Sustaining Pulau Ubin's Rustic Charm

Shoreline restoration, habitat enhancement, species recovery, enhancements to trails and amenities, cultural mapping, and a new centre for research and education at Pulau Ubin, are among some of the initiatives unveiled at Ubin Day today by Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong.  These initiatives are aimed at sustaining the charm of the island and were proposed by and refined in consultation with the public through The Ubin Project.

Launched earlier this year, the Ubin Project aims to reach out to as many Singaporeans as possible to collect ideas and suggestions on how the rustic charm of Pulau Ubin can be enhanced for future generations of Singaporeans. Led by Minister of State for National Development Mr Desmond Lee, the project has to-date, garnered more than 2,000 ideas and suggestions through various engagement platforms.

Ubin Day is, in fact, one of the many ideas and suggestionsfrom the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), a broad network of stakeholders comprising naturalists, heritage experts, sports enthusiasts, researchers, residents and students. It is a community event to celebrate the different facets of the island, organised by around 20 community groups including Team Seagrass, Nature Society (Singapore), Butterfly Circle, etc.

“We are very encouraged that many Singaporeans have come forward to share with us their ideas on how Ubin can remain rustic. In the next few years, we will be embarking on the first round of programmes and initiatives that we have for Pulau Ubin. These initiatives will keep keep Ubin’s rustic charm, biodiversity, history and heritage alive, so that future generations of Singaporeans can continue to enjoy the island. But our work does not stop there. We will continue to explore other ideas and suggestions received and see if these too can be sensitively rolled out, aligned with our vision for Ubin” said Mr Desmond Lee.