Lianhe Zaobao features ex-hons Lynette Loke’s project on artificial substrate in marine environments from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS
Sharing about our shores at NPark's Integrated Coastal Management programme from wild shores of singapore
New book by Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research details all 124 species in Singapore
Ben Nadarajan Straits Times 21 Aug 10;
THE 124 species of dragonflies recorded within Singapore is about half the total number of species in Malaysia.
A new book published by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research in the National University of Singapore documents every one of the species here.
Called Dragonflies of Singapore (right), the book includes information and photographs of all the species, which can be used as a guidebook for those interested in these insects.
Dragonflies are among the most ancient of winged insects, dating back more than 250 million years.
Known as Odonata, meaning 'toothed jaw' in ancient Greek, there are now 5,700 species worldwide.
In Singapore, there have been at least seven new records of various species of dragonflies made in the last two years.
Some of the best habitats for watching dragonflies are at rainwater-filled low-lying areas such as Tuas and Marina East.
Many male dragonflies are very territorial, especially when it comes to breeding and mating.
They will buzz around the water surface, driving away intruders by sparring, flight contests and threat displays of bright colours on their abdomen or wings.
Such bouts can go on for more than half an hour before one side concedes defeat and flies off.
In Singapore, the first person to collect dragonflies scientifically was famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who collected 30 species back in 1854.
More recently, Professor D.H. Murphy, who came to Singapore in 1960, had a great interest in dragonflies and their larvae, publishing a paper on the biodiversity of the insects in the nature reserves here.
A considerable part of the dragonfly displays in the Raffles Museum was collected by Prof Murphy.
Dragonfly expert Albert Orr, who lectures at the Griffith University in Australia, describes dragonflies in his foreword for the book as being among the 'most beautiful of creatures'.
'In life, many display colours of stunning brilliance - some with eyes shimmering like opals,' he writes. 'Their skills of flight are unmatched for precision and agility.'
Singapore, Dr Orr says, is a good place to observe dragonflies because 'one does not have to wait for summer'.
'Whenever the sun shines, they are active, feeding, fighting, mating and laying eggs.'
One of the book's authors, Mr Tang Hung Bin, says that apart from being beautiful creatures, dragonflies also have a more practical function of eating mosquito larvae.
Mr Tang, who retired from his job as a teacher last year to dedicate his time to studying dragonflies, says: 'Dragonflies are lords of the air - the strongest and most agile fliers of the insects.'
The other two authors are dragonfly expert Matti Hamalainen from Finland's University of Helsinki and Ms Wang Luan Keng, an education and research officer at the Raffles Museum.
The book is available at the Raffles Museum and nature bookstore Nature's Niche for $22.
Young Olympic athletes carry the torch for the environment
UNEP 20 Aug 10;
Singapore, 20 August 2010 - Over 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 from across the world will have a chance to calculate the carbon emissions generated by their training sessions, showers and travel as part of a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) social responsibility initiative at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
The talented young athletes at the Games will not only assess the environmental impact of their daily activities, they will also learn how they can contribute positively to sustainable development in their communities.
Theodore Oben, UNEP's Chief of Outreach said, "These Games are a fantastic opportunity for the athletes to truly engage on important environmental issues. UNEP will organise fun and interesting activities that will educate the youth on wide ranging issues, and encourage them to become environmental stewards."
Some of the activities that UNEP will be coordinating between 20 to 26 August include:
Bicycle generator: The athletes will ride a bicycle connected to a dynamo that produces electricity. By riding the bicycle they will gain a sense of how much effort is needed to produce enough electricity to run a CD player and heat a mug of water.
Environmental quiz: The young sportsmen and women will be tested on their knowledge of biodiversity, climate change, water and other environmental issues.
Carbon footprint calculator: Through interactive computer software the athletes will be able to calculate their personal carbon footprint and learn the exact environmental impact of their activities. They will learn how day-to-day activities such as taking a hot shower, riding a school bus or watching television contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Tunza: Interested athletes will have an opportunity to learn more about Tunza, UNEP's programme for children, youth and the environment, and register online to become a part of the Tunza network: http://www.unep.org/tunza/
Earthlink: In collaboration with Earthlink - an environmental organisation at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore - athletes will be encouraged to put their thumbprints on posters alongside customised environmental messages. This activity will signify their commitment to safeguarding the environment: http://clubs.ntu.edu.sg/earthlink/web/el_home.html
Letter from Louis Ng Executive Director Animal Concerns Research and Education Society
Today Online 20 Aug 10;
I REFER to the letter "Sharks' real nemesis: Longlines" (Aug 16) by Mr Tan Keng Tat.
