Best of our wild blogs: 31 Jul 14

Marcus Chua talks about leopard cats at NSS on 1st Aug 2014
from Otterman speaks

Danainae butterflies – leaf scratching and withered plants
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Butterflies Galore! : Tree Flitter
from Butterflies of Singapore

Singapore Polytechnic launches Campus in a Garden
from The Tender Gardener

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About 80 boars in Lower Peirce area culled

Feng Zengkun The Straits Times AsiaOne 31 Jul 14;

About 80 wild boars in the Lower Peirce area have been culled, reducing the population there to an estimated 30 to 50 boars.

The National Parks Board (NParks) gave the update last week in response to queries from The Straits Times. It did not give a timeframe for the 80 figure.

NParks conservation director Wong Tuan Wah told The Straits Times last week that the agency is carrying out population studies to assess longer-term measures to manage the wild boar numbers.

"NParks takes a multi-pronged approach to wildlife management, including continual research, enforcement and outreach," he said.

However, "if a wild boar poses any threat to public safety, we will continue with targeted removal if necessary", he added, denying talk that the culling of boars in the area has ceased.

NParks started culling the boars there in 2012 to improve public safety and to reduce the animals' damage to the vegetation. Back then, it pointed to two incidents that year in which wild boars had attacked people in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Pulau Ubin. But some residents in the Lower Peirce area sent a petition to the authorities to prevent the culling, saying these were isolated incidents. Some also questioned if the attacks were provoked.

NParks estimated in 2012 that there were 80 to 100 wild boars in the 1.5 sq km Lower Peirce area. It said that, based on numerous studies done in other countries, there should be no more than seven boars there in a balanced ecosystem.

The NParks has said that after the animals are captured, vets will sedate them with dart guns and euthanise them with drug injections. When The Straits Times visited Lower Peirce yesterday morning, there were few signs of damage caused by wild boars.

Residents said they still see the boars on occasion but fewer seem to be around. Mr Victor Sim, a 67-year-old retiree, said he has not seen the animals in weeks.

Other residents said, however, that the remaining boars appear to have become bolder.

"Sometimes, you see them right in the carpark or in the open areas. They don't seem to be afraid of people at all," said a resident, who declined to be named.

Some of the thick vegetation in the area has also been cleared and replaced with young plants. NParks has said it may manage the boar population by reducing its food sources.

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Govt to invest S$100m in research on energy efficiency

Today Online 31 Jul 14;

SINGAPORE — The Government is investing S$100 million in two major initiatives in energy research and development (R&D) to improve overall building energy efficiency and research on green data centres here, the Energy Research Development and Demonstration executive committee announced yesterday.

Ms Yong Ying-I, co-chairman of the committee, made the announcement yesterday at the first Energy TechRoadMap symposium.

The first initiative, the Building Energy Efficiency R&D Hub, will be implemented and managed by the Building and Construction Authority, while the second, the Green Data Centre Research Hub Programme, will be managed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.

The initiatives come under five national energy technology road maps that were revealed at the symposium, namely solar panel research, carbon capture and storage or utilisation, green data centre, building energy efficiency and industry energy efficiency.

They will be used to guide government agencies in formulating their technology master plans and funding initiatives to secure the nation’s energy future and address climate-change challenges.

As buildings, including households, consume about 50 per cent of the Republic’s electricity, the building energy efficiency road map will be used to help Singapore attain the medium- to long- term goal of Low Energy High-rise Buildings in the Tropics, focusing on technological areas such as integrated design and air-conditioning, as well as mechanical ventilation.

Data centres are energy-intensive facilities and, with the sector expecting strong growth, there is also a need to develop those that use energy efficiently. Singapore already serves as the data centre hub of South-east Asia, hosting 58 per cent of the region’s data centre capacity in 2012.

The green data centre road map will outline ways in which the research community and data centre industry can assess technology options — together with Singapore’s energy efficiency initiatives — to achieve sustainability objectives.

All five road maps are part of efforts under the Energy National Innovation Challenge announced in 2011, which aims to develop cost-competitive energy solutions that can be deployed within 20 years to improve the Republic’s energy efficiency, reduce its carbon emissions and broaden its energy options to sustain economic growth.

Another two technology road maps in the areas of e-mobility and solid waste management are also being worked out and will be led by the Land Transport Authority and the National Environment Agency respectively, said Ms Yong, who is also Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Division and National Research and Development.

The symposium was jointly organised by the National Climate Change Secretariat and the National Research Foundation, and was attended by more than 700 participants.

