Best of our wild blogs: 16 Feb 12

Why Pasir Ris mangroves are special!
from wild shores of singapore

New articles on Nature in Singapore website
from Raffles Museum News

Gregarious fellas
from Life's Indulgences

Webmates
from The annotated budak

bee-eater & hanging parrot @ bukit brown - Feb2012
from sgbeachbum

Activists form network to fight Sarawak dam-building spree
from Mongabay.com news by Jeremy Hance

Paper giant hammered on forest certification claims
from Mongabay.com news by Rhett Butler

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PUB preparing for weather extremities: Balakrishnan

AsiaOne 15 Feb 12;

National water agency PUB is preparing for the consequences of weather extremities, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

Besides flood risks, PUB is working on strengethening the long-term resilience of Singapore's water supply against the risk of drought, said Dr Balakrishnan.

He was answering Member of Parliament Dr Lee Bee Wah's question in Parliament on the short and long-term measures of the Government to deal with dry spells and extremities in weather conditions.

Dr Balakrishnan explained that PUB is ensuring there is sustainable water supply in times of dry weather with water management approaches and managing water supply.

The water management approaches highlighted by the minister include a water supply system comprising the Four National Taps: local catchment water, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water.

PUB has also been increasing the capacity of local water sources at reservoirs such as Marina, Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs, and Singapore's second desalination plant - with a capacity of 70 million gallons per day - is expected to be completed in 2013.

Dr Balakrishnan said that PUB plans to increase NEWater and desalination capacities to meet 50 per cent and 30 per cent of water demand respectively by 2060.

Managing water demand is also another strategy in ensuring Singapore's long-term water sustainability.

Programmes to educate the public are in place, such as the "10 Litre Challenge" and "10% Challenge" for domestic and non-domestic water users respectively, said Dr Balakrishnan.

From end February, PUB will run its Water Conservation Programme again to promote wise water use.

Dr Balakrishnan also pointed out that through the range of measures, Singapore's daily domestic water consumption per capita has decreased from 165 litres in 2003 to 153 litres in 2011.

Read more!

A natural river in Bishan Park

Channel NewsAsia 15 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE: What used to be a concrete canal in Bishan Park has been transformed into a natural river that will make the community space more vibrant.

The National Park Board (NParks) said on Wednesday that the waterway flows right at the doorsteps of Bishan and Ang Mo Kio.

The project by NParks and national water agency PUB is part of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme to beautify Singapore's waterscape.

They transformed the section of Kallang River that ran in a canal along the edge of the park into a natural river.

Residents are no longer separated by the canal, improving connectivity to the park.

When water level in the river is low, users can get closer to water and enjoy recreational activities along the river banks.

During heavy rain, the park land next to the river serves as a channel to carry water downstream.

A river monitoring and warning system with water level sensors, warning lights, sirens and audio announcements will provide early warning when heavy rain or rising water levels are expected.

Warning signs, red markers and life buoys have also been put up along the river.

The river monitoring system will trigger warning lights, as well as the siren and audio announcements at safety nodes, to alert park users.

Safety lines with buoys are provided at selected locations, along with CCTVs and round-the-clock patrol surveillance.

"While we want to encourage the community to get close to water, we are also mindful that the safety of the public is paramount. In designing this river with naturalised banks and gentle slopes, we also put in place a series of measures to ensure the safety of park users is not compromised," said Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's Director of Catchment and Waterways.

NParks said the rejuvenated park has new and improved amenities for the community to play, interact and bond.

There are three new playgrounds, a new fast-food outlet and a new restaurant.

There is also the Recycle Hill, which was formed using concrete from the former canal to preserve the park's history and re-use the concrete in a creative way.

Sitting on the hill is an award-winning sculpture by local sculptor Kelvin Lim Fun Kit, called An Enclosure For A Swing.

Assistant Chief Executive Officer of NParks, Mr Kong Yit San, said: "The introduction of a naturalised river has also brought birds, dragonflies, waterhens and little egrets closer to our doorsteps. With the variety of amenities catering to the diverse needs of our park users, we believe that the new Bishan Park will draw visitors from all over, and bring Singapore closer to being a City in a Garden."

- CNA/fa

It's back to 'nature' as canal turns into river
Kezia Toh Straits Times 16 Feb 12;

FLOWING through Bishan Park is a gentle, meandering river.

Its shallow banks are covered with greenery, and herons and egrets have been seen flitting nearby.

Yet only three years ago, this was nothing more than a utilitarian concrete canal.

The 3km waterway has become the first in Singapore to be 'naturalised' as part of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme. Under this scheme, ordinary drains, canals and reservoirs are turned into attractive streams and lakes.

