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Green Drinks: Environmental implications in redeveloping Bukit Brown
from Green Drinks Singapore
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 11;
SINGAPORE: The dolphins at the heart of the controversy surrounding Resorts World Sentosa's Marine Life Park (MLP) will play an important role in educating the public on conservation, said the park's vice-president Peter Doyle.
The MLP, which opens next year, will be home to 25 dolphins. Their captivity has been the subject of controversy in recent months.
Mr Doyle said conservation begins with education, and the dolphins are an integral part of the process.
He announced an initiative under which students in Singapore will get a hands-on experience with marine life at the MLP.
The programme is a collaboration between Resorts World Sentosa and Sea Research Foundation's (SRF) Mystic Aquarium in the United States.
Mystic Aquarium is known for its educational programmes and marine animal research.
The JASON Project, a multi-media and science programme by SRF and National Geographic Society, will also provide content for the programme.
The JASON Project was founded by acclaimed oceanographer Dr Robert Ballard, who also discovered the RMS Titanic more than 70 years after it sank.
Mr Doyle, who announced the initiative to more than 250 principals and educators from some 70 schools on Wednesday, said: "Zoos and aquariums are an integral part of the conservation initiative and aquariums with marine conservation are critical. Conservation begins with education.
"We've got facilities, state-of-the-art animal hospitals and a team of professionals. And we're developing programmes which give people a chance to learn hands-on experiences which take it to the next step because people remember more from what they experience.
"Aquariums are huge proponents of education, conservation and research and that's exactly what we're going to do here."
The MLP said the programmes will be aligned with the developmental needs of the student population, which stands at about half a million. For example, younger students will learn about the conservation of the horseshoe-crab species unique to the region. Older students will learn about their mangrove and mudflats habitats.
Other programmes will include becoming 'researchers for the day' - where students get to take blood samples from marine animals - as well as guided tours. The curriculum will be an enhancement to classroom learning, with teachers working with MLP to plan lessons for their classes.
- CNA/fa
Students to get exposure to marine life at Resorts World Sentosa park
Programmes for schools will be offered by Marine Life Park
Amelia Tan Straits Times 1 Dec 11;
ABOUT 250 science teachers and principals were at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) yesterday, not for theme-park rides, but to find out how their students can benefit from the Marine Life Park there.
The park will be rolling out education programmes targeting students from preschool to tertiary level when its opens next year.
It will be home to about 150,000 marine animals, including 25 dolphins which animal activists have been lobbying to release back to their natural habitat.
Yesterday's talk at RWS introduced the educational offerings, which include internships and guided aquarium tours.
RWS has inked a three-year partnership with Sea Research Foundation, a United States-based non-profit organisation, to work on a marine environmental curriculum for students.
Teachers interviewed said they were excited by the possibilities to expose students to a variety of marine life and research projects, and to get them to learn more about professions such as veterinarians and marine biologists through internships.
The teachers said the dolphin issue may be raised by their students and they see it as a way to spawn a discussion on conservation.
In recent months, there has been public debate about whether it is appropriate for RWS to showcase the dolphins caught in waters off the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea. They are now housed at Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay in the Philippines.
Ms Ng Oon Hui, who teaches cell and molecular biology and biochemistry at the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, said: 'The students may ask questions about the dolphins.
'One way we can address their questions would be in getting them to see for themselves how the dolphins are treated at the park. And they can decide how they feel about the issue.'
The director of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's school of life sciences and chemical technology, Mrs Tang-Lim Guek Im, said: 'The hands-on experience that our students have in marine life is currently on a small-scale and ad hoc basis.
'The park will be able to offer a structured programme to help our students learn more about marine life.'
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) recently filmed a video of trainers introducing basketballs and hula-hoops to the dolphins at Ocean Adventure.
It approached RWS for an explanation as the latter had said before that it had no plans for animal shows.
RWS replied that balls and hoops encouraged play activities among dolphins in zoological environments and reiterated that it had no plans to feature animal shows.
Marine Life Park to roll out educational programme
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 11;
SINGAPORE: Singapore students will be able to gain a unique insight into marine life through an internationally- acclaimed curriculum at Marine Life Park (MLP), which opens next year
This is a three-year collaboration between Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), where the MLP is located and Sea Research Foundation's (SRF) Mystic Aquarium.
Contents for the curriculum, which is still in its planning stages, will come from the Mystic Aquarium, known for its educational programmes and marine animal research.
It will also come from the JASON Project, a multi-media and science programme by SRF and National Geographic Society.
The JASON Project was founded by acclaimed oceanographer Dr Robert Ballard, who also discovered the RMS Titanic, more than 70 years after it sank.
Vice-president of MLP Peter Doyle, who announced Wednesday the initiative to more than 250 principals and educators from some 70 schools, said the programmes will be aligned with developmental needs of the student population, which stands at about half a million.
For example, younger students will learn about the conservation of the horseshoe-crab species unique to the region.
Older students will learn about their mangrove and mudflats habitats.
Other programmes will include becoming "Researchers for the day", where students get to take blood samples from marine animals.
The curriculum will be an enhancement to classroom learning, with teachers working with MLP to plan lessons for their classes.
"All of our programmes will be focused on Singapore and Southeast Asia. That's really our key message," Mr Doyle said.
MLP will be home to 25 dolphins, whose captivity has been the subject of controversy.
Mr Doyle said conservation begins with education and the dolphins are an integral part of the process.
"Zoos and aquariums are an integral part of the conservation initiative. And aquariums with marine conservation are critical," he said.
"Conservation begins with education, so we've got facilities, we've got state-of-the-art animal hospitals and we've got a team of professionals.
"And we're developing programmes which give people a chance to learn hands-on experiences, which takes it to the next step, because people remember more what they experience.
"Aquariums are huge proponents of education, conservation and research and that's exactly what we're going to do here."
- CNA/wk
Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 11;
SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is drawing on strong public interest for bold and fresh ideas on ways to develop the Malayan railway land that was returned to Singapore in July 2011.
It has launched an Ideas Competition "Journey of Possibilities" to address the challenges and issues in turning the Rail Corridor into an extraordinary trail that can be enjoyed by all.
The URA said the challenge is to develop visionary and compelling ideas for the Rail Corridor, along five key issues identified after extensive engagement with the public.
These are bio-diversity and sensitive development; inclusiveness, accessibility and resolving conflicts; community ownership, pride and sense of well-being; heritage and great Ideas for a public space.
