Our Innovation, for Nature
NParks continues to drive the City in Nature vision through knowledge sharing and innovations that enhance Singapore’s biodiversity, uplift industry standards, and enrich our community as we work towards a greener future.
Innovating for Nature
NParks continues to lead a broad spectrum of research initiatives to deepen our understanding of urban biodiversity, ecosystem connectivity, and human-nature interactions.
Through its fourth grant call, NParks awarded four projects under the City in Nature research vertical and launched three new projects in January 2025. These projects will explore innovative, nature-based solutions such as using vegetation to reduce traffic noise, improving acoustic monitoring with machine learning, developing environmental DNA tools for biodiversity assessment, and studying outdoor thermal comfort. An upcoming grant call will focus on the impact of passive nature interventions on well-being and nature connectedness, to better understand how urban nature enhances health and liveability.
The Biosurveillance Steering Committee, led by NParks and consisting of other One Health agencies, launched its first grant call for research projects on zoonotic diseases and animal hosts and vectors. Research will cover a range of priority zoonotic diseases such as leptospirosis and avian influenza, as well as animal hosts and vectors like wildlife, birds, domestic dogs, cats and ticks. Such research and inter-agency collaboration will strengthen Singapore's preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases.
Wildlife and biodiversity research continues to advance through journal publications and new technology-driven initiatives. In the reporting year, NParks secured $1.34 million from the Ministry of National Development's Public Sector Transformation initiative to deploy drones and robotics for wildlife tracking, and obtained funding for the development of crocodile intrusion detection technology.
NParks also made strides in marine climate change research through the Marine Climate Change Science Programme, awarding funding to seven projects and launching another grant call for projects on the restoration potential of blue carbon ecosystems and community resilience to rising sea levels. The programme also hosted its first symposium in November 2024, where participants discussed solutions to address the current and upcoming challenges faced by our coastal and marine environment.
In 2024, NParks boosted the work conducted under the Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) Programme, which studies how Singapore's urban ecosystems and communities change over time. Under the programme's first phase, NParks funded research projects focused on pollinator networks and tracking water, nutrient, and energy flows in urban and forest areas. These innovative efforts help us better understand and protect Singapore's biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
Ongoing research on the insect pollinator communities of our native plants will help researchers establish pollinator networks and assess landscape connectivity through population genetics.
Strengthening Partnerships
Internationally
NParks strengthened international research and collaboration by partnering with leading institutions to advance Singapore's ecological resilience and sustainability.
In May 2024, NParks signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, based in Panama, to strengthen research collaboration at the Bukit Timah Forest Dynamic Plot and expand academic exchange through guest lectures and expert panels. The partnership aims to improve our understanding of tropical forest dynamics to support conservation and restoration strategies, and to develop local and regional research expertise through knowledge sharing and training.
The World Organisation for Animal Health workshop explored collaborative efforts to combat emerging aquatic animal diseases of regional significance.
The Bukit Timah Forest Dynamics Plot is a research site in Singapore, established in 1992 through a collaboration between the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, NParks, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. This plot is part of a global network for forest research and is used as a training site for researchers in the region.
NParks hosted the World Organisation for Animal Health Regional Workshop on Preparedness and Response for Emerging Diseases in Aquatic Animals and Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquaculture. The events brought together regional experts to enhance emergency response planning, and promote responsible antimicrobial use alongside the use of ANIMUSE, the global database that tracks antimicrobial use in animals. This also strengthened regional collaboration on sustainable aquaculture practices and animal health initiatives, while establishing groundwork for future partnerships with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other countries.
NParks also represented Singapore at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16). Ahead of the COP, NParks submitted 20 national nature conservation targets — including increasing awareness of Singapore's native wildlife among students, developing a public record of 1,000 native plant species on Flora & Fauna Web, and keeping the proportion of wildlife traded illegally through Singapore each year to below 0.5%. These targets demonstrate Singapore's commitment to nature conservation and contribution to the global biodiversity agenda.
Uplifting Professionals in Wildlife Management
As Singapore moves towards becoming a City in Nature, interactions between people and wildlife become increasingly common. As part of efforts to upskill Singapore's wildlife management sector, over 220 professionals were trained through the Animal Management Professional Certificate Programme. Introduced in 2020, the programme equips participants with skills in human-wildlife conflict resolution, wildlife behaviour, and safe handling, so as to better manage wildlife encounters while ensuring safety and animal welfare.