Singapore's energy R&D sector gets S$100m funding boost
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 30 Jul 14;

SINGAPORE: The Government will pump in S$100 million to fund two initiatives in energy research and development (R&D), specifically in building energy efficiency and research on green data centres, the Energy Research Development and Demonstration Executive Committee announced on Wednesday (July 30).

Ms Yong Ying-I, the committee’s co-chairperson, said the first initiative, the Building Energy Efficiency Research Development and Demonstration Hub, will be implemented and managed by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

The second, the Green Data Centre Research Hub Programme, will be managed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), she added

The announcements were made at the first Energy Technology Roadmap Symposium, where five national energy technology road maps were revealed. They are in the areas of solar panel research, carbon capture and storage or utilisation, green data centre, building energy efficiency and industry energy efficiency.

One of the five roadmaps concerns carbon emissions. The authorities are studying the possibility of capturing the emissions from Singapore's power plants, refineries and petrochemical industries instead of releasing them into the air.

Carbon dioxide from these emissions can then be separated and stored thousands of metres underground. Experts said the carbon dioxide can also be used to make products like formic acid and urea.

“It can provide an interesting revenue stream, for instance in oil recovery,” said Ms Cecilia Tam from the International Energy Agency. “In countries like Singapore where you don't have suitable storage sites, it is a good opportunity to demonstrate and develop these technologies, but there is a question of scale that will need to be addressed in the longer term."

Apart from carbon capture, storage and utilisation, other energy technology roadmaps include research into solar panels, industry energy efficiency, and building energy efficiency.

Experts estimate about 80 per cent of existing buildings in countries which are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will still be around in 2050.

Closer to home, buildings make up about a third of Singapore's total energy consumption. In both OECD countries and in Singapore, experts said there is an urgent need to either retrofit buildings with energy-efficient features or build greener buildings.

The pursuit of green technology for data centres also received a boost. Singapore currently hosts more than half of South-east Asia's data centre capacity. "We should be able to design data centres to work more efficiently in tropical climates such as Singapore, where there is high temperature and high humidity – and this is quite different from data centre research done in sub-tropic areas,” said Dr Yeah Lean Weng, Director of the National Research Foundation's Energy and Environment Research Directorate.

Organisers said two more technology roadmaps involving e-mobility and solid waste management are also in the works.

- CNA/cy/rw

S$8.3m in grants awarded to improve building energy efficiency: BCA
Today Online 30 Jul 14;

SINGAPORE — In a bid to improve building energy efficiency, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic were awarded S$8.3 million in grants by the BCA, BCA said in a press release today (July 30).

Under the Building Energy Efficiency Grant Call, the public and private sectors were encouraged to collaborate and develop innovative technologies and solutions in the areas of Air-Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) and Building Management & Information Systems (BMIS) for building retrofits in the tropics that can be adopted in five years’ time, BCA said.

The scheme, first introduced in September last year, aims to support the development of energy efficient and cost-effective technologies and solutions for buildings in the tropics.

While ACMV systems take up 40 to 60 per cent of energy used in a typical air-conditioned building, there is a need for technology that can effectively remove water from the air by using less energy will greatly improve efficiency of air-conditioning system, BCA said.

It also noted the need to develop cost-effective solutions so building owners and developers will adopt the new technologies.

Meanwhile, a grant recipient from NUS, Dr Lee Poh Seng, will be collaborating with Daikin Air-Conditioning and four other SMEs to develop a new air-conditioning system that integrates a “novel oblique fin technology into a small capacity air-conditioning system, which can significantly enhance the air side-heat transfer”.

The new research project will raise “energy efficiency of the air conditioning system potentially by as much as 30 to 40 per cent”, said Dr Lee.

“More efficient buildings mean better use of resources,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.

“Low Energy High-rise Buildings in the Tropics” will be possible in Singapore if researchers are provided with the “right support and environment”, he added.

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Malaysia: Plans to lengthen runway on Tioman Island

New Straits Times 31 Jul 14;

KUANTAN: Six years after calling off plans for a new airport on Tioman Island due to environmental concerns, the Federal Government is now mulling over realigning the airport’s existing airstrip to accommodate the Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR) turboprop aircraft.

Discussions are ongoing between the Federal Government, Pahang government, Malaysia Airports Berhad and the East Coast Economic Region Development Council on a proposal to lengthen the 992m air strip in Kampung Tekek to 1,200m.

Currently, the airstrip only caters to Berjaya Air’s 48-seater DeHavilland Dash 7 aircraft. If the upgrade materialises, it would be able to accommodate the 72-seater ATR aircraft.

Tourism Ministry Pahang’s director Edros Yahya said Berjaya Air was forced to use the discontinued Dash 7 aircraft for the Tioman route as it catered to the extreme short take-off and landing conditions.