I was surprised by the remark that "sharks are not an endangered species", as sharks are undoubtedly disappearing from the oceans.
Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Shark Specialist Group announced that a study to determine the global conservation status of 64 species of open ocean sharks and rays had revealed that 32 per cent were threatened with extinction, primarily due to overfishing. Furthermore, 24 per cent of the species examined were categorised as Near Threatened, while information was insufficient to assess another 25 per cent.
The report documented serious overfishing of several shark species, in national and international waters, and demonstrated a clear need for immediate action to conserve sharks on a global scale.
Furthermore, several species of shark are listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Appendices, including the white shark, whale shark, great white shark and the basking shark. This is clear acknowledgment, by governments, that these species are threatened.
Shark fishing continues virtually unchecked in most of the world's oceans and territorial seas, even though many species are threatened with extinction. Many more species are data deficient, meaning that we have no real idea how many are left.
Shark populations are extremely vulnerable to hunting pressures. Their slow growth, late maturity and small number of offspring make them especially susceptible to overexploitation, and shark populations are slow to recover once depleted.
Furthermore, because most sharks are top ocean predators, over-fishing of sharks is likely to cause disruption to prey populations and an overall imbalance in marine ecosystems. The disappearance of sharks from the oceans is therefore a very real, and very pressing, concern - for all of us.
While, as Mr Tan mentions, the shark fin trade is not the only threat to wild shark populations, it is undoubtedly a significant one. The trade in shark fin has been identified as a primary contributing factor in the global decline of many shark species. According to a paper published in a 2006 edition of the journal Ecology Letters, as many as many as 73 million sharks are estimated to be killed each year worldwide for the shark fin trade.
There have been numerous studies providing strong evidence that fish, including sharks, do feel pain. Therefore, the live finning of sharks is a very serious welfare concern. Although live finning has been banned by many countries, there is undoubtedly a real danger that it still occurs, as the fins remain the most valuable parts of the shark.
It is therefore conceivable that fishermen will be tempted to keep as much room on the fishing boats as possible for storing the fins (rather than the carcasses) and to "process'' the caught sharks as quickly as possible to get the fins, possibly removing the fins when the sharks are still alive and throwing the finless sharks back into the sea to drown. Video evidence has indeed revealed this barbaric practise taking place.
The only way to guarantee that sharks are not finned alive is to ensure that all shark carcasses arrive at the port with fins attached. However, very few countries have laws to ensure that this happens.
There are numerous reasons more and more people are saying no to shark fin. The only way to guarantee that you are not eating the fin from a shark which has been cruelly finned alive, or indeed is the last surviving shark of that particular species in the wild, is to shun that bowl of shark fin soup.
Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 20 Aug 10;
SINGAPORE : Asia's leading carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is committing US$3 million towards rainforest preservation in Indonesia.
Funds donated will support the Harapan Rainforest Initiative, aimed at restoring ecosystems threatened by deforestation.
Rainforests in Indonesia have faced gradual degradation over the years from overlogging and slash-and-burn agriculture.
A new government policy was introduced in 2004 to avoid further deforestation and to maintain lowland forests.
Harapan Rainforest was the first to benefit.
Straddling Indonesia's Jambi and South Sumatra provinces, the forest is one and a half times the size of Singapore.
It serves as a buffer against climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and is home to a wide variety of endangered wildlife such as the Sumatran tiger and Malayan tapir.
SIA's donation will go towards financing ongoing core operations such as the employment of forest patrols to prevent illegal logging, forest fires and poaching.
Boedi Mranata, spokesperson, Yayasan KEHI, said: "We have to protect the area with about 100 security men. With this security system, the illegal logging became less."
Currently, some 200 locals are employed as forest wardens, which have resulted in a decline in forest fires, illegal logging and poaching.
Plant and animal species protection programmes will also be put in place.