The URA said since the return of the former railway land, the Rail Corridor project has garnered widespread public interest.
It said feedback has shown there are many more people out there who would like to make tangible contribution.
The competition covers a 25.3km stretch from Kranji coastal mudflats in the north to Tanjong Pagar district in the south of Singapore, as well as a 1.9km stretch of former Jurong Line which spurs off from the main line near Bukit Timah Railway Station to Ulu Pandan Canal.
There are two categories: Open, which is for all interested participants and Youth Challenge, for secondary school students.
For the Open category, three cash prizes -- S$2,000, S$1,000 and S$500 -- will be awarded.
Three cash prizes -- S$1,000, S$500 and S$250 -- will be awarded for the Youth Challenge category.
An exhibition of selected entries, including all award-winners, will be held after the competition.
Those who're interested in the competition, which runs until 9 March 2012, can register via the Rail Corridor Ideas Competition site.
- CNA/wk
Ideas wanted on how to develop railway corridor
Grace Chua Straits Times 1 Dec 11;
HAVE an idea on what to do with the former Malaysian railway land?
The Government yesterday announced a competition for the best proposals to develop the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu corridor, which was returned to Singapore in July.
Winning ideas will be part of an exhibition, to be held after the competition, while the most useful ones could be part of a design brief to help companies create a masterplan for the area.
Those taking part in the competition can focus on any or all of five key issues. They are:
Biodiversity and sensitive development: The 26km stretch from Kranji to Tanjong Pagar is home to native plants, animals and birds.
Inclusiveness, accessibility and resolving conflicts: For example, cyclists and joggers may want to use a section of the land at the same time.
Community ownership, pride and sense of well-being: The land slices through housing estates such as Commonwealth, and residents might use it as a personal and community space.
Heritage: The former stations at Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah are slated for conservation and the railway itself is historically significant; these aspects could be preserved and celebrated.
Great ideas for a public space.
There is also a youth category aimed at secondary schoolchildren. Their proposals need not focus on any specific aspect.
'They could be wide-ranging, reflecting the interests and aspirations of the younger generation, and how the Rail Corridor could be especially meaningful to them,' said the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Three top prizes of $2,000, $1,000 and $500 will be awarded in the open category.
The equivalent in the youth challenge category will be $1,000, $500 and $250.
Competitors can submit drawings, sketches, diagrams and photographs, with accompanying written narratives.
Since last year, civic groups have been campaigning to keep the tract of land a continuous, uncut stretch, citing its historic, natural and cultural value.
They are working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and other government agencies to form a consultation group and organise competitions, talks and events.
For example, an exhibition on the Rail Corridor is being held at the URA Centre in Maxwell Road until tomorrow and at various venues thereafter.
For more details on the competition, see www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor/ideas_comp/register.html
Clarissa Oon Straits Times 1 Dec 11;
WITH some creativity, a compromise solution can be found to the debate raging over the fate of the historically significant and wildlife-rich Bukit Brown Cemetery.
The controversy began in September when the Land Transport Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced plans to build a road cutting through the cemetery to ease traffic congestion on nearby Lornie Road.
It sparked calls from historians, nature conservationists, descendants of those buried there and many heritage lovers to preserve the cemetery containing about 100,000 graves, including those of distinguished local pioneers and their families.
About 5,000 of the graves will have to make way for roadworks due to start in 2013, while the rest will be untouched for 30 to 40 years until the future Bukit Brown housing estate is developed. The URA revealed for the first time recently that the area marked for long-term residential use will have a mix of private and public housing.
But if you think about it, pockets of the verdant cemetery can actually be kept as parks and memorials embedded in the future housing estate.
This hint of a compromise can be found in a 'personal reflection' on the cemetery penned by the Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin on his Facebook page, which reveals a little more than his official remarks. He has promised to find alternative ways in land-scarce Singapore to keep Bukit Brown's heritage alive.
'If we are not pantang (Malay for superstitious), I can see small clusters of cemetery parks amidst development. Some prominent tombs can be relocated to other places,' he wrote earlier this month.
But compromise in itself is woefully incomplete if the documentation of the affected graves becomes a rushed job. It will be done by a team of volunteers, led by a specialist who was appointed by the government only last month.
The example that comes to mind is the bulldozing of the sprawling Bidadari Cemetery in the Upper Serangoon area between 2001 and 2006, after which a memorial park was created to honour 20 of the famous dead. However, there was no systematic documentation or photography of the multi-religious cemetery, which held more than 130,000 tombstones, each a repository of valuable information on the dead, their families and diverse cultural and religious belief systems.
Aside from being a pressing and complex conservation issue, Bukit Brown offers two lessons for state-society relations - the need for the authorities to be more transparent about redevelopment plans, sooner rather than later; and the need for both sides to accommodate each other's concerns.
The URA can make available, in a timely fashion, more information than is currently contained in its Concept Plans and Master Plans. Members of the public can give feedback on these plans, which are regularly updated, and are the main source of information on how different parts of Singapore will evolve physically in the medium to long term.
While Bukit Brown was zoned for residential use in the 1991 and 2001 Concept Plans, there is no way of knowing from that piece of information alone the time frame for the cemetery's redevelopment, much less when roads or MRT lines will intrude into the cemetery.
Each Concept Plan sets out very broad guidelines for land use and transport over the next 40 to 50 years, based on population projections.
It is the Master Plan which translates these guidelines into a statutory land-use blueprint for the next 10 to 15 years. As of the last Master Plan in 2008, Bukit Brown remains zoned as a cemetery.
While the sharing of more detailed information on redevelopment is not always possible as it could lead to profiteering on the housing market, that argument does not hold for cemeteries.
Instead, such advance notice would help resource-strapped heritage groups like the Singapore Heritage Society to focus their attention and work with the Government on alternative proposals for conservation.
When it comes to engaging experts and the public on specific areas rich in history and culture, the Rail Corridor is a good act to follow. That is the long strip of former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway land which reverted to Singapore on July 1. Right off the bat, the National Development Ministry has been engaging the public and interest groups on what to do with the land, and their input will go into the 2013 Master Plan. That is a fine example of engagement that allows accommodation.
Old places and spaces are never just about the past; they strengthen our rootedness to the land.
I can think of no better way for the Ministry of Education to be teaching values, such as filial piety and social responsibility, than for our children to see that we have kept the graves of forefathers who contributed so much to this land.