To make the man-made river in Bishan look natural, scientists used soil bio-engineering techniques for the first time in Singapore. This method, which involves combining plants with engineering, produced features such as river banks covered with greenery and rocks to prevent soil erosion.

The greenery has increased biodiversity in the park by 30 per cent, said Mr Kong Yit San, assistant chief executive of the National Parks Board. It will officially open to the public in the middle of next month, with 3.5 million visits expected per year.

Species such as the purple heron and little egret - a small white bird that fishes in the new river - have been spotted there for the first time, Mr Kong added.

Meanwhile, parkgoers can sit by the shallow banks and dip their toes into the river.

As well as making the area more beautiful, the Bishan Park river provides a flood plain to help store excess stormwater.

In heavy rain, the parkland surrounding it doubles up as a channel to hold the deluge.

This means the man-made river can take 40 per cent more water than the old canal, said the director of 3P Network, the department overseeing strategic communications at water agency PUB. Mr George Madhavan added that it will transport water to the Marina Reservoir.

While designing the river, engineers used simulation models to predict rainfall and the flow of water.

A safety system with water level sensors, lights, sirens and audio announcements will alert parkgoers when heavy rain or rising water levels are expected.

Warning signs, red markers and life buoys are also in place along the river.

There are safety lines at selected locations, along with closed-circuit television cameras and round-the-clock patrols.

The stringent measures are in place because members of the public are allowed in the water, and the park is open 24 hours a day. Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's director of catchment and waterways, said: 'In designing this river with naturalised banks and gentle slopes, we also put in place a series of measures to ensure the safety of park users is not compromised.'

The man-made river is also part of a $76 million collaboration between PUB and the National Parks Board.

Other new features at Bishan Park include three playgrounds, a fast-food eatery and a new restaurant.

A Recycle Hill, made from concrete tiling used in the former canal, preserves the park's history.

S$77m facelift for Bishan Park
Amanda Lee Today Online 16 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE - Bishan Park, one of Singapore's largest public parks, has undergone a S$76.7 million facelift with a 3km-long naturalised river as the centrepiece.

Reshaped from a 2.7km concrete canal, the river was designed based on a floodplain concept, allowing it to store excess storm water and raising its capacity by 40 per cent. During a downpour, the land next to the river serves as a channel to carry water downstream to Marina Reservoir. When the river's water level is low, park users can enjoy recreational activities along the river banks.

NParks assistant chief executive officer Kong Yit San said the revamped Bishan Park "provides a common space for Singaporeans to play, interact and bond". He added: "The introduction of a naturalised river has also brought birds, dragonflies, waterhens and little egrets closer to our doorsteps."

Several safety measures have been installed along the river: A monitoring and warning system, which consists of water level sensors, warning lights, sirens and audio announcements, are placed along the river to provide early warning in the event of impending heavy rain or rising water levels. Warning signs, red markers and life buoys have been put up. Safety lines with buoys are provided at selected locations, along with CCTV cameras and round-the-clock patrol surveillance.

Three playgrounds, each with a different theme, have been added to the 62ha park. There are six event lawns for community events, a riverside gallery for outdoor performances and more F&B outlets.

There is the Recycle Hill, which was formed using concrete from the former canal to preserve the park's history. Sitting on the hill is an award-winning sculpture by local sculptor Kelvin Lim Fun Kit, called An Enclosure For A Swing.

While the park will be officially opened in the middle of next month, visitors can already access most of the new amenities. A Bishan resident who was at the park yesterday said: "The park is greener, nicer and much more spacious for joggers now."

Read more!

Indonesia: Illegal Logging Unlikely to End Unless All Companies Follow Rules

Fidelis E. Satriastanti Jakarta Globe 15 Feb 12;

Efforts to stem illegal logging by requiring Indonesian timber exports to be certified will prove futile if cheaper, uncertified wood continues to be available on the market, officials said on Tuesday.

Diah Raharjo, director of the Multistakeholder Forestry Program, a collaboration between the Indonesian and British governments, said progress was being made in getting logging firms to comply but there was still much work to do.

“We’ve been pushing for the 27 countries in the European Union to close down the illegal market for timber products because it would be useless if we have these products certified but they still keep on buying cheap [uncertified] wood and timber products,” she said.

Diah was speaking during a media visit to several sustainable certified logging concessions in East Kalimantan.

She added that the European Union responded by approving the EU Due Diligence Regulation in 2010, which outlaws the import of illegally felled timber.

Listya Kusuma Wardhani, the Forestry Ministry’s director of forestry products and fees development, said it was important that consumers realized why they should pay more for certified timber than for illegally logged wood.

