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  Straits Times Forum Online 11 Nov 05
S'pore can lead Asean in preserving biodiversity
 Letter from Koh Lian Pin and Lee Tien Ming

WE READ with great interest the article, 'Do your bit for the environment, MM urges' (ST, Nov 8).

Ironic as it may seem that it took the stunning images of a brilliant artist to convey the fragility of our natural environment, we as ecologists are nevertheless extremely appreciative and delighted.

The unprecedented scale and rate at which natural habitats have been destroyed over the past few decades have resulted in massive population and species extinction around the world. South-east Asia, including Singapore, has not been spared from this ecological destruction.

Perhaps unbeknown to many, South-east Asia contains four of only 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world where both the highest concentrations of endemic species (species not found anywhere else) and the highest rates of habitat loss overlap (www.biodiversityhotspots.org).

Hitherto, five plant and eight animal species have been listed as 'extinct' in South-east Asia by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (www.redlist.org), with many more doomed to extinction.

Deforestation is the primary cause of biodiversity loss in South-east Asia. If left unchecked, deforestation in this region will likely result in the loss of three quarters of its original forests and up to 42 per cent of its biodiversity by the year 2100.

South-east Asia is facing an impending biodiversity crisis. Perhaps more importantly, biodiversity loss is expected to negatively impact humanity through the loss of services provided by natural ecosystems, including flood protection.

A recent report in the prestigious journal Science suggests that the tragic loss of life and property in the Asian tsunami last Dec 26 might have been lessened if the mangrove and beach forests on the affected islands had not been cleared.

As highlighted by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the ultimate cause of this environmental conundrum is the unsustainable consumption of natural resources by many affluent nations. Almost inevitably, the responsibility of averting the biodiversity crisis will fall on these same countries.

Singapore has always recognised the importance of economic cooperation and prosperity among Asean nations. There is no reason why the same concept should not be expanded to encompass the goal of safeguarding the environmental well-being of this region. Singapore is well placed to take the lead in this ecological enterprise.

Koh Lian Pin
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University

Lee Tien Ming
Ecology, Behavior and Evolution Section
University of California San Diego
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