He said the realignment of the existing air-strip would allow ATR aircraft, including Berjaya Air’s ATR 72-500 aircraft to land.

“The Dash 7 series is no longer in production, making it impossible to cater to the increasing number of tourists. The best solution will be to expand the airstrip which will allow more people to arrive by air,” he told New Straits Times.

Edros said the airstrip expansion plan would not pose any threat to the rich and colourful marine life, a haven for divers from around the globe.

Meanwhile, a source said the proposed realignment would study
several factors including the potential increase in vibration and noise level, including its impact on land use.

“Previously the locals, chalet operators, divers and non-governmental organisations had protested plans to build a new runway. Although the airstrip refurbishment will not consist of major works, the main aim will be to safeguard the environment,” he said.

In 2003, the Federal Government had planned to build a RM120 million airport in Kampung Paya on the island, which would feature a 2,000m-long and 45m-wide runway on the sea, which could accommodate Boeing 737 aircraft.

However, then Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat cancelled the construction in 2009 saying the decision was made after considering various factors, especially the environmental impact.

Currently, only Berjaya Air operates from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang to the island.

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Malaysia: Sri Aman, Sibu choke in haze

EUNICE HO New Straits Times 31 Jul 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: SRI Aman and Sibu in Sarawak continued to bear the brunt of the haze yesterday while the rest of Malaysia recorded moderate and healthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

As of 3pm yesterday, Sri Aman and Sibu recorded API readings of 135 and 101 respectively.

The air quality in both areas has been unhealthy since the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

On Monday, which was the first day of Raya, a bushfire at Sibu’s Bukit Lima Forest Park caused the API to rise to 270 by noon, the highest in the nation, while visibility was reduced to 300m.

State Local Government and Community Development Minister Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh said the fire had been the main contributor of the haze since Saturday.

Sibu Fire and Rescue Department chief Abdul Mutalib Rashid said the fire was under control and they were monitoring the situation.

“We are also monitoring other areas and keeping a lookout for open burning.”

Mutalib said the Bukit Lima Forest Park bushfire had burnt peat soil about the depth of 3m.

The Federal Territory and Selangor recorded moderate API readings yesterday. As of 5pm on Tuesday, unhealthy API readings were recorded in Banting (109), Klang (117) and Batu Muda (132).

University Malaya Medical Centre consultant emergency physician Prof Madya Dr Rishya Manikam said: “The number of patients with respiratory problems has increased as the haze situation worsens.”

He advised the public to take precautions, especially senior citizens, infants and those who suffered from asthma or other respiratory problems.

Rain provides brief respite
The Star 31 Jul 14;

PETALING JAYA: Just when it was going to get worse, it got better. Malaysians in the central and southern peninsula can expect a short respite from the dry, hazy conditions.

According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD), it has also been raining over central Sumatra, where the haze hotspots are concentrated, thus reducing the number of fires in the area.

“Hazy conditions are slowly beginning to improve, thanks to the rain pouring over both peninsular Malaysia and central Sumatra since Monday.

“At the moment, southwesterly winds are weak with a speed of about 10kph, allowing for rain in some parts of the peninsula,” he said.

However, the rain was not expected to last beyond the end of next week, as the southwesterly winds may become stronger after that, blowing at speeds of about 30kph.

“It is possible that the rains will slow towards the end of next week, leaving the country with the dry season that is expected to last until September. The winds may become stronger after next week, especially if the tropical storm east of Philippines intensifies, as the storm will absorb the moisture around it.”

A check with the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) revealed there were no hotspots in Malaysia, a marked improvement from the seven hotspots found on Monday.

However, Sumatra still had 98 hot­spot counts, while Kalimantan had 59.

For the haze to clear within the end of next week, the official said it was dependent on whether there would be enough rain at the hotspots.

“If it rains at the hotspots, this will help reduce the number of open burning incidents that contribute to the haze. If not, the southwesterly winds will pick up the smoke from the hotspots and blow it towards the peninsula, causing the haze to thicken.”

Indonesia’s disaster agency had warned last month that Malaysia and Singapore could be badly hit by haze again after a large number of forest fires in the Riau province, which was at the centre of an air pollution crisis last year.

The rain was also welcomed by people over social media.

Joylynn @tjoylynn tweeted: “i can see clearly now that the haze is gone. was beginning to wonder if i need glasses haha Praise God Maker of all, even the rain and wind.”

Lynn Zulkarim @LynnZulkarim said: “Super heavy rain in JB Alhamdulillah. Hoping for one in KL too to clear the haze and heat!”

