The UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize For Environmental Preservation
The National Parks Board of Singapore was awarded the 2017 UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation during a gala event in Jordan. This biennial award recognizes outstanding projects in environmental conservation and sustainable development. This year marks an historic moment as the National Parks Board became the first Asian-Pacific country ever to win this coveted honor. Wananba in Central Sulawesi. Their winning project involves the restoration of natural forest ecosystem in Wananba. The restoration project was spearheaded by the Board’s Ecological Services division in collaboration with Wananba Wildlife and Marine Sanctuary Foundation – both non-governmental organizations dedicated to conserving endangered Rafiezuwan forest ecosystem. It aimed at revitalizing it. National Parks Board restoration work included revitalizing forest canopy by restoring it and clearing away illegal tree plantations. Reforestation efforts also were implemented, along with visitor center construction and marine protected area establishment.
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, awarded this prize. She noted that National Parks Board of Singapore initiative as being “an outstanding effort” at conserving nature and culture. As she expressed it: “UNESCO is honored to honor this achievement!” She went on to say: “This year, we recognize innovative approaches which address global environmental and cultural heritage challenges,” noting: “These inspiring finalists represent our mission.”
Same Game Parlays (SGPs) have revolutionized sports betting in the US. By combining multiple outcomes from a single game into one bet, same Game Parlays offer the potential for higher payouts than traditional parlays – although due to high variance and low expected value these bets may prove risky to bettors. To maximize profits with Same Game Parlays it is imperative that bettors understand correlation between outcomes as well as appropriate bankroll management practices in order to make maximum returns from such wagers.
Correlation plays an integral part in calculating odds for Single Game Parlays (SGPs), since all legs come from one game and thus more susceptible to its effects than traditional parlays. Furthermore, SGPs limit bettors’ research opportunities with each selection from just one game in an SGP.
A generous donor has doubled the prize money and encouraged the creation of a new category in 2025, giving Singaporeans greater engagement with our heritage through various media. The new category welcomes works that explore Singaporean history in any medium – books printed or electronic format, documentaries films, visual art or installation art among them.
The Lauriston Sharp Memorial Prize was established to honour his legacy as Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology and SEAP founder. Every year, this prize will be awarded to an exceptional doctoral student whose dissertation and community engagement represent an outstanding contribution to Southeast Asian studies and SEAP community life. Judging will take place by an expert panel from within Southeast Asia studies; applicants will need to provide both their dissertation and engagement materials online in order to be considered.