Botanic Gardens could be World Heritage Site by 2015: NParks

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Botanic Gardens could be the country’s first World Heritage Site by as early as June 2015, if the nomination is accepted by the UNESCO. Dr Nigel Taylor, the garden's Director, however noted that this would happen only if everything goes Singapore's way. Other countries, he added, did not succeed at their first try. So it might take multiple tries while the UNESCO committee would likely ask for further background or work to be done before giving the green light. The subject also received a hearing in Parliament today, with Nominated Member of Parliament Associate Prof Eugene Tan Kheng Boon asking why there had been “a rather long silence” since the idea was first floated in 2010. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong replied that there was “no certainty” that Singapore would be able to obtain the tentative listing. With the listing official, Mr Wong added, efforts would be ramped up for the formal submission – expected to be by February next year. During a media briefing today, National Monuments Board Director Jean Wee rejected suggestions that the bid is being done to garner more tourists, instead saying it would help “foster national pride”. Giving more information about the process to list the garden as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites (WHS), the National Parks Board (NParks) said that the Botanic Gardens was identified as the best shot due to meeting two of the 10 criteria’s from UNESCO – Exhibiting an exchange of human values on developments in landscape design, and as an outstanding example of landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history. NParks said the Botanic Gardens has “continued and close association with scientific plant research … And (it) has had a fundamental influence on the economic and social development … Of the region.” It is also “a site of multi-cultural interchange in the development” of Singapore. It is also a unique exemplar of the British colonial tropical botanic gardens Its different stages of development since 1859 are also preserved in its “historic English landscape style, layout, use of local topography, natural forest and buildings”. These two points were why the Gardens trumped other sites – such as Haw Par Villa and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to be the only submission in December last year. This is considered an important first step, as without the list, the World Heritage Committee will not consider the nomination. Meanwhile, a series of public engagement sessions will be conducted where the nomination document and management plans would be shared with stakeholders such as heritage and environment groups, and members of the public. This will tie in with the opening of a new museum at Holttum Hall on the garden grounds later this year. There are only two other botanical gardens listed as protected World Heritage Sites worldwide – The Botanical Garden of Padua in Italy and Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. Singapore’s Botanic Gardens saw 4.4 million visits last year. There are currently 1579 tentative listed sites from 171 state parties on UNESCO’s list.