Best of our wild blogs: 15 Oct 15



Sat 07 Nov 2015: 5.30pm – “Otters of Singapore” – A talk and sharing session at Sentosa’s Palawan Amphitheatre (registration by email required)
Otterman speaks

Otters at Berlayar Creek!
wild shores of singapore

Tiger Shrike casting a pellet
Bird Ecology Study Group

Indonesia hints at possible peatland license review as haze firefight continues
Mongabay Environmental News

APRIL clearing forest in breach of sustainability policy: NGO
Mongabay Environmental News

Plantation companies challenged by haze-causing fires in Indonesia
Mongabay Environmental News

Companies struggle to fight fires in Indonesia
Mongabay Environmental News


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Indonesia: Central Kalimantan still covered in haze despite zero hot spots

thejakartapost.com 14 Oct 15;

Haze was still blanketing Muara Teweh in North Barito regency, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday morning, despite declining two days ago.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Muara Teweh the area’s horizontal visibility was only 200 meters on Wednesday morning, while the vertical visibility was 350 feet. On Tuesday, the former was between 1,000 m and 2 kilometers, while the latter was around 450 feet.

“The haze in Muara Teweh has come back; the sunshine this morning looked dim due to being covered in haze, no longer clear like yesterday. The haze was carried by the wind yesterday with speed between 5 and 9 km per hour from the southwest,” said a BMKG representative on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

According to the Manggala Agni Muara Teweh firefighting unit’s spokesperson Aswaludin, hot spots were no longer detected in North Barito by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 18 and Modis Terra Aqua satellites on Wednesday around 6 a.m.

“The hot spots are gone. On Tuesday, six hot spots were still detected in the regency,” said Aswaludin.

In addition to Muara Teweh, other regencies in Central Kalimantan are reportedly also free from hot spots on Wednesday morning, namely Puruk Cahu in Murung Raya regency, Tamiang Layang in East Barito regency and Buntok in South Barito regency. (kes)(++++)


Indonesia, foreign team to focus on extinguishing fires in South Sumatra
Antara 14 Oct 15;

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The joint Indonesian-foreign team kept the focus on extinguishing land and forest fires in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district, South Sumatra Province.

"The joint task force focused on tackling land and forest fires through the air. Ogan Ilir had become the biggest source of haze, compared to other districts in Indonesia," the task forces deputy chief, Yulizar Dinoto, said here on Wednesday.

According to him, any fire occurring in peatlands region should be handled specifically and properly.

To maximize the burnout in peatlands, the joint team conducted a water bombing operation.

"Based on the directions of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan, efforts to put out the fires through water bombing were undertaken because the land was precariously located," he said.

He pointed out that the team will mobilize all personnel and equipment support, as well as assistance from several foreign countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

"Five helicopters and two planes have been deployed to combat the fires. In addition, the government made efforts to induce artificial rain in the region," he said.

Earlier, to overcome the smog disaster, the local government deployed 4,997 personnel from the Provincial Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD), Manggala Agni, and Indonesian Armed/Police Forces, since September 2015.

They were part of a task force which was assigned the role of reducing land and forest fires in South Sumatra.

"In the last two months, the task force had extinguished fires in 1,259 hotspots and conducted 6,826 water bombing operations," South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated.

In addition, his officials will deploy additional equipment to put out land and forest fires.

This is part of the anticipatory measures undertaken to face the next dry season, so that smog problem can be minimized, or even overcome.

"The next steps will include adding more than 40 water pumps and normalizing the flow of water in peatlands or areas prone to land and forest fires," the governor explained.(*)


Forestry Ministry Recruits Environmental Experts for Forest Fire Lawsuit
Farouk Arnaz Jakarta Globe 14 oct 15;

Jakarta. The Forestry Ministry has enlisted the help of environmental experts to strengthen a lawsuit against Sinar Mas Group's Bumi Mekar Hijau, the first company to officially be named a suspect for allegedly causing forest fires.

The ministry has filed a civil lawsuit against Bumi Mekar, which owns pulpwood concessions in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra, demanding the company pay the state Rp 7.8 trillion ($573.8 million) for damages it allegedly incurred by illegally setting forests ablaze.

The lawsuit is also directed at the company's management, who – if proven guilty – may face up to 10 years in prison.

Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said the trial for Bumi Mekar is currently being heard at the Palembang district court in South Sumatra.

The ministry is still awaiting the court's decision, according to Forestry Ministry spokeswoman Eka W. Soegiri.

Neither were ready to name the environmental experts who were brought on to the case.

Bumi Mekar Hijau is among more than 10 companies – including Tempirai Palm Resources and Wayumsi Agro Indah – currently under investigation for allegedly setting fire to land and forests in South Sumatra.

Only Bumi Mekar Hijau has been named a suspect so far.

"Bumi Mekar Hijau's file is ready to be sent to the Attorney General's Office," according to a police source, who declined to be named.

The source added that the case against Bumi Mekar Hijau will be a major test for the police as it involves one of Indonesia's largest business conglomerates, whose network is vast and influential.

Despite the intimidating task, director of the National Police's criminal investigation unit Brig. Gen. Yazid Fanani said the force is committed to processing such cases without discrimination.

"We'll investigate [everyone]. If there are allegations of negligence or intent, we'll pursue [the case]," he said last week.

Australia sends planes to fight fire
VEENA BABULAL New Straits Times 14 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Australia has followed in Malaysia and Singapore’s footsteps by sending planes to help Indonesia put out forest fires that have shrouded the skies of Southeast Asian countries with haze for more than a month.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on her ministerial website today said Australia had sent two aerial response firefighting teams to assist Indonesia in combating forest fires raging in South Sumatera.

The aircrafts, namely a L100 Lockheed C130 Water Tanker (“Thor”) and a Turbo Commander 690B lead plane have arrived in Sumatera and are scheduled to start operations today.
The response team is expected to be based outside Palembang.

An assessment team had arrived earlier in Palembang, Sumatra on Sunday to coordinate the ground arrangements with Indonesian authorities.

“I reiterate my gratitude to the NSW Rural Fire Service for its rapid response to Indonesia's request for assistance and acknowledge the contribution of the Victorian Government’s personnel to this operation,” she added.

“While Australia has experienced a dramatic start to the bushfire season, a lull in severe weather conditions has meant we can assist Indonesia and still maintain national aerial fire fighting coverage,” she said in a separate post which announced Australia’s decision a few days ago.

“Our Federal and State governments understand the social and economic impact from bushfires and are ready to support our Indonesian neighbours at this time of need,” she added.

Bishop explained that the fires are creating hazardous conditions in at least six Indonesian provinces.

Over 135,000 Indonesians have been affected with respiratory illnesses. The fires have continued to worsen due to drought conditions across Indonesia.

So far a total of 1.7-million hectares of Indonesian land and forests are reportedly affected by the fires.

President Joko Widodo had earlier said Indonesia plans to extinguish all fires burning in different parts of the country within two weeks, with the assistance of neighboring countries.

It has accepted help from its neighbors, including Australia, to put out the fires that degraded air quality in Malaysia and Singapore to levels described as “hazardous” and caused the haze to travel as far away as Thailand.

Malaysia flew in a CL415 Bombardier with a flight crew of 12 people while Singapore dispatched a Chinook helicopter and a Hercules plane to help Indonesian authorities conduct water bombing and cloud seeding in South Sumatera to generate rain and put out the fires.

On Oct 14, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre picked up 21 hotspots in Kalimantan and more than 150 hotspots in Sumatera, through satellites.

Earlier Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd was forced to close three of its airports while seven provinces in southern Thailand were affected by the haze, including the resort island of Phuket.


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2 Russians jailed in Singapore for smuggling endangered turtles

The two men were caught smuggling the animals when they were in transit at Changi Airport, while travelling from Bangladesh to Indonesia, says AVA.
Channel NewsAsia 14 oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Two Russian nationals were on Wednesday (Oct 14) sentenced to 15 months in jail for smuggling 206 endangered turtles, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).

Pavlychev Maksim, 38, and Radkov Aleksei, 34, were detained at Changi Airport on Jul 9, 2015, when they were in transit while travelling from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka to Surabaya, Indonesia, said AVA in a news release. Their jail terms were backdated to the same day.

An aviation security officer at Changi Airport had found four luggage bags stuffed with 206 live black pond turtles. The animals are a critically-endangered species protected under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Investigations revealed that the men had been approached by a friend to deliver the turtles to Indonesia. The turtles are estimated to be worth S$90,000 and are believed to be in high demand in the exotic pet trade, said AVA.

