Fort Canning Park: Sustainability

This post consists of two parts. First is a continuation of practices I noted that the governing body has put in place for Fort Canning Park (FCP) and the second part looking into whether the park is truly sustainable.

Park Practices

The park’s maintenance staff move around the park using electric buggies which to me are a good choice as they balance the need for mobility with being environmentally friendly. One can argue that the park can go one step further by using bicycles instead but that raises issues with logistics transportation that may over-encumber the staff.

Another point of note is the re-integration of various pieces of historical equipment into the park rather than just disposing of them. This serves the twofold purpose of both beautifying the park whilst reducing the amount of material being thrown away.

The first picture shows a cannon from the old Fort Canning that overlooks a corridor whilst the second picture is a little more unique. Its actually a lighthouse from another part of Singapore but was brought to FCP to be preserved as a nod to Singapore’s maritime history. I felt this was rather interesting because FCP’s culture has evolved beyond showing just the history of the park but also providing snapshots of the trends in Singapore. Thus we can see that the governing body of the park have made the conscious decision to further the heritage value of the park.

Lastly, I would like to highlight that the park authorities do make themselves available to park visitors by providing lines of communication. Some historical sites have phone numbers located besides them directing visitors to call if they have any queries regarding the sites. There are also numerous volunteer recruitment posters located around the park that encourage visitors to join the park volunteer force. From this, we can see that the governing body is not just organizing the park but also hopes to include the public in the care of FCP. I felt this was quite a good way of governing as this allows stakeholders the means to communicate with the authorities and contribute even more if they choose to do so. 

Sustainability

Overall, the park is rather well kept and has little to no damage to it. The question then is whether the practices of the park’s stakeholders can ensure the park remains sustainable. 

Sustainability as defined by the UN is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In essence, Fort Canning Park (FCP) is sustainable only if future generations of Singaporeans can partake in the natural, cultural and historical aspects of the park that exist today. 

I felt that FCP is largely sustainable. From a cultural point of view, the exhibits and historical sites are well maintained and are even increasing. Thus future generations should still have access to these places. The natural environment of the park is also well kept by balancing the needs of stakeholders usage of the various natural areas of the park with the park’s capacity. However, I did wonder how the authorities are going to replace the older trees that die off naturally because it seems rather difficult to grow an entirely new tree from scratch when the old ones die off. This is concerning because when I think back to my previous visits to the park, there always seems to a tree being cut.  

Well, I guess the foliage at the moment seems strong but only time will tell if an issue occurs. Thus the governing body needs to be alert to any issues that crop up and react accordingly. Anyways, little bonus for reading all the way to the bottom. FCP has actual CHICKENS living there!