Number of tree failures has fallen three-fold in 15 years: Desmond Lee
Since 2001, the number of tree failures in Singapore has fallen from 3,000 to 800 in 2016, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee on Tuesday (7 March), according to media reports.
A tree failure is a structural failure or breakage of a tree trunk, branch or root.
Speaking in Parliament during the Committee of Supply debate, Lee said that the steep drop was due to the introduction of a comprehensive tree management programme by the National Parks Board (NParks). This includes a rigorous regimen of inspections and pruning that is aligned with international standards.
“This system also enables NParks to zoom in on, and pre-emptively replace, storm-vulnerable species,” said Lee.
He was responding to questions from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Dennis Tan about the management of Singapore’s seven million trees, two million of which can be found growing along the nation’s roads. Last month, a falling tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens killed one woman and injured four others.
Lee noted that NParks will assist police investigations in cases involving fatalities. Due to unpredictable weather conditions, NParks has also taken measures to improve the general health of Singapore’s trees and is developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under heavy rain and wind.
