Problem overview:
Awareness and visions: Another vision of the powerful and dynamic Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to improve the aesthetic value of Singapore, this time focusing on cleaning the rivers.
Policies and measures: Discrete policy measures were taken to relocate squatter communities away from the riverbank so that household garbage will no longer be dumped into the river.
Background in summary:
Vision of Prime Minister Lee to clean the river and Kallang Basin: On February 27, 1977, at the opening of the Upper Pierce Reservoir, the Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew said in his speech: "It should be a way of life to keep the water clean. To keep every stream, culvert and rivulet, free from pollutionin ten years let us have fishing in the Singapore River and Kallang River. It can be done. "
Initial actions were to relocate people away from the river bank: By October 1977, plans were put up and actions were taken to clean up the Singapore River and Kallang Basin. There was massive housing development and resettlement of squatters, industrial workshops, backyard trades, industries and farmers. Other measures were relocation of street hawkers to food centers and phasing out of polluting activities.
A government committee was formulated to manage the programme: To keep the rivers clean, a committee comprising various government ministries was set up to plan, coordinate and implement programmes to prevent pollution to the rivers.
Today, the clean river is used or recreational purposes: The cleaning-up of the Singapore River and Kallang Basin took ten years to complete. Today, the River and Basin are used for recreational purposes. The price of land around these areas has been enhanced, adding to economic and social development.
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Good practice rating:
(1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score) |
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Sustainability
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Efficiency
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| 1 |
 Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other. |
2 |
Cost efficient. |
| 2 |
Sustainable over time (not one-off) |
Process |
| Adaptability |
- |
Participation of the community |
| 2 |
Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?) |
2 |
Participation of resource owners/users |
| 2 |
Socio-cultural adaptability. |
- |
Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private) |
| 2 |
Level of development adaptability. |
2 |
Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments. |
| 1 |
Style of government adaptability. |
2 |
Ability to attract political interest/support |
| 3 |
Degree of decentralization adaptability. |
- |
Procedures for feedback and review. |
Comments on this example:
The socio-economic needs of the households are often not taken into account in resettlement and they are often given housing in remote areas with little room for engaging in economic activities.
The adoption of engineering measures has been one of the main programmes operated. The state of the economy may have been one main contributory factor to its success.
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Sustainability of the project:
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Awareness and visions: The example symbolizes the need for leadership with a right vision to lead its people in the right direction.
Sustainable over time (not one-off): It could be possible that when the leader dies or is replaced, the program can quickly fail, and might even be suppressed.
Adaptability of the project to other situations:
Success requires true leadership in an autocratic government combined with sensitivity to people's needs. So perhaps this example is not very adaptable to today's world.
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Adaptability of the project to other situations:
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Success requires true leadership in an autocratic government combined with sensitivity to people's needs. So perhaps this example is not very adaptable to today's world.
| Process of decision making and implementation: |
Good example of how once a garbage dump was transformed into a money spinner. Resettlement of industries, households in a such a programme in most cases is temporary, where they return to the former areas or new squatters move in. In most cases these areas are the prime commercial land and expansion of economic activities in urban areas becomes a constraint as a result.
Policies and measures:
Integrating stakeholders: It does not show any peoples participation in the work undertaken, except for a co-ordinated effort of various agencies, which is an important aspect in a success story. It may be useful to include how the people cooperated with the programme, which can provide a stronger case.
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Documentation: |
Literature or other written project review references
Environmental Campaigns & Programmes
Singapore Ministry of Environment
Website http://www.env.gov.sg/info/campaigns/index.html
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Source of Information: |
Ministry of the Environment
Environment Building
40 Scotts Road
Singapore 228231
Tel: 732-7733
Fax: 734-7763
Website: http://www.gov.sg/env
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Contacts: |
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Submitted by: |
ESCAP & the Ministry of the Environment, Singapore
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