A new home for Singapore's natural history in 2014!
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!
Feeding Spotted Dove: 5. Family visit
from Bird Ecology Study Group
A high strung theme
from The annotated budak
Take ownership of local issues
from The Straits Times Blogs
Coral reefs doomed by climate change
from Mongabay.com news
The growing impacts of China's oil spill
from Mongabay.com news
Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: Singapore's only natural history museum, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Science, will move into a new building by 2014.
This follows a S$25 million philanthropic gift from the Lee Foundation - the third substantial gift in six months.
In total, NUS said S$46 million was raised through the six month long fund raising effort.
The new purposed-built building to be named the 'Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum,' will be located adjacent to the University Cultural Centre along Kent Ridge Crescent.
It will showcase Southeast Asian biodiversity and environmental issues in an exhibition hall that will be 10 times the size of the current gallery.
NUS said a new round of fundraising efforts will kick off soon to equip the new museum with high-quality new exhibits for the galleries.
The team also hopes to develop a strong public programme.
The museum is the custodian of one of the earliest natural history collections in Southeast Asia.
The 160-year-old collection was inherited from the then Raffles Museum and Library at Stamford Road in the 1970s, after the museum was renamed the National Museum and refocused its attention on the arts and history.
Over the past 40 years, the collection has grown to more than 566,000 specimens.
Today, NUS said the museum is the leading biodiversity research centre in Southeast Asia.
- CNA/jm
$46m raised for natural history museum
Sum raised in 6 months exceeds $35m target; work on building at NUS campus to begin next year
Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
A NATURAL history museum is set to come up on the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus by 2014, to re-house the country's priceless collection of animal and plant specimens.
The 7,000 sq m building, to be built near the Clementi Road end of the campus, will be home to more than 500,000 specimens belonging to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR).
The fund-raising for the museum has proceeded far better than expected: $46 million was raised in six months, surpassing the target of $35 million.
The Lee Foundation weighed in with $25 million, adding to anonymous multimillion-dollar donations as well as about $1 million from the public.
For NUS biology professors Peter Ng and Leo Tan who are spearheading the plans, this dream has taken five years to realise. They were pleased to announce yesterday that, with the funds, the project can now proceed. Work will begin in the later half of next year.
The museum will be called Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, in honour of the Lee Foundation's donation. It will be built in Kent Ridge Crescent, where the Office of Estate Development now stands, with the University Cultural Centre and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music nearby.
The site is near established food outlets and car parks and is on a bus route, which will make the museum accessible.
The current RMBR site is buried away in NUS' Faculty of Science, among a maze of buildings.
Prof Ng, who is director of the RMBR, said: 'We've reached the first milestone. The Lee Foundation is particularly interested in the fact that this collection is part of our natural heritage, as we've had it for more than 100 years. We want to build a green building we can be proud of.'
Prof Tan, who chairs the RMBR fund-raising committee, said: 'When people see natural history, they can relate to it in an immediate way that they can't with abstract art, as we're all biological beings. It's a museum where three generations can come at once, as there are no barriers to appreciating it.'
As well as the fund-raising has gone, it is not over. The two professors estimate they will need another $10 million to create world-class exhibitions.
Their benchmark of quality is a recent ocean exhibition which cost US$35 million (S$48 million) to mount at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC - although the kitty here is unlikely to be that big.
Project manager Tan Swee Hee said the new exhibition space will include a section on Singapore's biodiversity, man and the environment, and a 'green' gallery on pro-environment efforts here.
The RMBR collection is so large that only 0.1 per cent of it can be on show at any one time at its existing home. The new museum will have at least 10 times the space.
HUMAN NATURE
'When people see natural history, they can relate to it in an immediate way that they can't with abstract art, as we're all biological beings.'
Prof Leo Tan, who chairs the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research's fund-raising committee
New home for Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research in 2014
Mustafa Shafawi Today Online 23 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE - Singapore's only natural history museum, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (picture) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Science, will move into a new building by 2014.
The new purpose-built building, to be named "Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum", will be located adjacent to the University Cultural Centre along Kent Ridge Crescent.
It will showcase South-east Asian biodiversity and environmental issues in an exhibition hall that will be 10 times the size of the current gallery.
NUS said a new round of fund-raising efforts will kick off soon to equip the new museum with high-quality new exhibits for the galleries. NUS had earlier raised $46 million through a six-month long fund-raising effort.
The museum is the custodian of one of the earliest natural history collections in South-east Asia.
The 160-year-old collection was inherited from the then-Raffles Museum and Library at Stamford Road in the 1970s, after the museum was renamed the National Museum and refocused its attention on the arts and on history. Over the past 40 years, the collection has grown to more than 566,000 specimens.
Today, the museum is the leading biodiversity research centre in South-east Asia, said NUS.
New Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: Sea levels off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia will rise by 10cm to 13cm in the next 100 years, the Dewan Negara was told yesterday.
Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said the sea level at the west coast of Pulau Langkawi would rise by 10cm, while the sea off Tanjung Piai, Johor would go up by 13 cm.
He said these were the findings of study conducted by the Drainage and Irrigation Department in 2006.
"The rise in sea levels will not have a significant impact on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia," he said in reply to a question from Senator Mohd Khalid Ahmad.
Kurup said 288.4km or six per cent of the country's 4,809km coastline was being eroded by the sea.
The erosion is placed under Category One, in which economic activities and property are under threat and immediate action must be taken to rectify the problem.
He said the ministry was implementing short-term and long-term measures to deal with the problem,
"Short-term measures include carrying out engineering work and construction of erosion control structures. So far, 140km of affected coastline has been rehabilitated.
"Among the rehabilitated areas are Kemaman beach, Terengganu, Kuala Sala Kecil and Kampung Kangkung, Yan, Kedah and the Miri - Kuala Baram coastline in Sarawak."
He said for the long-term, the Drainage and Irrigation Department had implemented a plan to prevent shoreline erosion from worsening.
Sea levels rising in the peninsula, says Kurup
The Star 23 Jul 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: Sea levels off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia will rise by 10cm to 13cm in the next 100 years, said Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.
He added that sea levels on the west coast of Pulau Langkawi would rise by 10cm while at Tanjung Piai, Johor, it is expected to increase by 13cm.
Kurup said the findings were revealed in a national coastal vulnerability index study conducted by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) in 2006.
Checks revealed that 288.4km or 6% of the peninsula’s 4,809km-long coast is being eroded by sea water, he told Senator Mohd Khalid Ahmad.
The erosion is grouped under Category One, which states that economic activities and property are under threat and immediate action must be taken to rectify the problem, he said.
Kurup added that the ministry was implementing short-term and long-term measures in response to the problem of coastal erosion.
“Short-term measures include carrying out engineering works and construction of erosion control structures.
“So far, 140km of affected coastline have been rehabilitated. Among the areas rehabilitated are Kemaman beach (Terengganu), Kuala Sala Kecil and Kampung Kangkung, Yan (Kedah) and the Miri - Kuala Baram coastline in Sarawak,” added Kurup.
