Topic 1- geography

• Nature depends on communities for conservation efforts where people spread awareness and protect the natural environment
• Nature provides communities with recreational space
• Nature areas benefit people by lowering temperatures through shade and reducing direct sunlight
• Local communities and nearby nature areas

  Dependent upon each other
• Green spaces and urban wildlife in a neighborhood can enhance the mental health and well-being of local communities
• Community activities promote the importance of environmental protection
• Wetland plants can trap suspended materials and absorb excess nutrients in the water, improving water quality
• Residents participate in recreational activities in urban spaces and gain enjoyment from positive encounters with wildlife
• Communities depend on nature for pollinating crops for a continuous supply of food (living organisms like bees)
• Vegetation absorbs air pollutants, intercepts small particles, and helps improve air quality
• Nature depends on communities for people tending to plants and animals' health to ensure their survival
• Direct, frequent interaction with nature can bring about health and well-being benefits for people, reducing the severity and occurrence of health conditions
• Local communities and nearby nature areas

  Mutually affect each other
• Therapeutic gardens


  • Connect people with nature, reduce stress which improves physical, psychological, and social well-being
• NParks activities for schools during International Biodiversity Day

  • Green Wave campaign aims to educate youths about the importance of protecting our natural environment
• Communities depend on nature for essentials like air and water (necessary for humans to survive)
• Human activities can enhance biodiversity through reforestation activities
• Nature areas offer numerous opportunities for outdoor activities and promote health and well-being benefits for people
• Trees lower air temperature by providing shade and cooling the surrounding air through evapotranspiration
• People spending more time in nature can potentially lead to an increase in human-wildlife encounters
• Local communities can collectively raise awareness about the value of nature areas, encouraging positive behavior that does not damage nature
• Visitors feeding wild animals may cause increased incidents of human-wildlife conflicts
• Human activities bring disadvantages to nature by causing soil erosion, damage to vegetation, and disturbing wildlife
• Singapore has embarked on a greening journey to transform into a garden city, aiming to bring nature back into the city and promote human-wildlife encounters
• Frequent interaction with nature can bring about health and well-being benefits
• The Cross Island MRT was proposed to tunnel around instead of under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve to protect the largest primary rainforest, causing concerns among residents about inconvenience and property damage
• Natural areas offer numerous opportunities for outdoor activities
• Local communities organizing conservation efforts

  • Waterways clean-up program - Citizens pick up trash from the Marina Reservoir
• Environmental protection may seem to limit a country's development as some believe protection is done at the expense of their needs
• Urban expansion results in shrinking natural habitats, leading wildlife to venture out in search of food and shelter, potentially increasing human-wildlife encounters
• Regions can be classified by

  • Environmental characteristics, Human characteristics, Geographical locations
• Residents are afraid that environmental conservation protection will result in increased inconvenience and limit urban development
• Regions

  • Little Guilin (nature park in Bukit Batok), Jurong town (commercial region with industrial buildings), Residential region (where most homes are located)
• Significant events at local landmarks & gathering places

  • Landmarks serve symbolic/historic purposes which trigger memories and emotions to develop a sense of place for people
• Sense of place is represented by different forms and types of media by individuals and organizations
• Sense of place


  Highly personal & subjective, acquired through repeated encounters with objects & people, and significant events at local landmarks & gathering places
• Town councils are responsible for common areas in public housing and commercial property within the town and carry out various works for the benefit of residents
• Human characteristics

  • Commercial, Industrial, Residential areas
• Example event

  • Central Catchment Nature Reserve is to protect one of the largest primary rainforests
• Places lacking landmarks can improve people's sense of place by tapping into collective memory or creating memorable events