Conservation has incalculable benefits for S’pore

I refer to the letter “Preservation of primary forests should not be a main concern” (Feb 16), which makes a good point about the balance needed between conservation and economical use of land.

But I would argue that the current situation in Singapore is one of imbalance, where there has been too much focus on development, with often marginal plans for conservation.

Can we truly call ourselves a green city when thousands of species of flora and fauna could be affected?

We cannot think of conservation in purely dollars and cents; much of its benefits are intangible. Cleaner air, recreation, biodiversity and scenic beauty are benefits that cannot and should not be calculated in monetary terms.

Projects such as the Cross Island Line are big and need to be deliberated over carefully.

Alternatives, even if they are more expensive, need to be considered, as the consequences of our actions now are irreversible for many generations.

There are already numerous examples of deforestation in the Amazon and Kalimantan and we do not need to contribute to this wanton destruction.

Our forests may be puny in comparison, but for our tiny size, they are of huge significance.

There is really no need to disturb our primary forests, which should be left untouched for our collective future.