He said in the long-term, DID has implemented an integrated shoreline management plan to prevent shoreline erosion from worsening.
Straits Times Forum 23 Jul 10;
I REFER to Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan's speech in Parliament, reported on Wednesday ('Look beyond GDP for true measure of welfare'), where he called on the Government to track indicators beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Measuring GDP is important as it provides knowledge of the amount of goods and services produced by our economy.
However, its shortcomings as a measure of standard of living have been well documented, most notably by Nobel Prize economics laureate Joseph Stiglitz.
GDP puts no value on leisure. Therefore, a society that works longer hours will have a higher GDP, but it may not score in human measurements like education and health.
It does not capture the work done in the non-paid sector. This includes volunteer work, parenting and household chores, all of which are essential for the well-being of a functioning and gracious society.
It is also a measurement that ignores the impact of productive activities on the environment. This is because negative effects are not taken into account in the calculation of increased utility.
An extreme and perverse example is the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A disaster like that would actually increase GDP, because to clean up the spill, jobs are created, while measures to mitigate the harm also boost GDP.
There have been attempts to develop credible alternatives to GDP. Examples include the United Nations Human Development Index, which combines GDP with health and education measurements, and the Happy Planet Index, which combines life expectancy, life satisfaction and how environmentally sustainable a country's economic activity is.
Nonetheless, many of these measurements are often dismissed by governments, and it may take some time before measurements like Bhutan's Gross National Happiness gain credibility.
In the meantime, a simple step towards looking beyond GDP is simply to recognise that it was never designed to be an indicator of an economy's welfare; it was simply intended to measure the economy.
Seah Su Chen (Ms)
Hoe Pei Shan Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
THE recent spate of trees falling are the result of severe weather conditions, not poor maintenance.
The National Parks Board (NParks) said it had, in fact, stepped up its 15,000 tree a month inspection to include an additional 2,000 large, mature trees in the past two months, when unstable weather first hit Singapore.
Meeting the media yesterday, NParks director of streetscapes Simon Longman said there was no emerging pattern as to what sort of trees or areas were more prone to such accidents.
'There was no trend in the species, the size or the location of these recent cases, and it really boils down to the individual circumstances like wind and rain,' said Mr Longman, who added that the recent severe weather conditions have made the work of NParks particularly challenging.
'For the tree that fell in Yio Chu Kang, it had a well-formed root system, and yet was completely uprooted by the microburst.'
Thunderstorms and microbursts, which are powerful gusts of air, contributed to 240 incidents of fallen trees or branches in June alone.
This week, two instances of trees falling on cars were reported - one in Ang Mo Kio yesterday and another in Yio Chu Kang on Tuesday, when a man was crushed to death.
And in the light of more severe weather expected at the weekend, the intensified maintenance regime - which targets trees along roads with high vehicular traffic - will continue.
Mr Longman also gave the assurance that NParks has been carrying out a 'very rigorous and systematic' tree care programme, with regular tree safety inspections for signs of poor health, disease, pests or structural defects performed since the 1980s.
NParks has 120 officers certified by the International Society of Arboriculture who go around inspecting each of the estimated two million trees along Singapore's roads, in parks and protected nature areas at intervals of 12 to 18 months.
A visual examination - to look out for decay, cracks or entanglement - may be followed up with secondary checks with the use of high-tech equipment if necessary.
For example, the PiCUS sonic tomograph is used to detect the internal condition of the trees by measuring the velocity of sound passed through the wood in a cross-section of the tree to assess if there are cavities.
Inspection details are then recorded in a computerised database which enables NParks staff to identify trends and take preventive action to minimise the risks of tree failure.
For instance, once NParks identifies trees in areas with public access that are deemed vulnerable during rainstorms, they are replaced with stronger species like the angsana, rain tree, broad-leaf mahogany and yellow flame.
Addressing questions about trees in urban areas possibly having insufficient space to develop their roots, Mr Longman explained that a 2m-wide road coast designated for tree planting is allocated whenever new roads are built - and that is sufficient.
Trees 'will maximise the available space below the ground', even creeping under nearby drains, as the tree in Yio Chu Kang did.
When asked whether the age and size of roadside trees should be capped to ensure they are not safety hazards, Mr Longman said: 'It is not so much about the size of the tree, but about the management - even smaller trees can cause extensive damage. Big trees like rain trees are just well-adapted to this tropical region.
'As for ageing trees, we take it very seriously when it comes to assessing the decline of trees and in anticipating the point when a tree becomes a liability under normal conditions.'
Noting that older trees will eventually be replaced in the long-term streetscape master-plan, he said: 'We can't give 100 per cent assurance that nothing will happen...but we have a duty of care owed to people to keep trees safe and well-maintained.'
Another tree falls, damaging car
Driver and two passengers unhurt; he plans to seek redress from NParks
Carolyn Quek Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
Mr Steven Lee standing next to his damaged two-year-old Chevrolet with its shattered rear windscreen. A sea apple tree fell on the car while he was driving it along Ang Mo Kio Street 22 yesterday morning. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
ANOTHER falling tree hit a car on the move yesterday, the second such incident in three days.
The impact shattered the rear windscreen of the two-year-old blue Chevrolet, which was on Ang Mo Kio Street 22, but its three occupants escaped unhurt.
Although they were not trapped, the shocked trio stayed put in the car until the Singapore Civil Defence Force came to their aid.
The incident echoed what happened to Mr Chua Loong Wai, 32, on Tuesday - except that he was killed by the rain tree that fell on his car as he drove down Yio Chu Kang Road.
Yesterday's mishap took place at about 7.40am near Block 226, Ang Mo Kio Street 22, shortly after a heavy downpour.
The tree in question has been identified as a sea apple tree that is 15m tall and about 25 to 30 years old. It was last pruned in November.
The driver of the car, Mr Steven Lee, 48, told The Straits Times that he had just picked up his brother and 20-year-old niece from their home and was taking them to work and school when the tree came crashing down on them.
The IT company manager said: 'The tree covered the whole car. Thank God nothing happened to us, but the car is badly damaged.'
His brother Edward, 52, a manager in the food and beverage industry, was in the front passenger seat. He said he saw the falling tree heading their way but it happened so fast that he could not warn his brother in time.
Mr Lee, the driver, said he hit the brakes, which threw his niece Rebecca, a Ngee Ann Polytechnic student, forward.
She said of the smashed rear windscreen: 'I was saved because my uncle slammed on the brakes.
'If I had been leaning back, it would have shattered on my head, and it would have been much worse.'
She added wryly: 'The first thing that came to my mind was, the trees are falling a bit too much.'
She said she was shivering while waiting for help to arrive.
'I never expected this would happen so soon after the other accident - and certainly not to me.'
Her uncle said he intends to seek compensation from NParks as his car insurance policy does not provide coverage for incidents like this.
