News Room

Mr Carlos Alberto Richa
Mayor of Curitiba

Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf
Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Honorable Mayors

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen,

       I am delighted to be here this morning at the opening of the Second Curitiba Meeting on Cities and Biodiversity.

2     In 1992, Brazil hosted the landmark United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The Conference, which was popularly known as the Earth Summit, saw the signing of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the endorsement of the Rio Declaration and the Forest Principles, and the adoption of “Agenda 21” - a global action plan for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century.

3     It is laudable that another Brazilian city, Curitiba, has assumed leadership and provided the platform for discussions on how cities can contribute to the biodiversity agenda under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  In March 2007, the Curitiba Declaration on Cities and Biodiversity was adopted, which re-affirmed the commitment of cities and local authorities to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, and to integrate biodiversity considerations in their urban planning and development.

Key Challenges Facing Cities
4     In the year 2008, the world crossed a significant threshold.  For the first time, more people live in towns and cities, than in rural areas.  By 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas.  The number of city dwellers is expected to almost double, from 3.3 billion today to 6.4 billion in 2050.

5     As cities around the world continue to grow rapidly, they all share common challenges in achieving sustainable development and safeguarding our biodiversity.  Let me elaborate on three key challenges facing the cities of the world.

6     The first key challenge is that with greater urbanisation, the strain on natural resources will become increasingly more acute.  Cities currently occupy only 2% of the Earth’s land area but consume over 75% of its natural resources. The ecological footprint of cities is set to increase as more people move into the urban environment.  We need to ensure that the rapid urbanisation is done in a sustainable manner.

7     The next key challenge is climate change.  According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment¹, climate change is likely to become the dominant driver of biodiversity loss by the end of this century.  Temperature increases, rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns will impact on habitats and ecosystems.  Cities will need to figure out how to mitigate the impact of climate change on biodiversity at the local level, even as governments attempt to find common ground to arrive at a post-2012 climate change agreement to curb carbon emissions, something which was not achieved at Copenhagen last month.

8     Thirdly, the complexities of city planning and management will increase in tandem with both population growth and demands for higher standards of living.  Cities face many problems that arise from increased population density, such as housing needs, traffic congestion, pollution, access to clean water and proper sanitation.  If these problems are not adequately addressed, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity may result.  These problems are also closely inter-linked, and have to be tackled with an integrated set of solutions.

Greater Need for Collaboration
9     I have outlined three key challenges which are common to all cities, albeit at varying degrees due to the different stages of development.  We can reap much benefits if cities come together to collaborate and share solutions. Already, many cities are innovating urban solutions in areas such as clean energy, green transport, waste and water treatment, and urban greenery.

10     It is indeed very apt that we are meeting today in Curitiba.  Our host city has a reputation for being tenacious in championing sustainable development. Curitiba is well known for its public transport system and recycling initiatives.  I understand that Curitiba has also embarked on its BioCity Programme which seeks to reverse the loss of biodiversity by incorporating biodiversity considerations in urban planning.  The key initiatives, which I am sure all of us are familiar with, include the reintroduction of ornamental indigenous plant species; incentives to preserve private green areas; revitalisation of the Barigui River Basin; and the Green Line Project which is aimed at revitalising an important federal highway through the creation of a major transportation corridor for bicycles and pedestrians as well as a linear park. I look forward to learning more about these projects during my visit here.

11     In Singapore, resource scarcity has led us to take sustainable development very seriously from our early days of national development.  Being a small city-state with a land area of 700 square kilometers, we have adopted a long-term and integrated approach in our land use planning.  We seek to concurrently pursue economic vibrancy and a high-quality living environment for our people.  This includes preserving the natural environment and protecting our natural heritage.

12     In a few minutes, I will show you a short video of our Garden City, which contains glimpses of Singapore’s greenery and how we balance conservation with development.

13     Despite our small size, we have deliberately set aside 10% of our land for parks and nature conservation. This is complemented with an island-wide network of parks, park connectors, and streetscape and waterfront greenery, resulting in a green cover of almost 50% of our island. We are now transforming Singapore into a city of gardens and water, where our water bodies and greenery are integrated to become havens for urban biodiversity.

14     However, balancing economic development and biodiversity conservation in an urban environment is not an easy task.  For us who run and manage cities, and in the case of Singapore, a city-state, we are all too familiar with the constant challenge of competing needs for resources.  To conserve our natural assets even as we pursue our economic development, we will need to continually find practical and innovative solutions.  The problems that we face are multi-disciplinary.  To solve them, we will need to create platforms for meaningful dialogue, for people from different disciplines to understand one another’s perspectives and work together.

15     Curitiba and Singapore are cities with very different historical and cultural backdrops.  Yet, I am struck by how similar we are in our aspirations to create an economically vibrant city with a high-quality living environment.  When we can get more like-minded cities to come together, the sharing will be multiplied many times.  In this regard, it is very encouraging to see a positive trend of cities coming together to share knowledge, adopt best practices and find solutions to common problems.  The ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability’s² Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) project and the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity are two excellent examples of greater collaborations among like-minded cities.

Singapore’s contribution
16     This year, being the International Year of Biodiversity, gives us added impetus and a unique opportunity to share and collaborate, and also to celebrate the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth.   In Singapore, we have launched our National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in April 2009, which reaffirms our commitment to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  We have also lined up a series of activities to celebrate and rediscover our rich natural heritage.  In particular, on 22 May 2010 which is the International Day for Biological Diversity, our schools will plant native trees to contribute to a global “Green Wave”.

17     Singapore is also pleased to contribute to the process of sharing and collaboration at the international level.  Let me take this opportunity to thank our partners in the Global Partnership for assisting and supporting the development of the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity. The Singapore Index will provide a framework and tool to measure and benchmark cities’ biodiversity conservation efforts.

18     I would also like to thank the cities which are currently test-bedding the Singapore Index.  Your feedback will be most invaluable for the experts who are meeting in July this year to fine-tune the Index.  The Singapore Index is part of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)’s Plan of Action on Urban Biodiversity.  We look forward to working with the CBD and partners to develop the Index in time for endorsement at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-10) in Nagoya in October this year.

19     Besides biodiversity conservation, Singapore is also committed to promoting sustainability in cities.  We will be hosting the second World Cities Summit from 28 to 30 June 2010 with the theme, “Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future”. As part of this conference, there will be a thematic session on “Urban Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Cities”.  Other events include the World Mayor’s Forum where mayors and governors around the world will discuss solutions for liveable cities.

20     I would like to encourage you to join us at the World Cities Summit 2010 in Singapore to exchange ideas and share innovative urban solutions to build liveable and sustainable communities across the globe.

Conclusion
21     Today’s meeting is further proof of our collective commitment to the Global Partnership to conserve biological diversity and promote sustainable development.  Your deliberations will help consolidate ideas and build consensus to prepare for the COP-10 meeting in Nagoya. Just before introducing our short video, I would like to conclude by wishing you every success in your deliberations at this Second Curitiba Meeting on Cities and Biodiversity.

22     Thank you.

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¹ The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is a research programme launched in 2001 with the support of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  Involving the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide, its objective is to assess the consequences of ecosystem change and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems.

² ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.  However since 2003, the organisation is officially known as “ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability” to reflect a broader mandate of addressing sustainability issues.  To date, over 1,075 cities, towns, counties, and their associations worldwide comprise ICLEI's growing membership.