Field Trip Report: Marina Barrage - Essay Example

Field Trip Report: Marina Barrage Institution A.TRIP TO MARINA BARRAGE Trip to Marina Barrage We assembled at Tanjog Pagar Station at exactly 1300 hours. After a brief with our instructor, we boarded a bus and proceeded to Marina Barrage. Being my first-time visit to the place, it was quite an experience to long for, having only heard about the spectacular features of the place from friends and our instructor. Indeed, Marina Barrage is a sight to behold, a choice for everyone who cares about having some cool time out. Marina Barrage is a dam erected across the mouth of the 350 meters wide Marina Channel. It is among the most important dams in Singapore. It is also the first reservoir in the city center and the fifteenth Singapore’s reservoir. Together with two other dams, Marina Barrage raised Singapores water catchment to two-thirds of the nations land area in 2011(Singapore National Water Agency, 2014). In 2010, the reservoir was commissioned as a fresh water reservoir, boosting water supply for future generations. Local catchment makes one of the four major sources of water in Singapore. The other three sources are desalinated water, NEWater and imported water. As one of the four major sources of water, Marina Barrage can satisfy about 10 percent of Singapores water requirement (Singapore National Water Agency, 2014).   Spectacular site of Marina Barrage Marina Barrage Reservoir Marina Barrage is part of Singapore’s government initiative to alleviate flooding in low-lying lands in the city. During heavy rains, a series of nine gates at the dam are opened to release the excessive storm water into the ocean when the tides are low. When the tides are high, gigantic pumps that have capacity to pump Olympic-size swimming pool per minute are used to drain the excess storm water into the ocean (Singapore National Water Agency).Indeed it is amazing how Singapore was able top control flooding that had troubled the country for more than 45 years through projects like Marina Barrage. Giant Pumps at Marina Barrage Leisure Experience It on a sunny afternoon and we are already at the famous Marina Barrage. The splendid site can only be equated to the fantasy Disney land. The bright sun shining on the vast water in the reservoir awes every member of the team. Children run around on wide green lawn; families lay down for picnics and a few men maneuver kites in the sky. Everyone appears to be at the ecstasy. This is not a typical lawn; it is about four to three floors above on the roof of a pump house next to the first urban reservoir in Singapore, the glorious Marina Bay. “It is such an easy place for the lovers of kites to do what they do best,’ says one of my team members who is passionate about aerial photography by kites. “It’s quite high,” he acclaims, “and the wind is wonderful.” The beautiful green lawn on top of roof of a pump at Marina is a suitable place for picnics Adjacent to the pump house, the Dam Marina Barrage extends across the mouth of a broad channel. On one side of the reservoir is salt water flowing out to the ocean. On the other side, is the fresh water dam , a sparkling blue backdrop to some of the most affluent real estate in the country- tall office towers , hotel and shopping complex, conference center and the famous gardens by Marina Bay botanic garden , all constructed after the dam went back in 2008. Marina Barrage, as defined by the lawn and the dam has created a very much required space for recreation. It is an awesome place for running, riding bikes, sailing boats and an exemplary beautiful place to take photos. Indeed it is such a marvelous place for wedding photos. All members of my team wished to have hundreds of photo sessions were it not for time limit. However, we managed to take enough for memory. Newly wedded couples on a photo sessions at Marina Barrage A manager at Marina Barrage gave a brief exposition of the current status of Marina from the a wider perspective. He argued that other cities in Singapore and other countries benchmark Marina Barrage for it multipurpose functionality. He went ahead praising the achievement of Marina Barrage by citing a May 2009 report on protecting Manhattan surges of storms where New York City’s Economic Development corporation quoted Marina Barrage as an epitome of successful flood protection initiatives which accomplishes other goals as well. He went ahead to outline the history of the dam which is an integral part to its present reverence. Singapore attained its independence in 1965 and was left in a serious problem of floods for which the government had to look for a solution. Damming the wide mouth of Singapore River, the major river winding through the Islands Southern part, appeared to be a potential solution to the floods problem. It would take so many years to achieve this. During that time, boats still sailed through the river and went out to the coast. In this respect, closing up the mount of the river was unrealistic. In addition, Singapore River and other big rivers had to be cleaned up. Upstream areas were mainly rural, with villages, farms, boat repair centers and street hawkers occupied areas along the river banks dumping food scraps and oil into the river water. The rivers were also filthy with effluent from pig farms and sewage thus damming it would have created a titanic gutter. The cleanup of the river started. Over 4000 squatters living in the area were resettled into public houses. The pig farms were closed, boat repairs and street hawkers were also displaced and enticed to transfer their businesses to other areas on the Island. The cleanup of the river laid the groundwork for Marina Barrage reservoir that came to be built later. His main objective was to make us realize that the existence of Marina Barrage and is value as we know it today was achieved through sacrifices. People abandoned homes where they had lived for years, while businesses had to be relocated to other areas On an average weekend, dozens of cyclists and joggers fill Marina Bay. Tourists visit the Gardens by the Bay, with its splendid funnel-shaped trees linked to the Barrage