The luggage bags were lined with diapers and cloth to absorb the turtles’ excrement, said AVA, adding that the animals were found dehydrated and “in poor condition”. So far 27 of the turtles have died or had to be put down, while the remaining animals are under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

Those found importing, exporting or re-exporting CITES species, including their parts and products, without a permit could be fined up to S$50,000 per species and/or sentenced to up to two years in jail. Also, those found guilty of animal cruelty could face a maximum fine of S$10,000 and/or up to 12 months’ jail.

- CNA/xq

Two men jailed 15 months each for trying to smuggle 206 endangered turtles through S’pore
Today Online 14 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — With four luggage bags stuffed with 206 live turtles, they tried to make their way from Bangladesh to Surabaya, Indonesia. However, while transiting in Singapore on July 9, the duo’s ploy to smuggle the critically endangered reptiles was discovered.

Today (Oct 14), Russian nationals Pavlychev Maksim, 38, and Radkov Aleksei, 34, were each sentenced to 15 months’ jail for the attempted smuggling. Their jail sentences were backdated to July 9.

The black pond turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii), estimated to be worth S$90,000, were placed in luggage bags lined with diapers and cloth to absorb their excreted waste, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in a press release today.

Twenty-seven of them have since died or had to put down for welfare reasons. “Unfortunately, the turtles arrived dehydrated and were in poor condition,” said the AVA. The remaining turtles are under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

Investigations revealed that Maksim and Aleksei were approached by a friend to deliver the turtles to Indonesia. The turtles are believed to be in high demand in the exotic pet trade. The two men were immediately detained after their exotic stash was detected by a Certis CISCO aviation security officer at Singapore Changi Airport.

International trade of the endangered turtles is prohibited, as it is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, CITES permits are required for any import, export and re-export of CITES species, including their parts and products. It is also an offence under the Act if the CITES species or their parts and products are not accompanied by proper CITES permits when they are in transit or being transhipped through Singapore.

Penalties for infringing the Act include fines of up to S$50,000 per scheduled species (not exceeding a maximum aggregate of S$500,000) and/or up to two years’ jail.

Under the Animals and Birds Act, any person who neglects to supply the animals with food and/or water or subject them to unnecessary suffering and distress, shall be guilty of animal cruelty and shall be liable, on conviction, to a maximum fine of S$10,000 and/or jail of up to 12 months.

“The Singapore Government has zero tolerance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts and products. We will not hesitate to take harsh enforcement actions against any person or company that smuggles wildlife through Singapore,” said AVA’s Lye Fong Keng, Deputy Director, Quarantine & Inspection Group (Wildlife Section).

Anyone with information on illegal wildlife trade may contact AVA at 6805-2992 or via AVA’s online feedback form. AVA said all information would be kept strictly confidential.


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Does green living always result in higher monetary cost?

Switching to eco-friendly practices does not necessarily cost more, according to some companies and consumers.
Rachelle Lee Channel NewsAsia 15 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: The haze in Singapore has focused attention on green living, and while some companies have said switching to eco-friendly practices can result in higher costs, others have said that this does not have to be the case.

Those whom Channel NewsAsia spoke with said green practices may even help to save money.

Interior designer Sky Creations has said green features do not necessarily cost more. Over the past three years, they have seen a significant increase in demand from home owners for such green features, particularly energy-efficient designs which offer the largest potential for savings.

For Ms Lee Kheng, she said she chose to include eco-friendly features in her home as it could save money in the long run. The furnishings in her HDB flat are made from sustainable materials certified by the Singapore Green Label. The eco-friendly appliances help to reduce energy consumption, and she has also installed a master switch that can power down the house, with the exception of the refrigerator, when no one is home.

"Before I renovated my house, my electrical bills were very expensive. Now, I save more than a hundred dollars on electrical bills every month,” she said.

More consumers are also making environmentally-friendly choices when they go shopping as prices of such products have dropped. Supermarket chain FairPrice said it has seen a rise in demand for eco-friendly products, with a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent in sales.

"In FairPrice, we have more stores carrying (green products). I think the consumers themselves are also finding that the prices are coming down, so more people are buying them,” said FairPrice’s Green Committee chairperson Koh Kok Sin. “We call this economies of scale - the more consumers support them, the more that our suppliers and manufacturers can produce them at a lower cost. So if more of us support these products, first of all it’s better for the environment, secondly it helps to lower cost.”