Harapan also plays a significant role in engaging the local indigenous community, with some 800 people depending on the forest for their livelihood.
An estimated US$2 million is needed each year to run the various programmes.
Singapore also stands to benefit from this project - by reducing slash-and-burn agriculture which is a cause of transboundary haze.
Bey Soo Khiang, senior executive vice-president, Marketing and Corporate Services, SIA, said: "When we were affected by the haze in Singapore, our lives were affected, our daily activities were to a large extent influenced by the PSI index. So being able to take part in a project which has an influence on the lives of Singaporeans, is something which SIA sees as a positive thing to do."
The Harapan Rainforest Initiative has found success through partnerships between international and local non-profit organisations, and by engaging locals in positions such as forest wardens.
And there are plans to replicate this model of collaboration in places such as the Philippines, Ecuador and Fiji. - CNA/ls/ms
SIA's $4m gift to save rainforest
Money will help preserve and conserve Sumatran rainforest that houses endangered species
Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times 21 Aug 10;
SINGAPORE Airlines will put US$3 million (S$4 million) towards the preservation and conservation of a Sumatran rainforest - its first such involvement in a green project.
The money will help fund an initiative by global non-profit organisation BirdLife International and Indonesia's Yayasan KEHI, which have recently taken on the task of looking after the Harapan Rainforest.
Straddling the provinces of Jambi and South Sumatra, the rainforest is home to more than 290 species of birds and 55 species of mammals, including endangered creatures like the Sumatran tiger and Asian tapir. It spans almost 100,000ha, or about 1-1/2 times the size of Singapore.
It will cost about US$2 million a year - double that in the first 10 years - to protect the rainforest and its inhabitants from illegal logging and forest fires, which have so far damaged about a third of the habitat.
Part of the restoration work being carried out there includes replanting activities, while round-the-clock patrols help ensure no further damage is done.
SIA is happy to do its part, said senior executive vice-president for marketing and corporate services Bey Soo Khiang.
Speaking to reporters yesterday after a signing ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens to seal the partnership, he said that while there are many fund-seekers for so-called green initiatives, SIA wanted to make sure its money was well spent.
So in late 2008, he and two colleagues visited the rainforest to witness first-hand the work being done there.
Mr Bey said: 'We want to be sure that whatever money is being spent results in substantive progress that is meaningful and measurable.'
So even after signing the cheque, SIA will monitor closely the progress of the Harapan Rainforest, he said.
Apart from the Harapan project, the airline is also involved in other environmental initiatives related to its operations, including investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and pushing for a paperless working environment.
As air travel increases, the global aviation industry has come under intense pressure in recent years from environmentalists who accuse airlines of being key contributors to increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
In its defence, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents about 230 global carriers, has said repeatedly that aviation accounts for just 2 per cent of man-made global carbon emissions.
But there is room for improvement, and the target is an additional improvement of at least 25 per cent in fuel-efficiency and carbon emissions by 2020.
Led by Iata, the industry is also protesting against plans by several governments to levy environmental taxes and tariffs on airlines and their passengers.
The European Commission has also announced that airlines will soon be subject to carbon dioxide emissions trading, which will allow carriers that curb their emissions to sell spare allowances in an open market, and enable those that want to increase emissions to buy additional allowances.
Lending weight to the industry's unhappiness with such actions, Mr Bey said there are no guarantees that money collected by such means is used to support environmental objectives. He said: 'We always ask ourselves, 'Where is the money used and how?''
By participating in the Sumatran rainforest project, SIA's message is clear, he said, adding: 'We do not mind giving money but it must go to saving the earth.'
Grace Chua Straits Times 21 Aug 10;
PT SMART, part of Singapore-listed Golden Agri-Resources, has again rejected allegations of illegal forest clearing after foreign auditors suggested it had misrepresented the findings of an independent investigation.
The Indonesian palm oil producer had commissioned the audit to clear its name after environmental group Greenpeace repeatedly alleged that it had destroyed orang-utan habitat and cleared forests without permits, among other charges.
In response to the Greenpeace reports, major palm oil buyers such as Unilever, Kraft and Nestle had earlier stopped buying palm oil from Golden Agri.
