Uploaded on 2015-06-03 by katsibox

-capital (enters the country - stays in - leaves the country) -people (enter - stay in -leave) -resources as water and electricity (enter -stay in) -food (enter - stay in) -land (stay in but also enters the country as we shall demonstrate below). 1. Capital ![sing skyline_katsibox][1] As can be seen in this picture, Singapore's city centre has a very impressive skyline. Massive quantities of steel, concrete and construction materials enter the country (flows) in order to construct spectacular mega-structures, a sign of the wealth of the city-state and its dominant role in the region. All this is achieved through the accumulation of capital (stock) from literally all over the world, as Singapore has become one of the financial centres of the globalised economy. 2. People ![workers army_katsibox][2] In order to materialise the projects, however, human hands are needed in abundance. A large amount of workers enter and stay in the country (both flow and stock), recruited from the poorer economies of the region. They receive special working permits by the authorities and they stay, most of the times, within the construction site perimeter. This invisible army constitutes a stock which is responsible for the materialisation of the image of the city, i.e. the spectacular buildings that signify the dominancy of the city-state in the region. 3. Land ![Jurong island project_katsibox][3] Singapore has a finite stock of land, at first sight. It is not widely known, though, that huge reclamation projects are continuously under way, aiming to expand the land into the sea and provide space for the industrial plants and new residential settlements. Hence land is literally a stock and a flow in this country. Large amounts of gravel and sand are imported from adjacent countries and are stocked in outdoor yards or underground spaces. The accumulation of aggregates is of large-scale, aiming to cater not only for the present but also for the future needs of the city-state. One of these cases is the reclamation of Jurong island, which can be seen in the photo above. 4. Food and consumers' goods ![containers yard_katsibox][4] Food and almost all consumers' goods enter Singapore in large quantities, since the country does not have agriculture and its main product is services. Moreover, a significant part of its economy is based on the commercial activities of its port as one of the intermediate freight stations in-and-out of Asia. As such, there is a continuous flow of food and products (from abroad to the local market or forwarding them to other countries) and storage (stock) less or more temporary, in the large container yards of its port. Regarding the future change of the flows and stocks, described above, a number of steps could be taken to benefit the area. The main focus could be in finding more effective ways of transportation, thus less pollution. Secondly, in the consumption habits of the locals, hence produce less waste and, at the same time, educate the young generations with regard to the finite availability of resources. In terms of goods, Singapore could e.g. invest in hydroponic cultivation, hence be responsible for producing some of its raw products instead of importing everything from abroad. As far as the people is concerned, the flow of working power is connected to the economy and the need for infrastructure and habitation. More emphasis could be given in the condition this temporary stock lives. Last but not least, regarding the flow and stock of land, the environmental impact could be taken into consideration more seriously and investigate how technology could help satisfying the demand through different/more effective ways rather than changing the topography of the area so crudely and dramatically. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14333509081812519.jpeg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14333511798777024.jpeg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1433351874318388.jpeg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1433352003172001.jpeg