Some new eco-friendly items in the market include bamboo toilet paper and coconut charcoal.

But some consumers are still not aware of the green choices available. They told Channel NewsAsia that they have not come across them in the market, or that they have not thought of switching to buying environmentally-friendly products.

Olive Green, which brings in eco-friendly tableware, said one reason that may be stopping people from making greener choices is a lack of awareness.

"We are so used to the norm, if something strange comes along, it takes time for us to adjust. When they are so used to a particular supply chain and then out of the blue someone comes along and offer something completely different, the first questions they ask are, ‘Is somebody else using it? How good is it?’” said Mr Aloysius Cheong, CEO of Olive Green.

The recent episode of haze, however, has helped to raise awareness of how consumers can make a difference when they choose environmentally sustainable products.

"Sometimes negative events like the haze creates more consumer awareness of the need to support sustainable products,” said Mr Koh.

The Singapore Environment Council said large retail outlets can take the lead by providing consumers with the opportunity to choose green products. But it added that a more sustainable alternative is to enact a green procurement policy at a national level, which could generate an influx of green products in the market to meet consumer demand.

- CNA/xq


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NParks aims to increase motivation, productivity with new park facilities

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 15 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Should the future Jurong Lake Gardens be chockful of features that enable people to connect with nature on many levels, chances are that this did not happen by accident.

Guidelines on how developments in Singapore can nurture such attachment could be out early next year, said the National Parks Board (NParks) today (Oct 14). The importance of nature and its elements have been shown in what experts call a thin but growing body of research. Studies have found that contact with nature reduces stress, shortens post-surgical hospital stays after gall bladder surgery and even results in higher productivity and employee motivation.

The guidelines will be developed by NParks and the Centre for Liveable Cities, together with three international experts — Yale University professor emeritus Stephen Kellert, the University of Virginia’s Professor Timothy Beatley and Curtin University professor of sustainability Peter Newman.

The three experts and local thought leaders spoke at Singapore’s first-ever symposium on biophilia today. Biophilia describes humans’ innate attachment to nature, and the symposium was followed by a two-day workshop exploring how the guidelines can be applied in Singapore.

NParks chief executive Kenneth Er said the guidelines will help various agencies to “refine and develop facilities that support the principles of biophilia, thereby bringing us even closer to our vision of A City in a Garden”.

The workshops and guidelines will cover upcoming projects such as the Jurong Lake Gardens, said Dr Lena Chan, director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre. Part of Jurong Lake District, the Jurong Lake Gardens’ three sections will include the grounds of the new Science Centre and the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. Its first section will be ready in 2017.

Dr Chan said the authorities want to leverage on its existing features such as the freshwater swamp and bird habitat, while meeting the recreational needs of various age groups.

Affiliation with nature ought to be integrated into the every day, and not happen only on a vacation or the occasional trip to the nature reserve, said experts at the symposium, attended by over 300 civil servants, academics and those in urban planning, landscape design and architecture.

Biophilic design provides users with direct experience of nature in the form of natural light, for instance. It can also provide indirect experience with nature through the use of natural materials, colours and natural geometries, said Prof Kellert.

Designs are rarely sustainable if people lack emotional attachment or the motivation to sustain the structures over time, he argued.

On people unhappy about trees shedding too many leaves, bird droppings and early-morning bird calls, Prof Newman said: “A bit of education, perhaps, would help a lot in enabling … that innate connection.” Civil servants on the ground could tell residents about the species of birds in question and the roles of the birds and trees in the ecosystem, he suggested.

Notions such as nature being “out there” or “something you visit when you have the time, opportunity and motivation” need to be broken down, said Prof Kellert. “There are many layers, levels, dimensions of our inherent connection to nature and they’re all legitimate,” he said.

“So, growing things is important. Controlling our environment is important. Recognising that there’s fear and aversion … in certain kinds of habitats and that needs to be addressed,” he said. “The more levels of connections we have, the more the benefit, the more the value — ecologically , economically and socially.”


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Malaysia: FRIM canopy walkway and rover track closed

P. DIVAKARAN The Star 14 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA: Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has closed its canopy walkway and rover track due to extensive damage following the recent heavy downpours.