“It all goes back to the buyers. They need to be concerned about the issue of certified legal products,” she said. “The concept of buying certified legal products is still not globally understood.

“That’s why these products still have difficulty competing in the market. If the consumers know that these products are produced in sustainable ways, then they would understand that they need to pay a much more for them.”

Andrew Mitchell, secretary of state for the British government’s Department for International Development, said his office was supportive of Indonesia’s efforts to ensure that all timber exports were legal and certified.

“We want to give all possible encouragement for the [forestry] minister and Indonesian government to ensure that the wood that is exported to Europe and Britain is not illegally logged and that it’s harvested in a sustainable and open way,” he said.

Mitchell was speaking after a visit to a certified sustainable logging concession in East Kalimantan’s North Penajam Paser district.

“That’s why the EU and Britain made it clear that in a short period of time, we would need to see that all wood [imports] are properly harvested according to rules and regulations and not [sourced from] illegal logging.”

Efforts to certify timber exports to the EU as sustainable began in 2002 with the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement Governance & Trade initiative’s Voluntary Partnership Agreement, known as FLEGT-VPA. The idea was to set up bilateral and voluntarily agreements between wood-producing countries and the EU.

Since 2007, Indonesia has made various efforts to get producers to voluntarily certify their products, leading in 2009 to a regulation on the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK).

Diah said the SVLK regulation had been revised so that effective this year “it’s mandatory for companies to get their timber products certified as legal products.”

“The target is that by March 2013, all timber products going to the EU will be legal,” she said.

To date, 157 of the estimated 300 timber and wood companies in the country have had their operations certified as legal, she said.

“We also have five community plantation forests certified as legal, so we still have lots of work left to do,” Diah said.

SVLK compliance, she added, will also be mandatory for small and medium operators.

“All certified timber marked as legal will be given a barcode containing information on how the trees were planted and harvested, where they were harvested from and even how they are shipped,” she said. “So everything can be traced back.”

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Vietnam: Two stations built to protect Sao la

VietNamNet Bridge 15 Feb 12;

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue have started to build two conservation stations in forests inhabited by the Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), one of the world's rarest mammals, in A Luoi District.

The construction, part of the "Annamites Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through World Wild Fund, is aimed at protecting the Tay Saola and A Tep nature reserves which are home to the Saola.

Deputy Chairman of Thua Thien – Hue People's Committee Le Truong Luu said the stations would act as bases for officials and rangers who worked in the reserves.

They are expected to improve conservation capacity and recover forest diversification in the province.

Localities in the project area have been actively implementing conservation measures, such as preventing hunting and community-based forest management.

The Saola is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Viet Nam and Laos. It is reported that there are about 200 living in the mountains and forests of Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Nam.

Authorities look to save Sao la

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue have started to build two conservation stations in forests inhabited by the Sao la (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), one of the world's rarest mammals, in A Luoi District.

The construction, part of the "Annamites Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through World Wild Fund, is aimed at protecting the Tay Sao la and A Tep nature reserves which are home to the Sao la.

Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Truong Luu said the stations would act as bases for officials and rangers who worked in the reserves.

They are expected to improve conservation capacity and recover forest diversification in the province.

Localities in the project area have been actively implementing conservation measures, such as preventing hunting and community-based forest management.

The Sao la is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Viet Nam and Laos. It is reported that there are about 200 living in the mountains and forests of central Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Nam provinces.

Fight to save threatened Asian ‘unicorn’
SAPA IOL 15 Feb 12;

Hanoi - A rare animal known as the Asian unicorn is under threat from loss of forest habitat, and wildlife officials are trying to protect it in Vietnam's central forests.

One of the world's rarest mammals, the saola is a large bovine with long, straight horns that is thought to live only in the Annamite Mountains between Vietnam and Laos.

The species was first defined in 1992, after three skulls were discovered in hunter's homes, and has become a symbol of biodiversity in the region. The saola is shy and does not survive long in captivity.

The popular name for it among hill people in Laos translates to “polite animal,” because it moves quietly through the forest and does not enter cultivated lands.

The antelope-like animal, sometimes called a unicorn because of its elusiveness and gentle nature, has never been sighted in the wild by a scientist.

Authorities are building forest stations for rangers in Vietnam's Thua Thien-Hue province to protect the saola, local official Le Truong Luu told dpa.

“We expect the project will help preserve the saola and create jobs for people in the region,” he said.

Germany has provided 7 million euros to the effort to protect the Tay Saola and A Tep forest reserves.