by walkways. On several occasions, the national Day Parade that is held annually in commemoration of Singapore’s independence has been held next to Marina Bay. Numerous road races are held in this wonderful place, also sailing lessons among other activities in and around the dam. Allowing people to have their recreational activities in and around the reservoir, our guide said, is an intentional public engagement strategy in hope that these recreational engagements will enable people to appreciate the real value of water conservation. Road Race around Marina Barrage TRIP REPORT Different organizations have valuable roles and responsibilities to play with respect to preservation of Marina Barrage both as a recreational hub and as a major supplier of water to the people of Singapore. In particular, the commercial (private), and the government (public) sector are critical as far as Marina Barrage is concerned. Core Obligations, Roles and Values of Organizations Private Sector As regards the private sector, the area around Marina Barrage holds many business enterprises. Both locals and domestic tourists contribute to the growth of these businesses as they visit Marina Barrage for recreation every weekend by way of doing their shopping in the shopping complexes, and seeking accommodation in the nearby hotels. Since the objective of the private sector is to maximize profit, they have a role to ensure sustainability of the attractive nature of Marina Barrage that is core to their survival. One way to achieve this sustainability is observance of environmental regulations. The governmental of Singapore has environmental laws, and the private sector has an obligation to follow these laws. The private sector should also adopt green energy approach towards achieving environmental sustainability. This approach involves use of any energy that that mitigates adverse effects on the environment, for example, by reducing waste and usage of fossil fuels (Filho, 2005). Adoption of green energy approach would make the private sectors to serve as role models to customers or tourists to Marina Barrage and increase awareness of need to conserve environment. Businesses around Marina Barrage, ranging from hotels to shopping complexes obviously produce large quantities of waste. This waste takes toll on the environment. The businesses, in this regard in pursuit of their role towards environmental sustainability should consider processes such as recycling of products. They should also have policies to encourage customers to minimize waste, for example by offering discount to customers who reuse bags. They should also provide enough recycling bins at the business premises. Another strategy would be to offer disincentives to customers who do not adhere to environmental policies, such as, charging a price for plastic bags. The businesses should be in the forefront to prevent any form of pollution around the area and also ensure security in the area through collaborating with security organs of Singapore. The private sector also has an obligation to create awareness on environmental issues in various ways such as weekly promotion offering free discounted items to customers who comply with environmental sustainability standards. They can also sponsor events in collaboration with the government aimed at creating awareness on environmental issues. Government Sector Economic development is the key national priority of Singaporean government, just like other governments. However, economic development should not be a case of pursuing growth at the expense of other important things. Development should not be attained to the detriment of Singapores environment, which is also an integral part of the lives of Singaporeans. In this regards, despite the competing demands for the public funds, the government has a crucial and inevitable role to invest in environmental infrastructure (Moh & Su, 2009).In other words, development projects like Marina Barrage, even as they are aimed at economic development of Singapore and its people, environmental consideration must be integrated into building of these projects. The Singaporean government also has a responsibility to make hard decision policies to maintain environmental standards even if it means risking other benefits such as foreign direct investment (Harley & Guan, 2010).In this vein, the government through the relevant authorities should safeguard Marina Barrage and such other development projects cum tourist sites from foreign companies that may probably seek to invest around the region without complying with the set environmental standards. Further to protect environment from unscrupulous foreign companies, there should be collaboration between the different governmental bodies that are stakeholders in investment and environmental matters in order to seal any loopholes that might allow foreign companies to set up environmental hazardous plants around Marina Barrage and other similar areas in Singapore (Civil Service College, 2014. Even with respect to local context, the government has a role to formulate and enforce rules and regulations that are aimed at sustainability of Marina Barrage. Security of the area is also a main responsibility of the government. It can also partner with the private sectors to sponsor activities such as public awareness campaigns on ecotourism and environmental conservation. Global concern over change in climate, triggered by the continued emergence of a carbon constrained world is increasing. The government has a critical role to manage energy as is has done to management of water (Civil Service College, 2014). As other countries explore the development of alternative fuel, such as wind and solar, the government should spearhead this initiative starting governmental organizations and the private sector would subsequently adopt this move. Community The community around Marina Barrage is charged with an obligation to observe environmental safety standards. The community should desist from engaging in activities that are hazardous to the environment such as littering. The community also has a responsibility to collaborate with the government and