Before any trip abroad I will always research what attractions and sites I would like to visit in a particular destination. Similarly, before our trip to Singapore, I made sure to research what I wanted to see. Although I have to be honest, my reason for this is quite superficial – I enjoy posting pictures of my travels on Instagram. When I saw Gardens by the Bay, one of Singapore’s most popular attractions, pop up at the top of my Google search I knew it would be the perfect photo opportunity. The images of the impressive man-made Supertrees and expansive greenhouses left me feeling excited at the prospect of seeing it in person and sharing my photos with my followers. However, whilst I was researching this award-winning tourist hotspot, I did not realise that in fact it was an important place of sustainability…
One point that the attraction highlights is that it uses its knowledge of the Earth’s natural cycles to reduce its environmental impact. The Supertrees generate solar power through photovoltaic cells located on their canopies, they serve as air exhaust receptacles cooling nearby conservatories, and they also collect rainwater for plant irrigation purposes. The Gardens by the Bay website claims that this system helps to achieve “at least 30% savings in energy consumption, compared to conventional cooling technologies”.
The Flower Dome itself was recognised by the Guinness World Book of Records in 2015 as the Largest Glass Greenhouse. It houses exotic plants from five different continents that are of high conservation value, truly showcasing the biodiversity of plant life on Earth. I hope that seeing this diverse collection of over one million plants, visitors stop to think for a moment and recognise the importance of protecting it all from our damaging actions.
However, after visiting the Supertree Grove and both the Flower and Cloud Domes, sightseers can also explore a small exhibition highlighting the impacts of human actions on the planet’s health. The exhibition also advises visitors of how they can change their daily consumption habits and damaging social practices in order to “kick-start [their] journey to sustainability”. Some suggestions include choosing products with less packaging, avoiding bottled water and plastic shopping bags, eating less meat, using public transport or turning off lights and appliances after using them. Most visitors will be aware of these suggestions, however hopefully after seeing what they are responsible for protecting in the conservatories, they might take a step back and reevaluate whether they are doing enough to protect our planet.
We know that by travelling the globe we increase our carbon footprint and cause more damage to our planet, but at the same time thanks to travel we get to discover amazing places like Gardens by the Bay, that inform us about sustainability issues and educate us on what we can do to reduce the effects of our detrimental practices on the planet. I will of course continue to travel and aim to capture that perfect Instagram shot, but I will also make an effort to visit more attractions that place an importance on sustainability and the conservation of biodiversity.
Anastazja Klimczyk
LUMS at WBCSD 
