On the 11th and 12th of June of 2025, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) took part in the Southeast Asia Urban Forestry Roundtable, held at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. The two-day event was organised by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), and Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks), served as the local host. The roundtable brought together over 40 urban forestry leaders from across Southeast Asia, including representatives from Malaysia (MNS, Free Tree Society, and Forest House and IUCN), Singapore (NParks and Nature Society Singapore), Indonesia (IPB University), Vietnam (GreenViet, University of Da Nang, Nong Lam University), Philippines (Forest Foundation Philippines), Thailand (BIGTrees and Thai Arboriculture Association) and Hong Kong (The Conservancy Association).
The roundtable served as a platform for the participants to share their expertise and experience in championing nature conservation within urban city forest landscapes, highlighting the uniqueness within its georegion of natural wonders found within recreational parks, forest, landmarks and landscapes, and while deliberating better insights towards best management practices in this current Anthropocene era. Drawing upon a diverse pool of conservationists and arborists, the event sought to solicit up-to-date ideas from a broader coalition within the Southeast Asian regional partners. The organisers of this event accentuated the importance that cities around the world in banding together to share ideas and work towards developing a gold standard framework in urban forestry, and recommended these five core approaches, which are as follows:
- The city must have a written statement by city leaders delegating responsibility for the care of trees within the municipal boundary to a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens—called a Tree Board.
- The city has in place a law or an official policy that governs the management of forests and trees. These rules describe how work must be performed— often citing best practices or industry standards for tree care and worker safety— where and when they apply, and penalties for noncompliance.
- The city has an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree assets so that an effective long-term plan for planting, care, and remediation of city trees can be carried out.
- The city has a dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan.
- The city holds an annual celebration of trees to raise awareness among residents and to acknowledge citizens and staff members who carry out the city arboriculture programme.
Day 1 – Foundations of Urban Forestry
The event opened with a warm welcome by Ms. Sophie Plitt from the Arbor Day Foundation, followed by remarks from Arbor Day CEO Mr. Dan Lambe and ISA CEO Ms. Caitlyn Pollihan. A keynote presentation followed, presented by Dr. Yap Him Hoo, the Deputy CEO of NParks, who shared Singapore’s visionary transformation, from an early concept of “Garden in City” to today’s integrated “City in Nature, with the adoption of ecosystem-based approach in urban planning, including the incorporation of multi-tiered forest-like plantings, conversion of areas surrounding natural habitats into nature parks and utilising technologies such as Geographic Information System (GIS) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for tree inventory and management. Dr. Yap also elucidated how community participation in Singapore has been formalised through the “Friends of the Park” programme, which enables Singaporeans to co-create and maintain the parks alongside the government.
Day 1 – Roundtable Key Highlights
One salient point that emerged during the roundtable was the importance of tailoring urban forestry strategies to fit each city’s unique environment and governance structure. In a networking and breakout session, participants across SEA shared candid insights into local challenges and opportunities. Bangkok, for instance, faces challenges in securing budgets for tree plantings and maintenance. While tree inventories have been initiated by the public and NGOs, the City Council has yet to fully take responsibility or show strong commitment in conserving and maintaining greenery in the city. Meanwhile, Bogor and Jakarta cities have developed urban tree inventories, but are in need of standardised protocols and reliable data to support decision-making processes. In Kuala Lumpur, urban forestry efforts are hampered by jurisdictional segregation, with land management divided between Federal and State governments, and coupled with weak enforcement of the Tree Preservation Order (TPO). Singapore stood out with its comprehensive legal frameworks, including the National Parks Act and Parks and Trees Act, which protects trees and sets strict penalties for unauthorised removal of trees. However, even Singapore noted the need for technological advancement to fully manage its growing tree inventory.
The first day session concluded with a guided walk through the National Orchid Garden, followed by a networking dinner hosted at the Burkill Hall, a historic colonial-era bungalow within the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Originally built in 1868, the hall once served as the residence for father and son, Henry Burkill (1912-1925) and Humphrey M. Burkill (1957-1969) during their tenureships as the Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Late H.M. Burkill was our MNS Lifetime Honorary Member and renowned botanist and naturalist, who contributed significantly throughout his lifetime to the many early flora findings and nature conservation in Malaya. Today, the Burkill Hall is also a prime venue for hosting wedding receptions, with its surrounding menageries of orchid clusters, and preserved as a foremost heritage landmark in Singapore. The evening offered the attendees an opportunity to connect and continue discussions in a lush and meaningful setting.
