Essay: Sungei Buloh Wetland

Environmental issues in Sungei Buloh Wetland

Question:

Discuss About The Wetland Ecosystem And Multiple Uncertainties?

The current report will discuss about the sustainability issues that are faced by the Sungei Buloh Wetland. The report will highlight upon two of the environmental issues that are encountered in the wetlands. The major issues include that of soil erosion that is affecting the local environment and the society. The issues will be analyzed with respect of the society as it will directly affect the local population. It is important to adopt the tool of visitor management that can help in the conservation and maintain sustainability.  

The report will end by providing a summary of the overall conservation plan and the experience that is gained from the trip of Sungei Buloh Wetland.

The Sungei Buloh Wetland is one major natural reserve of Singapore located within the northeast region. The Sungei Buloh Wetland is one major natural reserve of Singapore located within the northeast region. It is one of the first natural reserve in Singapore that was under the law of conservation (Actforlibraries.org, 2018). Nevertheless, the wetland Reserve also encounter the problem of sustainability due to over exploitation of tourism industry.

The issue of soil erosion is considered to be one of the major conservation problem with in the wetland. This is evident from the study of the mangrove forest, which are located in the coast line of Kranji and they are being exposed more due to the effects of soil erosion. Hence, due the effect of soil erosion, the ecosystem of mangrove forests is affecting. It is also causing weakening of the roots of the mangrove thereby resulting in the falling of the trees. The destruction of the mangrove forest is one of the major social and economic issues as most of the local community are dependent upon the production of Mangrove trees for their daily essential resources.

Another major sustainability management issue is due continuous development in the tourism sector. This causes, increase of the water pollution and exposure of harmful substances affecting the local ecosystem (Karnis et al., 2015); (Junk et al., 2014). This is also one of the major sustainability issues that is directly affecting the local environment of the wetland. The flora and fauna of the wetland are also affecting due to destruction of the ecosystem at the primary level (Zeng et al., 2016). The lack of awareness within the tourism industry of Singapore is believed to be one of the major issues in the given context. Most of the Construction works that are done do not use ecofriendly materials. There is also lack of waste management techniques, which could have helped in proper disposal of unwanted substances (Zhang et al., 2014); (Jiang et al., 2015). The construction work in the areas near the wetlands are carried out without by fully exploiting the natural resources of the local area.

Visitor Management and Wetland Sustainability

Sustainable practices for wetland management is highly essential in the context of protecting the local from all type of human activities and expansion of the tourism industry. As mentioned, overexploitation of the tourist is one of the major issues that are causing destruction of the local environment. Valipour and Ahn (2016), have mentioned about the importance of visitor management tool that can help to protect the local environment from all types of negative impact. as a total number of tourists are increasing every year in the wetland park, it is essential for the local authority to control. This can be implemented by allowing only a fixed number of tourists to visit the wetland Park in a particular time of the year. The local authority also must not provide easy license to all construction works of hotel and resorts (Lamsal et al., 2015). Strict policies must be implemented that will ensure all the construction work must be done by using proper ecofriendly materials.

Proper waste management technique need to implemented that is done by using latest machineries for processing the unwanted materials. This will ensure that are the toxic substances from the construction sites are properly processed before they are being disposed in the local environment (Madsen et al.,2015); (Sultana et al., 2015).

Before implementation of the waste management plan and conservation techniques, it is essential to collect essential data by conducting research about the flora and fauna population of Sungei Buloh Wetland. As the tool of visitor management is implemented, it is possible to decide upon the total number of visitors that will be given permission to visit the park in a certain period of time. The tool of Cultural tourism can also be implemented in order to raise the Awareness of the local people for taking part in the conservation program (Mowforth & Munt, 2015); (Rhyner et al., 2017). Detailed information about the research work should be used extensively in order to implement essential decisions by the tourism department of Singapore.

The soil erosion is also one of the major issue that has been mentioned within the previous section. It is important to manage the local agricultural farms and activities in order to control the effect of excessive soil erosion. Activities like sedimentation need to be totally control, which will help to control in washing away of the top layer of the soil (Shaxson & Kassam, 2015); (Hudson 2015). The flow of the water should be done through definite channel, which will prevent washing away of the soil from the coastline.

Waste Management and Ecosystem Conservation

Proper awareness program is also required in order to help the local community for implementing proper techniques. This will ensure that they are able to deal with the issues of mangrove deforestation (Bennett & Dearden, 2014); (Richards & Friess, 2016).

Conclusion

In a concluding note it can be said that soil erosion and destruction of local ecosystem due to uncontrolled construction work are two of the major sustainability issues faced by Sungei Buloh Wetland. This issue can be easily resolved by implementing the process of visitor management tool, which is an essential part of sustainability measures that can be adopted in the wetlands.

It is also important to raise the level of awareness of the local community as they will be able to take part in cultural and social development work (Mcleod et al., 2016). The soil erosion techniques can be inherited by implementing the techniques of agricultural management in the local areas. 

From the trip of Sungei Buloh Wetland, I have been able to gain important information about the local flora and fauna. By analyzing the collecting information, I have been able to understand the importance of implementing sustainable management practice. Soil conservation practice net be implemented that will help to protect the mangrove ecosystem of the wetland. This I believe is highly important due to the fact that all the local communities are highly dependent of the production of mangrove forest. From the trip I have also been able to get essential knowledge about the lifestyle of the local population.

As the economy of the tourism industry in Singapore is expanding, it is implementing essential pressure up on the local ecosystem to wetland (Chen et al., 2017). The tool of visitor management, I believe is highly essential in the context of controlling the overexploitation of the resources. I think it is also essential for the Government of Singapore to spread awareness within the local community. This will help ensure that all people after society can take equal participation in the conservation program.

And other essential sustainability program is that of waste management technique. This will ensure all harmful materials are properly treated before they are being exposed to the local environment (Blackman, 2016); (Zorpas et al., 2015). This can present in the over exploitation of the natural resources, thereby conserving the local ecosystem from destruction and implementing sustainability practices.

Reference 

Actforlibraries.org. Conservation Issues of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Singapore. (2018).  Retrieved 21 January 2018, from https://www.actforlibraries.org/conservation-issues-of-the-sungei-buloh-wetland-reserve-singapore

Conclusion

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