Currently, no grave has made it to the list of gazetted national monuments, as the upkeep of a grave is seen to be the responsibility of a family rather than the state. But if parts of Bukit Brown Cemetery are to be preserved, Singaporeans must ask themselves if the graves of important pioneers could be considered national monuments.
In more ways than one, Bukit Brown is the start of a national conversation.
Straits Times Forum 1 Dec 11;
IN MONDAY'S letter ('Let's be practical on land use'), Mr Ang Chin Guan praised the Government for good urban planning, and said Bukit Brown Cemetery and Rochor Centre should make way for the infrastructural needs of future generations.
However, the interests of future generations may not solely have to do with economic development.
Granted, new roads will ease traffic congestion now, but 50 years on, there will be more vehicles utilising the roads, and our grandchildren will take the 'shorter travelling time' for granted. Is this the kind of legacy we should bequeath to them?
We do not know for certain what our future generations want, but with the current sense of confusion on what being a Singaporean means, we need to provide physical spaces to create shared memories for them.
If we base our demolition of landmarks solely on economic development, we would be failing to give them a proper sense of identity, since shared memories shape who they are.
Our future generations will have no first-hand memories of first-generation nation-builders, other than from the annual National Day Parade and their textbooks. We need to give them physical landmarks, to tell them that their industrious forefathers lived, worked and died in Singapore.
This kind of experience can be gained only if we conserve Bukit Brown Cemetery and avoid knocking down old urban landmarks unless they are near collapse.
The assumption that our future generations only want more cars and condos reflects on our short-sightedness. We must also tell them that being a Singaporean does not mean just aspiring to material needs.
Aloysius Foo
Let's be practical on land use
Straits Times Forum 28 Nov 11;
TWO road projects to ease traffic congestion have raised the hackles of conservationists because they involve using part of the Bukit Brown Cemetery ('New road to ease Lornie Road jams'; Sept 13) and the relocation of all residents living in an old urban landmark, Rochor Centre ('More than 500 homes to make way for highway'; Nov 16).
I am glad that long-term practicality has triumphed over other issues. While the governments of other countries are striving to fulfil their citizens' short- term needs, the Singapore Government is planning for 30 to 40 years ahead, keeping in mind the needs of our children and grandchildren, when many of our current leaders will no longer be around.
Conservation and filial piety are cited for arguing against clearing Bukit Brown Cemetery, which is largely for future housing needs and partly for road building. The very critics who push hard for government flexibility are themselves being inflexible.
If the Government is not prudent, there is no guarantee that our grandchildren will have proper housing.
Show filial piety to parents when they are around, and care for the future needs of our children and grandchildren.
Let us be practical - Bukit Brown should be developed and Rochor Centre should make way for the North-South Expressway.
Ang Chin Guan
New expressway: 'Consider the bigger picture.'
MR JEREMY TEO: "While I understand Ms Wendy Yuen's concerns ('Much to sacrifice for North-South Expressway'; Forum Online, Nov 19), we should consider the bigger picture. Singapore must constantly improve its infrastructure to attract more foreign investments, which will translate into more jobs. Preservation of buildings, especially those without much historical value, should not be the first priority when we are a land-scarce nation. Sacrifices have to be made for Singapore to become a First World country with a world-class transport system."
Singapore venture bucks chilli crab convention
Avelyn Ng Today Online 1 Dec 11;
SINGAPORE - In the land where consuming a meal of chilli crab tops the must-do list for many visitors, one company wants to put lobster on the menu instead. Better known as a Western luxury, lobsters are now grown and farmed in crab-hungry Singapore.
LOBS Harvest, a farm set up at Pulau Ubin early last year, recently clinched S$400,000 in a dollar-for-dollar investment by the SPRING Startup Enterprise Development Scheme (SPRING SEEDS), and Shinagawa LASIK, a private LASIK eye surgery clinic with links to Japan.
It is the brainchild of Mr Seah Yew Chai (picture), who has a background in marine science under the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, and Mr Foo Wei Young, who has experience in shipping at PSA.
Far from just another fish farm, the pair set out to develop a sustainable and challenging business. "We decided on lobsters since it is the hardest to grow and it is less of a commodity. We wanted to be sustainable so we buy in baby lobsters which other farmers do not want and grow them to maturity," said Mr Seah.
Roadblocks
Harvesting lobsters brings lucrative margins, but the mortality rate is high. The baby lobsters are brought in as small as one inch in length. One of the biggest challenges for LOBS Harvest is keeping them alive. According to Mr Foo, 30 to 40 per cent of the baby lobsters are dead on arrival, after being transported from suppliers in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Another hurdle is widening the acceptance of consuming lobsters by the public. "I feel the challenge lies in the low consumption in Singapore. Many Singaporeans still think of lobsters as a Western food and most go for crabs instead. What we are doing right now is trying to open up a market from scratch," said Mr Foo.
According to Mr Seah, about S$700 million worth of lobsters are consumed in Singapore every year. Of that, live lobsters account for S$100 million and frozen goods take up the rest.
LOBS Harvest aims to tap at least 30 per cent of the "live" market which could bring S$30 million in revenue annually.
Exports
With the highest consumption in Europe and the largest suppliers in countries such as Australia, competition can be stifling.
"Lobster is a seasonal product and the supply may not always be there. Prices will also fluctuate due to external factors such as weather and economic conditions," said Mr Seah. "What differentiates us is that, through growing them, we ensure consistent supply throughout and we keep them at a fixed price," he explained.
He added that this reliability is the main reason the company is winning long-term orders from major Japanese restaurants.
LOBS' recent funding is a milestone towards a much loftier dream - to build a bridge between Europe and Australia.
Mr Foo, who specialises in transportation, sees Singapore as an ideal shipping hub located between the two continents. There are also plans to expand to Japan and China.
Plans ahead
LOBS is aiming to improve transportation to reduce the baby lobster mortality rate and is also in the midst of developing remote-sensoring technology to boost productivity. This is a surveillance tool able to detect variables such as change in water parameters and feeding behaviour.
The company has plans to sell the technology once it is perfected. In a business plan presented to SPRING SEEDS, the businessmen describe plans to have the prototype ready by early next year at the latest.
Depending on the company's progress, SPRING SEEDS may inject up to another S$800,000.
"We are friendly with the neighbouring farms and we help each other out. The competition is not here but elsewhere," said Mr Seah.
Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 11;
SINGAPORE: With more wet weather expected in the coming weeks, buildings will be better protected from flash floods with new drainage measures that take effect from December 1.
The minimum height of platform, land reclamation and crest levels for new developments will be raised to provide better flood protection for buildings.
The design parameters for new drains will also be enhanced to cater to more intense rain storms.
These measures are covered under a revised Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage of national water agency, PUB.
The revisions are part of recommendations made by an Inter-Agency Drainage Review Committee (IADRC) which was formed in August 2010 to review drainage design requirements for flood control.
Their recommendations were later refined after consultations with the public and professional bodies from May to August 2011, and incorporated into the sixth edition of the code to provide stronger safeguards against flash floods.
For general developments, minimum platform levels have to be at least 30cm above the adjacent ground level or 60cm above the highest recorded flood level (if any), whichever is higher.
For commercial/multi-unit residential developments with basements such as shopping centres, office buildings and condominiums, the minimum platform levels have to be at least 60cm above the adjacent ground level or 60cm above the highest recorded flood level (if any), whichever is higher.
If these levels cannot be met due to site constraints, building owners can propose alternative design approaches for flood protection.
To cater for rising sea levels in the future, the minimum reclamation levels have been increased to 104.0mRL along the southern coast and 104.5mRL along the northern coast, approximately one metre higher than the current standards.
Design standards for new drains will be raised.
Depending on the size of the catchment, this can vary from an increase of 15 per cent to 50 per cent in drainage capacities.
PUB's deputy director for catchment and waterways, Mr Lim Meng Check, said: "We are seeing an increase in maximum rainfall intensities in Singapore over the past 30 years. Under the revised Code of Practice, we have increased our design standards to ensure that our drainage system is robust enough to cope with the higher intensity of rain. Over and above this, we have also raised the drainage requirements for developments to provide additional flood protection for buildings and key infrastructure."
To ensure that the surface run-off from developments under construction does not affect adjacent developments, developers have to ensure that the site can cope with more intense rain.
The required storage capacity for sedimentation basins or storage ponds/tanks at construction sites has been increased.
- CNA/fa
New PUB design standards for flood protection
Business Times 1 Dec 11;
NATIONAL water agency PUB has announced a revised code of practice on surface water drainage which provides greater flood protection for Singapore.
Taking effect today, the stipulated minimum height of platform, land reclamation and crest levels for new developments will be raised to provide better flood protection for buildings. The design parameters for new drains will also be enhanced to cater for more intense rainstorms.
These revisions follow recommendations made by an Inter-Agency Drainage Review Committee (IADRC) which was formed in August 2010.
For general developments, platform levels have to be at least 30cm above the adjacent ground level or 60cm above the highest recorded flood level (if any), whichever is higher, PUB said.
For commercial/multi- unit residential developments with basements such as shopping centres, office buildings and condominiums, the platform levels have to be at least 60cm above the adjacent ground level or 60cm above the highest recorded flood level (if any), whichever is higher. If these levels cannot be met due to site constraints, building owners have the option of proposing an alternative design approach for flood protection.
To cater for rising sea levels in the future, the minimum reclamation levels have been raised approximately one metre more than the current standards. In addition, design standards for new drains will be raised to cater for more intense rainstorms.
Said Lim Meng Check, PUB's deputy director for catchment and waterways: 'We have increased our design standards to ensure that our drainage system is robust enough to cope with the higher intensity of rain. Over and above this, we have also raised the drainage requirements for developments to provide additional flood protection for buildings and key infrastructure.'
Singapore has been hit by flash floods in recent months, affecting low-lying areas including the Orchard Road shopping belt.
Drainage code updated to focus on floods
PUB's revised rules apply to new buildings, those to be redeveloped
Daryl Chin Straits Times 1 Dec 11;
NATIONAL water agency PUB yesterday announced details of an updated drainage code which new buildings have to abide by to better prepare for floods.
The changes include making the minimum height of platforms higher and increasing drainage capacities.
But the revised rules, which are mandatory, will apply only to new buildings and existing buildings slated for redevelopment.
These changes are a result of recommendations made by an inter-agency drainage review committee, as well as input from public and professional bodies.
The committee was formed in August last year to review drainage requirements for flood control after heavy rain caused massive flooding in Orchard Road in June the same year.
As part of the changes, buildings with basements, such as shopping malls and condominiums, need to have a minimum platform level of at least 60cm above ground level.
Before the changes, the minimum platform level could be at ground level.
In anticipation of more intense storms, drainage design standards have also been updated under the revised code.
Depending on the size of the catchment to store rainwater, these larger drains can vary up to a 50 per cent increase in drainage capacity.
Mr Lim Meng Check, PUB deputy director for catchment and waterways, said Singapore has experienced an increase in maximum rainfall intensities over the past 30 years.
'Under the revised code of practice, we have increased our design standards to ensure that our drainage system is robust enough to cope with the higher intensity of rain,' he said.
'We have also raised the drainage requirements for developments to provide additional flood protection for buildings and key infrastructure.'
Associate Professor Susanto Teng of Nanyang Technological University's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering said such measures are timely, given the higher occurrence of flash floods.
In 2009, flash floods occurred only on six days, according to the PUB. The figure went up to 13 last year, and has hit 12 so far this year.
'Essentially, I think new buildings will be on a par with those built in flood- prone areas in the United States, so it's a welcome move,' said Prof Teng.
He said existing building owners should also look at their current anti- flood measures and decide if these are sufficient to combat intense rainfall.
'It's a tough issue as it involves costs and construction difficulties, particularly in built-up areas like Orchard Road. But if building owners don't do anything, tenants will move out if things get out of hand,' he said.
Dr Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors Association, pointed out that steps must be taken to improve the overall infrastructure.
'The updated measures will definitely help new building owners when floods happen. But once you raise the floor, the water still has to run somewhere,' said Dr Ho, who is also the director of engineering firm Samwoh Corporation.
'That means the surrounding vicinity of the building also has to have an adequate drainage system.'
(AFP) Google News 30 Nov 11;
GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines — Philippine authorities seized a haul of about 2,000 live geckos as part of a campaign to protect the lizard that is highly-valued in traditional Asian medicine, police said Wednesday.
Police and environment department officers seized the lizards, held in boxes, crates and cages, from a trading company in the southern port city of General Santos on Tuesday just before they were due to be shipped to Manila.
The head of the trading company said the geckos were going to be used as part of an organic farming project but police investigator Senior Superintendent Bert Ferro said they violated wildlife protection laws by acquiring them.