NParks declined to elaborate on its compensation policies, but said it had contacted Mr Lee and given him some information.
General Insurance Association president Derek Teo said that if a driver had bought a comprehensive motor insurance plan, he would be covered for mishaps of this kind.
Recent incidents
Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
# July 20: A projects manager and father of a two-year-old, Mr Chua Loong Wai, 32, suffered spinal injuries and died at the scene when a rain tree fell on his Honda Freed at the junction of Thomson Hills Drive and Yio Chu Kang Road at around 2pm.
# June 25: Two people were hurt when a khaya senegalensis tree fell across four lanes of traffic on the Central Expressway.
The woman suffered bruises, while the man's left hand was injured.
# June 24: A 59-year-old cabby escaped with only a minor abrasion on his chest after a tree branch broke off and pierced the windscreen on the driver's side of the taxi.
The driver was alone in the cab when the incident happened at the junction of Depot Road and Depot Close that morning.
NParks has structured approach to tree care programmes
Imelda Saad/Alvina Soh Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) has said it takes a structured approach in the way it cares for its trees.
It uses high-tech equipment to ensure that trees across the island are sturdy.
It gave this assurance on Thursday in the wake of a series of accidents involving fallen trees.
The latest incident happened on Thursday morning when three people were trapped in their car by fallen branches during an early morning downpour.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call about the incident in front of Blk 226, Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 at about 7.40am.
SCDF personnel cleared the tree branches and manually opened the door of the vehicle to let the occupants out.
A spokesman said that the three occupants of the car had no visible injuries and were not sent to hospital.
Fallen trees have come under public scrutiny during the recent rainy spell.
NParks has stepped up its inspection and pruning of trees around the island.
Besides deploying manpower, it is also leveraging on technology to check the trees for signs of poor health, disease, pest or structural defects.
A tomograph (PiCUS Sonic Tomograph) is used to assess the internal condition of a tree, for example, if it is filled with cavity or not.
NParks director of Streetscape Simon Longman said: "It introduces sound waves into the internal wood of the tree and (from) the rate at which the sound waves travel through the wood, we can determine whether the wood is sound, whether it's solid and well grown or whether it is decayed.
"The sound travels well through well-formed hard solid wood and it travels not so well through cavities or decay.
"So based on the overall extent to which the sound travels through the wood, we can build up a picture of cavities or decay within the internal wood of the tree.
"This helps us a lot in our inspection. We can determine if the tree has internal weakness or not."
Another instrument to assess the internal condition of a tree is the Resistograph which uses a microdrill driven into the wood to detect any defect.
Results are recorded in a computerised database to identify trends and take preventive action.
NParks said there is no particular area which is prone to tree failures.
Fallen trees are the result of several factors.
They include intense weather conditions and the direction of strong winds and storms.
NParks said its approach has always been to plant hardy trees around Singapore.
On whether tress are less stable if planted along pavements and drains, NParks said there is a tree-planting strip reserved along the roads.
Mr Longman said: "After this strip, it's usually occupied by buildings or people's properties.
"This is the road reserve where the planting strip is set aside for tree planting so we have to maximise this space.
"We've set it back as far as we can. But, really, the tree must occupy this space near the road."
The authorities have warned of more wet weather ahead as typhoon Chanthu makes landfall in southern China.
- CNA/ir
A narrow escape after tree crushes car
Leong Wee Keat and Esther Ng Today Online 23 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE - Seconds after a 15-metre tall tree crashed onto his blue Chevrolet yesterday morning, all training manager Steven Lee, 48, could do was utter a silent prayer of thanks.
The impact smashed the front and back windscreens and left the driver shell-shocked, but he and his two passengers - elder brother Edward, 52, and niece Rebecca, 20 - were safe, barring some scratches.
Mr Lee had seen the tree coming down at around 7.45am, but said there was no way he could have avoided it even though he had jammed on the brakes. "It came down within a second," he said of the incident at Ang Mo Kio Street 22.
The father of three children aged nine, 12 and 17 instinctively thought of the tree which fell just two days earlier along Yio Chu Kang road, which killed projects manager Chua Loong Wai, 32.
The image of that mangled metal wreck also flashed across the minds of his passengers.
"I mean, that just happened a few days ago, right. What were the possibilities of a car being hit by a tree again?" Rebecca, a Ngee Ann Polytechnic student, said in disbelief.
Edward summed up the trio's feelings: "I feel fortunate to be alive."
Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel rushed one fire engine, one red rhino, two motorbikes and two support vehicles to the scene
Even before the SCDF arrived, residents went forward to help free the passengers, with Tuesday's incident fresh in their minds. After all, Mr Chua was killed just 1.6km away.
While the Chevrolet's front doors were jammed shut, the three passengers found a way out through the left rear door after around 15 minutes.
According to National Parks Board streetscape director Simon Longman, there was heavy rain and wind at the time.
The sea apple tree, which Mr Lee said has been in the estate since he moved there 30 years ago was last pruned in November.
While the uprooted tree was under NParks' care, Ang Mo Kio-Yio Chu Kang Town Council, which manages some 36,000 trees under a scheduled maintenance of once every six months, is not taking any chances.
"In view of the recent weather, we have intensified our inspection and maintenance of matured trees," a spokesperson told MediaCorp.
Maintenance aside, the two incidents in less than a week have sparked questions about trees planted along roadsides here.
Mr Longman disagrees with the notion, though, that too many trees had been planted in Singapore's early days.
"It's very purposeful to plant trees along the roads, and we've been doing that since the early '70s; it's part of the city in the garden vision," he said.
On major roads, a width of two metres is set aside on the verges as tree space. "The tree will maximise available space below the ground," stressed Mr Longman.
In the case of the "unfortunate accident" which killed Mr Chua, there was a tree space of 3.5m. The tree's roots had not only used the space up to the roadside drain but also underneath it, into vacant space, he said.
Arborists whom MediaCorp spoke to said NParks has been doing a "good job" in its tree inspections; tree failure, they said, occur for a number of reasons such as long periods of heavy rain, which causes the soil to soften.
However, urbanisation imposes a toll on trees. "A new building changes the wind direction or a tree could compete for space with a new road, restricting its growth," said Mr Veera Sekaran, managing director of arborist consultancy Greenology.
"No one really knows what's the life span of these urban trees, so we need a better study. The authorities should listen to local consultants than overseas consultants, as we're more familiar with the matter," he added.
When contacted, Mr Longman said the Board's 120 arborists were mainly Singaporean and trained by the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, a joint venture between NParks and the Workforce Development Agency.
In the past two months, NParks has stepped up its inspection and pruning of trees, focusing on mature trees and where vehicular traffic is high.
In addition to routine maintenance operations, NParks inspected an additional 2,000 large mature trees and did crown reduction. "This intensified maintenance regime will continue," said Mr Longman.
In selecting which trees to plant, NParks chooses hardy species such as angsana, broad-leaf mahogany and yellow flame. It also plants rain trees - the same species as the tree that killed Mr Chua.