Its numbers have been declining due to hunting and habitat loss. Estimates for those left in the wild vary from 70 to 1,000. There are likely fewer than 500, according to the World Wildlife Fund. - Sapa-dpa

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Bangladesh: New Dolphin Sanctuaries Open to Protect Rare Species

OurAmazingPlanet 14 Feb 12;

Rare and threatened species of dolphins got some good news with the opening of three new wildlife sanctuaries in Bangladesh, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced today (Feb. 14).

Bangladesh's government declared the areas to be wildlife sanctuaries Jan. 29, establishing them in part to protect freshwater dolphins in the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove ecosystem.

The sanctuaries will serve the last two species of freshwater dolphins in Asia: the Ganges River dolphin and the Irrawaddy dolphin.

Although there is no global population estimate for either species, both have disappeared from major portions of their range. Yet both species occur in sufficient numbers in the Sundarbans, which may serve as a global safety net for preventing their extinction. Freshwater dolphins are among the most threatened wildlife on Earth because their habitat is highly degraded by human activities, including dam construction and unsustainable fisheries.

The three sanctuaries safeguard 19 miles (31 kilometers) of channels that were found by a 2010 Wildlife Conservation Society study to be important habitat for the dolphins and were threatened by human activity.

"Declaration of these wildlife sanctuaries is an essential first step in protecting Ganges River and Irrawaddy dolphins in Bangladesh," said Brian Smith, director of the WCS' Asian Freshwater and Coastal Cetacean Program.

The sanctuaries will be a natural laboratory for learning how to balance wildlife conservation with a large and growing human population, said Tapan Kumar Dey of the Bangladesh forest department.

The dolphins are threatened by fishing gear, depletion of their prey and increasing salinity and sedimentation caused by sea-level rise.

News of the declared sanctuaries follows the extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin, last detected in a confirmed sighting in 2002. Entanglement in nets and habitat degradation killed off a species that had existed in the Yangtze River of China for 10 million years.

In addition to conserving globally important populations of freshwater dolphins, the new wildlife sanctuaries in the Sundarbans are expected to provide protection for other threatened aquatic wildlife including the river terrapin, masked finfoot, and small-clawed otter.

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World’s Tiniest Chameleons Found in Madagascar

Adam Mann Wired Science 14 Feb 12;

Researchers have recently discovered four new chameleon species, which rank among the world’s tiniest reptiles. Adults of the smallest species are just over an inch from snout to tail.

The four new species belong to the genus Brookesia, also known as the leaf chameleons, which live in remote rainforests in northern Madagascar. The genus is already known to contain some very small species, with members typically resembling juvenile versions of larger species.

As small as these guys are, a super-tiny dwarf gecko found in the British Virgin Islands might be just a tad more wee.

Since the chameleons all look extremely similar, researchers used genetic analysis to determine that they belonged to separate species. The findings appear Feb. 14 in PLoS ONE.

Brookesia species tend to live within a very small range. Half the members of this genus are found in only a single location and the smallest of the newly found species — Brookesia micra — lives only on a small island called Nosy Hara. Extreme miniaturization of this sort is common in island populations. Known as island dwarfism, it may occur due to limited resources and pressure to reproduce faster.

“The extreme miniaturization of these dwarf reptiles might be accompanied by numerous specializations of the body plan, and this constitutes a promising field for future research,” said herpetologist Frank Glaw, lead author of the study, in a press release. “But most urgent is to focus conservation efforts on these and other microendemic species in Madagascar which are heavily threatened by deforestation.”

Images: Glaw, F., et al., PLoS ONE

Citation: “Rivaling the World’s Smallest Reptiles: Discovery of Miniaturized and Microendemic New Species of Leaf Chameleons (Brookesia) from Northern Madagascar.” Frank Glaw, Jorn Kohler, Ted M. Townsend, Miguel Vences, PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Issue 2, http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031314

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Snow leopard prey survey reveals ‘Noah’s Ark’ of wildlife thriving in Bhutan’s newest national park

WWF 14 Feb 12;

WASHINGTON, DC, February 14, 2011 –The first ever snow leopard prey survey in Bhutan’s newest national park revealed astonishing footage of snow leopards scent-marking, a sub-adult snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, threatened Himalayan serow, musk deer and a healthy population of blue sheep, the main food source for snow leopards.

This is the first pictorial evidence that snow leopards are thriving in Wangchuck Centennial Park, a vital snow leopard corridor between Jigme Dorji National Park in the West and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in the East. Field biologists from the Government of Bhutan and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) captured over 10,000 images during the camera trap survey in Wangchuck Centennial Park.