"At least 14 people, including (the owner) were arrested during the raid," Ferro added.
Regional wildlife protection chief, Zosimo Soriano said the animals would eventually be released into the wild.
Demand for geckos from the Philippines has intensified in recent months as the Asia-wide alternative medicine trade ravaged the lizard's numbers in neighbouring Malaysia, the government warned in July.
Trapping, selling or exporting geckos, regarded by some Asians as cure-alls, is punishable by hefty fines and jail terms of up to four years.
Twenty-six gecko species are found only in the Philippines, which also has eight other varieties that are also found elsewhere, the department said.
Raid in General Santos yields 2,000 geckos
Inquirer News 30 Nov 11;
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Government agents on Tuesday seized 2,000 geckos from a trading company here and are now preparing charges against the company owners and others believed involved in collecting and trading the protected species.
Senior Supt. Albert Fierro, director of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Central Mindanao, on Wednesday said the raid on Mindanao Development Venture and Trade in Barangay Lagao was carried out by agents of the CIDG, the National Bureau of Investigation and other police units after the company was found to be engaged in the buy and sell of geckos.
The capture and trade of geckos had been outlawed.
Fierro quoted Mario Librada Legazpi, owner of the trading company, as saying his company was collecting the geckos for use in organic farming.
Fierro, however, said representatives from the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are not buying Legazpi’s story.
Fierro said PAWB representatives believe that the geckos were being sold to collectors who crush the animals into powder in the belief that these have medicinal value.
In other countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, geckos are being passed off as cure for cancer and even the human immunodeficiency virus.
A 300-gram gecko could fetch P45,000 in the black market. Openly trading in geckos, a protected species, is prohibited in the Philippines.
“The payoff for the 2,000 geckos was supposed to take place on Wednesday but we were able to prevent it,” said Fierro.
He said charges of violation of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act were now being prepared against Legazpi and his companions.
The seized reptiles, meanwhile, would be released back into the wild, he said. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao
Catherine Airlie Bloomberg 30 Nov 11;
Norway and Indonesia’s $1 billion deal to halt the destruction of peatland and forests for two years in Aceh, a province of the Southeast Asian country, has been broken, according to the Ecosystems Climate Alliance.
Aceh’s governor Irwandi Yusuf has agreed to let a palm oil company called PT Kallista Alam convert protected peat swamp forest into plantations, the alliance said today in an e-mail.
“We often see this sort of contravention of law from the usual suspects such as disreputable logging corporations and oil palm interests, but this time the highest authority in the province appears to be breaking the moratorium,” Peg Putt, a senior consultant at Global Witness, a member group of the alliance, said in the e-mail.
Officials that grant such permissions are breaking an agreement with Norway that came into effect in January to protect forests. According to the deal agreed in May 2010, Indonesia would suspend new concessions to companies seeking to convert forest and peatland into plantations for two years.
Climate talks are under way in Durban, South Africa to carve out a treaty to extend or replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. That’s the linchpin of efforts to limit fossil-fuel emissions blamed for damaging the atmosphere. Forest destruction is responsible for about 17 percent of global emissions and the talks may negotiate a deal to protect them.
Andrew D. Kaspar Jakarta Globe 30 Nov 11;
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may have said it best when he visited Central Kalimantan on Nov. 17 to launch Indonesia’s UN Office for REDD Coordination: “Making REDD a success here and elsewhere will require the commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders. We must ensure that all have a voice.”
As nearly 200 nations convene in Durban, South Africa, for the UN’s annual climate change summit, one aspect of negotiations will be of particular interest to the Indonesian delegation — and the 50 million to 70 million indigenous people across the archipelago.
REDD — Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation — is one of many attempts to encourage an international accord on greenhouse gas emissions reductions. REDD aims to incentivize forest preservation, to prevent the release of carbon dioxide stored in trees by offering payment to do so.
Because the vast majority of Indonesia’s emissions are attributed to deforestation, REDD is seen as a particularly potent means of emissions reductions.
And because REDD involves preserving forested areas that many indigenous peoples call home, the concept and its implementation are particularly high on the list of developments to watch at this year’s climate summit.
“Everybody’s talking about REDD now. Everybody’s talking about forests,” said Mina Setra, the head of international policy with the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). “And when they talk about forests, they cannot skip indigenous peoples in the discussions.”
REDD is more concept than reality at this point. While Indonesia is one of several nations to begin implementing pilot projects, critical questions remain, among them how to fund such conservation, how to measure and monetarily value forests saved and to whom REDD payments should go.
“This is a window for us to jump in, and talk about how to ensure the rights of indigenous peoples in this area,” Mina said. “This is a very important moment for us to really take as an opportunity.”
For Mina and AMAN, the negotiations boil down to a simple maxim: “No rights, no REDD.”
To be sure, the rights of indigenous peoples have come a long way. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People was ratified by 144 nations in 2007. It includes many of the protections viewed as critical to a successful and equitable REDD regime.
“Over the last five years, the climate negotiations have been responding to that and have made specific references to indigenous peoples’ rights and the need to safeguard them,” said Patrick Anderson, Indonesia’s policy adviser with the Forest Peoples Program, which advocates on behalf of indigenous rights worldwide.
But a recent FPP report highlights major shortcomings in pioneering REDD projects in Indonesia and elsewhere. It paints a picture of a REDD wild west, where “carbon cowboys” in various guises bring projects to local communities with exploitative intent.
Indigenous peoples from around the world gathered in Oaxaca, Mexico, in October, to hash out a unified position in advance of Durban.
Among other priorities, the action plan calls for greater land tenure rights, recognition of the value that traditional knowledge can play in climate change mitigation and a mandate that REDD projects going forward will only be launched with the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of resident indigenous peoples.
Whatever comes out of Durban, it is clear that REDD’s success in benefiting indigenous peoples will ultimately fall to national, provincial and local governments.
Simpun Sampurna, an AMAN organizer in Central Kalimantan, said the reality on the ground was reflective of these challenges.
“Communities are confused because there are too many projects, too many initiatives happening in their territories,” he said.
“We welcome the idea of protecting our forests, but the implementation of the projects is not protecting the rights, not respecting FPIC. That’s the problem.”
