Best of our wild blogs: 21 Nov 10

Free Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip on 27-Nov-2010 (Saturday)
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Amorphophallus titanum Flower not open yet
from Fahrenheit minus 459

Nocturnal Creatures of Mandai
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Deep Inside the CCA
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Calls of the Common Hill-myna
from Bird Ecology Study Group

紫鹭Purple heron@星和园japanese garden
from PurpleMangrove

Book: The Beautiful Tree - by James Tooley
from Flying Fish Friends

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Marina Reservoir to supply 10% of water needs

Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 20 Nov 10;

SINGAPORE : Singapore's city centre reservoir - Marina Reservoir - is now ready for use.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew activated the Marina Reservoir fountain, one of the tallest in Singapore, to mark the event on Saturday evening.

The freshwater reservoir has been through a desalting process which started April last year, and is now set to supply about 10 per cent of Singapore's water needs.

PUB said desalting brings a reservoir's concentration of salt water down from around 35,000mg per litre - which is typical of seawater - to about 100mg per litre - considered suitable enough to be of drinking water standard.

A reservoir in the heart of the city was MM Lee's vision 20 years ago.

He dreamt of putting a dam across the Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.

With advancements in membrane technology that allows treatment of water from highly urbanised areas, and the clean-up of the Kallang and Singapore rivers, this dream has become a reality.

The Marina Reservoir - Singapore's 15th reservoir - together with the Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs to be ready next year, will increase Singapore's water catchment area from half to two-thirds of the island.

"What is interesting about this project is that it is taking rainwater from a very large part of Singapore. In fact it will be about 1/6 of Singapore's land area (10,000 hectares), and probably the most urbanised part of Singapore," said Yap Kheng Guan, senior director of PUB.

Water will first flow from drains in Orchard, Ang Mo Kio, Paya Lebar and Alexandra into the Marina Reservoir.

It can then be pumped 14 kilometres through a pipe to Upper Peirce Reservoir within half an hour for storage before treatment.

After treatment at Chestnut Avenue Waterworks, the water is then distributed to the rest of the island.

PUB said what this means is that we need to take care of our waterways.

"The drains you see right in front of your office or your house may well be bringing water to this place here (Marina Reservoir). So it's really important for us to understand that, because every litter or things that we throw into the drain may find its way here," said Yap.

The PUB hopes to turn 90 per cent of Singapore into catchment areas in the future by tapping into smaller rivers and streams around the island, using variable salinity plant technology which is an integration of desalination and NEWater treatment processes. - CNA /ls

A reservoir 23 years in the making
Launch of Marina Reservoir is fruition of MM Lee's vision of freshwater lake in city
Cai Haoxiang Straits Times 20 Nov 10;

As dragon boaters pulled in unison and sailboats glided across the Kallang Basin, Mr Lee Kuan Yew pushed a lever.

A fountain - 12 storeys high - shot up from the water.

And with that, the Marina Reservoir, Singapore's 15th reservoir, was ready for use. It will supply 10 per cent of the country's water needs - and take Singapore a step further in its drive to be self-reliant.

The creation of a freshwater lake in the heart of the city was the Minister Mentor's vision, 23 years in the making.

But even with the launch of its operations yesterday, the task was not done, stressed Mr Lee.

Speaking to the media, he said: 'There'll always be leaks, there'll always be people who will pollute, and you've got to keep on cleaning it up and fighting it and getting them to help keep the Marina Reservoir clean.'

Summing up the long journey involved in the creation of the reservoir - from old-fashioned dredging of the Singapore River to cutting- edge membrane technology - Mr Lee said: 'This is not something which happens overnight; it's stretched for many years, in fact decades.'

Together with the Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs, which will be ready next year, this new reservoir will allow Singapore to trap more rainwater. The water catchment

area will increase from half to two-thirds of the island.

Now, drains in Singapore's most urbanised areas - from Ang Mo Kio to Orchard to Paya Lebar to Alexandra - will channel rainwater into the Marina Reservoir.