In the past three years, NParks has also removed storm-vulnerable species: 650 Albizia falcatarias.
Fallen tree branches trap 3 in car
Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
Singapore: Three people trapped in their car by tree branches which had fallen on their vehicle were rescued by SCDF personnel this morning.
SCDF said they received a call about the incident in front of Blk 226 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 at 7.38am.
SCDF personnel cleared the tree branches and manually opened the door of the vehicle to let the occupants out.
A spokesman said that the three occupants of the car had no visible injuries and were not conveyed to hospital.
(AFP) Google News 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE — The Singapore government's measures to reduce the impact of recent floods on homes and businesses were insufficient, the island's founding father Lee Kuan Yew said in remarks published Thursday.
Lee, commenting on Wednesday after Singapore suffered three bouts of severe flooding since mid-June, added that constant rain and limited land area made it difficult to totally prevent floods in the tropical city-state.
"How can you say that the response is sufficient?" Lee was quoted as saying by the Straits Times when asked if the government's measures to alleviate the flooding had been up to standard.
"Of course, Singaporeans expect everything to be perfect - which we try to do, but there are some things which are beyond that."
The 86-year-old former prime minister, now an adviser to his son Lee Hsien Loong's government, said Singapore's small land area made it difficult to deal with "acts of God."
Singapore used to be an exception in a region plagued by disasters but the recent flash floods have caused serious property damage and disrupted lives across the island, denting its reputation for urban management.
Critics have blasted the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for not being prepared to handle the first two floods, while the department defended itself by saying abnormal weather conditions and clogged drains were to blame.
Officials have vowed to improve the drainage network and step up alert systems to forewarn residents and businesses to limit the impact of future floods.
The government has identified 52 flood-prone zones, including the financial district and the Orchard Road shopping belt, and some establishments including luxury shops have resorted to installing unsightly sandbag barricades.
"There is a limited amount of space that you can dig underground, limited amount of space that you can have run-offs for canals," Lee noted.
"Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals."
Home, home in the rain
Tabitha Wang Today Online 23 Jul 10;
Due to luck more than planning, I will be home this weekend, in time to catch the Singapore Food Festival.
But my spirits have been dampened somewhat by the news of the flash floods over the past weekend, the third time they've struck the island since June 16.
What should I pack? Will I be tucking into my favourite hawker food perched on a stool while water swirls around me?
Usually, my suitcase is full of sundresses, sandals and slippers, but this time, I am seriously considering packing my typhoon gear of wellingtons and anorak, too.
I bought those boots in Bangkok on a shopping trip with my Singaporean friends. And I remember they were all laughing and asking me: "Just how bad is the drainage in Hong Kong again?"
Pretty bad, actually. Because Hong Kong has lots of mountains, many of its streets are pretty steep so, whenever there is a downpour, they become instant waterfalls.
The water can turn ankle-deep in a matter of minutes - which is why many Hongkongers wear rain boots when there is a thunderstorm warning.
I used to complain so much about those tiny floods at first. "This would never have happened in Singapore," I'd grouse to my colleagues.
I'm having to eat my words now.
The first time the floods hit Orchard Road, a colleague sent me the now-famous faked picture of a dragon boat team paddling past Tangs with the words: "So never in Singapore, you say?"
Well, at least it shows Singaporeans can laugh in the face of adversity. A friend and fellow columnist wrote on his Facebook page: "By the rivers of Orchard Road, where we sat down. And there we wept, when we remembered Ion."
And everyone has his favourite theory as to why Singapore is facing its worst floods in more than 50 years.
Like my Facebook friend, some said Ion Orchard (which incidentally was jointly developed by a Hong Kong company) was to blame. Before, the hill absorbed the rainwater, but now, it slides off the fancy roof to pool at the junction of Scotts and Orchard Roads.
Others are convinced the construction of Marina Bay Sands is the culprit. "They had to drain the water for easy access. That's why not all Marina Barrages' gates were open at first," a friend ventured.
Still others are convinced there is a feng shui explanation behind the floods - something to do with the designs of the casinos, I think, but that explanation is beyond me.
I certainly don't remember such floods in Singapore ever.
When I was looking for places to buy, people warned me off low-lying areas such as Opera Estate and anywhere close to the Bukit Timah Canal.
But that was just as a "by the way". Nobody thought floods were a serious problem.
And in my 10 years of driving, I never encountered a flood that couldn't be surmounted by my trusty jeep or even my low-slung hatchback.
The worst I'd faced was when the water seeped in through the gap beneath the car doors and wet the floormats - but that was about it. Water didn't go anywhere near the engine.
I think what's most sobering about the floods is that they remind us just how vulnerable Singapore is. Most areas are no more than 15 metres above sea level. In fact, the Central Business District is less than 2m above sea level.
They show us that no matter how much we think we're in control of our urban landscape, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature.
So there's not much we can do, short of building an air-conditioned dome to protect the whole country from the environment (and why not, seeing as Singapore's economy is growing at such a blistering rate).
In the meantime, I will pack my rain boots. And, seeing as some say thousand-dollar bags are just floating out of the stores these days, possibly some scuba gear as well in case I need to go deep-sea shopping.
Tabitha Wang wishes she'd bought shares in Singapore Ducktours.
Insurance costs may rise with flood waters
Industry reviewing exposure in flood-prone areas after recent events
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
UNDERWRITERS are reviewing their risk exposure for properties in flood-prone areas here, and people living in or owning these properties could pay more for general insurance in future.
These areas include the Orchard Road and Scotts Road belt in the city centre, Bukit Timah in the central water catchment area, Thomson in the north, Potong Pasir in the north-east and even eastern regions such as Telok Kurau and Opera Estate.
No increase is planned - yet - say insurers, but the recent spate of floodings is causing concern in the industry.
Explaining why a review is being carried out, General Insurance Association president Derek Teo said: 'Three floods within a one-month period is unprecedented in Singapore.
'The resulting damage to vehicles trapped in the flood and property losses...is of concern to insurers, and they are monitoring the situation closely.'
The Straits Times understands that claims for damage to property and motor vehicles as a result of the three floods recently could exceed $10 million.
Mr Kua Ka Hin, the Singapore chief executive of Munich Re, one of the world's largest re-insurance groups, said that property insurance premiums are unlikely to rise if floods happen 'every five to 10 years'.
'But if it is an annual event, it will be a different consideration,' he said.
Currently, insurance coverage for property damage from floods is provided free because of the competitive market and historically low risk exposure.
That may change soon.
'Insurers could take different views in their evaluation of risks,' Mr Teo said. 'One of the rating factors which determine premium charge is the location of risk.'
In other words, insurers are likely to impose a loading or surcharge onto premiums for properties insured in areas such as Bukit Timah, Dunearn Road and certain stretches of Orchard Road.