the private sector in enforcing and implementing environmental sustainability standards (Harley & Guan, 2010). Sustainability Management Problems at Marina Barrage One sustainability problem facing Marina Barrage emanates from the activities of construction sites on the land around. Silt from the construction sites is eroded into the reservoir when it rains. In the intervening time, environmental specialists have discovered pollutants such as nonylphenol in the dam’s sediments and deep waters, seemingly from leaking sewer lines or runoff. Litter which is collateral damage of tourism is also a challenge to sustainability of Marina Barrage. In conclusion, Marina Barrage is one of the most valuable assets Singapore ever had. From solving the costly water shortages to providing one of the best recreational sites, it worthwhile to exploit this asset to the maximum by creating awareness of its existence to fellow Singaporeans also to selling it abroad as a tourist site. Finally, it is the duty of every Singaporean to conserve the country’s resources even as we exploit them Recommendations on Sustainability Management Problems There should concerted effort in formulation and implementation of strategies geared towards environmental sustainability as each one of them has a valuable role to play in matters pertaining sustainability. There should be adjustment of industry practices and lifestyles in order to achieve sustainable development goals. Individuals must adopt environmentally responsible behavior as a way of life while businesses must enhance resource efficiency by embracing new processes and systems which minimize environmental effect of their operations where it is possible. The public sector should set pace and demonstrate the gains innate to environmental sustainability (Civil Service College, 2014). The Management at Marina Barrage should provide sufficient notices warning against careless pollution by the visitors who tour the place. There should be policies to deter pollution such as littering and accompanying penalties for deliberate contravention of these policies, for instance, non-admission for perpetual offenders. As regards pollution from construction sites and leaking sewer lines, the government should formulate and enforce punitive measures against construction companies for non-compliance with Singaporean environmental safety standards. In pursuit of both a dynamic economy and a sustainable environment, as Singaporeans, we must continue to invest in improving our environment and create an environmentally responsible community in Marin Barrage and other areas. Reflection on Learning Experience from the Trip My one-day trip to Marina Barrage was quite an insightful experience. Firstly, I appreciated the progress the government of Singapore has made towards providing water for households and industrial use through leverage on seawater by way of constructing reservoirs such as Marina Barrage among others. This is quite an initiative that goes way in upholding Singapores economic independence from the view that inadequacy of water could render the government to import water from other countries such as Malaysia. Secondly, the visit changed provided me with a whole new perspective on recreation. Mariner Barrage was not initially designed for recreation, but rather conservation. However, the two elements have been blended, and so far both water conservation and recreation are getting along well irrespective of the few environmental challenges. The trip to Marina Barrage gave me a whole new dimension on the need to embrace environmental sustainability. This was inspired by realization that some of the development projects such as Marina Barrage that have come to improve the lives of Singaporeans in a great way were achieved at the expense of other people, for example families were displaced and businesses relocated for the construction of the Marina Barrage. In addition, the trip provided me with insight of the opportunities of tourism Singapore has for both domestic and international tourism. Tourism opportunities in Singapore, I realized not is not confined to natural features. Development projects can also be modified to serve the core objectives as well as offer opportunities for tourism. Lastly, the trip was an exposure to the various the various strategies available to deal with environmental sustainability challenges. For instance from the case of Marina Barrage, it was amazing to learn that allowing the public to access the dam is not only aimed at offering them opportunity for recreation but also an opportunity to appreciate the real value of conserving water and subsequently take initiative toward sustainability of water resources. References Civil Service College, (2014). Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities. Www.cscollege.gov.sg. Retrieved 2 December 2014, from https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Ethos/Issue%207%20Jan%202010/Pages/Sustainable-Development-Challenges-and-Opportunities.aspx Leal Filho, W. (2005). Handbook of Sustainability Research20051 Handbook of Sustainability Research. Bern, Frankfurt/Main, New York: Peter Lang Scientific Publishers May 2005. 758 pp. Hardback, ISBN: 3‐631‐52606‐7/US‐0‐8204‐7308‐1 “Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability” Vol. 20. Management Of Env Quality, 16(5), 564-565. doi:10.1108/meq.2005.16.5.564.1 Moh, W., & Su, P. (2009). Marina Barrage – A Unique 3-in-1 Project in Singapore. Structural Engineering International, 19(1), 17-21. doi:10.2749/101686609787398399 Singapore National Water Agency,. (2014). Marina Barrage - 3 in 1 Benefits. Pub.gov.sg. Retrieved 26 November 2014, from http://www.pub.gov.sg/Marina/Pages/3-in-1-benefits.aspx#la Unesco,. (2014). Private sector | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Unesco.org. Retrieved 2 December 2014, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/partners/private-sector/ Van der Heijden, H. (2008). Green governmentality, ecological modernisation or civic environmentalism? Dealing with global environmental problems. Environmental Politics, 17(5), 835-839. doi:10.1080/09644010802422701 Read More