It will then be pumped 14km through a pipe to Upper Peirce Reservoir for storage. Upon treatment, the water will then be distributed to the rest of the island.

In the creation of the new reservoir, there were three challenges.

One, a filthy Singapore River as a result of nearby farms, factories and lack of sanitation. Two, the need for technology that allows for water from highly urbanised areas to be processed. Three, to desalt the water so that it is drinkable.

The first challenge was overcome when in 1977, Mr Lee tasked the clean-up of the river. Seven years later, concept plans by world-renowned architects Kenzo Tange and I.M. Pei suggested that a Marina lake would form a unique 'focal point' in the city. Drawing on their ideas, Mr Lee in 1987 unveiled his vision for the Marina Barrage and the reservoir.

Over the next two decades, membrane technology to filter out unwanted substances became more advanced.

And so in 2005, construction began on the $226 million Marina Barrage, a dam across the Marina Channel. Completed in 2008, it served to control floods and create the reservoir.

In particular, its nine gates and seven pumps pumped sea water out to the sea, while keeping rainwater in. Now, the salt water concentration has dropped to a few hundred mg per litre, making the water suitable for storage and treatment.

Yesterday, Mr Lee also paid tribute to six men who helped in the creation of the reservoir. They are:

# PUB chairman Tan Gee Paw, 67, who drew up the masterplan of the clean-up, analysed the sources of pollution and identified solutions;

# Former commissioner of the Public Health Division Daniel Wang Nan Chee, 67, who removed pollution by improving refuse collection and relocating street hawkers;

# Former deputy commissioner of the Public Health Division Loh Ah Tuan, 63;

# Former head of Pollution Control Department Chiang Kok Meng, 65, who coordinated the various agencies in the clean-up;

# Former head of Drainage Department T.K. Pillai, 81, in charge of cleaning sewer leakages; and

# Former deputy head of Environmental Health Department George Yeo, 79, in charge of refuse collection and pest extermination.

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Bengkulu villagers warned about dangerous sun bears

Antara 21 Nov 10;

Bengkulu, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - People living in a number of villages in Seluma district, Bengkulu province, have been alerted about the threat of sun bears (ursus/helarctos malayanus).

The animals had a relatively small body but were among the most feared forest creatures, according to a conservationist.

"We have called on the people living near the dens of the bears to take precautions
when doing their daily activities. The ferocious beasts can attack suddenly, particularly when they feel disturbed," said Supartono of Bengkulu province`s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) here on Saturday.

The beasts are known to live around plantation areas at Dermayu, Sukaraja district, Seluma, their natural habitat on Sumatra island, said Supartono, adding that although they were among the most feared animals, sun bears were also the most protected wild life species.

The warning about sun bears had been communicated to the villagers, Supartono said, after some people reported to BKSDA they had spotted six bears roaming near human settlements. "These animals don`t easily attack, except if they are provoked," he emphasized.

Supartono said the villagers had been informed that when they see and meet a sun bear, they should make loud noises to drive them away instead of provoking them.

The appearance of animals such as bears and tigers around residential areas is an indication that much of the forested areas had been destroyed.

Sun bears are the only species of its kind living in Indonesia and the smallest of the world`s bears. It is found in forests from Burma and Thailand to Kalimantan and Sumatra. It has a black fur with a distinctive white triangle forming a "V" on its chest.

Although its body was relatively small, 1.10-1.40 meters in length and 22-65 kg in weight, the sun bear is among the most feared of the forest animals. Since this bear is shortsighted, it may suddenly come across a person at very close quarters and be startled.

When surprised, it will rise up on its hind legs and slash out in panic with its vicious, long, sharp claws and even the cubs can be as dangerous.(*)

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Eight Local Governments First to Get Climate Adaptation Help

Environment News Service 18 Nov 10;

WASHINGTON, DC, November 18, 2010 (ENS) - Eight cities and counties - from Boston to San Francisco - are seeking to protect themselves from climate change by being the first to join the nation's first comprehensive climate adaptation program for local governments.