The announcement was made on FRIM’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

FRIM will be conducting a through safety assessment of the areas of Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve where the canopy walkway and rover track are located.

FRIM Corporate Head Norhayati Nordin apologised for any inconvenience caused by the incident adding that the decision was made with public safety in mind.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and appeal for understanding and cooperation from all visitors especially FRIM regular joggers to refrain from using the rover track,” she said.

She also asked all visitors to stay away from FRIM during thunderstorms and urged them to check the weather forecast before planning a trip.


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Malaysia: The forests are our lifeline

A. BAKAR WEBB New Straits Times 14 Oct 15;

ILLEGAL logging in Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. According to a non-governmental organisation with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, Malaysia has an illegal logging rate of 35 per cent.

About 40 per cent of its consumption and timber export was estimated to have been acquired illegally. Indeed, according to Transparency International Malaysia, the amount lost to illegal logging annually is estimated to be between RM800 million and RM900 million, about five per cent of the total timber export of some RM20 billion.

A 2011 study by the World Bank revealed that two-thirds of the world’s top tropical timber producing nations were losing at least half of their timber to illegal loggers. Although the activity is overshadowed by other crimes, such as terrorism, drugs and human trafficking, illegal logging is an environmental crime that poses a number of challenges.

In many developing countries, including Malaysia, environmental crime has not been the subject of great public attention. The chief minister of Sarawak’s initiatives to curb illegal logging should be praised as his no-nonsense approach has made him a sincere defender and friend of the forests. Among the reasons the chief minister is fighting tooth and nail against illegal logging are:

FIRST, it is the cause of widespread environmental damage and rapid loss of primary forest. Deforestation translates into a loss of the many environmental services that forests provide, such as water regulation, soil formation and stabilisation. Indeed, the removal of forests can exacerbate catastrophic flooding. The recent devastating floods in Gua Musang, Kelantan, should serve as a lesson for the people of Sarawak. Illegal logging has also resulted in the loss of wildlife and threatened endangered species.

SECOND, economic losses due to tax evasion, fees and other revenues associated with legal forestry. According to the United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol, the economic value of global illegal logging, including processing, is estimated to be worth between US$30 and US$100 billion (RM126 billion to RM420 billion) or 10 to 30 per cent of global wood trade.
THIRD, the social impact. It has been argued that illegal logging has been shown to fuel poverty, and increase uneven power relations and access to resources and land. Local communities and indigenous groups that are directly dependent on forest resources for subsistence needs are often those severely affected. Indeed, illegal logging represents the starting point of a complex process of interconnected organised criminal activities undertaken at international level.

What is the principle motivation behind illegal logging? The answer is simple — the very high profits for the perpetrators and low risks of detection.

According to Interpol and the World Bank, timber is a commodity no different from narcotics, weapons, vehicles or any other internationally traded goods that can generate profits. The fact that timber is “easy to launder” and appears as a “clean business” compared with drug or human trafficking leads to the notion that the activity is not a serious crime. In fact, it is often mistakenly seen as a “victimless” crime.

It has been argued that the logic is not only forestry companies harvest illegally, but they are fundamentally supported by non-environmentally sensitive markets that demand timber products without considering whether the timber was harvested illegally. It is a fact that combating illegal logging is not easy despite the government’s efforts to control it. Timber may be transported through several countries before reaching its final destination, logging firms may be based in different countries, and profits may be invested in tax haven countries or recirculated into other legal or illegal enterprises. The more countries are involved, the harder it is to trace the origin of the wood, and easier it is to take advantage of the lack of harmonisation between different national legislation and international treaties.

As expounded by the chief minister of Sarawak, weaknesses of governance and poor law enforcement are major issues when it comes to curbing illegal logging. He had lambasted some enforcement officers in Sarawak whom he sarcastically referred to as “having eyes but cannot see, having mouth but cannot talk and having ears but cannot hear”.

Indeed, illegal logging is not only undermining the rule of law but also democratic governance and respect for the environment and human rights.

There is room for hope. The efforts of the chief minister of Sarawak to tackle illegal logging deserve recognition and support. The establishment of a more accountable forest management and political system is very much needed. Improved law enforcement is also needed to reduce corruption. We should prove that Sarawak is not the land of the blind, deaf and mute, as far as our forests are concerned. Stand up for our endangered forests. They are our friends, our heritage and our lifeline.


