Project Semakau takes off with support from HSBC, NEA and volunteers

18 December 2008

Left to right: Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel, CEO of HSBC Singapore; Professor Leo Tan, Director of Special Projects, NUS; Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources; and Professor Peter Ng, Director of RMBR, NUS

HSBC has joined hands with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) to launch an important community initiative at Pulau Semakau. A S$600,000 gift from the bank has made possible Project Semakau, a three-year undertaking to promote and conserve the intertidal shores of Pulau Semakau through a dedicated programme of outreach and research activities conducted with the help of volunteers.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources graced the launch ceremony on 14 Nov 2008 as Guest-of-Honour. Also present were Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel, CEO of HSBC Singapore; Professor Leo Tan, Director of Special Projects, National University of Singapore; Professor Peter Ng, Director of RMBR, National University of Singapore; and Mr Lee Yuen Hee, Chief Executive Officer of NEA.

The gift from HSBC will fund outreach, conservation and research activities conducted over the next three years. Supported by National Environment Agency (NEA), the project is designed as a community-driven conservation effort in which volunteers trained and guided by RMBR scientists undertake a comprehensive scientific survey to collect data on the island’s biodiversity – with the aim of enhancing the value of Pulau Semakau as a nature education and conservation site. The Semakau Project will boost intertidal research, a field which researchers currently find difficult to study because of a lack of manpower and support.

The mosaic crab, found on Pulau Semakau, is one of the most poisonous crabs in the world. One study shows that one gramme of the crab’s meat can kill 42,000 mice. – Photo by Yeo Keng Hui

Said Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel, HSBC Singapore CEO, at the launch: “We are hopeful that Project Semakau will dovetail and complement the tremendous efforts by the NEA to turn Pulau Semakau into an eco-park for the benefit of the community in the years to come.”

Elaborating on the initiative, Prof Leo Tan said: “Nature appreciation and environmental education are key missions of RMBR and NUS. In 2005, the museum started a public outreach programme at Pulau Semakau, to showcase the rich biodiversity of this island and how the Government of Singapore has managed to strike a delicate balance between the needs of an urban city and nature conservation.”

He added: “The museum has a vision to see the status of Pulau Semakau upgraded to that of a marine park, with full protection for its biodiversity. I am happy that the public appreciation of nature and the protection of the environment will be enhanced with the collaborative efforts of RMBR, HSBC, green volunteers, schools and the NEA on Semakau.”

Pulau Semakau is an island located at the south of mainland Singapore. The current island is reclaimed from two islands, Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng, to build Singapore’s first offshore landfill.

— Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research