Best of our wild blogs: 24 Jul 15

Wastebusters Assemble!
Zero Waste Singapore

Read more!

Clawing back territory for the natives

Carolyn Khew Straits Times 23 Jul 15;

A popular aquarium pet, the red-claw crayfish has made its way into the wild.

It is among a growing number of alien species taking over reservoirs in Singapore. But unlike most invasive fish which cannot leave the water, it has crawled up into freshwater streams, home to our precious native crabs found nowhere else in the world.

Since the crayfish can outgrow and out-eat the local crustaceans, it could well wipe them out.

"Native species likely play important ecological roles in our local natural ecosystems that non-native species may not necessarily be able to replace," said Assistant Professor Darren Yeo, a freshwater ecology expert at the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences.

"They are part of our natural national heritage, so they deserve our appreciation and effort, as custodians of the land, to protect them."

Prof Yeo, 43, and his graduate student, Mr Zeng Yiwen, 28, have therefore stepped up to study how extensive the crayfish are, and the potential damage they could cause.

Mr Zeng is pitting crab against crayfish in the laboratory, to see which emerges the victor.

He places the crayfish, which are more than double the size of lowland crabs - the most common of the country's freshwater crabs - and the lowland crab in tanks containing only one burrow.

"The crab usually retreats into the burrow slightly, before both the crayfish and the crab start jostling for ownership of the burrow," said Mr Zeng.

Preliminary data shows the larger crayfish is more likely to secure the shelter, but its status as an invasive species, one that harms native populations, is still not fully known.

Said Prof Yeo: "A competition experiment under controlled laboratory conditions is one thing; the real test is in the field where other factors might affect the outcome differently.

"The invasive effects (of the crayfish) could be seen in other ways, such as modifying or disturbing the habitat by burrowing or foraging in the bottom sediment."

This is why Mr Zeng is also trying to find out where the crayfish have spread to, and to understand the environmental conditions of the streams where they can be found.

Also known by the scientific name Cherax quadricarinatus, the crayfish, which can grow up to 25cm from head to tail, are native to freshwater habitats in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The first record of this species from a reservoir in Singapore dates back to 2001, and it was most likely to have been released illegally by people who bought them from the aquarium trade.

"Now it seems that they're spreading into the streams, with reproducing populations in several streams," said Mr Zeng.

Prof Yeo, who is supervising Mr Zeng's research, added: "A lot of non-natives are in the reservoirs while a lot of the natives are in the forest streams and freshwater swamps. They tend not to mix and we tend to assume that it's the environmental differences that keep them apart.

"But now, one of the things that we are learning is that it may not be just environmental differences. Other factors such as interactions between native and non-native species also need to be considered."

Unlike fish which cannot swim out of the reservoirs into streams, these crayfish are able to make their way there.

This despite challenging conditions such as higher acidity levels and lower calcium concentrations in streams, which could hinder their ability to create strong shells, grow and reproduce.

So far, the crayfish have been spotted in four streams in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve which, at 3,000ha, is the largest of its kind in Singapore, encompassing the Nee Soon Swamp Forest.

These streams contain native crabs such as the lowland freshwater crab and the Johnson's Freshwater Crab, listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Like the swamp forest crab, the Johnson's Freshwater Crab is found in Singapore and nowhere else.

The National Parks Board lists 88 freshwater fish species in local reservoirs alone.

Among them, 52 are alien species, a marked increase from the 31 recorded in 2007, out of 68 species in total. These include large predators such as the Peacock Bass and Giant Snakehead or Toman.

However, the fish list is by no means complete.

NParks, national water agency PUB and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore said in a joint reply to The Straits Times: "This list is not exhaustive as it includes only records reported from reservoirs and does not account for alien species in other freshwater water bodies, such as forest streams and urban canals.

"With increasing ornamental fish trade and cases of public release of unwanted fish, it is expected that there will be more of such non-native species out there."

Prof Yeo has a word of warning: "The more alien species there are in the reservoirs, the higher the chances that eventually one or more might be able to penetrate natural forest streams and potentially cause impacts."