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Indonesia: Riau Fires Burn Through 848 Hectares of Land, Haze Continues

Jakarta Globe 30 Jul 14;

Jakarta. Indonesia’s disaster-management agency reported on Wednesday that at least 848 hectares of land had been left depleted of forest cover and charred by fires that have burned with increasing intensity over the last week.

“The land [disaster] task force reported that 848 hectares have been burned,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of National Disaster Agency, as quoted by the state-run Antara news agency on Wednesday.

The government in Riau has declared an alert after the air quality dropped into hazardous levels. Fires sent acrid pollution into residential areas in Riau, increasing the risk of respiratory infections and the onset of asthma.

According to the BNPB, there were 143 hot spots detected on Tuesday — most of which were concentrated in Rokan Hilir district.

Sutopo said that the aerial task force was dropping water from helicopters and sending air force planes into the worst-affected areas to seed clouds for artificial rain.

Around 700 officers from military and police were working with officers from the forestry ministry and volunteers from Riau’s Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Forest fires are frequently caused by local people burning patches of forest cover in order to open up the land for agricultural use — most commonly for palm oil plantation.

“Many people and groups are still intensively burning the forest causing an increase in the number of hot spots,” Sutopo said.

Meanwhile, West Kalimantan also continued to by affected by forest fires and hotspots. Some 268 were detected on Tuesday.

Indonesian hotspots still need prompt response
Andi Abdussalam Antara 30 Jul 14;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, particularly in Riau Province, where fires have burnt 25 thousand hectares of forest and land this year, still require speedy actions.

As forest fires are increasing in the two provinces of Riau in Sumatra and West Kalimantan in Kalimantan, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is taking immediate measures.

"The BNPB took immediate steps after it received information that forest fires were on the rise in the two provinces," BNPBs Head of Data Information Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwono Nugroho said through an electronic message to ANTARA News on Wednesday.

The Terra and Aqua Satellites had detected 417 hotspots in Riau Province on Monday last week, indicating an increase in widespread wildfires in the province.

According to the BNPB data, 417 hotspots were detected in Riau on Monday (July 21) at 5 a.m. local time last week, while a total of 570 hotspots were detected in Sumatra.

However, data has revealed that the number of hotspots actually have shown a downward trend this week in Riau.

"The number of hotspots on Tuesday had declined from 133 on Monday in Sumatra, of which 85 have been found in Riau Province," Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Head Said Saqlul Amri told the press.

The hotspots dropped further on Tuesday (July 29). The US NOAA18 satellite operated by Singapore had detected 98 hotspots, of which 37 were in Riau Province, Said Saqlul Amri stated.

The 37 hotspots detected on Wednesday in Riau Province were scattered across several districts and municipalities such as Indragiri Hulu and Pelalawan, where 9 hotspots were found, respectively.

The BPBD has also revealed that the districts of Bengkalis had 7 hotspots; Dumai City 3; Rokan Hulu Siak and Kampar 2, respectively; Rokan Hilir 1; Indragiri Hilir and Kuantan Sengigi 1, respectively.

However, the Terra and Aqua satellites at 5 p.m. local time had recorded only 18 hotspots in Riau Province. Of the 18, eight were found in Pelalawan, 3 each in Kuatan Singingi and Roak Hilir, and 2 in Indragiri Hulu.

The other two hotspots were found in the districts of Kampar and Indragiri Hilir, respectively.

In 2014, forest fires have destroyed 25 thousand hectares of forest and land, which has resulted in the contamination of air over Riau Province.

During the current Idul Fitri holiday celebrations, hotspots have continued to emerge in Riau Province, engulfing at least 848 hectares of forest land.

"The land-based task force has reported that a total of 848 hectares of forest area has been gutted by fires. The fire continues to spread in affected areas, and because many sites are inaccessible, they have not yet been documented," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated on Wednesday.

Therefore, the Riau regional government has not yet lifted the haze alert status in the province, while the joint task forces continue to carry out their tasks.

According to Sutopo, the air task force has also continued to operate helicopters to drop water bombs and to modify the weather to produce artificial rain.

In the meantime, law enforcers have also acted upon suspects related to forest fires.

The Riau police have arrested and named 183 people who had allegedly committed crimes of burning bushes or forests.

A total of 116 suspects have been nabbed while conducting forest crime activities during the January-March period, while 67 others were named as suspects during the period between April 5 and July 10.

"The number of suspects could increase because the on-field team is still on the lookout for criminals responsible for new forest fires," stated spokesman of Riau Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo.

While police have arrested suspected criminals, Riau Governor Annas Maamun has also called on all district heads and mayors of regions that have suffered from forest fires to take anticipatory steps in response to emerging hotspots.