On Aug 10, the audit report conducted by British-based BSI Group was released in full, along with a PT Smart press release and presentation.
But on Thursday, BSI issued a statement claiming that some of the audit's findings had been 'misreported as it has been published and presented'.
BSI had done the report with international certification firm Control Union Certification and Indonesian forestry experts. While it did not state explicitly what was misreported, some audit findings were not included in the PT Smart presentation and press release.
For example, the audit mentioned the need for PT Smart to further study its social impact on local communities, and that loopholes in Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) rules might allow complex organisations to 'greenwash' their operations - the environmental equivalent of a whitewash.
In response, PT Smart pointed out that it had released the full report on its website and in stock exchange filings.
The independent report found PT Smart was not responsible for forest burning and destroying orang-utan habitat. It found palm oil planting on deep peat - an important carbon sink - but not as extensively as Greenpeace had alleged. A carbon sink is an area that accumulates and stores carbon.
On Thursday, Greenpeace said BSI's statement vindicated its claims.
Greenpeace has also written to the Singapore Stock Exchange asking for Golden Agri to be investigated for providing deliberately misleading information.
However, PT Smart chief executive Daud Dharsono said his firm had complied with all stock exchange rules. 'We are focused on moving on in a constructive manner and urge Greenpeace to do likewise,' he said.
A Unilever spokesman last week said Golden Agri should join RSPO and take other sustainability actions before it would resume buying from them.
Indonesia palm oil giant defends record
Yahoo News 20 Aug 10;
JAKARTA (AFP) – Indonesia's biggest palm oil producer Friday rejected fresh allegations of illegal forest clearing after foreign auditors suggested it had misrepresented the findings of an independent investigation.
Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART), part of the Sinar Mas group, has been struggling to repair its image after a Greenpeace name-and-shame campaign led several foreign buyers to cancel major contracts.
Its credibility took another blow Thursday when British auditors the BSI Group complained that elements of an independent probe which SMART commissioned to verify the legality of its activities had been misrepresented to the public.
SMART had trumpeted the auditors' report as evidence that Greenpeace's allegations were false, but BSI said the probe's "key findings" included that the company had violated Indonesian law on forest management.
It also found that the company had launched operations on almost 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) of land on Borneo before mandatory environmental studies had been completed.
The company was also found to have planted palm oil crops in high-value deep peatland, but not to the extent claimed by Greenpeace.
SMART president director Daud Dharsono rejected any suggestion it was trying to dodge the findings of its own audit or mislead shareholders.
"We've always emphasised that the independent verification exercise report be shared in an open and transparent manner and that is exactly what we have done," Dharsono said, adding it was published in full on the firm's website.
"Palm oil is a strategic economic product for the alleviation of poverty in Indonesia. We care for our people, the environment and all biodiversity including the important orang-utan."
Peat forests are massive stores of carbon and their destruction for timber or agriculture is a major contributor to emissions of gases blamed for global warming.
Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil, used in everything from soap to cosmetics.
Funds part of $1.4b pledged by Norway to curb deforestation and cut emissions
Lynn Lee, Straits Times 21 Aug 10;
JAKARTA: Indonesia's efforts to preserve natural forests - estimated to be around 120 million ha - received a US$30 million (S$41 million) fillip two days ago from Norway.
The money will go to fund projects that reduce carbon emissions by stopping deforestation and forest degradation, and creating a system to prove these emission reductions.
The Indonesian government also agreed to impose a minimum two-year moratorium on the clearance of peatlands and natural forests. The 120 million ha forests are more than three times the land area of both East and West Malaysia.
The US$30 million is an initial payment from the US$1 billion kitty that Norway has pledged.
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had previously said that the country would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26 per cent in the next 10 years, with a higher target if international funding help was received.
While welcomed by environmentalists, there are also rumblings on the ground. Conservationists worry that the funds could be mismanaged or lost to corruption.
Palm oil and timber planters and mine owners believe the moratorium will dampen expansion plans, delay mining projects and could result in lost jobs.
Fund managers - who have stakes in plantation firms - are predicting that small planters will be swallowed up by big firms while the profits of larger firms will be hit.
Outspoken economist Drajad Wibowo said on Thursday that the US$1 billion promised by Norway would hardly ease the economic losses from the moratorium.