Invasion of the aliens: The marine chapter


The red-claw crayfish (above) is adaptable.PHOTOS: ZENG YIWEN, TAN HEOK HUI

Straits Times 23 Jul 15;

Singapore's native fish are no longer masters of their inland domains - they have been overwhelmed by invasive species, which make up over half the country's freshwater denizens now.

And few local fish stand a chance against voracious predators lurking in reservoirs such as giant snakeheads, arowana and peacock bass.

Of 88 freshwater fish species here, 52 are alien, compared to 31 alien species out of a total 68 in 2007.

"If a native fish encounters any of these large predatory non-native fish, they will not stand a chance," said ichthyologist (fish specialist) Dr Tan Heok Hui, museum officer at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

Alien species refer to animals or plants which are not native to a particular ecosystem.

Many of the fish that first made their way into reservoirs here were released by aquarium hobbyists.

And the figures may represent the tip of the iceberg.

The National Parks Board, national water agency PUB and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore say the list is by no means exhaustive - it does not account for aliens in other freshwater bodies such as forest streams and urban canals.

Examples of alien fish species include the highly adaptable African sharptooth catfish, which was first spotted in the 1990s and seems to have displaced smaller native catfish in habitats such as ponds, reservoirs and canals.

There is also the freshwater stingray, which is capable of injecting venom through a sting at the base of its tail. The authorities say its establishment in Singapore was confirmed in 2010 when a qualitative survey was conducted of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Most alien species are known to be hardy and are capable of establishing quickly in new environments, the three agencies say.

They multiply in large numbers and compete with the native species for food and shelter.

These alien species can also upset the ecosystem balance by altering the vegetation structures and aquatic community composition, and posing a threat to the endemic creatures which tend to have "more specific niches".

For instance, freshwater streams with a large number of the invasive Barcheek goby have significantly fewer of the native Bigmouth Stream goby.

Experts say regular monitoring of freshwater habitats would be useful in detecting newly introduced species quickly, so that management measures, for instance, can be implemented fast.

Beyond their numbers, there is also a need to consider other factors like the "persistence" of alien species, the scientists add.

Assistant Professor Darren Yeo of the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences pointed out: "In some cases, certain alien species may disappear or decline after a few years for any number of reasons... They may get replaced by another alien species, or become less popular as pets and so fewer are released, or simply not be able to thrive here in the longer term."

Others, such as the golden apple snail, seem to be thriving.

The authorities have for years been promoting public awareness of this issue. An annual campaign "Operation No Release", for instance, aims to discourage the release of animals or unwanted pets into parks and nature reserves.

First-time offenders caught releasing animals may be charged under the Parks and Trees Act and could be fined up to $50,000, jailed up to six months, or both.

Carolyn Khew

IN THEIR WATERY ELEMENT

RED-CLAW CRAYFISH

First spotted in Singapore in the 2000s, this crayfish can grow up to 25cm in length and is found in places such as reservoirs, ponds and, more recently, natural streams. It is established here and seems adaptable. The northern Australian and Papua New Guinea native is omnivorous and, while it looks similar to a lobster, it is from a different family. Crayfish are freshwater species and are usually smaller than saltwater-loving lobsters when fully grown. (Lobsters are marine species.)

GOLDEN APPLE SNAIL

First spotted in the 1980s, it can be found in habitats such as reservoirs, ponds and canals.

It feeds on algae and aquatic plants, is highly adaptable and could have displaced native apple snails around South-east Asia.

There are reports overseas of such snails carrying disease-causing parasites, but they are not harmful to humans unless eaten raw or improperly cooked.

GIANT SNAKEHEAD

This large, ferocious fish species can reach over 1m in length. It can be found in many reservoirs - which resemble its native habitats in large lakes and rivers in parts of Africa and the surrounding region.

It is very protective of its young and will attack anything that it perceives as a threat.

FRESHWATER AND INVASION BIOLOGY LABORATORY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

•For more information on other alien species, look up the Web special on http://str.sg/ZNtu

Read more!

Malaysia: Singapore refuses Johor cloud seeding

ZAZALI MUSA The Star 23 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU: Singapore has put a dampener to a suggestion to conduct cloud seeding over two Malaysian dams here which are experiencing critical water levels.