Besides hotspots in Riau Province, the government is also responding to the forest fire cases in Kalimantan, particularly West Kalimantan Province.

The BNPB has sent a helicopter in anticipation of forest fires in the West Kalimantan Province.

Data show that hotspots are now on the rise in the province. The Terra and Aqua satellites on Tuesday (July 29) had detected 268 hotspots in West Kalimantan.

For this, BNPB Head Syamsul Maarif has ordered to send an MI-8 helicopter to the province.

"Syamsul Maarif, the BNPB head has asked to dispatch an MI-8 helicopter from Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, which will be used to drop water bombs," Sutopo noted in his electronic message to Antara on Wednesday.

In West Kalimantan, 15 hotspots were detected in Bengkayang district, 25 in Kapuas Hulu, 7 in Kayong Utara, 19 in Ketapang, and 15 in Kubu Raya.

Eight hotspots were detected in Landa and Melawi, respectively, while 19 hotspots were detected in Pontianak, 65 in Sambas, 33 in Sanggau, 5 in Sekadau, 2 in Singkawang, and 47 in Sintang.
(T.A014/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)

NOAA18 satellite detects 98 hotspots in Sumatra
Antara 30 Jul 14;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The United States NOAA18 satellite operated by Singapore has detected 98 hotspots in Sumatra on Tuesday, of which 37 were in Riau province, according to an official from the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

"The number of hotspots on Tuesday had declined from 133 recorded on the previous day in Sumatra, of which 85 were found in Riau Province," BPBD Head Said Saqlul Amri informed the press on Wednesday.

The 37 hotspots detected on Wednesday were scattered across several districts and municipalities such as Indragiri Hulu and Pelalawan where 9 hotspots were respectively found.

The BPBD also revealed that the districts of Bengkalis had 7 hotspots, Dumai City 3 hotspots, Rokan Hulu Siak and Kampar respectively 2, Rokan Hilir 1, Indragiri Hilir and Kuantan Sengigi respectively 1 hotspot.

However, the Modis Terra and Aqua satellites at 5 p.m. local time recorded only 18 hotspots in Riau Province. Of the 18, eight were found in Pelalawan, 3 in Kuatan Singingi and Roak Hilir, and 2 in Indragiri Hulu.

The other two hotspots were respectively found in the districts of Kampar and Indragiri Hilir.

In 2014, forest fires have destroyed 25 thousand hectares of forest and land, which resulted in the contamination of air over the Riau province.

Riau Governor Annas Maamun had previously called on all district heads and mayors of regions that suffered from forest fires to take anticipatory steps.

In connection with forest fire cases, the Riau police has arrested and named 183 people who had allegedly committed crimes of burning bushes or forests.

A total of 116 suspects were nabbed while conducting forest crime activities during the January-March period while 67 others were named suspects during the period between April 5 and July 10.

"The number of suspects could still increase because the on-field team is still on the lookout for criminals responsible for new forest fires," stated spokesman of Riau Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo.

In the meantime, the Terra and Aqua Satellites detected 417 hotspots in Riau Province on Monday last week, indicating an increase in widespread forest fires in the province.

According to Head of Data and Information Division of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Agus Wibowo, 417 hotspots were detected on Monday (July 21) at 5 a.m. local time, while a total of 570 hotspots were detected in Sumatra.

Data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revealed that the number of hotspots had been increasing over the past two days. A total of 75 hotspots had been detected on Saturday (July 19) and 154 on Sunday.

The hotspots are spread across 11 districts in Riau, mostly in Rokan Hilir District with 327 hotspots, followed by Bengkalis with 27, and Rokan Hulu with 21.

The confidence level of the data is 70 percent, indicating that the hotspots had reached 273. The region with the highest number of hotspots is Rokan Hilir, with 223 hotspots.

"The Rokan Hilir Administration has been urged to step up measures to prevent forest fires," Wibowo emphasized.

The potential of forest fires may increase as Riau is forecast to receive below-average rainfall.

"The wind direction has a potential to carry the haze to Malaysia," Wibowo added.

The haze has reduced the visibility range in Pelalawan and Indragiri Hulu to four to five kilometers.

A haze disaster alert status has been issued by the Riau Administration as the forest fire potential is still high due to the dry season and the El Nino effect.

The Haze Disaster Alert Task Force of Riau is fighting the fires with the support of the land personnel, three waterborne helicopters, and weather modification technology applications to create artificial rain.

Data from the task force has revealed that at least 499 hectares of land had caught fire, and 429 hectares have been extinguished.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR)

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