S’pore to develop 1st national standard on tree pruning & management

A new workgroup will be formed to create Singapore’s first national standard on tree management, Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan announced on Jun. 27.

Focusing on tree management in tropical urban environments, the new code of practice will provide common guidelines for tree pruning and industry-recognised best practices for tree care practitioners in Singapore.

"This will help us to better safeguard the health and safety of our urban trees while maximising the benefits that they provide to every one of us," Tan said.

Tree pruning is key to caring for trees.

Good and consistent pruning practices can improve the longevity of trees, and make them less vulnerable to pests, diseases, and potential failure.

Shaping the code of practice

Co-chaired by the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Landscape Industry Association (Singapore) (LIAS), the workgroup will develop a new Code of Practice for Pruning of Trees in Tropical Urban Landscapes.

This will be done through focus group discussions with key stakeholders over the second half of 2025, and in consultation with the public for feedback when the first draft is ready.

NParks and LIAS aim to publish the finalised code of practice by mid-2026, and share it with the landscape industry and the public.

LIAS represents professionals from the landscape and arboricultural sectors.

Apart from NParks and LIAS, the workgroup will be made up of around 20 members from government agencies such as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and JTC, town councils, private property owners, arboriculture professionals, landscape firms, and more.

Having standardised and science-based guidelines for tree care is important as there are multiple parties involved in managing Singapore’s trees, NParks Group Director Oh Cheow Sheng said.

"By establishing these shared standards together with our industry partners, we hope to better support the long-term health of our tropical urban trees and raise the overall quality of tree care in Singapore."

A regional standard for tropical trees

Singapore’s current tree care practices have largely been based on standards from Europe and the United States, which are catered to temperate climates and tree species.

According to Oh, there are no such standards for tropical urban environments in Southeast Asia to his knowledge.

Thus, Singapore’s new national standard will also serve as a pioneering resource for the region to manage tropical trees in urban environments.

To monitor the practice of the guidelines when they are published, NParks and LIAS are looking to develop accreditation for tree management.

They also plan to explore setting standards for other areas of tree care such as tree inspection and maintenance.

Top image from NParks