The pioneering local governments include Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts; Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona; Lee County and Miami-Dade County, Florida; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

Following the hottest decade on record, global average temperatures are projected to rise four to 11 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century, increasing the problems local governments are already confronting.

In Boston, sea level rise has resulted in flooding and erosion. In Cambridge, changing precipitation patterns have brought increased flooding and potential drought periods.

Miami-Dade County is experiencing more frequent severe storms, more frequent floods from rising sea levels, and saltwater intrusion into drinking water aquifers.

On Florida's west coast, Lee County is seeing more extreme hot and cold events, increased coastal erosion and major costs for infrastructure, destabilization of aquatic food webs, and increasing occurrence of tropical diseases in plants, wildlife and humans.

Grand Rapids faces more frequent extreme heat waves, increased air pollution, more massive snow storms that damage infrastructure and burden city services, as well as economic impacts due to changes in the Great Lakes that affect shipping and commerce.

In arid Arizona, Tucson and Flagstaff are dealing with water shortages and more intense drought, landscape transformation due to wildfire and invasive species proliferation, and severe heat waves affecting public health.

San Francisco anticipates a mid-century sea level rise of 16 inches; and an end of century sea level rise of 55 inches.

To help local governments cope, the Climate Resilient Communities Program was developed by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA and launched this week. Strategies may include strengthening infrastructure, diversifying water supplies, and planting more vegetation to counteract the urban heat island effect.

"Local governments have a responsibility to protect people, property, and natural resources, and these leading communities wisely recognize that climate change is happening now, and that they must begin planning for impacts that will only become more severe in the coming decades," said Martin Chavez, ICLEI USA executive director and former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"For more than five years," said Chavez, "local governments have expressed an urgent need for resources and guidance to help them prepare their communities for climate impacts, and ICLEI USA is proud to finally release these groundbreaking resources."

The Climate Resilient Communities Program offers the first standardized adaptation planning process for communities, including the advanced Adaptation and Database Planning Tool, or ADAPT.

ADAPT walks users through the process of assessing community vulnerabilities, setting resiliency goals, and developing effective strategies that integrate into existing local planning efforts.

All of ICLEI USA's 600 U.S. local government members will receive access to Climate Resilient Communities Program resources, but the eight Inaugural Adaptation Communities will receive additional technical support.

On Friday, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission announced that its Adapting to Rising Tides Project has been selected to be part of ICLEI's inaugural national program.

The announcement was made at a public hearing on amendments to the San Francisco Bay Plan to update the 21-year-old sea level rise findings and policies and to add a new section in the plan dealing more broadly with climate change and adapting to sea level rise.

"Sea level rise from global warming is a fact," the commission says. "Water levels in San Francisco Bay have risen about seven inches over the past century, and scientists agree that the rate of sea level rise is accelerating."

In April 2009, the commission released a report summarizing the latest scientific research on climate change that says, "While exact future increases in sea level rise are uncertain, scientists believe it is likely that the Bay will rise about 11 to 18 inches by mid-century and may rise 23 to 55 inches by 2100."

The policies in the current San Francisco Bay Plan discourage building in shoreline areas that are vulnerable to current or future flooding. The proposed amendments would modify the existing policies to encourage development in suitable low-lying areas and encourage resource enhancement in areas with high natural habitat value.

The proposed policies would support small projects, continued in-fill development, redevelopment of closed military bases, remediation of contaminated sites, construction of critical infrastructure, and adaptive use of low-lying areas planned in a manner that addresses the dangers of accelerated sea level rise.

The commission says investors and insurers around the world are watching closely what the Bay Area and other low-lying regions are doing to deal with climate change.

San Francisco is one of the regions that do not have the luxury of choosing to either cut greenhouse gases or adapt to sea level rise, the commission said. "They must do both."

"The Bay Area is in competition with others around the world to attract investment," the commission said. "In order to win this contest, the Bay region cannot ignore the threats posed by climate change and sea level rise simply because the challenges are too difficult or current economic times are hard."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order in November 2008 directing state agencies to plan for sea level rise and directing the California Natural Resources Agency to develop a statewide adaptation strategy.

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