Currently, insurance premiums on residential properties range from 0.05 per cent to 0.15per cent of sums insured. If a house is insured for $2 million, for example, its annual premium would be around $1,000 to $3,000.
Insurers contacted said that in the light of recent events, properties in flood-susceptible areas could attract a surcharge of about 10 per cent of the premiums payable.
The same loading is likely to apply to commercial buildings in flood-prone areas, industry players said.
Those in the shopping belt currently pay premiums of between 0.15 per cent and 0.25 per cent of sums insured.
A building insured for $50 million attracts a yearly premium of up to $125,000. With flood loading, it could go up to $137,500.
Mr Teo said owners of buildings such as Liat Towers, Tong Building and Lucky Plaza may have to bear the extra cost if preventive measures are not found soon.
Mr Pui Phusangmook, NTUC Income's general insurance senior vice-president, agreed that premiums for properties in flood-prone areas may increase, but added that any adjustment would 'depend on the claims history of that building or area'.
Mr Phusangmook revealed that Income had received 'more than 100 claims from the floods to date, for damage to vehicles and properties'.
But paying more for property insurance is just one side of the coin. Those living and working in flood-prone areas may also find the cost of their motor insurance rising as well.
Like buildings, flood protection for vehicles is currently included free. But industry insiders said if floods continue to be a problem, a loading of about 50cents for every $100 insured may be imposed.
For a $100,000 car, the surcharge works out to be $500 a year.
Motor premiums vary widely, depending on the driver's age, claims record and occupation, among other things.
Munich Re's Mr Kua said floods are a growing concern everywhere.
'According to our Geo Risks Research department, rainfall days have decreased worldwide, so intensity of rain has increased. Can current drainage infrastructure cope with the new intensity?' he asked.
'Also, with urbanisation, there is increased surface run-off. Looking at Orchard Road, for example, there are large tranches of land which are now covered in concrete, which previously would have allowed water to permeate naturally.'
Floods a part of life for some
But inundation last week among the worst they have experienced
Chong Zi Liang Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
WHEN operations manager Parmjit Singh arrived at Telok Kurau Secondary School last Saturday and found the carpark flooded, he was not entirely surprised.
It had happened before on June 25, when the water reached mid-calf level. But this time, it was almost knee-high, and had entered the ground-floor classrooms.
While floods are a yearly occurrence for the school, last Saturday marked the first time the water reached knee level in its 44-year history.
National water agency PUB sends an SMS flood alert to school operations managers, but nothing allegedly got through to Mr Singh. Instead, it was the school security guard who sounded the alarm.
'We got lucky with the last two floods because they happened on days when lessons were not on,' Mr Singh said of the deluge last Saturday and on June 25.
Flash floods have been part of life for residents and shop owners in areas such as Tai Seng Drive, Kampong Ampat at Macpherson and certain stretches of Upper Thomson Road. But for many, the flooding from Saturday's downpour was one of the worst they had experienced.
At the Jamiyah Children's Home, a stone's throw from Telok Kurau Secondary, wet pillows and mattresses were still drying in the sun on Tuesday.
The home for underprivileged children had been dealing with floods for the past three years.
But last Saturday, flood water entered the building for the first time. Children had to be woken early in the morning and evacuated to higher ground as water poured into their bedrooms, senior social worker Zainon Haron said.
She hopes that with the worsening flood situation, the home's planned move to new premises will be expedited.
One street away, the lingering musk of damp clothes and equipment still hung in the air at Key Power, a sports shop specialising in gear for triathletes. Owner Robert Lu estimated that last Saturday's flood cost him $200,000 in damage.
He shifted his goods to the front of the Changi Road shop as the June 25 floods hit the rear storage and office areas.
But last Saturday, the front was not spared. Bicycles, sports shoes and apparel were soaked and stained by muddy water.
Staff were airing damp gear three days later. The delivery van remained stalled outside with water still on its floor mats.
Mr Lu has has had enough. 'This is the second time I am filing an insurance claim due to flood damage. I am probably going to move to another location when I can.'
Over at Upper Thomson Road, the slip road along a row of popular shophouse eateries was raised about six months ago, and the drains were widened. Still, some outlets were hit by water at almost knee level last month, and again last Saturday.
'All the chairs and tables were washed into the shop along with rubbish from the drains. The water even reached the kitchen at the back,' said Mr Syed Rizwan, 27, a waiter at The Roti Prata House.
He has experienced flooding five times in the seven years he has worked there.
Flooding is also not new to Mr Thomas Leong, 40, branch manager of the Stamford Tyres workshop at the Kampong Ampat and Macpherson Road junction.
'We regard it as normal when we see the road flooding. The water almost comes into the shop, but so far, we have been lucky,' he said.
Members of Parliament for these areas are working with the authorities on solutions.
Mr Hri Kumar Nair, MP for the Thomson ward in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said PUB has assured that drains in Thomson will be widened.
Similarly, Dr Fatimah Lateef, MP for the Geylang Serai ward in Marine Parade GRC, met PUB officials last week to discuss flood alleviation in areas such as Kampong Ampat and Tai Seng Drive.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa, MP for Zhenghua ward in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, has arranged for residents who were affected by floods last Saturday to meet National Environment Agency and PUB officials tomorrow morning.
He said two neighbourhood committees have suggestions to upgrade drains in the area.
Wet weather spells better business for water pumps, sandbags
Lim Zhi Ying/Alvina Soh Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: Some businesses are enjoying a jump in sales due to the wet weather and fears of flooding.
Sales have been brisk for shops selling products like water pumps and sandbags.
Shop owner Alvin Chia has seen a 30 percent increase in sales of pumps.
The smaller pumps are the most popular. Each costs between $100 and $200.
The demand for sandbags has also gone up, as customers use them to protect their premises against rising water levels.
Each sandbag costs between $2 and $3.
Shop owners noted that most customers do not buy enough bags to effectively ward off the floodwaters.
They said premises like shops would need 30 to 40 bags each.
These must be stacked as tightly as possible so that there are no gaps for the water to seep through.
A sandbag of between 20 and 30 kilogrammes costs $2, while a 50kg bag costs $3.
- CNA/ir
Expect heavy rain at the weekend
Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
THERE were no reports of flooding yesterday despite rain falling in many parts of Singapore for most of the day.
But with heavy rainstorms forecast for the next few days, the authorities are bracing themselves for floods at the weekend.
National water agency PUB told The Straits Times yesterday that it has placed some 90 staff on 24-hour standby, in anticipation of any flash floods.
'PUB's contractors are also cleaning and inspecting drains around the island, with 360 contractor staff on standby, ready for activation at any time,' said a spokesman.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the southern parts of Singapore received the most amount of rain yesterday, with Sentosa and Orchard recording 82.2mm and 50.8mm of rain respectively.
It added that the wet conditions yesterday were due to a Sumatra squall, which developed on Wednesday night around Sumatra or the Malacca Strait, bringing thunderstorms and heavy rain.