Warnings that illiterate communities are being pressured to sign up to offsetting schemes in the rush to tap into the potentially vast new global carbon market for forest-rich countries
John Vidal guardian.co.uk 30 Nov 11;
The Peruvian Amazon is the new global centre of "carbon piracy", as banks, conservationists and entrepreneurs rush to snap up the legal rights to trade carbon, according to a report published today at the UN climate talks in Durban.
More than 35 major projects covering around 7m hectares of Peruvian rainforest have been set up to profit from the global voluntary carbon offset market and a proposed UN forestry scheme, say the report's authors, Peruvian group Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP).
A UN scheme called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (Redd) allows countries that can reduce emissions from deforestation to be paid for doing so.
World leaders hope to conclude Redd negotiations at Durban next week, potentially opening up a vast new global carbon market for forest-rich countries.
But in a report that suggests that developing countries are not ready for Redd and communities are being pressured to sign agreements against their interests, indigenous leaders say companies, NGOs and individuals are are abusing illiterate communities and are only consulting people after projects have started.
The rush to sign up communities for carbon offsetting has so far been mainly seen in Papua New Guinea, Africa and Indonesia. But Peruvian indigenous leader say the rush in the Amazon has been like a "new fever", comparable to earlier attempts by international companies to find oil and grow rubber in the Amazon.
"NGOs, carbon consultants and investors are roaming the jungle in search of communities with carbon offsetting potential. In one case this even involved an effort to convince communities to sign away their rights to carbon in a contract with no defined end point," said Alberto Pizango Chota, the head of AIDESEP.
"Several of these deals are being conducted using strict confidentiality clauses and with no independent oversight or legal support for vulnerable communities. Some of these peoples are not yet fully literate in Spanish but are being asked to sign complex legal agreements in English," he said.
"At a local level many projects are shrouded in mystery. Information is guarded secretively by project developers, especially from indigenous organisations," says the report.
Of the 35 known projects, at least 11 are planned in officially recognised indigenous lands, but millions more hectares of tribal land that has not been recognised by governments could be the target of "a potential mass land grab" and conflict, says the report.
"In Loreto province alone there are hundreds of requests for environmental concessions by NGOs and private investors while thousands of hectares of indigenous territory applications remain unresolved."
Several British-based companies are said to be linked to offset deals, says the report. WWF and Cool Earth are seen by the authors as representing the more acceptable face of the rush, but others "involve long-term commercial contracts with communities whose terms are extremely favourable to external commercial interests and NGOs," says the report.
"The companies, NGOs and brokers are breeding, desperate for that magic thing, the signature of the village chief on the piece of paper about carbon credits, something that the community doesn't understand well but in doing so the middle-man hopes to earn huge profits on the back of our forests and our ways of life but providing few benefits for communities," said Chota.
People quoted in the report fear that carbon-offsetting and Redd might even be more dangerous to the communities depending on the forest than oil and gas exploration or logging because it will affect the whole Amazon.
"In the communities almost nobody knows what Redd is and there is a risk that the NGOs and the companies will arrive in the communities to cheat and enslave us. Many communities do not know their rights or the laws and are tricked. This is what happens with loggers," said one community leader.
UN Climate Forest Conservation Spawns 'Carbon Piracy' in Peru
Environment News Wire 30 Nov 11;
DURBAN, South Africa, November 30, 2011 (ENS) - A new UN-backed effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by paying communities to leave the trees standing is undermining the rights of indigenous peoples in Peru, leading to "carbon piracy" and land conflicts, finds a new report issued today by Peruvian indigenous organizations and an international human rights group.
The report, "The reality of REDD+ in Peru: Between Theory and Practice - Indigenous Amazonian Peoples' Analyses and Alternatives," was released at the ongoing UN climate conference in Durban, where some 20,000 delegates and observers are gathered to craft solutions to the climate crisis.
The report is published by Peruvian indigenous organizations AIDESEP, FENAMAD and CARE [see below for names in Spanish] and by the international human rights organization Forest Peoples Programme, based in the UK.
The report centers on the UN program Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, commonly called REDD, which offers incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
REDD+ goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation to include conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
The UN predicts that financial flows for greenhouse gas emission reductions from REDD+ could reach US$30 billion a year, a North-South flow of funds that could reward carbon emissions reductions and support new, pro-poor development, help conserve biodiversity and secure vital ecosystem services.
But in Peru, the report shows that REDD project developers are roaming the rainforest trying to convince indigenous peoples and local communities to enter into REDD deals with promises of millions of dollars in return for signing away their rights to control their land and forest carbon.
Deals are being written using strict confidentiality clauses and with no independent oversight or legal support for vulnerable communities. Some of these peoples are not yet fully literate in Spanish, but are being asked to sign complex commercial contracts in English that are subject to English law.
"We live here in the Peruvian Amazon where there is a new boom, a new fever just like for rubber and oil but this time for carbon and REDD," writes AIDESEP President Alberto Pizango Chota in the report. "The companies, NGOs and brokers are breeding, desperate for that magic thing, the signature of the village chief on the piece of paper about carbon credits, something that the community doesn't understand well but in doing so the middle-man hopes to earn huge profits on the back of our forests and our ways of life but providing few benefits for communities."
"We denounce this 'carbon piracy' that is one side of the reality of REDD in the Peruvian Amazon," said Pizango, whose organization represents more than 1,400 indigenous communities.
"The other side is the big programs of the environmental NGOs, the world bank, the IDB [Inter-American Development Bank] and the government who promise to act with transparency and respect our collective rights, but will this include the respect of our ancestral territories and self determination?" asks Pizango. "The safeguards and guidelines of the big projects always say that they will respect our rights but the reality is always different," he said.
Some communities already have come to regret early deals made with carbon traders and NGOs, and are now attempting to extricate themselves, according to the report.
One leader from the community of Belgica in southeast Peru explained, "We were presented with a trust fund in which the community is obliged to hand over the administration of communal territory and be subject to the decisions of the developer for 30 years."
"This will not allow us to make decisions about our territory or plan for the future of our children," he said.
Roberto Espinoza Llanos, coordinator of AIDESEP's Climate Change program and a lead author of the report, said, "The commitments made by the previous government [of Peru] in 2011 were not made lightly. They were assumed by the state and approved in a global meeting of the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility."
"We hope that the present government and international entities like the World Bank will deliver on their promises to respect land and territorial rights," he said. "Continual monitoring will be necessary to make sure they keep their word."