In a collaborative effort to enhance animal welfare standards, NParks worked with the National Environment Agency, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to revise glue trap guidelines for animal welfare. The updated guidelines aim to minimise harm to non-target species and enforce strict usage and response protocols.
NParks’ leadership in combating wildlife crime was recognised with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Commissioner’s Commendation (Silver) Award, presented jointly to NParks and ICA’s Intel Division for their outstanding collaboration in dismantling a live animal smuggling syndicate.
Boosting Knowledge Sharing
Held from 5 to 10 August 2024, the 8ᵗʰ Global Botanic Gardens Congress welcomed over 900 delegates from more than 200 institutions across 73 countries. The milestone event fostered knowledge exchange through 150 talks, 80 poster presentations and 20 workshops, focusing on innovative ways for botanic gardens across the world to advance research, conservation, education, and outreach in pursuit of a sustainable future. During the event, the Singapore Botanic Gardens launched the Southeast Asia Plant Phenology (SEAPP) Network, which brings together ten botanic gardens from tropical Asia for long-term phenology monitoring to understand the impact of environmental change on tropical plants.
Beyond our shores, NParks and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore jointly showcased smart technologies at the Esri User Conference held in July 2024 in the United States. The international audience was able to learn about how Singapore plans and manages our greenery efficiently through the integration of our map-based greenery management platform Maven II with the remote sensors in our Contractor Fleet Management System, tree tilt sensors, and Remote Tree Management System.
At the 8ᵗʰ Global Botanic Gardens Congress, it was announced that the Singapore Herbarium will embark on digitalising all 800,000 plant specimens in its collection. This will enable a consolidated database of the specimens, which researchers from all across the world can access.
One of the ways the Singapore Botanic Gardens promoted research, outreach and education among the community was through the exhibition A Garden of Birds: Community Photography Exhibition of the Birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The exhibition featured a selection of photographs by birding enthusiasts who come to the Gardens to observe, admire, study and research its birds.
Empowering Youth to Lead a City in Nature
As vital agents of change with innovative ideas and a passion for environmental stewardship, youths play an important role as the next generation of wildlife conservation leaders.
Organised by NParks, the fourth World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium, themed Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet, welcomed nearly 700 attendees from over 26 countries — its largest turnout yet. The event connected aspiring youth conservationists with potential funders, mentors, and new opportunities to advance their projects. Participants engaged in keynote sessions, interactive workshops, and a live virtual exhibition featuring youth-run initiatives from Southeast Asia, where they learned practical strategies for launching, sustaining, and resourcing impactful conservation work.
As part of efforts to nurture young professionals for the landscape industry, NParks has renewed its partnership with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) for another five years, working together to jointly create learning opportunities for students through internships, student-led park programmes, study awards, and curriculum development. By exposing students to fields like biodiversity and wildlife management and engaging them in real-world projects such as the landscaping of Jurong Lake Gardens, NParks and ITE strive to empower youth to actively contribute to our City in Nature.
The partnership between NParks and ITE equips students with the latest knowledge, skills and real-world operational experience to prepare them for the landscape industry.
Smart Solutions for Wildlife in the City
In the reporting year, NParks recorded Singapore's first nesting of the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus ernesti) — a striking bird of prey found on every continent except Antarctica, and possibly Singapore's rarest breeding bird. The nest was discovered high in the recess of OCBC Centre, in the heart of the city, showcasing how even our urban skyline can offer refuge for wildlife.
The landmark discovery was published on 30 August 2024 in the scientific journal Nature in Singapore by NParks' Wildlife Management Research team.
Their first breeding attempt was unsuccessful, with the eggs being abandoned. To safely retrieve the unhatched eggs, NParks collaborated with robotics researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), adapting a drone system into the Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool (ERNEST). The eggs were later sent to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum for further study.
This discovery reaffirms how well-managed urban spaces, enhanced by technology, can support biodiversity. Leveraging robotics and monitoring tools can further our understanding of urban wildlife and provide valuable insights to guide future conservation strategies in our urban landscape.