But going into the weekend, the main concern is the effects of Typhoon Chanthu being felt here.
Chanthu hit China's south-west coast with full force yesterday, sweeping through Guangdong province and Hainan Island.
Meteorologists expect it to pick up force as it makes its way over the South China Sea.
The damp conditions have been exacerbated by the La Nina effect, associated with wetter weather, storms, droughts and cyclones, said experts.
Singapore is presently in the south-west monsoon season, which lasts until around October. The season is characterised by short, but heavy, rain periods lasting around 30 minutes.
But usually, there is less rain and warmer temperatures during this period, compared to the generally wetter and cooler north-east monsoon, which starts in December.
Sumatra squalls are also known to be common during the south-west monsoons, typically bringing gusty winds of between 40kmh and 80kmh.
AMRESH GUNASINGHAM
Mustafa Shafawi/Travis Teo Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: National water agency, PUB, has awarded a close to $6 million contract to a unit of locally listed firm, OKP Holdings, an infrastructure and civil engineering firm, to carry out desilting works for the two-kilometre Bukit Timah Phase II Diversion Canal.
The site is located around Whitley Road, across from Catholic Junior College.
OKP's wholly-owned subsidiary, Eng Lam Contractors will do excavation and dredging works on the canal as well as constructing additional access openings along the existing canal.
Since the start of this year, OKP has secured three other public sector projects worth some S$40 million.
As of May this year, the group's gross order book stood at about S$306 million.
This is based on secured contracts, with some projects completing in 2013.
Moving forward, the company says it wants to grow its presence in the oil and gas sector and explore overseas business opportunities.
- CNA/jm
Firms win 5 awards for their efforts in renewable energy solutions
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE shone at the annual Asean Energy Awards in Vietnam yesterday, winning five awards, four of which clinched top honours in their categories.
Home-grown firm Eco Special Waste Management, which won the top prize in the Renewable Energy Project off-grid category, impressed judges with its Tuas sludge incineration plant - a first in Singapore and also in South-east Asia.
The plant, which began operations last year and cost $35 million to build, burns sewage sludge from Singapore's water reclamation plants as fuel, which produces thermal energy that is recaptured to dry the sludge and turn it into a fertiliser.
The process drastically reduces Singapore's daily sludge waste of more than 500 tonnes from going into a landfill, eliminates methane production and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually.
Eco's director of business development Danny Tay told The Straits Times the firm was 'glad to receive recognition for its work', and that it was also in the final stages of getting approval from the United Nations to earn carbon credits for the plant.
If approved, it will be Singapore's second carbon credit-generating project after mainboard-listed EcoWise's plant, which converts Singapore's wood and horticultural waste into energy.
IUT Singapore also clinched the top award in the on-grid category for its project, which burns food waste to generate renewable energy. This is used to power the plant itself and the excess electricity is exported to Singapore's power grid, hence the term 'on-grid'.
Property developer City Developments won in the Best Practices for Energy Efficient Buildings category for its green office building Tampines Grande, which uses a combination of covered walkways, landscaping and plants to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building, which also boasts solar panels.
It also won the top prize in the retrofitted category for Fuji Xerox Towers, while the People's Association was second runner-up in the new and existing buildings category for its new energy-efficient headquarters in King George's Avenue.
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who attended the awards ceremony yesterday at the 28th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Dalat City, Vietnam, commended the efforts of the companies.
'These awards are a testament to the winning companies' contributions to more energy-efficient buildings and innovative renewable energy solutions. We look forward to more of such companies as Singapore works to become a smart-energy economy,' he said.
The Asean Energy Awards, held annually since 2004, attracted 36 entries across member states this year.
Myanmar judge Win Khaing, vice-president of Myanmar Engineering Society, said the two renewable-energy projects submitted by Singapore were 'exemplary due to their innovative concepts of utilising daily waste, such as food waste and sewage, for power generation'.
Four Singapore companies bag top ASEAN awards for energy-saving solutions
Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE : Four Singapore organisations have bagged top awards at the 2010 ASEAN Energy Awards.
Convened annually, the ASEAN Energy Awards recognise efforts by enterprising ASEAN companies to integrate renewable energy and energy efficient solutions in their projects.
One winner is IUT Singapore Pte Ltd, which innovatively burns food waste to generate renewable energy.
Electricity produced is used to power the plant.
The excess electricity is exported into Singapore's power grid.
By burning food waste, this project also helps to reduce the need for landfill space.
The methane-rich bio-gas - which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change - produced is used to generate power.
Another winner is Eco Special Waste Management Pte Ltd.
Its project is the first of its kind in Singapore and the biggest in South East Asia where sewage sludge is burnt as fuel.
The burning process produces thermal energy which is then recycled to dry the sludge and turn it into a fertiliser.
This process eliminates methane production and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually.
Another winner, Tampines Grande Building, cleverly uses covered walkways, landscaping and plants to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building.
Solar photovoltaic panels are also innovatively installed on the rooftops and as part of the facade to harvest solar energy.
This is the first commercial development with the largest and most extensive use of solar technology in Singapore.
The building is expected to achieve a minimum energy-efficiency of more than 30 per cent compared with a standard commercial office building.
Fuji Xerox Towers is another winner - for implementing numerous energy conservation initiatives.
These include upgrading its chiller plant, installing ultrasonic and motion sensors over the past few years, and achieving a 23 per cent reduction in electricity consumption from 2007 to 2009.
The companies received their awards at the Gala Dinner of the 28th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in Da Lat City, Vietnam on Thursday.
Lawrence Wong, chief executive, Energy Market Authority, said: "Despite the scale limitations of renewable energy in Singapore, our companies have shown that they have the capabilities to come up with innovative solutions in this area.
"These awards highlight the opportunities available for companies to use Singapore as a site for test-bedding of renewable energy options, and a platform for exports to other countries where conditions are more conducive for the deployment of large-scale renewable energy solutions."
John Keung, chief executive officer, Building and Construction Authority, said: "This shows that both existing and new buildings can achieve equally high standards of energy efficiency through adopting best practices and technologies to consciously reduce energy used.
"These buildings will serve as good benchmarks in the course of greening our built environment." - CNA/ms
Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE : ASEAN has urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to review its pandemic alert levels.
It noted that the severity or virulence factor of a disease should be considered for future pandemics.
This call emerged from the day-long retreat at the 10th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, on Thursday.
WHO is currently evaluating its guidelines on what constitutes a pandemic, after it was criticised for overreacting to the H1N1 flu outbreak last year.
During the retreat, ASEAN Health Ministers discussed last year's H1N1 outbreak in the region, among other issues.
And even though the threat of the H1N1 pandemic has passed, the region will no doubt be confronted by new outbreaks in future.
And when that happens, countries will hopefully respond better, by drawing on past lessons learnt.
Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is also the chairman of the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting, said: "We also look forward to a speedy resolution of the mechanism for viruses and benefit sharing.