In violation of Peru's international obligation to recognize and secure indigenous peoples' traditional possession of their forest lands, says the report, many indigenous communities have no secure land rights, as an estimated 20 million hectares of indigenous peoples' customary territories in the Peruvian Amazon still possess no legal recognition, including those of isolated or 'autonomous' indigenous peoples.
At the same time, hundreds of formal requests for "conservation concessions" with the intention of establishing REDD projects have been submitted to the government of Peru by private individuals and environmental NGOs.
"Many of these would be concessions directly overlie indigenous peoples' territories still awaiting legal recognition, thereby setting the stage for a state-backed land grab," the report states.
In addition, "Efforts to protect forests through REDD+ are undermined by contradictory policies of other government sectors overseeing mining, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and national defence," says the report.
Conrad Feather, project officer for Forest Peoples Programme and the report's other lead author said, "REDD is not just a policy instrument being negotiated at the UN; unregulated REDD developments are already turning Peru into a center of international carbon piracy and the site for a potential land grab of indigenous peoples' territories on a massive scale. Urgent measures are needed to protect the lands and livelihoods of indigenous peoples."
But today, community consultation is occurring only after REDD+ projects have started, and a lack of awareness and understanding of REDD+ among communities and government agencies as well as project developers are clouding the prospect for the program's success.
As an alternative, the indigenous peoples' organizations are urging the new Peruvian government to re-think the forest and climate plans developed by their predecessors and use REDD funds to secure indigenous peoples' forest territories and support community-based solutions to tackle climate change.
These community and rights-based approaches are cost-effective and proven to protect forests, reduce emissions from deforestation and lead to poverty reduction, increased livelihood security and biodiversity conservation, the indigenous organizations maintain.
AIDESEP President Pizango said, "Only in this way can REDD truly become an opportunity for indigenous peoples instead of a threat."
"For indigenous peoples in both the Peruvian Andes and Amazon climatic crisis is already a reality," the report states. "Presently drastic changes are being observed in the frequency and intensity of rain, frost, hail, and drought. In the past five years, according to figures from the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment, 22% of glacier volume (some 7 thousand million m3) have been lost. This is the equivalent of the capital city of Lima's water consumption in ten years."
"What is worse," says the report, "for 2025, glaciers below 5500 meters above sea level will have disappeared, drastically reducing the supply of a vital resource."
The report, "The reality of REDD+ in Peru: Between Theory and Practice - Indigenous Amazonian Peoples' Analyses and Alternatives," was published by:
AIDESEP (Interethnic association for the development of the Peruvian Amazon) is a national confederation of indigenous Amazonian peoples in Peru, representing over 1,400 communities. http://www.aidesep.org.pe
FENAMAD (Federation of the Native Peoples of the river Madre de Dios and its tributaries) is the umbrella indigenous federation of the Madre de Dios region, Peru. http://fenamad.org.pe/noticias/
CARE - (Ashaninka Centre of the river Ene) is a local indigenous federation representing Ashaninka communities on the Ene River in the central rainforest region of Peru. http://ashanincare.org/
Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) is an international non-governmental human rights organization working to support the rights of peoples who live in forests and depend on them for their livelihoods. http://www.forestpeoples.org
PlanetArk 1 Dec 11;
The global net loss of forest over 1990-2005 was smaller by a third than earlier estimated but deforestation still threatens environment and food security, the United Nation's food agency said on Wednesday unveiling new satellite-based data.
Net loss, in which forest losses are partially offset by new plantings and natural expansion, totaled 72.9 million hectares (ha) between 1990 and 2005, 32 percent down on the previous estimate of 107.4 million ha, the U.N's Food and Agriculture Organization said.
The net loss was lower thanks to greater expansion in forest areas, the FAO said in a survey based on high-resolution satellite data which differ from earlier FAO findings based on country reports that used a wide variety of sources.
However, deforestation had been rapid with the globe losing on average 4.9 million ha of forest a year, or nearly 10 ha of forest per minute over the 15-year period, the FAO said.
"Deforestation is depriving millions of people of forest goods and services that are crucial to food security, economic well-being and environmental health," Eduardo Rojas-Briales, FAO's assistant director-general for forestry, said in a statement.
The new data also showed the net loss of forests accelerated at the end of the survey period, rising to 6.4 million ha per year between 2000 and 2005 from 4.1 million ha per year between 1990 and 2000.
"The new, satellite-based figures ... offer decision-makers at every level more accurate information and underscore the need for countries and organizations to urgently address and halt the loss of valuable forest ecosystems," Rojas-Briales said.
The rate of world deforestation, mainly driven by conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land, averaged 14.5 million ha per year between 1990 and 2005, in line with previous estimates, the Rome-based agency said.
The world's total forest area was 3.69 billion ha in 2005, or 30 percent of the global land area, the data showed.
Forest losses between 1990 and 2005 were biggest in the tropics, where just under half of the world's forests are located, with net losses in the region averaging 6.9 million ha per year over the period, the survey showed.
The highest rate of conversion of forest land use to other, unspecified, land uses was in South America, followed by Africa.
Asia was the only region to show net gains in forest land-use area thanks to extensive planting in China and several other countries which had outpaced deforestation.
Satellite technology yields new forest loss estimates
FAO uses remote sensing survey to track changes
FAO 30 Nov 11;
30 November 2011, Rome - A new, satellite-based survey released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provides a more accurate picture of changes in the world's forests, showing forest land use declined between 1990 and 2005.
The findings of a global remote sensing survey show the world's total forest area in 2005 was 3.69 billion hectares, or 30 percent of the global land area.
The new findings suggest that the rate of world deforestation averaged 14.5 million hectares per year between 1990 and 2005, which is consistent with previous estimates. Deforestation largely occurred in the tropics, likely attributable to the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land.
On the other hand, the survey shows that worldwide, the net loss in forest area between 1990 and 2005 was not as great as previously believed, since gains in forest areas are larger than previously estimated.
Net loss — in which losses of forest cover are partially offset by afforestation or natural expansion — totalled 72.9 million hectares, or 32 percent less than the previous figure of 107.4 million hectares, according to the survey. In other words, the planet lost an average of 4.9 million hectares of forest per year, or nearly 10 hectares of forest per minute over the 15-year period.
The new data also show that the net loss of forests increased from 4.1 million hectares per year between 1990 and 2000 to 6.4 million hectares between 2000 and 2005.
The figures are based on the most comprehensive use yet of high-resolution satellite data to provide a sample of forests worldwide. They differ from previous FAO findings in the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010), which were based on a compilation of country reports that used a wide variety of sources.