Peregrine Falcons are one of the world's most widespread breeding birds, but are rare in Singapore.
A researcher from SUTD sets up the Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool (ERNEST) to capture the abandoned eggs of the Peregrine Falcons.
Designs That Set the Standard
Singapore's green spaces continue to set global standards for sustainable landscape design and ecological stewardship, earning prestigious accolades for three landmark projects in 2024.
Villa Verde Park received an Honourable Mention at the 2024 International Federation of Landscape Architects Awards. Its innovative extension transformed unused space beneath the Kranji Expressway into a vibrant, community-designed green hub featuring a nature playgarden, communal spaces, and amenities shaped by residents’ feedback. It also integrates sustainable technologies such as a rain garden for groundwater filtration and bioswales for naturalised drainage. The park demonstrates how thoughtful, inclusive design and smart environmental solutions can revitalise urban landscapes and foster stronger community connections.
At the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the National Orchid Garden’s Sembcorp Cool House was recognised at the IES Sustainability Awards 2024 for its innovative approach to conserving rare orchids and advancing taxonomic research, while optimising energy efficiency and enhancing visitor experience. Developed by an NParks-led team, the state-of-the-art glasshouse emulates a high-elevation montane forest, maintaining cool temperatures to support over 1,000 rare orchid species and hybrids. Energy-efficient installations include spectrally selective glass that optimises sunlight while reducing cooling needs, as well as solar panels to offset energy requirements, reducing energy usage by about 30% compared to previous systems.
Rifle Range Nature Park was distinguished with the 2024 Urban Land Institute Asia Pacific Award for Excellence in the Open Space category. The accolade highlights the seamless integration of ecological regeneration, landscape design, and heritage conservation within the park. Its design features restored forest and wetland habitats, trails, and over 255,000 native plants, while its solar panels make it Singapore's first net-positive energy nature park — truly embodying the City in Nature vision.
Rifle Range Nature Park underwent habitat enhancement works to transform the former quarry into a freshwater habitat for wetland animals and migratory birds. It is also Singapore's first net-positive energy nature park, with its installed photovoltaic solar panels harvesting more energy than the site is expected to consume annually in operations.
Upholding Industry Excellence
NParks continues to collaborate with our key industry partners and stakeholders like NParks-Industry Council (NIC), Landscape Industry Association (Singapore) (LIAS) and the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA) on the Landscape Sector Transformation Plan, now in its fifth year. Their collective contributions are helping to uplift the landscape industry by strengthening professional competencies, driving technology adoption, and enhancing industry practices and standards.
Specifically, NParks is partnering LIAS and SILA to share best practices in areas such as tree management, urban greenery and sustainability. Such collaborations allow NParks to draw on the expertise of industry practitioners while upskilling the local landscape and arboricultural sectors, so as to grow a new generation of talent to manage green spaces in Singapore. LIAS represents professionals from the landscape sector and promotes professionalism and quality in landscape products and services, while SILA advances the science and art of landscape architecture alongside seeking to maintain a high standard of professional practice.
Supporting Staff Development
To ensure that NParks officers remain capable of advancing Singapore's City in Nature vision, each officer's development is guided by a competency framework that covers the essential skills and knowledge required for different job scopes. Through the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE), officers receive specialised training aligned with the competency roadmaps, covering core domains such as arboriculture, horticulture, veterinary science and animal management. Specialist functions such as investigations and enforcement also receive appropriate training to facilitate the execution of their roles.
The NParks Capability Development Fund was also introduced to further the learning and development of support staff. The fund will support additional training needs and facilitate the deepening of officers' competencies through initiatives including overseas professional attachments, conferences, and learning journeys or trips that provide a breadth of learning beyond Singapore.
To further support knowledge sharing, a series of talks and workshops was organised, including HortChamps, Science & Technology Colloquiums and Brown Bag talks. These sessions allowed staff to share their own expertise and experiences with other colleagues for mutual learning.
Senior Manager, Horticulture Excellence and Nursery Management at NParks, Vicky Lim leads a HortChamps workshop about new edible plants at Pasir Panjang Nursery (left) while Mr Danny Cox, a visiting fellow from Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, shares his knowledge on water lilies (right).