The National Biodiversity Centre (abbr.: NBC; Chinese: 国家生物多样性中心; Malay: Pusat Kepelbagaian Bio Nasional; Tamil: தேசிய பல்வகை உயிரியல் நிலையம்) is a branch of the National Parks Board and serves as Singapore's one-stop centre for biodiversity-related information and activities. It manages all available information and data on biodiversity in Singapore. Diverse biodiversity-related information and data are currently generated, stored and updated by different organisations and individuals. The National Biodiversity Centre will maximize the usefulness of such information and data by linking them in a single meta-database. Having complete and up-to-date information is crucial for many decision-making processes involving biodiversity. This hub of biodiversity information and data at the National Biodiversity Centre will also allow knowledge gaps to be better identified and addressed. The National Biodiversity Centre takes responsibility for the conservation of both terrestrial and marine flora and fauna in Singapore and represents the National Parks Board in its role as the government's scientific authority on nature conservation. The National Biodiversity Centre will also represent Singapore in various biodiversity-related international and regional conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity and ASEANET.
History The National Biodiversity Centre was formerly the Conservation Branch of National Parks Board. On 1 April 2003, it was renamed as the Biodiversity Centre. On 22 May 2006, the National Biodiversity Reference Centre was established. It was first mentioned to the public at the Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium in 2003 by Vivian Balakrishnan. In January 2008, it was renamed as the National Biodiversity Centre.
Organisation structure The National Biodiversity Centre is a branch of the Conservation Division of National Parks Board. NBC consists of four departments; the Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office, International Relations, Marine and Terrestrial.
Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office The Coastal and Marine Environment Program Office (CMEPO) was established in April 2008 in order to foster greater inter-agency coordination on coastal and marine environment issues and also to strengthen Singapore's strategic capacity in areas related to the coastal and marine environment. The government agencies involved include Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency, Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Ministry of National Development (Singapore) and National Parks Board. CMEPO works to provide Singapore with a strong basis in coastal and marine environment related policy, management and research-direction issues, consistent with Singapore's long-term economic and sustainable development goals. The CMEPO undertakes a wide range of technical projects in areas such as ecology and the environment, coastal dynamics, legislation and regulations, and other technical areas of coastal and marine environment concern.
International Relations The International Relations department administers regional and international environmental agreements, provides policy analysis of environmental agreements and monitors regional and international developments relevant to biodiversity conservation. It coordinates both the work related to the Convention on Biological Diversity and ASEAN Cooperation on nature conservation and biodiversity and also inter-agency positions on biodiversity-related topics. It also provides policy support to the work of the National Biodiversity Centre and is currently assuming the role of Secretariat in the development of the Cities Biodiversity Index (CBI).
Marine The Marine department has a mandate and responsibility to ensure that Singapore's rich but limited marine biodiversity is conserved as part of her natural heritage. The Marine department regularly establishes and reviews policies related to marine conservation in Singapore and provides up-to-date baseline information on marine biodiversity for decision-making. Development proposals that have potential impacts on marine biodiversity will also be analysed and mitigation measures implemented. The Marine department promotes awareness of the importance of marine biodiversity and its conservation.
Terrestrial The Terrestrial department conducts regular field surveys in Singapore's nature reserves, nature parks, park connectors and nature areas in order to increase the baseline on biodiversity-related data in Singapore's terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Key projects include the Banded Leaf Monkey Conservation Programme.
Initiatives and products
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is a document published by the National Biodiversity Centre that maps out Singapore's master plan for biodiversity conservation. It aims to promote biodiversity conservation by adopting a pragmatic approach to conservation and develop unique solutions to her challenges as Singapore is a densely populated country with no hinterland. It intends to establish both policy frameworks and specific measures to ensure better planning and co-ordination in the sustainable use, management and conservation of Singapore's biodiversity. Inputs from various public sector agencies and nature groups have been taken into consideration in the preparation of the NBSAP. This master plan also fulfils Singapore's regional and international commitments, primarily the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Singapore Red Data Book The Singapore Red Data Book contains in-depth information of all threatened flora and fauna species in Singapore. This book is the result of collaborative efforts from various governmental and non-governmental organisations. It was first published in 1994, and revised in 2008 with more relevant and authoritative information provided by a wide range of expert contributors from organisations, such as the National Biodiversity Centre of National Parks Board, National University of Singapore and the Nature Society (Singapore) with sponsorship from Shell Singapore.
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