'Indonesia can actually get US$800 million per year from income tax levied on the export of paper, palm oil and timber,' he said, as reported by the Media Indonesia newspaper.
As it stands, the moratorium is likely to have an impact on Indonesia's plan to be self-sufficient in food crops. The government had planned on creating a massive food estate in the eastern-most province of Papua, with big companies growing items like palm oil and sugarcane, and corn and rice.
Yesterday, the government minister in charge of Indonesia's partnership with Norway, Mr Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, confirmed with The Straits Times that the land size of the Merauke food estate in Papua is likely to shrink.
He had earlier said that it could be cut to between 350,000ha and 500,000ha from an initial plan of 1.2 million ha, due to the discovery of carbon-rich peat lands in the area.
'What we're doing now is to come up with the technical details of the moratorium - what types of land come under it, and how this affects land development permits that have already been issued,' said Mr Kuntoro.
Mr Kiekie Boenawan, investment head at fund house Schroders, says the markets were taking the news in their stride as details were scant and some companies were already looking to expand in other countries such as in Africa and Papua New Guinea.
As the details of the forest deal become clear in coming weeks, the government will have to demonstrate that a capable institution or team will be handling the funds.
Officials and environmentalists will have to explain how conservation will be balanced with the needs of the mining, rubber and palm oil industries - these contribute at least 10 per cent to annual economic growth.
They will need to assure businesses and the public that economic growth will not be sacrificed, while protecting forests is crucial to staving off the devastating effects of climate change.
Two men join hands to find ways to clear the Pacific trash vortex
Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 21 Aug 10;
WHEN it comes to trying to save the environment, the oft-heard mantra is: 'I am just one person, what difference could I make?'
However, in the face of such a planetary challenge, one man has taken the weight of the Pacific trash vortex on his shoulders.
If you sail west from North America towards the sea north of Hawaii and enter the Doldrums, found in the centre of the circulating currents of the North Pacific gyre, you will eventually find yourself coasting through a minestrone-like scattering of 2mm plastic confetti.
About two years ago, water sports enthusiast Doug Woodring, 44, heard of this floating garbage patch and decided something must be done.
Three months later, he met plastics expert Edward Kosior, 58, who was also aware of the problem, at a Singapore conference, and Project Kaisei, a Japanese word meaning Ocean Planet, was born.
The project comes under the charity Ocean Voyages Institute, California, which owns the Kaisei, and uses the ship as a research vessel to obtain data and samples from the floating trash. It is moored at Richmond, California.
Mr Woodring, originally from San Francisco but based in Hong Kong for the last 16 years, said: 'Originally, we wanted to raise awareness of the issue by making a documentary, but this quickly turned into an integrated and proactive commitment.
'We want to raise more than just awareness, we are trying to work with industry, develop technology and work with policy and education to solve the problem.'
The effort involved in tackling and raising awareness of this issue dominates Mr Woodring's life. 'It takes up 200 per cent of my time; I wanted just to raise awareness but I didn't expect to be the one trying to solve everything.'
The team set off on its second research voyage last week from San Francisco. The first trip last year looked at the debris while the second will examine ways of scooping up the estimated 70 billion pieces of plastic confetti.
The original plan was to create boats which can suck up the plastic and convert it into diesel to power them when they are at sea. However, the reality is that there is not enough large-scale plastic to power a boat, explained Professor Kosior, who has been studying plastic since 1975.
In this new voyage, the team is planning to test a number of new catch methods for debris collection. One method uses biomimicry to copy the way the waves break on a shore by getting the sea to break on a ramp and push up the plastic into the boat or a static collector.
This test method is low on energy use and reduces the impact on marine life, as even small sea life will swim away instinctively when they hear the sound of 'breaking' waves on a beach.
The mission will then bring back the debris that is collected for testing, to show that some of it can be turned back into liquefied fuel or other secondary products.
'We will never clean up all of it, no way, but we'll get some of it and bring along new technology,' said Mr Woodring, adding that a positive from the BP oil spill could be that new collection methods are invented.
'It's a long-term project, it's not just about this one body of water, it's about all our oceans and how we are treating the planet,' he said.
'A piece of plastic we use for 30 seconds to stir a coffee or eat a salad will last for hundreds and hundreds of years. There is a real mismatch that we have never really thought about.'
