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Green Plans in Action: Singapore: Management Strategies: Background
Comprehensive Framework
For more information on Planning Control and the EPCA
Urban Planning
The Urban Redevelopment Board's current planning policy is to create partially self-sufficient towns and districts, allocated strategically according to 55 planning areas, are served by four regional centers besides the Central Area. These regional centers reduce traffic strain on Singapore's central business district, the Central Area, by replacing some of the commercial functions the Central Area serves. Each town or district possesses a variety of facilities and amenities on a basic scale, and the regional centers serve on an intermediate scale. Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit allows the different districts to be linked by rail without having to rely on roads extensively, reducing strain on traffic and pollution while saving space. The URA also plays an important role in managing car parks; they set the bylaws to parking infringement and fines, and provide information to the public regarding coupon and season parking.
In Harmony with Nature
A National Biodiversity Reference Center has been planned to create a biodiversity hub for one-stop information on biodiversity for researchers, students, teachers and the public. Also in the planning phase is a comprehensive website on biodiversity with status reports, a platform for the public to discuss rare plant and animal sightings, and collaborative projects on biodiversity involving volunteers, non-government organizations and research institutions.
Air Quality Strategy
Planning Stage - If industrial proposals are too pollutive, toxic or hazardous, or too energy- or water-intensive, they are rejected. Accepted proposals are appropriately located depending on the type of industry involved. Site pollutive industries are placed away from residential and water catchment areas, and must prove their ability to treat and minimize emissions before release by use of appropriate control equipment and clean technologies. Subsequent checks at the planning stage ensure a factory complies with imposed requirements before operation commences.
Sewage and Wastewater Management
The Public Utilities Board (PUB), primarily responsible for the supply and treatment of sewage and wastewater, is taking a three-pronged approach towards improving sanitation. They are renovating older sewage piping, providing covered sewage treatment tanks, and building more pipes for carrying treated water out to the sea. These projects are spread out through the end of the decade and will cost more than US$700M. Projects include adding four NEWater treatment plants to the six existing water reclamation plants (WRPs). The WRPs use the activated sludge process to treat the used water. The NEWater Plants use the treated effluent from the WRPs as feedwater to produce Newater using microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ltra violet disinfection. In addition, a deep tunnel sewerage system is currently in construction running almost the length of the island. Most existing industrial facilities have their own wastewater treatment systems to avoid penalties and ensure their effluent complies with the strict regulations.
Green Growth
As a policy focus and the foremost strategy to ensure sustainability of countries in the Asian and Pacific region, Green Growth aspires to eradiate extreme poverty in the region without compromising the environment. This approach seeks to harmonize the two imperatives of economic growth and environmental sustainability by promoting fundamental changes in production and consumption. Green Growth requires the introduction of new concept and system changes, such as Singapore's urban congestion-charge system. (More...) The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) introduced Green Mark Awards in 2005 for developers and building owners who have shown their commitment to go green. It is a scheme that assesses the environmental performance and impact of buildings, promoting energy efficiency, water savings, a healthier indoor environment, and waste reduction. The National Library Building in Singapore is a flagship of green-building design in Asia, and among the first warded the Green Mark Platinum Award, the highest distinction in green and sustainable building by Singapore's government. As the appeal is intensifying among buyers and consumers, more residential projects are also going for the Green Mark. BCA will continue to promote the benefits of Green Mark buildings to buyers and end-users in order to create a critical mass and bring down the cost of green buildings further, so that they will provide even better value for money.
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