"We welcome the view of the global response to the H1N1 pandemic, by the international health regulations review committee, and we look forward to the outcome of the review."
ASEAN nations have stepped down or are in the process of stepping down their alert status - as the H1N1 pandemic no longer poses a threat to the community.
Although H1N1 has since passed its peak, the ministers all agreed it is important to continue educating the public on good hygiene practices. They also emphasised the need for high-risk groups, such as the elderly, to go for vaccination.
The ministers also called for greater collaboration with countries in East Asia on combating disease outbreaks.
Mr Khaw said: "When fighting international disease outbreaks, we are most effective when working with as many of our neighbours as possible. So we decided that we should task our senior officials to study how the collaboration can be implemented."
Moving away from H1N1, an ASEAN Dengue Day has been proposed to raise awareness of this health menace. Mr Khaw said a date has yet to be fixed.
The next ASEAN Health Ministers meeting will be held in Thailand in 2012. - CNA/ms
Relook WHO pandemic alert system, Asean urges
Straits Times 23 Jul 10;
REGIONAL health ministers meeting in Singapore have called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to review its pandemic alert levels, so as to take into consideration the severity and speed at which a virus spreads in future outbreaks.
Speaking at the conclusion of the two-day Asean Health Ministers Meeting at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore's Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who currently chairs the biennial meeting, said the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak was one of the main topics discussed.
This is the second such call to WHO by Mr Khaw in just over a year.
WHO's pandemic alert system has been under scrutiny over the past two years, with health experts saying it should focus on the severity of outbreaks rather than factors such as the geographical spread of the disease.
The concern of individual countries is that if WHO looks mostly at geography when deciding on pandemic levels, it risks labelling an outbreak a pandemic when in reality, the threat level is not that high.
By following these guidelines, public health authorities say WHO has exaggerated the risks and created unnecessary alarm.
Earlier this year, WHO announced that it would conduct an internal review of its system. A group of independent experts will also review how the H1N1 pandemic was handled. It is scheduled to present its findings at a conference in May next year.
Regional officials meeting at yesterday's conference here noted that the outbreak has entered the post-pandemic phase, and all 10 Asean nations have stepped down or are in the process of stepping down their alert status.
Ministers meeting yesterday also proposed an Asean Dengue Day to raise awareness of the disease in the region.
AMRESH GUNASINGHAM
Fidelis E Satriastanti Jakarta Globe 23 Jul 10;
Sanur, Bali. The survival prospects of the silvery gibbon, also known as the Javan gibbon, are looking a lot rosier now following revelations that there are more than 1,000 of the primates in previously overlooked forests in Central Java.
A previously unrecorded population of 896 gibbons was discovered near Mount Slamet in Central Java, while 176 were found at the nearby Dieng Plateau, Arif Setiawan, a wildlife researcher at Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University, told the International Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, currently under way in Sanur, Bali.
Additionally, the results — gathered between August 2009 and February 2010 — were from a study that was still ongoing, so the final figures could be even higher, Arif added.
The silvery gibbon, which is endemic to Java, is found mainly in the forests of the Ujung Kulon, Gunung Halimun Salak and Gunung Gede Pangrango national parks in Banten and West Java.
In 2005, the Indonesian Institute for Biodiversity Sciences recorded that Ujung Kulon had 560 gibbons, Gunung Gede Pangrango 447 and Gunung Halimun Salak 1,221.
Conservative estimates put the total wild population of silvery gibbons at about 5,000. However, conservationists believe only 2,000 are genetically viable to propagate the species.
“They’re mostly found in natural forests that fall outside established national parks, despite a study back in 1998 that recommended the government include these habitats in protected areas,” Arif said.
However, he argued that even this measure would not guarantee the survival of the species. “While it won’t vouchsafe for the future of the silvery gibbon, it will at least send out the strong message that the government is committed to protecting them,” he said.
The gibbon is threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade and also by the continued destruction of its habitat.
Arif said it was a logistical challenge to conduct an accurate census of the gibbon population because it normally spent all of its life high up in the treetops.
“Unlike orangutans or other primates that travel along the ground, gibbons are always hanging around in trees and never come down,” he said.
The current study is being carried out with the help of satellite imagery to initially map out forest areas suitable for gibbon habitats, Arif said.
“We then figure out where they’re most likely to be before we go conduct the study,” he said. “During the study, we map out the boundaries of their territory.”
He said silvery gibbons often moved about in groups of four to seven individuals.
(AFP) Google News 23 Jul 10;
JAKARTA — Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday demanded compensation for an oil spill off northwestern Australia that campaigners say destroyed fishermen's livelihoods.
"Certainly we will carry out our responsibility to solve this problem. We'll propose a claim to the company causing the oil spill while maintaining good diplomatic relations with the governments of Australia and Thailand," he told a cabinet meeting.
"What's clear is the company must give something as accountability for the incident," he said, adding that Indonesians affected should "receive decent compensation".
The Thai-operated West Atlas rig dumped thousands of barrels of oil into the Timor Sea between the Indonesian archipelago and Australia after a leak began in August last year. The leaked has since been capped.
Yudhoyono did not specify how much compensation Indonesia would seek from the rig, which is operated by PTTEP Australasia.
Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said the compensation sought must be backed by "scientific proof" that the affected areas have yet to recover, adding that the value of "direct losses" was around 500 billion rupiah (55 million dollars).
Environmental group WWF says more than 400,000 litres (over 105,000 gallons) of oil have been spilt, generating a slick spanning 10,000-25,000 square kilometres (up to 9,650 square miles).
The West Timor Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in eastern Indonesia, estimates the spill as even larger and says it has affected the livelihoods of some 18,000 fishermen.
"Fish, dolphins and sea turtles were killed and the pollution posed health problems to the community. We don't know how long it will take to heal the ecosystem," said the group's head Ferdi Tanoni.
WWF earlier said the spill was "one of Australia's biggest environmental disasters".
Indonesia seeks oil spill compensation from Thai PTTEP
Reuters 22 Jul 10;
(Updates with figure on Indonesia's losses)
JAKARTA July 22 (Reuters) - Indonesia will seek compensation from Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) (PTTE.BK: Quote) over an oil spill in the Timor Sea last year, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday.
The West Atlas rig -- located off the Western Australian coast and operated by PTTEP Australasia, a unit of PTTEP -- poured oil into Indonesian and Australian waters for over two months after springing a leak in August last year. [ID:nSYD410182]
Yudhoyono told his cabinet on Thursday he would soon read a report from the transport ministry on the environmental disaster.
"Of course, I will fulfil our obligations to finalise this issue, and put forward a claim to the company that caused this oil spill, while ensuring continued good diplomatic relations with both the government of Australia and the government of Thailand," he said.
He did not say how much compensation Indonesia would seek, but Transport Minister Freddy Numberi told reporters that the spill had caused Indonesia direct losses of 500 billion rupiah ($55.16 million).