"Deforestation is depriving millions of people of forest goods and services that are crucial to rural livelihoods, economic well-being and environmental health," said Eduardo Rojas-Briales, FAO Assistant Director-General for Forestry.
"The new, satellite-based figures give us a more consistent, global picture, over time, of the world's forests. Together with the broad range of information supplied by the country reports, they offer decision-makers at every level more accurate information, and underscore the need for countries and organizations to urgently address and halt the loss of valuable forest ecosystems," Rojas-Briales added.
The remote sensing survey was based on a single source of data for all three points in time — 1990, 2000 and 2005 — and used the same input data and methodology for all countries.
"In terms of change in forest area, the new results update our knowledge for Africa, where previous data for some countries was old or of low quality. Here the remote sensing survey shows a much smaller rate of forest loss than previously estimated based on national reports," Adam Gerrand, an FAO Forestry Officer, said.
Regional losses and gains
There were notable regional differences in forest losses and gains.
Between 1990 and 2005 the loss of forests was highest in the tropics, where just under half of the world's forests are located. Net losses in this region averaged 6.9 million ha/yr between 1990 and 2005. The highest rate of conversion of forest land use to other, unspecified, land uses for both periods was in South America, followed by Africa.
Asia was the only region to show net gains in forest land-use area in both periods.
Deforestation occurred in all regions, including Asia, but the extensive planting that has been reported by several countries in Asia (mainly China) exceeded the forest areas that were lost.
Slight net increases in forest area were registered in subtropical, temperate and boreal zones over the full 15 year period.
Further remote sensing studies are expected to reveal changes occurring since 2005, including any progress which may have been made in the protection of existing forests and the establishment of new forests since 2005.
Global view
The new results provide important input into national and international reporting processes which require information on forest area and land-use change statistics. This includes the Convention for Biodiversity and the emerging initiative for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+), under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), currently being discussed at the 17th Conference of the Parties being held in Durban, South Africa (28 November-9 December 2011).
To develop the survey, FAO worked over four years with technical partners in the European Commission Joint Research Centre and more than 200 researchers from 102 countries to analyze satellite imagery from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Funding for the study was provided by the European Commission, the Heinz Center, the governments of Australia, Finland and France and FAO.
AFP Yahoo News 1 Dec 11;
The threat to climate change posed by thawing permafrost, which could release stocks of stored carbon, is greater than estimated, a group of scientists said on Wednesday.
By 2100, the amount of carbon released by permafrost loss could be "1.7-5.2 times larger than those reported," depending on how swiftly Earth's surface warms, they said.
In volume terms, this is about the same as the amount of greenhouse gases released today from deforestation, they said.
But the impact on climate could be 2.5 times greater, as much of the gas will be methane, which is 25 times more efficient at trapping solar heat than carbon dioxide (CO2), they said.
Deforestation today accounts for up to 20 percent of total greenhouse-gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The study, published in the British journal Nature, coincides with a 12-day UN conference on climate change, unfolding in Durban, South Africa.
It touches on one of the biggest sources of concern, but also a major area of uncertainty, in climate science.
Permanently iced land covers around a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere.
In essence, it is a carbon store, holding in icy stasis the organic remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago.
The worry is that as temperatures rise, the soils defrost, microbes decompose the ancient carbon and release methane and CO2 to the atmosphere.
Documented evidence suggests this is already happening in parts of the tundra and at the perimeter of ice lakes.
Release of the gas adds to the greenhouse effect, which stokes warming and thus causes more permafrost to thaw -- in other words, a vicious circle, or "positive feedback" in climate-speak, results.
In their article, 41 international scientists who work in the Permafrost Carbon Research Network said the potential stocks of stored carbon were bigger than thought.
This is because of a fresh look at how the inventory is calculated, they explained.
Until now, experts measured carbon in the top one metre (3.25 feet) of permafrost, but in some places, the deposits are many times deeper because of the freeze-thaw cycle and the way organic sediment is deposited.
"The latest estimate is that some 18.8 million square kilometers (7.25 million square miles) of northern soils hold about 1,700 billion tonnes of organic carbon," they write.
"That is about four times more than all the carbon emitted by human activity in modern times and twice as much as is present in the atmosphere now."
Only part of this carbon would be released, depending on the scenario for warming.
The team used four well-known scenarios. The lowest saw 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of Arctic warming by 2040 compared to the average for 1985-2004, which ramped up to 2 C (3.6 F) by 2100.
AFP Yahoo News 1 Dec 11;
A planned climate fund that would channel 100 billion dollars a year to poor countries hit a wall Wednesday when a handful of nations baulked at adopting a draft submitted at UN talks here.
In a tense session at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting, the vast majority of countries pleaded for swift adoption of the fund, which aims at helping poorer countries fight global warming and its impacts.
Forged in principle at the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, the Green Climate Fund is to be ramped up gradually to the 100-billion annual mark by 2020.
But an unlikely alliance of Saudi Arabia, leftwing states in Latin America and the United States said the proposed architecture of the fund was faulty.
"If it is designed properly, the Green Climate Fund could become a major global institution in climate finance," said US negotiator Jonathan Pershing, a member of the committee that hammered out the draft.
"If not it would inevitably become less meaningful."
Pershing said the current proposal was "rushed" and contained "errors and inconsistencies".
Venezuela, representing the so-called ALBA group of Latin American countries, objected to the World Bank taking a key role in managing the fund, favouring instead a new organ under the UNFCCC.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, objected to the use of private finance, saying the money should come from public sources.
Most delegates, however, called for making the fund operational in Durban, and feared any attempts to improve it would end in stalemate.
"We risk opening a Pandora's box," said Burhan Gafoor, Singapore's chief climate negotiator. "If we try to reopen it, there is no guarantee that we will have a Green Climate Fund in Durban.
The European Union (EU), Japan and Australia all favoured pushing through the current draft to adoption, leaving modifications for later.
Also unclear is how the fund would be financed.
Many ideas have been tabled for filling its coffers -- a tax on aviation and shipping fuels, a global financial transaction fee, auctioning of carbon emissions allowances -- but none have so far gained much traction.
Another source of tension is where the money will go: developing nations want more money for adapting to climate change rather than keeping emissions down.
South African foreign minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who chaired the session, said a final decision would be put off, pending closed-door consultations.
The 12-day climate talks end on December 9 after a three-day high-level segment with ministers.
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