The island will not allow for any cloud seeding to be carried out at Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang because the activities have been deemed to be encroaching into its territory.

Both dams supply water to some 760,000 people.

Johor would have to find other alternatives following Singapore’s refusal, said state public works, rural and regional development chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad.

He added that another suggestion would be to transfer water from Sun­gai Johor to the Sungai Lebam dam, and from the upper Sungai Layang to the Layang dam.

He said the two rivers would act like the feeders for the two dams but if the water levels at the dams were to drop drastically, operations at the dams would be shut down imme­diately.

Hasni added that the present dry spell was also causing the water le­­vels in Sungai Johor and Sungai Layang to fall.

SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd may have to start scheduled water supply if water levels at the two dams did not improve over the next few weeks.

SAJ corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil said water levels at the two dams had dropped drastically in the past two months.

“There are 14 dams in Johor but only the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams are the ones facing the critical situation,” he said.

Jamaluddin said the water level at the Sungai Lebam dam had dropped to 9.87m (which is the critical level) from 12.27m, and Layang dam from 23.50m to 19.72m.

The Sungai Lebam dam supplies water to about 160,000 consumers in Pengerang, Bandar Penawar, Desaru and Gugusan Felda Air Tawar.

The Layang dam channels water to 600,000 users in Pasir Gudang mostly industrial users and also parts of Johor Baru.

Singapore refutes claim that it refused to allow cloud-seeding in Johor
The Star 25 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU: Singapore has refuted claims that it does not allow cloud-seeding operations over the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams in Johor.

Instead, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has always cooperated with Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate flight activities including for such operations.

The Consulate-General of Singapore here, in a statement Friday, said Singapore had not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agency.

"Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell, and has previously offered to assist in efforts to fight forest fires," it added.

It also said that Singapore's water agency PUB also cooperated closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts.

Both sides have also been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor.

It said claims that Singapore had refused to allow cloud-seeding operations because such activities were deemed to encroach into Singapore's territory, were baseless.

Singapore was responding to a news report which quoted Johor Public Works, and Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad saying that Johor would have to find other alternatives following Singapore's refusal.

The two dams, which serve some 760,000 people, are currently experiencing critical water levels.

The water level at the Sungai Lebam dam has dropped to 9.87m from 12.27m and the Layang dam to 19.72m from 23.50m.

If the water levels at the two dams do not improve in the next few weeks, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd may have to start scheduled water supply, according to the news report. – Bernama

We support Johor cloud seeding, says S’pore
The Star 26 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU: Singapore says it is surprised by Johor state exco member Datuk Hasni Mohammad’s claims that the republic did not allow cloud seeding operations over the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams.

In a media statement released yesterday, the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore here said the claim was baseless.

It also rubbished another claim by Hasni on Thursday that cloud seeding was not allowed as it was deemed to be encroaching into Singapore’s territory.

Consul Gavin Yap said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had always worked closely with Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation to facilitate various flight activities.

“Singapore has not been approach­­ed recently on the cloud seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies.

“If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter,” he added.

Yap said Singapore fully supported cloud seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell, and had previously offered to assist in such efforts to fight forest fires.

He said Singapore’s water agency PUB also cooperated closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts.

Singapore refutes claims that it blocked cloud-seeding operations in Johor
Today Online 25 Jul 15;

SINGAPORE — The Consulate-General of Singapore in Johor Baru has refuted claims that the Republic had refused to allow cloud seeding over two dams in the southern Malaysia state which are experiencing critical water levels.

Malaysian media reports on Thursday cited Johor state public works, rural and regional development chairman Hasni Mohammad as saying that Singapore had refused to allow cloud-seeding operations at Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang as the activities would purportedly encroach into Singapore’s territory.

He added that Johor would have to find other alternatives to top up the dams’ water levels following Singapore’s alleged refusal. Both dams supply water to some 760,000 people.

In a statement issued on Friday evening (July 24), the Consulate-General said that Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations.

“Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell.

“We are surprised by Johor State Exco member Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni bin Haji Mohammad’s claims,” said the Consulate-General in its statement.

“Such claims, including his assertion that this is because such activities are deemed to encroach into Singapore’s territory, are baseless.”

