Geography

in Everyday
Life Cluster
Topic 1: Thinking Geographically
1.1 Relationship between people
Learning Overview
In this topic, you will learn:
• The relationship between people and nature in their neighbourhoods.
• How people acquire a sense of place in their neighbourhoods.
• The relationship between locations in a neighbourhood.
• How neighbourhoods are organised in Singapore.

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Key Geographical Concepts

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Concept of environment

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What is the relationship between people
and nature?
1. Local communities and nearby nature areas are dependent
upon each other
• People are dependent on nature for many things:
• Nature provides essentials like air and water for humans to survive.
• Living organisms like bees help pollinate crops for a continuous supply
of food.
• Nature provides spaces for recreation and leisure activities which allows
people to bond with their family and friends, thus helping to maintain
humans' physical and mental well-being.
• Example: Nparks’ Therapeutic Gardens

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Nparks’ Therapeutic Gardens
- help to connect people with nature and reduce stress which improves
their physical, psychological and social well-being

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What is the relationship between people
and nature?
1. Local communities and nearby nature areas are dependent
upon each other
• Some nature areas are also dependent on local communities to
thrive.
• People in the neighbourhood may tend to the health of nearby nature
areas, ensuring the plants and animals living there thrive.
• Individuals in local communities can encourage one another to enjoy
nearby nature areas in a sustainable manner without causing irreversible
damage.
• Example: NParks organises a range of activities for schools during the
week of international day for biodiversity in May such as the Green Wave
campaign which aims to educate youths about the importance of
protecting our natural environment.
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 Green Wave Campaign

• Green Wave is a worldwide biodiversity campaign that

educates children and youths about the importance of
protecting our natural environment. As Singapore continues to
urbanise, we should all strive to keep our City in Nature green
and vibrant.

• Each year, students from around the world plant locally

important trees in their school compounds at 10 am on the
International Day of Biological Diversity, 22 May. This creates a
figurative “green wave” that begins in the Far East before
eventually rippling across the globe.

• As part of Green Wave, NParks will provide plants for planting,

while each school is to make their own arrangements to have
their plants delivered. NParks has contracted a vendor who can
deliver the tree or shrub to the schools.

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/community-in-nature-
initiative/biodiversity-week-for-schools
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What is the relationship between people
and nature?
1. Local communities and nearby nature areas mutually affect
each other
• In a mutual relationship, the parties involved can bring about benefits to
each other.
• The presence of green spaces and urban wildlife in neighbourhoods can
enhance the mental health and well-being of local communities.
• Human activities in nature areas can enhance their biodiversity. Through
reforestation activities:
• People can gain enjoyment and enhance their mental health and well-being.
• The overall health of the natural environment is enhanced as more shelter and
habitat for the urban wildlife to thrive are provided.
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 How do people and nature bring about
benefits to each other?

1. Nature areas benefit people by:

• Lowering air temperature
• Removal of pollutants
• Provision of recreation space

Toa Payoh Town Park 11

Lowering air temperature

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Lowering air temperature

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Removal of pollutants
There are several ways nature can remove pollutants:
• During photosynthesis, vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and releases
oxygen.
• Vegetation also absorbs other air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide.
• Instead of being suspended in the air, small particles are also intercepted
by leaves and then washed down to the ground when it rains, removing
pollutants from the air

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Removal of pollutants

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Removal of pollutants (wetland plants)

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 Provision of recreation space
• Nature areas offer
numerous opportunities
for outdoor activities.
• Direct and frequent
interactions with nature
can bring about health
and wellbeing benefits
to people, which
reduces severity and
occurrence of health
conditions.

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 How do people and nature bring about
benefits to each other?
2. People bring benefits to nature through community activities
that promote the importance of environmental protection
(a) Local communities can collectively raise awareness about the
value of nature areas through encouraging positive behaviour that
does not damage nature.
• Example: The NParks Citizen Science initiative, Dragonfly
Watch, trains participants to identify different dragonfly species
at their assigned sites. This results in greater protection of the
species by raising awareness of their importance in the
environment.
Toa Payoh Town Park 18
 How do people and nature bring about
benefits to each other?
2. People bring benefits to nature through community activities that
promote the importance of environmental protection
(b) Local communities can also organise or participate in conservation efforts.
• Clean-up programmes to remove pollutants from the environment help restore
natural habitats and provide a healthy environment for species to thrive.
• Example: The waterways clean-up programme organised by the Waterways
Watch Society creates opportunities for companies and schools to pick up trash
from the Marina Reservoir on foot, using bicycles, kayaks, or boats. Despite the
COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,000 participants fished out 2,429kg of trash
from Marina Reservoir in 2020 through this programme. → The removal of
pollutants helps to restore the natural habitats, providing a healthy environment
for species to thrive.
Toa Payoh Town Park 19
What are the disadvantages people and
nature bring to each other?
Disadvantages brought about by Disadvantages brought about by
people to nature nature to people
1. Visitors may cause soil erosion, 1. Wildlife from nearby nature areas
damage vegetation, worsen may harm people
pollution and disturb wildlife 2. Environmental protection may be
perceived to be limiting
development