Every year, over 260 million tonnes of plastic is produced, yet less than 5 per cent is recycled. In Singapore, plastic has one of the lowest recycling rates at 9 per cent of the 688,900 tonnes of waste generated last year.
Prof Kosior, who lives in Britain, said plastic comes from bottle tops and crates, for example.
It starts to sink only when it has been encrusted with calcium. Such plastic items, if left in the hot sun, would start to become brittle after 10 years. This can take up to 30 years in the sea, which means this trash could be quite dated.
'The estimation of how much is out there needs to be more accurate,' said Prof Kosior. 'It's not something you can walk on, it's not like a raft. If it was, then we could scoop it up. The reality is we have to be more inventive.'
The first voyage found that birds and fish, even those which dwell 200m below the water surface, have been eating the plastic. There is little doubt that the rubbish we throw away may be turning up on our plates, when we tuck into a fish supper, in the form of heavy metals or toxins.
'It's time we stopped treating the ocean as a big benign dump. We have shown it's not too big for us to have an effect as we have whittled down fish stocks,' said Prof Kosior.
It all comes back to the land, where policies and education must endeavour to stop rubbish ending up in the oceans where no one country is willing to take responsibility for it.
'It's a tragedy of the commons, as no government is liable, just like air. But everyone is part of the problem and must be part of the solution,' said Mr Woodring.
The strangest piece of litter Mr Woodring and his team found was a stuffed toy dog perched on top of a discarded fishing net.
'It was like it was waiting to be rescued. It's a symbol that anything that comes from the land can end up in the ocean; it does not just disappear,' said Mr Woodring.
Beyond making the world a better place, there is an economic benefit to converting waste plastic back into diesel.
The cost for landfill is going up. For example, in Britain, it is now £48 (S$100) a tonne and this will go up to £80 a tonne. At Singapore's Semakau landfill, it has been $77 a tonne since May 1, 2002 and is reviewed annually. Europe is considering banning landfill, explained Prof Kosior, who has built recycling plants in Britain and Australia.
'Islands that are powered by coal, oil or diesel generators could get energy from the converted plastic,' he said, adding that once a way is found to collect the Pacific plastic, he would be involved in building a recycling plant for it, possibly in Hawaii.
Project Kaisei relies on private donations and corporations, and hopes to be funded by foundations and governments as well.
China Daily/Asia News Network 20 Aug 10;
Global warming could spell the end for a number of tiny island nations in the Pacific, Shi Yingying reports.
Despite their image of paradise on Earth, many Pacific Islands are struggling with environmental issues, such as rising sea levels caused by global warming, pollution, and conflicting relationships between the tourism industry, local culture and ecology.
Inside the Pacific Pavilion, visitors are drawn to the Vanuatu exhibition, which is decorated with fresh tropical flowers and indigenous wooden artworks. The travel poster hanging on the wall portrays this South Pacific Island as a paradise for honeymooners. There is no indication of the magnitude 7.5 quake it suffered earlier this month or the small tsunami that followed. Nor is there any sign of the active volcano on Tanna Island in the country's north.
After the earthquake on Aug 9 - its epicenter was 46 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Vila - the immediate reaction from Vanuatu's authorities was to urge people to move to higher ground.
"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. A recorded wave amplitude of 23 centimeters has been observed at Port Vila," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an email alert.
When Iokapeta Selulo, from the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu and who works at the Pacific Pavilion, heard the news, she was fearful. "Imagine if it (the earthquake and tsunami) happened to us, we would have nowhere to escape - we don't have any higher ground," she said.
At just 26 square kilometers in land area, Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. The highest point on the island is only 5 meters above sea level.
"We don't have mountains to escape to and we depend on food imported from Fiji," Selulo said. "The beaches are disappearing. When there's a high tide, you can see seawater moving across roads."
During a king tide, which is what the islanders call the highest tides of the year, waves rolling off the ocean can have a devastating effect. The islands' (Tuvalu has eight islands) main roads are submerged and nearby homes are threatened by the rising waters.
It is estimated that in another 50 years, more than 60 percent of Tuvalu's land will disappear into the ocean, according to figures provided by the nation's meteorological department.