The president said the area surrounding Indonesia's southernmost island, Rote Island, had been affected by the spill and deserved "decent compensation".
"What is clear is that the company must give something to take responsibility for that incident," he said.
PTTEP's chief executive, Anon Sirisaengtaksin, told Reuters the company was not aware of the call for compensation.
"I have no opinion about this," he said. (Reporting by Muklis Ali in Jakarta and Ploy Ten Kate in Bangkok; Writing by Sunanda Creagh; Editing by Neil Chatterjee)
Thai drilling firm tells Indonesia to prove 'damage'
(AFP) Google News 23 Jul 10:
SYDNEY — A Thai-based drilling company at the centre of one of Australia's biggest oil spills Friday challenged Indonesia's demands for compensation, calling for it to present "verifiable evidence".
Responding to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's vow to seek damages over the spill's impacts on Indonesia's coast, PTTEP Australasia said it was yet to receive any official or proven claim that oil had reached that far.
"PTTEP has received no claim for compensation related to reported impacts in Indonesian waters from oil from the Montara field between August and November last year," said PTTEP's chief financial officer Jose Martins.
"The company has not been presented with any verifiable evidence of any damage."
Yudhoyono said affected Indonesians -- primarily believed to be West Timorese fishermen -- should receive "decent compensation" over last year's Montara leak, which spilled thousands of barrels into the Timor Sea.
According to his transport minister, "direct losses" were estimated at around 500 billion rupiah (55 million dollars).
Environmental group WWF says more than 400,000 litres (over 100,000 gallons) of oil were spilt, generating a slick spanning 10,000-25,000 square kilometres (up to 9,500 square miles).
West Timor's Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in eastern Indonesia, estimates the spill as even larger and says it has affected the livelihoods of some 18,000 fishermen.
But Martins said claims that the oil had reached Indonesia had been made "principally through the media", adding that the Australian embassy in Jakarta issued a statement last November claiming the spill was far from the coast.
He said the statement described "small patches of weathered oil" in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, with some of it coming within about 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the country's Roti Island.
Martins added that PTTEP had attempted to clarify with the Australian authorities whether the oil had spread to Indonesia.
"If (compensation) claims are received, the evidence will be assessed and the claims treated on their merits," he added.
Yahoo News 22 Jul 10;
HANOI (AFP) – The United States on Thursday announced a three-year programme to help countries in the Mekong River basin adapt to the impact of climate change on water resources, food security and livelihoods.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the pledge at a Hanoi meet with Southeast Asian countries of the lower Mekong region, whose waterway is also under threat from rapid economic development and expanding populations.
"Managing this resource and defending it against threats like climate change and infectious disease is a transnational challenge," she told the foreign ministers of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
"Regional cooperation is essential to meeting that challenge, to preserving the ecological diversity and fertility of the Mekong region."
The meeting was the first between the five ministers since they launched the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) in Thailand a year ago to develop cooperation on environment, health, education and infrastructure issues in the Mekong region.
The initiative was seen as an attempt by Washington to improve its profile in the region and counter the influence of China, which is home to the upper reaches of the Mekong.
The United States has said it will spend more than 187 million dollars this year under the initiative, the majority of which is directed at health issues.
Low-lying areas around the Mekong, which have been beset by drought this year, are considered some of the world's most vulnerable to climate change.
More than 60 million people rely in some way on the river, which is the world's largest inland fishery.
The intergovernmental Mekong River Commission has warned that the basin's health and the river's eco-systems could be threatened by proposed dams and expanding populations.
China has eight planned or existing dams on the Mekong River, but rejects activists' claims that these have contributed to low water levels downstream.
Japan also held a meeting with the Mekong countries in Hanoi on Wednesday to discuss a joint "Green Mekong" initiative for the next decade, which aims to tackle challenges such as natural disasters and deforestation.
Ian MacDougall Jakarta Globe 23 Jul 10;
Oslo, Norway. Developed nations pledged more than $4 billion Thursday to finance a program meant to help poor countries protect their forests and slow global warming.
An agency monitoring the aid will be up and running before U.N. climate talks start in Cancun, Mexico, later this year, the European Union’s climate commissioner said at a conference on deforestation in Oslo.
Also, Indonesia agreed to a two-year moratorium on issuing new permits for forest destruction as part of a $1 billion deal with Norway that would pay Indonesia a fixed sum per ton of CO2 emissions reduced through rain forest preservation. Norway has had a similar deal with Brazil since the mid-1990s.
Deforestation, the burning of woodlands or the rotting of felled trees, is thought to account for up to 20 percent of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere — as much as is emitted by all the world’s cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships combined.
The new program — called REDD Plus, for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation — will encourage rich nations to voluntarily finance forest-protecting projects while coordinating that aid to avoid waste and ensure transparency.
It was approved — but not implemented — at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.
In Oslo, Germany, France, Norway, the U.S., Britain, Australia and Japan pledged $4 billion to finance REDD Plus through 2012, with Denmark and Sweden adding $73 million more to the effort on Thursday.
The new monitoring agency would oversee individual agreements between countries to fight deforestation and educate local populations who live off forests — estimated at more than 1 billion worldwide — to do so in a sustainable way.
EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said the new agency, and a comprehensive database that will help streamline aid combating deforestation, were tangible results that would build momentum in climate talks ahead of the Cancun summit.
Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the new agency would ``decrease a trust deficit’’ that has stymied progress in wider climate talks, as wealthy countries express concern about how aid money is used in poor nations.
“Forests are worth more dead than alive. Today we commit to change that equation,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who was co-chairing the conference with the Indonesia president.
A political agreement at the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen last year called for warming to be kept from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by 2020 — which scientists say could trigger a climate catastrophe. But the Copenhagen conference disappointed many in failing to produce a legally binding deal for countries to limit emissions.
Thursday’s meeting was the last on REDD Plus planned before Cancun, with work now starting on establishing the agency’s infrastructure.
Britain’s Prince Charles agreed that transparency was key in brokering a binding global climate agreement.
“In this period of increased stringency, governments will need to know that every dollar made available will be spent wisely in order to avoid any unnecessary duplication,” he said in a speech.
While the $4 billion is only two-thirds of the $6 billion Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc said he hoped would be in place by the Oslo conference, environmentalists said it was a good start for the fledgling program.
“For early phases, the kind of money we’re talking about is probably sufficient,” said Mark Tercek, the head of U.S. conservation group the Nature Conservancy.
Greenpeace welcomed the pledges of financing but warned that it remains unclear how the funds will be spent.
The funding so far comes exclusively from government budgets, and Stoltenberg called for “voluntary contributions” from private sector and industry players. He also said that ultimately “the most important source of money will be carbon pricing” — from carbon trading and carbon taxation schemes.
About 32 million acres (13 million hectares) of forests are cut down each year — an area about the size of England or New York state — and the emissions generated are comparable to those of China and the United States, according to the independent U.K. Eliasch Review on forest loss.
Associated Press
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