The Consulate-General added that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has always coordinated closely with Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate various flight activities.

“Both sides have also been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor.

“Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies. If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter.”

Singapore disputes Johor official's cloud seeding claim
AsiaOne 26 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU - Singapore has disputed a Malaysian official's claims that it refused to let Johor carry out cloud seeding above two dams due to territorial concerns.

Water levels at the dams have dipped below critical marks in the Malaysian state.

State public works, rural and regional development chairman Hasni Mohammad reportedly said Singapore would not allow cloud seeding at the Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang as it would encroach into its territory. As a result, Johor would have to find alternatives, said Datuk Hasni, according to The Star in a report on Thursday.

In a statement issued the following day, the Consulate-General of Singapore in Johor Baru expressed surprise at the claims which it dismissed as "baseless".

"On the contrary, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has always coordinated closely with Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate various flight activities," it said.

"However, Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies. If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter."

The Consulate-General stressed that Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor and has previously offered to assist in such efforts to fight forest fires.

It added that Singapore's national water agency PUB also cooperates closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts. Singapore and Malaysia have been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor, it noted.

The two dams supply water to some 760,000 people. SAJ Holdings, which is responsible for water supply services in Johor, said that if the water levels at the dams were to drop drastically, operations would have to be shut down immediately.

Johor seeking flight regulators' permission to conduct cloud seeding
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 27 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU: Johor submitted a formal letter to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) on Sunday to seek permission to conduct cloud-seeding operations.

State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the DCA would then forward the letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

He said it would normally take at least two weeks for the CAAS to respond to the request.

"The water level at the Sungai Lebam is dropping day by day, so we hope Singapore will speed up the approval, " said Hasni.

He said this in a press conference after attending the Hari Raya open house celebration organised by Johor Petroleum Development Corporation on Monday.

Hasni said if no cloud-seeding operations were to take place within the next two weeks, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bud would have to start scheduling water supply.

Johor hoping for a quick OK from S’pore
The Star 28 Jul 15;

JOHOR BARU: Johor hopes Singapore will give fast approval to its request to conduct cloud seeding over Sungai Lebam and Layang dams in view of the critical water levels at the two dams.

Yesterday Johor sent a letter to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) in Kuala Lumpur. Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the DCA would then submit the formal request to its Singaporean counterpart, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), on Johor's intention to conduct cloud seeding operations.

“Normally, it takes two weeks for the CAAS to get back to DCA. But in view of the current situation, we hope to start the operation as soon as possible,” said Hasni at a press conference yesterday after attending the Hari Raya open house organised by Johor Petroleum Development Corporation.

He added that the cloud seeding should be conducted within the next 14 days, adding that Johor did not want to miss the window period deemed a good time to conduct the exercise.

He said the water level at the Sungai Lebam dam had dropped to 9.72m (which is the critical level) from 12.7m and Layang dam from 23.50m to 19.43m.

Read more!

Indonesia: Regional haze and questionable efforts to save the forests

Simon Pollock Jakarta Post 24 Jul 15;

The annual burning of Indonesian rainforests is an example of the increased clouding of regional-global divides when it comes to environmental problems.

Many Southeast Asians wonder if they will have to withstand another blanket of haze as Indonesia enters its annual dry season. Signs of an impending El Niño weather pattern mean the country’s traditional dry period this year could extend from May to August into September.

In the past, Indonesia’s dry season has often coincided with extensive fires — many deliberately lit — resulting in palls of smoke that recognize no borders and threaten to foul the lungs of Indonesians and their neighbors, while exacerbating climate change concerns.

The most recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2013 estimates the conversion of forests to other land uses is responsible for around 10 percent of net global carbon emissions. Indonesian forest fires are thought to be responsible for about a third of global emissions from tropical deforestation.

While the future effects of untrammeled climate change are projected to be devastating on a global scale, Indonesia’s leaders realize they must address this problem in the here and now to assuage regional concerns.

Two years ago, Indonesian forest fires set off the region’s worst pollution crisis in a decade, while sparking regional tempers.

While regional efforts continue to search for a coordinated fix to this perennial problem, the potential remains for further disruptions to the famed, polite pursuit of consensus among ASEAN states.