The islands' 10,000 citizens are now thinking about relocation. Not because they want to, but because they have to.
"More and more people leaving Tuvalu and moving to countries with bigger islands, like Fiji. Some of them are my family and friends. They tell me it's for a better education and jobs, but who knows? We never say it outright, but we know our worries are there," said Selulo.
Enchanted by island music and the notion of spending vacations in a Pacific paradise, visitors to the 8,100-square-meter Pacific Pavilion have little idea of the impending crisis faced by these tiny nations.
"Sinking islands? No, I have never thought of it in that way. For me, they are nothing more than faraway places of charm and mystery, and a destination for escape," said visitor Zhang Chi, 22, who just graduated from university and is working as an intern at a local newspaper.
As for Bernadette Rounds Ganilau, the director of the Pacific Pavilion who is responsible for the 16 Pacific Islands and related organizations exhibiting in the joint pavilion, the situation is even more serious than it sounds.
She finds it hard to hold back the tears when she talks about her island home and that of neighboring islands.
"We've got countries here (in the pavilion) that are affected: Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati and part of Marshall Islands," she said. "Those areas in Tuvalu you go to, it's only two feet above the sea level. So when you have a spring tide, it just goes right over the island.
"It is not only our concern that low-lying islands might disappear someday, but also a global one. It's the industrial nations that are making this (global warming) happen," she said. "I just wish that the global community could be more aware of it and focus on what to do to help those who're living on these low-lying islands."
While touring the Pacific Pavilion, Shahmeer Esmail from Canada suggested that it should try and make people aware of the problem. "If it's a big concern, they should highlight it somewhere in the pavilion," he said. "It doesn't have to be a big exhibit, but it should be mentioned somewhere.
"The Pacific Islands are as beautiful as paintings, but I'm not sure if they are even going to be here in 20 years. I think it's such a pity for all if we lose them," said Esmail.
Bitterly disappointed by international forums on global climate change, such as the one held in Copenhagen in December 2009, Ganilau suggested the next summit be held in one of the Pacific Islands already suffering the effects. "Have your meeting in one of our low-lying islands, then something might get done about it, instead of just talk.
"They should meet there, then they will know what it is like to lose your country and have nowhere to run."
Pollution is another urgent problem being faced by those living in the Pacific.
Degradation of the environment is not only being caused by global warming. Deforestation and problems with waste disposal are also affecting the Pacific Islands. And this also has an impact on tourism.
"Tourists come here because of the beautiful environment," said Ganilau. "Our coral, our rainforests, our rivers and streams; we not only want to keep these for the tourists, but also for our children."
Fiji furniture company Pacific Green has been contributing to the preservation of the island's natural environment for more than 20 years by using substitutes for rainforest hardwoods.
"In the South Pacific, we found vast abandoned plantations of coconut palm trees," said Dominic Ryan from Pacific Green. "These trees were planted in the early 1900s, but no longer have a commercial use. We tested the wood from the trees and discovered that it is extremely strong and durable. In fact, it is as hard as traditional hardwood and flexible enough to withstand cyclones."
"We concluded that palm trees would be the perfect ecological substitute and the forests would no longer need to be destroyed," he said.
Pacific Green was invited to exhibit at Expo 2010 Shanghai because of the way it mixes sustainable manufacturing with environmental concerns.
Pacific Islands, meanwhile, are trying to find a balance between tourism - a big foreign exchange earner - and sustainable use of the environment.
"We've set aside areas where we can develop for tourism and other areas that we leave untouched. Most governments in the Pacific are doing this and I think it's very good," said Ganilau, who is also the founder of Fiji's Green Party.
Kotimere Oromita who works in Pacific Pavilion's Kiribati Pavilion said her island's tourist slogan is "For Travelers, Not Tourists." She explains: "We want those who come to our island to experience what we have and accept what we can offer, like fishing and diving."
WWF 20 Aug 10;
Toliara, Madagascar - Two years of drought and late arrival of the rainy season in south western Madagascar have forced hundreds of farmers into charcoal producing which is devastating forests, according to WWF field staff at Tollara.