Day 2 – Innovations and Actions
The roundtable continued on the second day with a focus on sharing urban forestry innovations across the region. MNS was given the opportunity to present its Rantaian Urban Green Spaces (RUGS) project, which seeks to reconnect fragmented green spaces in Klang Valley (encompassing Kuala Lumpur and Selangor districts), and empowering the local communities to take an active role in restoring and protecting the urban biodiversity. The RUGS project was well-received as an example of community-based intervention with potential for replication in other cities.
Other notable innovations include the use of the iTree tool in Da Nang (Vietnam) and Jakarta (Indonesia) to map and monitor tree canopy cover in the cities, estimate carbon sequestration values, and inform data-driven urban forestry plans. Vietnam also showcased its collaboration with the UpRace platform for fundraising by converting distances ran by participants into funding for tree planting efforts. In Quezon City of the Philippines, urban forestry was linked to public health through “forest bathing” experiences, which promote mental well-being and connect urban dwellers to nature through guided walks and educational materials. Thailand offered a unique perspective by training former inmates in tree care to equip them with essential skills for a career in arboriculture and providing a viable pathway for reintegration into the society. Hong Kong faces challenges with limited space for trees. They instead focused on education through their Jockey Club – The Conservancy Association Urban Forestry Green Hub, which is strategically located underneath the elevated highway in Sham Shui Po. Public events and workshops are regularly hosted at the hub to raise awareness on the importance of urban greenery and biodiversity.
Another highlight was the post-action planning which was discussed amongst the participants, for each country representative to reflect on key takeaways and lessons learnt- best practical steps they could take to improve their city’s tree management practices and pursue recognition under the Tree Cities of the World programme. The collaborative atmosphere and shared vision among the participants signalled a strong commitment to building greener and more resilient cities across Southeast Asia.
At the event’s finale, slated as the best highlight of the roundtable meet was the guided tour*,one of the tours was led by Dr. M. Sugumaran, a distinguished flora curator and researcher renowned in Malaysia and Singapore. Dr. Sugumaran, known for his deep botanical expertise, graciously hosted the event’s entourage on an exclusive walk through one of the best-kept hidden walkways within the Botanical Garden’ labyrinth. As a long-time contributor to the scientific understanding of urban forestry and horticulture, Dr. Sugumaran has dedicated years of research and conservation work to the 82-hectare heritage landscape, which was established for over 200 years. Singapore Botanical Garden holds the honour as the first tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It is also the third UNESCO World Heritage Site listed botanic garden in the world, following Italy’s Orto Botanico di Padova and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the United Kingdom.
For MNS, the roundtable was both a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to strengthen regional collaborations and technical support. As our cities continue to grow, such a platform will be vital in ensuring that our living natural heritage remains protected at the heart of urban development, not just for its aesthetic value, but also for biodiversity, climate resilience and well-being of the future generations. Overall, this roundtable may serve as an important stepping stone for MNS, whether in small or larger ways, in championing the chorus of ‘Tree Cities of the World’ .
*For more highlights of SBG guided tours refer to https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/visit-us/guided-tours
About The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): ISA was founded in 1924 when members of the Connecticut Tree Protective Association convened a meeting that would plant the seed of the organization that would ultimately revolutionize the tree care industry. ISA is aligned on many fronts with other green organizations and fostering a better understanding of trees and tree care through research and the education of professionals as well as global efforts to inform tree care consumers. ISA is globally recognized for its economic, environmental, and societal benefits and values of trees and their care at a cost that demonstrates the wise stewardship of resources. ISA is registered in the US, within the State of Illinois as a 501c (5) nonprofit organisation.
For more info about visit : https://www.isa-arbor.com/
About Arbor Day Foundation (ADF): ADF is a global nonprofit dedicated to planting trees. Since 1972, ADF has planted more than half a billion trees in over 60 countries, and are on a mission to plant another 500 million by 2027 with a dedicated focus on forests and communities most in need of trees. ADF has brought together the world’s largest community of tree planters and built lasting connections with meaningful resources from members, individuals, and corporations.
For more info about Arbor Day Foundation visit : https://www.arborday.org/
About Singapore National Parks Board (NParks): NParks is Singapore’s leading authority & governmental agency for greenery, biodiversity conservation, and wildlife and animal health, welfare and management. As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, NParks will continue to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. The Green Plan charts ambitious and concrete targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement, and positioning Singapore to achieve a long-term net zero emissions aspiration by 2050.
For more information about Singapore NParks visit : https://www.nparks.gov.sg/