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Indonesia: Rangers Bust Suspected Sumatran Tiger Poachers

Radesman Saragih Jakarta Globe 14 Oct 15;

Jambi. Forest rangers in Sumatra have arrested three suspected members of a trafficking syndicate allegedly involved in the poaching of endangered tigers and trading of their pelts.

The arrests were the result of an undercover operation on Monday by the Jambi provincial conservation agency, or BKSDA, and the local police. Acting on a tipoff, rangers pretending to be tiger-skin buyers arranged a meeting with the suspects, who duly turned up with a tiger pelt and were promptly arrested, according to BKSDA chief ranger Krismanko Padang.

He identified the three suspects only by their initials and ages, ranging from 32 to 45 years old.

“The three suspects come from different regions in Sumatra,” Krismanko told reporters in Jambi on Wednesday. “We’re still investigating to see how far the syndicate extends outside the province.”

He said the suspects had confessed to obtaining the pelt from a tiger they claimed to have hunted inside the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Jambi, ostensibly a protected area.

Krsimanko said the killing of tigers in the province was “very high” and that the BKSDA was ramping up its efforts to crack down on poachers and traders. The agency has arrested 15 people so far this year in six cases connected to the hunting of tigers or trade in their skins or other body parts.

The Sumatran tiger, the smallest of the extant tiger subspecies, is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or just a step away from being extinct. There are an estimated 300 to 400 of the animals left in their wild, with their numbers fast dwindling as a result of poaching and habitat loss to make way for oil palm, rubber and logging concessions.


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Global mangroves to be submerged by 2070

AAP Perth Now 15 Oct 15;

Mangrove forests across the Indo-Pacific could be under water by 2070, though Australian and New Zealand plants are well-placed to withstand the rising tide.

Even accounting for lower-than-expected sea-level rises in the coming years, many mangrove forests have a poor outlook, the study suggests.

Mangroves in Thailand, Sumatra, Java, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are predicted to be submerged within the next 45 years.

But it's brighter news for other Australasian mangrove hotspots.

"Our modelling shows mangroves are likely to persist in east Africa, the Bay of Bengal, eastern Borneo and north-western Australia," Queensland University Professor Catherine Lovelock said.

Areas with relatively large tidal ranges and more sediment are better prepared, she said.

The submerging of mangroves could have a significant economic effect with some forests valued at $US194,0000 ($A2.67 million) per hectare per year for their ecosystem services to fisheries, coastal protection and carbon sequestration.

"This is of particular concern as this region is expected to have variable but high rates of future sea-level rise," Professor Lovelock said.

The results of the study, undertaken at 27 sites across the Indo-Pacific, will be published in Nature.

Australia could lose mangroves to sea level rise, research warns
Sara Phillips ABC News 15 Oct 15;

Parts of Australia could lose their coastal mangroves to sea level rise before the end of this century, according to new research.

The loss of the quintessential coastal tree with built-in snorkels could have major knock-on effects for fisheries and nearby communities.

"Without mangrove forests, fish decline, there's reduced coastal protection, there's reduced coastal carbon sequestration," lead researcher Catherine Lovelock, who is a professor of biological sciences at the University of Queensland, said.

"Mangroves provide a whole range of ecosystem services."

In Australia, there are approximately a million hectares of coastal mangrove forests.

A rough estimate of the value of the services they provide to Australians has been put at $194 billion each year.

Australia has the second largest area of mangroves in the world, behind Indonesia. And it is not just Australia's trees that would be affected.

Calculations by Professor Lovelock and her team for the Indo-Pacific region showed that even with measures to control the release of climate-changing greenhouse gases, areas along the Gulf of Thailand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands could lose their mangroves in the next 50 years.

"We singled out the Mekong [River, in Vietnam] because it's one of the locations where mangroves are very important for people and it's also a river that has large dams proposed," she said.

"In the process of building dams, the sediment supply to the coast will be altered. That will be a negative for coastal systems. That will pose a problem in the future."

She said sediment washing off the land was usually trapped in the knotted roots of mangroves, building up soil as time goes by.

In most places in the world, mangroves accumulating soil in this way are expected to keep pace with sea level rise resulting from climate change.