The automatic cameras were set up to locate snow leopard “hot-spots”, but in addition to snow leopard images, they also captured images and footage of Tibetan wolf, wild dog, red fox, blue sheep, Himalayan serow, musk deer, Pika, pheasants and several birds of prey.

“The findings are phenomenal as these are the first snow leopard images recorded in Wangchuck Centennial Park,” said WWF’s Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, who led the survey team. “It suggests that the network of protected areas and corridors is helping to link local snow leopard populations, which will be invaluable to ensure long-term persistence of snow leopards in the region.”

Snow leopards are elusive and endangered, with around 4,500-7,500 in the wild. Bhutan is the only country on Earth where the habitat of snow leopards and tigers intersect. It’s unknown how many exist there, but it’s critical to find out as threats are mounting – from retaliatory killing from herders, loss of habitat to farmers and poaching for their pelts. And then there’s climate change.

Warming at high elevations in the Himalayas is causing treelines to ascend and isolating snow leopard populations. Under a high emission scenario, as much as 30 percent of their range could be lost. Their ability to move upslope is limited by oxygen availability.

The overall goal of the survey is to determine how many snow leopards there are in Wangchuck and where they exist, in order to prioritize the best areas for conservation.

“The snow leopard images from the park show the incredible richness of wildlife thriving in Wangchuck Centennial Park and prove why the park must be supported by donor agencies for conservation,” said Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan. “For snow leopard conservation in Bhutan, Wangchuck Centennial Park acts as the critical linkage between Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Dorji National Park, thereby ensuring the functionality of the northern Bhutan conservation complex.”

The Government of Bhutan and WWF have partnered to co-manage Wangchuck Centennial Park since it was designated as Bhutan’s tenth national park in 2008. With 244 vascular plant species, 23 mammal species and 134 bird species, the park is rich in biodiversity. It’s dedication resulted in Bhutan having more than half its land under protection. The Government of Bhutan and WWF work together on species conservation, climate change studies, monitoring, patrolling and community conservation projects.

“WWF has a special commitment to Wangchuck Centennial Park, especially because we were invited to co-manage it with the government in 2005,” said Shubash Lohani of WWF’s Eastern Himalayas program. “It was the first time Bhutan entrusted an entity other than government to manage a protected area.”

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Crime chiefs agree to get tough on illegal tiger trade

Mark Kinver BBC News 15 Feb 12;

Crime chiefs from countries with populations of wild tigers have agreed to work together in order to combat the illegal trade in the big cats.

Heads of police and customs from 13 nations agreed to tighten controls and improve cross-border co-operation at a two-day meeting in Bangkok.

Only six subspecies remain, with fewer than 1,000 tigers in each group.

Smuggling of tiger parts is one of the main threats facing the planet's remaining big cats, say experts.

The seminar in Thailand's capital, organised by Interpol and hosted by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), was attended by 26 senior crime officials and representatives from partner organisations, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

'Natural heritage abuse'

"[Our efforts to fight tiger crime] must not just result in seizures - they must result in prosecutions, convictions and strong penalties to stop the flow of contraband," said John Scanlon, Cites secretary general.

"If we get the enforcement system right for the tiger, we will help save countless other species together with their ecosystems."

Jean-Michel Louboutin, Interpol's executive director of police services, observed: "This important seminar has highlighted the environmental crime challenges facing senior law enforcement officers, and the need for enhanced international co-operation.

"Criminals cannot prosper from abusing our shared national heritage."

Delegates also used the meeting to formally endorse the Interpol-led Project Predator.

The initiative, launched in November 2011, has three main aims:

organising collaborative, high-level international efforts to improve political will to tackle the problem of illegal trade in tiger parts
transforming politicians' will to act into tangible support from government departments and agencies
training enforcement officers in the necessary skills

Project Predator is also encouraging countries to establish National Tiger Crime Task Forces, which will form working partnerships with Interpol, in order to provide "modern intelligence-led enforcement practices for tiger conservation".

Interpol said the project would not be limited to the protection of tigers, but would extend to the all of Asia's big cat species, such as the snow leopard and Asiatic lion, as these animals faced similar threats.

The meeting in Bangkok is the latest development in efforts to improve protection and conservation measures since a high-profile summit in November 2010 pledged to double the global population of tigers by 2022.

At the gathering in St Petersburg, Russia, senior political figures from the 13 range nations pledged to protect tiger habitats, address poaching, illegal trade and provide the financial resources for the plan.

Over the past century, tiger numbers have dropped from about 100,000 to about 4,000 tigers in the wild today.

And over the past decade, there has been a 40% decline, with conservationists warning that some populations were expected to disappear completely within 20 years unless urgent action was taken.

Read more!