
              TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
              DEMOGRAPHICS & SOCIAL CHANGE
              SHIFTING ECONOMIC POWER

Urban Areas:

•   50% of global population
•   67 – 76% of global energy consumption
•   71-76% of fossil fuel related CO2 emissions

Create impacts BEYOND their physical boundaries

-IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
                                                                                               NASA Earth Observatory
                                                  https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/79765/night-lights-2012-map

Bangkok                Manila             Taipei

            What are some characteristics of cities?

Singapore              New York           Hong Kong

Ecosystems

   A dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities
interacting with each other and with the non-living environments in a given
                                   area.

Ecosystem services
Provisioning      Regulating       Cultural              Supporting
• Food            • Climate        • Recreational        • Nutrient
                    regulation     • Aesthetic             cycling
• Fresh water
                  • Flood          • Educational         • Primary
• Fuel                                                     production
                    regulation
• Raw materials
                  • Water
                    purification

                                            Source: Millenium Ecosystem Assessment

Can cities be ecosystems?
• Traditionally studies centered
  around how cities alter ecosystems.
• Cities seen as apart from nature and
  natural processes
• But if you look at the definition of
  an ecosystem…
• Ecosystem: A dynamic complex of
  plant, animal, and microorganism
  communities interacting with each
  other and with the non-living
  environments in a given area.

What’s the role of a functioning ecosystem in the city?

 • Water
   purification
 • Air purification
 • Noise reduction
 • Urban climate
   regulation
 • Recreation
 • Pest control
 • Sense of place

                      www.pub.gov.sg

Why are urban ecosystem services important?

https://www.coolingsingapore.sg/

                                   Channel News Asia, 23 Jun 2020

   Urban Heat Island Effect           Flooding                      Pollution

How can we incorporate nature into cities?
• Change of mindset: Cities are
  ecosystems!
• Strategies for urban planning should
  target retention of ecosystem services or
  restoration of ecosystem services to
  create more resilient and sustainable
  cities
• A ‘green’ city isn’t necessarily a well-
  functioning ecosystem
• Implementation should ensure
  restoration of ecosystem services is done
  in a meaningful manner (e.g. not planting
  for the sake of planting)

Biophilic Cities
• Biophilia – Humans possess an innate
  tendency to seek connections with nature
  and other forms of life (E.O. Wilson)
• Based on the premise that nature and
  contact with the natural world are not
  optional, but absolutely essential to leading
  a happy, healthy meaningful life.
• Being amidst nature can have beneficial,
  important effects on human health.
• How can we leverage on human beings’
  innate desire to be close to nature in the
  planning of cities?
https://www.biophiliccities.org/

Case Study
                                                     Singapore

• The densely populated island city-state has
  an extensive network of park connectors
• Nature is integrated into vertical spaces
  through planting
• Rooftop gardens include biodiversity-
  attracting plants, increasing fauna diversity
  within the build up areas.

Building with Nature
• Pioneered by Witteveen + Bos,
  Deltares, and Ecoshape
• Design philosophy that
  acknowledges the benefits
  delivered by natural processes
• Integrates ecosystem services into
  infrastructure design
• Application in coastal or other
  water infrastructure development
• Similarity to Singapore’s ABC
  (Active, Beautiful, Clean) principle
  in the development of waterways

Case Study
Dordrecht and Rotterdam, the Netherlands
• Tidal ecosystems were once
  rampant in the area
• Building activities caused
  anthropogenic impacts to tidal
  ecosystems
• Natural bank design partially
  compensates for the loss of
  ecosystem services
• Such designs also lead to cost
  reduction from the building of
  hard infrastructure            https://publicwiki.deltares.nl/display/BTG/Building+with+Nature+in+delta+cities
                                                  +-+Dordrecht+and+Rotterdam%2C+NL

Case Study
   Bishan-AMK Park, Singapore
• Naturalised canal, built based on a flood
  plain design, part of a network of drains in
  the city
• Dry weather – waterflow confined to
  narrow stream. Storm periods – parkland        Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl

  area doubles up as conveyance channel,
  gradually carrying rainwater downstream
• Park includes vegetated biotopes that
  cleanse rainwater runoff before it enters
  drain system
• Park attracts biodiversity, including some
  locally and globally threatened species
• Provides recreational and educational value
  to residents and visitors

Moving Forward in Singapore

Moving Forward
       in Singapore

•   https://www.ura.gov.sg/ms/walkandcycle/about/pcn

Urban
Conclusion                                        Adaptive
                                                                                    ecosystem
                                                                                    services   and
                                                  management of                     ecology    can
                                                  natural elements in               reconnect
                                                  urban areas is                    urban areas to
                                                  important to ensure               biosphere.
Incorporating nature                              objectives of the
into cities is feasible,                          project are met.
but important
considerations include
space availability, time
constraints and                CITIES ARE ECOSYSTEMS!
political will.

                           Different models for
                           incorporating nature                         Incorporating nature in
                           into     cities  are                         urban       spaces       is
                           available, depending                         necessary      for     the
                           on objectives.                               wellbeing of inhabitants.
                                                                        Urban           ecosystem
                                                                        services increases city
                                                                        resilience.

Thank you!
hsiow@tembusuasia.com

References (incomplete)
•   https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/79765/night-lights-2012-map
•   https://www.millenniumassessment.org/
•   Bai, X. (2018). Advance the ecosystem approach in cities. Nature 55,7. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05607-x
•   Gómez-Baggethun E. et al. (2013) Urban Ecosystem Services. In: Elmqvist T. et al. (eds) Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities. Springer,
    Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7088-1_11
•   https://www.coolingsingapore.sg/
•   www.channelnewsasia.com
•   https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/biodiversity-punggol-boosted-through-enhanced-greenery-area
•   https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hdb-bags-engineering-award-for-innovative-ideas-behind-punggol-waterway
•   https://www.nparks.gov.sg/-/media/cuge/ebook/citygreen/cg15/cg15_13.pdf?la=en&hash=8C12D77C4AA55B4F9C4C68397300158108A65388
•   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613095227.htm
•   https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2020/3/9/the-rise-of-biophilic-cities
•   https://www.ura.gov.sg/ms/walkandcycle/about/pcn
•   https://building-with-nature.eu/about-building-nature/
•   https://publicwiki.deltares.nl/display/BTG/Building+with+Nature+in+delta+cities+-+Dordrecht+and+Rotterdam%2C+NL
•   https://www.pub.gov.sg/abcwaters/explore/bishanangmokiopark
•   https://www.nparks.gov.sg/-/media/nparks-real-content/partner-us/developers-architects-and-engineers/gdp_guidelines_version-
    3.pdf?la=en&hash=A86841176A2D3FC0B50CF5547892A03784EE37B6
•   https://www.ura.gov.sg/ms/walkandcycle/about/pcn
•   https://www.nparks.gov.sg/treessg/one-million-trees-movement
•   https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/our-national-plan-for-conservation/nature-conservation-masterplan