DPSIR: Driving Forces

In the DPSIR framework, driving forces are changes in society that exert pressure upon ecosystems that could possibly change the state of the ecosystem. For example, an increase in the demand for wood furniture would exert increased pressure upon the tree population in a forest. If demand were to be large enough then its entirely possible for widespread deforestation to occur.

Most of Singapore’s complex ecosystems are not usually exploited for their resources besides water. The focus is instead on the cultural, regulating and supporting services. Singapore society naturally relies upon these services and oftentimes, trends and events affecting society do have spill over effects on these services.

Take cultural services for example, cultural services focus mainly on the non-material benefits that society derives from the ecosystem. One example of a cultural service being affected by trends is the increasing popularity of water sports. The increasing affluence of Singaporeans coupled with wider exposure to sports has popularised several water sports such as Dragon Boating in Singapore. As a result, more water bodies are being designated for recreational use and many facilities tied to recreational water sports are often incorporated into development plans for areas with large bodies of water.

But not all trends develop slowly over time. Technology has increased the pace of development and oftentimes creates events that lead to shocks on the ecosystem. Take the recent release of Pokemon Go in Singapore for example. Players turned out in huge numbers at previously unpopulated locations with many of them staying for long periods of time. And with this crowd came the usual issues with litter left behind and noise pollution. Many of the Pokemon Go locations were tied to nature reserves and you can see why that could have caused NParks, governing body of these reserves to be in quite a pickle.

They eventually appealed to the game developer Niantic to have these locations removed from the game to “avoid situations of Pokemon Go players….causing damage to the environment”. This event highlights how simply focusing on environmental conservation is insufficient due to the increased possibility of outside events having a direct impact on ecosystems. Thus traditional governance of ecosystems must evolve to be able to react to these events rapidly and at the same time be aware that control of such ecosystems is no longer as iron-clad as they used to be.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/remove-pokestops-from-nature-reserves-nparks

Supporting services include the provision of habitats that wildlife require in order to survive. In recent years, NParks has tried to increase the overall biodiversity of Singapore. The return of the otters in Marina Bay and the sighting of the Slow Loris in Bukit Timah all serve as signs that efforts in increasing biodiversity are yielding some results.

There has also been increased public interest in the nature reserve due to increased biodiversity. As a result, more Singaporeans have been embarking upon eco-tours; tours meant to provide participants an immersive experience into nature. The increased interest is a driving force behind the increased visitorship of nature reserves. Such increased visitorship no doubt creates pressure upon the ecosystem as they may not be able to adapt to the increased human presence. Again, there is a need for governance to ensure the ecosystems are kept in balance.

http://www.straitstimes.com/uncategorized/nature-beckons