Singapore spending billions to adapt to climate change, but deforestation continues

Thousands rallied in Singapore against plans to clear Maju Forest and other secondary forests for housing, arguing the government's environmental impact assessments ignore climate and health benefits the forests provide. National development minister Alvin Tan said development would proceed at Maju and Gillman Barracks, though more forest would be retained than originally planned.

Singapore has committed 100 billion Singapore dollars to climate adaptation this century and is drafting its first national climate plan, due in 2027, which the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment describes as 'holistic' and aligned with UN climate frameworks. The plan lists biodiversity among its focus areas but sets no threshold for how much forest loss is compatible with climate resilience.

Researchers note forest loss has already worsened flood risk in areas like Bukit Timah, and a 2024 study projected heat-related productivity losses could cost the economy 2.22 billion Singapore dollars annually by 2035. Residents and nature guides report already feeling the loss of cooling effects in neighborhoods near cleared forest.

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