August 31, 2026

Singapore’s limited land requires difficult choices between infrastructural development and environmental conservation. The proposed redevelopment of a large portion of Maju Forest to build public housing has brought this tension into recent focus, drawing petitions with tens of thousands of signatures, heated online discussions and parliamentary questions over whether alternative sites could be considered.

Against this backdrop, Assistant Professor Rachel Oh (NUS Geography) examines the issue in ‘Looming loss of Singapore’s Maju Forest to development raises many questions’ (Mongabay Conservation, August 2026), arguing that urban forests extend beyond biodiversity conservation to serve as public health infrastructure. Natural environments are linked to better physical and mental well-being, with forests promoting physical activity, easing stress and anxiety, and strengthening social connections. These benefits are increasingly important amid Singapore’s urban density and lifestyle-related health concerns.

Maju Forest provides a local example of these wider benefits. More than 100 wildlife species have been recorded there, including six species of conservation significance. Prior research in ‘No evidence of an extinction of experience or emotional disconnect from nature in urban Singapore’ (People and Nature, 2020) by Asst Prof Oh, Professor Kelly Fielding, Professor Richard Fueller (both University of Queensland), and Associate Professor Roman Carrasco (NUS Biological Sciences) found that Clementi residents’ connection with nature strengthened over two decades, alongside an increase in bird diversity. This suggests that preserving biodiverse habitats can sustain not only ecological value, but also residents’ long-term engagement with and appreciation of nature.

Asst Prof Oh also challenges the assumption that new greenery can simply replace existing forests, as mature forests contain complex ecological communities that take decades to develop. They also provide greater cooling benefits than younger vegetation, making their preservation increasingly important as Singapore is set to face more intense Urban Heat Island effect. This raises an important limitation in conventional land-use planning: the benefits of forests are often less visible and harder to quantify than the immediate benefits of housing. A forest may occupy valuable land, but it also provides long-term environmental, health and social benefits that are not captured by considering land primarily in terms of its development potential.

The Maju Forest debate therefore highlights the importance of valuing mature ecosystems as part of Singapore’s urban infrastructure. This does not mean that forests should never be developed, particularly given Singapore’s housing needs. Instead, planning decisions should assess the full range of benefits provided by existing forests and distinguish mature ecosystems from greenery that can be more easily recreated. As Singapore continues to pursue its ‘City in Nature’ vision, future development should place greater weight on the long-term climate resilience and community benefits of existing natural spaces, so as to ensure that urban growth does not come at the expense of the natural infrastructure that supports a liveable city.

Read the Mongabay Conservation article here.