In March this year, Vice President Jusuf Kalla issued a broadside against other ASEAN countries’ complaints about the haze. “For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us,” Indonesian press quoted him as saying. “They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.”

It is obvious amid the vagaries of shifting politics and regional wind patterns, the haze problem must be tackled at its core, at the sites of ignition. As in many cases though, trying to find an equitable path through the sometimes uneasy balance between environmental protection and development is not easy.

Indonesia is a developing country, so any measures that alleviate local poverty and feed into trade-generated national economic growth should not be dismissed out of hand.

Developed countries, many of which have already destroyed the majority of their own virgin forests, should account for international balances of equity in calling for developing countries to avoid similar fates.

The intrusion of climate change concerns into the haze problem is actually advantageous, at least in terms of providing a catalyst for attracting international financing. During the past few years, the concept of REDD+ has emerged to promote development and environmental protection simultaneously by providing a financial value for carbon left stored in forests.

REDD first saw light in 2005 to help generate payments from outside sources to assist developing countries in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The + was added in 2007 to signify safeguards that ensure a drive for REDD profits did not come with social and environmental costs.

Indonesia has naturally been a frontline country in aid donors’ attempts to introduce REDD+ because of its large forested areas and past, strong climate change stance — as the first developing country to voluntarily pledge emission reductions in 2009.

In another first, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed an agreement with Norway in 2010 to reduce forest-based gas emissions, including a moratorium on forest clearing licenses, in return for financial REDD+ support of up to US$1 billion. At the end of 2013, Yudhoyono established the independent National REDD+ Agency, known in Indonesian as BP REDD+.

Ironically, the inauguration mid-last year of Yudhoyono’s successor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo — hailed as a progressive political figure — has been followed by a questioning of how serious Indonesia is in reducing deforestation and tackling climate change.

While President Jokowi extended the moratorium on forest clearing in May this year, his earlier decision in January to abolish BP REDD+ has raised eyebrows.

In the stated interests of streamlined bureaucratic efficiency, the functions of BP REDD+ have been subsumed into a new government department, based on the merging of the formerly separate ministries of environment and forestry.

The jury is still out on whether the restructuring of Indonesia’s government agencies dealing with forest management will prove to be advantageous to REDD+.

Some point out the new Ministry of Environment and Forestry will inject further environmental oversight over the management of Indonesia’s forests.

Others are concerned the traditionally strong power of Indonesian forestry officials will continue to overshadow decisions made in far flung provinces on whether to clear or preserve tracts of rainforest.

What is clear is that governance reform will remain a crucial issue in curtailing the destruction of Indonesian rainforests.

A University of Maryland study of satellite data last year by an Indonesian forestry employee found that 40 percent of forest clearing in Indonesia was illegal.

But gaining a true appraisal of the extent of illegal logging is always going to be problematic as these activities are clandestine.

What is less contested is that a central part of the solution must involve finding profitable ways to keep trees in the ground. While there have been few indications of new REDD+ funding offers recently, major countries may choose to make strategic announcements around the seminal Paris climate change meeting starting from November.

Whether the regional haze sets a pall over Indonesia’s ties with its neighbors this year or not, the imperative of preventing a warming world will continue to focus international attention on ways to help Indonesia keep its forests intact.

The author is an Australian-based climate change writer and journalist

Read more!

India lost 250 sq km to rising seas in 15 years

Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times 23 Jul 15;

A total of 250.21 sq km along India’s coast was lost over 15 years because of the rising sea level, according to a study by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Water Commission (CWC).

A team of 10 scientists from the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad -- a key unit of ISRO -- and the CWC under the water resources ministry studied changes along the country’s 8,414km shoreline, including those of islands such as Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

The team compared satellite pictures taken between the periods 1989-1991 and 2004-2006. During this time, the coastline was battered by several natural disasters such as the 1999 super cyclone, the 2004 tsunami and the 2013 severe cyclone Phailin.

The Nicobar Islands lost the maximum area of around 94 sq km. States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and the Lakshadweep and Nicobar Islands too lost land to sea erosion.

However, a total of 177.15 sq km was accreted or accumulated along the coast during the same period, the study revealed. After taking the accretion into account, the net loss of land because of erosion was 73 sq km.

