NUS researcher seeks to channel more funds into conserving nature

This year's COP28 climate change conference will feature a critical "health check" on the planet. It will be attended by more young people than ever, as efforts to stem global warming will impact them the most. This group includes at least 35 from Singapore. In part three of this weekly series, Cheryl Tan finds out how conservation science researcher Shakura Bashir hopes to make a difference to the planet.

Having spent a decade in the environment sector, Ms Shakura Bashir has seen a whole spectrum of sustainability efforts take shape here, from the Republic's efforts to bolster food security, to its continued investing in clean water technologies.

But one particular area has since captured the attention of the PhD student wielding the power of Mother Nature to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Protecting nature and sustainably managing natural ecosystems, such as forests and mangroves, can be an antidote to the climate crisis, as nature-based solutions help to whittle away carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, cleaving the carbon, and storing the element in their soil and root systems.

At the same time, mangroves can protect surrounding communities from harsh climate impacts like sea-level rise, while forest shade can be a cooling reprieve as the planet warms. These ecosystems also serve as a viable habitat for biodiversity, and provide people with increased food and water security.

"Yet, many lush forests and biodiversity-rich areas are being threatened with deforestation, in the face of lucrative businesses like timber and palm oil," said Ms Shakura, 33, who is pursuing her doctorate at the National University of Singapore's Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions.

The issue is particularly pronounced in South-east Asia, which is losing 1.2 per cent of its forests annually for agriculture, food and other raw materials.

To keep these forests intact, local communities would therefore need the financial incentives to do so.

So far, the lion's share of such efforts has come from government funding worldwide standing at 76 per cent, based on a Bloomberg New Economy Forum report in April.