“Charcoal production in the South of Madagascar is particularly unsustainable as people cut the natural spiny forest, a unique ecosystem which exists nowhere else” says Bernardin Rasolonandrasana, Spiny Forest Eco-regional Leader for WWF in Toliara. “We are horrified to see the amount of charcoal currently coming out of those forests.”
Farmers were driven from their fields after rain did not arrive in quantity or the usual December to March periods over the last two years. Ironically the cyclone of the beginning of June, which brought rain in abundance and has now turned the area uncharacteristically green, was no help to farmers whose crops had already withered away.
The lack of regulations and control makes the charcoal business an obvious, if highly destructive alternative. Now threatened is an area of threatened natural spiny forest which received temporary protection status only in December 2008. PK-32 Ranobe, an hour north of regional capital Toliara is co-managed by WWF and an inter-communal association.
Number of "charbonniers" tripled
WWF agents have investigated the amount of charcoal coming south down the road to Tollara and assessing the number of villagers trying to make a living by producing charcoal. Proportions look similar in most villages.
The number of so called “charbonniers” almost tripled over the duration of the normal rainy season.
A year ago, four trucks, each carrying a maximum of 250 bags, were doing the journey twice a week on this road. Today WWF agents count every day eight trucks carrying 400 bags each time.
“Whole charcoal villages just seem to spring up like mushrooms out of nothing,” says Rasolonandrasana “and other rural communities start a charcoal business although they have never been active in it. Some people even start cutting fruit trees because the forest was already losing ground.”
“Every village has a Tamarind tree in the middle of the village. In its shade village elders gather to discuss and perform rituals. Those trees are well respected. I have seen some of those old trees being cut down for charcoal, mainly by immigrants. It’s heart-breaking. ”
“A flourishing charcoal export is the last thing this country needs,"
While a heavy drought forces people to look for alternative livelihoods, commercial interests in charcoal increases. Companies started to show interest in exporting charcoal to the French islands of La Réunion, Comoros and Mayotte.
“Madagascar already struggles to meet its growing population’s energy needs," said Nanie Ratsifandrihamana, Conservation Director for the WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office. ,
"The export of large quantity of charcoal could lead to shortages on the local market and therefore an increase in prices. A yes towards the export of charcoal would definitely encourage even more people to cut forest and thus become charcoal producers.”
She added that a few years ago the control of the charcoal production through forest administration led to a rise in prices in Toliara and caused riots in the city. The forest administration had then decided to open charcoal production to everybody to calm the riots.
WWF’s Regional Representative in Madagascar, Niall O’Connor has initiated talks with the minister of environment in the capital of Antananarivo.
“A flourishing charcoal export is the last thing this country needs," O'Connor said. "Already, its unique fauna and flora are facing many threats. Another sale of natural resources would be devastating for the country”.
Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island and hosts countless endemic species such as lemurs, chameleons or the fossa, a mongoose-like nocturnal mammal which is the biggest predator in Madagascar. But much of the countries celebrated biodiversity is under threat as predatory commercial interests move in under the cover of nearly two years of political instability.
New fuel wood forests hold out hope
WWF-Madagascar's Footprint program works to reduce specific human pressures on natural resources like fuel wood. One of WWF’s projects in the Southwest aims to plant forests which are dedicated for charcoal production; Voahirana Randriambola, Coordinator of the Footprint program, is convinced that this is a way to save the natural spiny forest in the big island’s South.
“We work with local communities and show them a new technique, so that they can produce same amount of charcoal with much less wood," said Randriambola.
"We encourage and help them to plant trees as source of income in the mid and long term. And last but not least, we are working with different stakeholders to make sure the fuel wood chain of custody is sustainably managed on every level. ”
WWF's efforts have resulted in an order regulating the chain of custody for fuel wood in the Atsimo Andrefana (Southwestern) Region. WWF will work with the Head of the Southwestern Regionand the different stakeholders unified in a regional energy forest commission on the challenge of enforcement.
“This is a sign of hope and a step into the right direction," Randriambola said . "But we call on national authorities to get a grip on the situation at a national level.
"We are willing to share the experience of the Southwestern Region for a better understanding of the wood energy issue in the whole country. It is clear that the development and implementation of policy, strategy and clear national regulations on this chain of custody is more than necessary in the light of increasing problems and the importance of charcoal in daily households.”
Posts
visitors since Nov 07