“The results show that 3,829 km (45.5%) of the coast is under erosion, 3,004 km (35.7%) is getting accreted, while 1,581 km (18.8%) of the coast is more or less stable in nature,” said AS Rajawat, a senior scientist with the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad who led the study.

The rising sea level was one of the major reasons for the erosion along the coastline, while other factors responsible for the phenomenon were unbridled and unplanned human activities, local coastal subsidence, storm surge and the 2004 tsunami.

It was seen that the Andaman and Nicobar islands lost a significant amount of land in the tsunami.

On the other hand, the building of new beaches and sand and silt deposits were the main reasons for the accretion of land. Some states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala accreted huge areas of land due to deposition. West Bengal accreted the least area while it lost around 11 sq km.

Though there are studies and an inventory of erosion along the Indian coast, they are region-specific and inadequate for planning requirements at the national level. This is probably the first time that shoreline changes for the entire Indian coast were mapped in detail.

“While West Bengal has lost around 11.63 sq km, it has gained around 1.52 sq km. The net loss for West Bengal is around 10 sq km. Out of the total shoreline of 282 km in West Bengal, 115 km is getting eroded,” said Rajawat.

The study was undertaken on the recommendation of the Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee, the apex body for planning coastal protection measures in India.

Earlier, studies by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management under the union environment, forests and climate change ministry have shown that more than 40% of India’s coastline is eroding at a much higher rate than previously estimated.

In a recent study based on satellite data and tidal observations, scientists at the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa showed that the sea level is rising by 3.2 mm every year since the early 1990s. The sea level along the northern and eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, which includes the Sunderbans, has risen at an even faster rate at about 5 mm a year over the past two decades.

Read more!

Waving, Not Drowning: How Some Coral Reefs Will Survive Climate Change

Todd Woody, Takepart.com Yahoo News 24 Jul 15;

The news about the world’s oceans seems to be unrelentingly bad—predictions of terrifying sea-level rise, increasing acidification that threatens to wipe out the phytoplankton that supports nearly all marine life, and starving whales.

Now, a new study offers hope that some coral reefs will survive rising temperatures and oceans. As water temperatures increase and the oceans become more acidic, coral reefs around the world are dying. Others face death by drowning as sea levels rise. But scientists studying coral reefs surrounding Palau, an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, have found that they are managing to grow at a rate that keeps pace with sea-level rise. As long as sea-level and temperature increases remain moderate, the coral reefs, also called micro atolls, are likely to survive until the end of the 21st century, the researchers concluded.

So, Why Should You Care? The oceans are absorbing growing amounts of carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels, and the resulting acidification could cost the global economy $1 trillion a year by 2100 as coral reefs disappear, according to a United Nations report released last October. Tropical coral reefs and the plethora of fish and marine life that depend on them provide jobs and sustenance to some 400 million people.

In Palau, scientists measured 570 micro atolls in 10 locations around the archipelago and found “vertical skeletal extension” of the reefs over the past six to eight years. That growth rate matched recent sea-level rise, which created the space for the coral reefs, called Porites, to expand.

“Despite recent declines in calcification over the past decades, massive Porites are relatively resilient to both decreasing pH and increasing temperature, representing ‘winners’ under future climate-change scenarios,” the scientists wrote in the study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

There is a limit to that resilience, however. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, the result will be the “complete impairment of micro atoll growth by 2050…and reef flats will not be able to keep up with rising sea levels,” according to the paper.

Robert van Woesik, lead author of the study and a professor of biological science at the Florida Institute of Technology, said it was uncertain whether the findings would apply elsewhere.

“I have no evidence from other locations in the Pacific Ocean, but I will say that Palau has an exceptional conservation history, and local protection certainly matters,” he wrote in an email.

The micro atolls play a crucial role in protecting Palau’s low-lying archipelago from tropical storms, as well as providing habitat for fish and other marine life.

“If coral reef growth cannot ‘keep up’ with sea-level rise, these natural island storm barriers will disappear, resulting in inundation and reductions in the habitable land for millions of people throughout the Pacific Ocean,” van Woesik and his colleagues wrote in the study.

Read more!