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Disadvantages brought about by people
to nature
a) Causing soil erosion and damaging vegetation.
• When people hike along non-designated trails in nature areas:
• They may cause soil compaction which prevents rainwater from
infiltrating the surface. This leads to higher surface flows and soil erosion
as the flowing water washes away the soil particles.
• They may trample on the vegetation, damaging plants and affecting
their growth.
• Example: In 2014, human activities led to severe soil erosion and habitat
degradation in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. This resulted in the limiting
of public access to the nature reserve for 2 years.

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Disadvantages brought about by people
to nature

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Disadvantages brought about by people
to nature
b) Worsening pollution and disturbing wildlife.
• Littering can worsen pollution in natural areas.
• Animals can get cut by metal cans or become entangled with
plastic containers and bags.
• Some animals may also mistake the litter for food and consume
them. This may cause the animals to get hurt and suffer, and may
eventually lead to their death.

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Disturbing wildlife

A long-tailed macaque mistaking a Styrofoam box for food

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Disturbing wildlife

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Disadvantages brought about by nature
to people
1) Wildlife from nearby nature areas may harm people
• Human-wildlife conflicts may increase due to increase in human-
wildlife encounters
• Read the following article “Otters ‘murdered’ prized koi and share
your thoughts/feelings if you were the owner of the koi

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Disadvantages brought about by nature
to people
Reasons for increase in human-wildlife:

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Disadvantages brought about by nature
to people
• As the wildlife population in the city increases, people who may
not know how to deal with them may unintentionally provoke
them, leading to attacks.
• Some animals may be confused and fearful when they venture into
unfamiliar urban spaces, increasing their likelihood of attacks
when fearful or triggered.
• Let’s watch a video on wild boar attacks in Singapore

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Disadvantages brought about by nature
to people

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Disadvantages brought about by nature
to people
1) Environmental protection may be perceived to be limiting development.
• Some people in local communities may feel that the protection of nature
is done at the expense of their needs.
• Example: The Cross Island MRT Line was proposed to be built around,
instead of under, the Central Catchment Nature Reserve to protect our
largest primary rainforest.
• Residents were afraid that this development would:
• Bring them inconvenience.
• Damage their property.
• Result in their homes being acquired to make way for the construction.
• However, this nature reserve is home to numerous critically endangered species.
Construction of the Cross Island MT Line may damage their habitat, affecting
their survival.
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Summary of key learning points
1. Local communities and nearby nature areas:
• Are dependent upon each other.
• Mutually affect each other.
2. Nature brings benefits to people by:
• Lowering temperatures.
• Removing pollutants.
• Providing space for recreation.

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Summary of key learning points
3. People bring benefits to nature through:
• Community activities that promote the importance of environmental
protection.
4. People bring disadvantages to nature by:
• Causing soil erosion and damaging vegetation.
• Worsening pollution.
• Disturbing wildlife.
5. Nature may bring disadvantages to people as:
• Wildlife from nearby nature areas may harm people.
• Environmental protection may limit development.
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Glossary
• Community: A group of people in a particular place who has a sense of
belonging both to the place and to the group.
• Nature area: Also known as the natural environment, it refers to the
nonhuman world, which are areas that are untouched or barely affected by
humans.
• Recreation: Any voluntary activity undertaken for purposes of enjoyment,
pleasure, and personal satisfaction.
• Neighbourhood: A sub-division of an urban area that is distinguished by
some character or quality, where residents share commonalities.
• Wildlife: Animals of a wild nature including their young or eggs.

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Glossary
• Vegetation: The collection of plant life that provides ground cover in a region.
• Environmental protection: Any activity to protect, conserve and restore
natural habitats and species.
• Soil erosion: Soil particles being detached, transported and deposited by
water, wind, gravity, animals or plants.
• Pollutant: Substance that is present in concentrations that may harm humans,
plants and animals.
• Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances into the environment.

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