But when sediments are reduced, the tidal flats that are usually home to the trees will gradually become inundated and become unsuitable for mangroves.

If there is development on the coast, the trees would have nowhere new to colonise, sealing their fate.

Mangroves in areas where there is only a small difference between high and low tide are especially at risk.

Professor Lovelock nominated Shark Bay in WA and around Adelaide as mangrove flats in Australia that are particularly vulnerable.

Mangroves in places such as north-western Australia, where the tidal range can be as much as 10 metres, are expected to cope even in scenarios with high sea level rise.

Loss of mangroves of concern to fishing community

Professor Lovelock said measuring rising sea level against accumulating sediment was all about finding a steady reference point. The technique is surprisingly low-tech.

"We go out into the mangroves with lots of stainless steel and hammer down rods that are connected to each other until they can't go anymore," she said.

"So we basically fix them into the sediment as deep as we can. Often that means hitting the rock surface that's below.

"And that forms this point deep in the sediment that we measure everything relative to."

Professor Lovelock said a loss of mangroves was particularly concerning for communities that rely on fishing for their livelihood.

"Mangroves are nurseries for some fish species. In some part of their life cycle, many fish species will use mangroves," she said.

"They might forage into mangrove forests when the tide is in... they are refuges for predation in some cases.

"Another good reason to conserve your mangroves is to stop CO2 emissions. Land use change accounts for 25 per cent of global CO2 emissions.

"And the destruction of mangroves and seagrasses and salt-marsh might actually contribute to that substantially because they're so carbon rich."

The research was published in Nature.


Rising seas will drown mangrove forests
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND EurekAlert 15 Oct 15;

Mangrove forests around the Indo-Pacific region could be submerged by 2070, international research published today says. Even with relatively low sea-level rises, many mangrove forests had a poor outlook said Professor Catherine Lovelock, a University of Queensland ecologist.

"Mangrove forests are particularly vulnerable," she said.

"Mangroves are predicted to be submerged in parts of Thailand, Sumatra, Java, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands."

However the outlook in other parts of the world was more positive.

"Our modelling shows mangroves are likely to persist in east Africa, the Bay of Bengal, eastern Borneo and north-western Australia - areas where there are relatively large tidal ranges and/or higher sediment supply," said Professor Lovelock, who works in UQ's School of Biological Sciences and the Global Change Institute.

"Even in other areas though, the good news is that through accretion of sediment and maintenance of wetland soils, mangrove forests do have the capacity to avoid inundation and keep pace with sea-level rise."

Professor Lovelock said this was why there was an urgent need to plan for the maintenance of sediment supply in river systems that were likely to be dammed or heavily modified in future.

"The Indo-Pacific region holds most of the world's mangrove forests, but sediment delivery in this region is declining, due to activities such as dam construction," she said.

"This is of particular concern as this region is expected to have variable but high rates of future sea-level rise."

Forest degradation had to be reversed because it reduced organic inputs to soils that was vital for mangrove survival, Professor Lovelock said.

Plans should be made for the landward migration of vulnerable mangrove forests to higher elevations.

"Intertidal mangrove forests occur on tropical and subtropical shorelines, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services - to fisheries, in coastal protection and in carbon sequestration - with an estimated value of $USD194,000 per hectare per year," she said.

"Sea-level rise could threaten the long-term sustainability of coastal communities and of valuable ecosystems such as coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves.

Professor Lovelock said the researchers analysed trends based on data from an international network of 27 sites.

UQ's Global Change Institute and the Australian Research Council funded the project.

The vulnerability of Indo-Pacific mangrove forests to sea-level rise is published today in Nature.

###

Co-authors are from the US Geological Survey; National University of Singapore; Cambridge University; University of Wollongong; Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand; Macquarie University; Vietnam National University; and the International Crane Foundation, US.


Rising seas will drown mangrove forests
University of Queensland Science Daily 14 Oct 15;

Summary: Mangrove forests around the Indo-Pacific region could be submerged by 2070, international research says. Even with relatively low sea-level rises, many mangrove forests had a poor outlook according to an ecologist.

Mangrove forests around the Indo-Pacific region could be submerged by 2070, international research published today says. Even with relatively low sea-level rises, many mangrove forests had a poor outlook said Professor Catherine Lovelock, a University of Queensland ecologist.

"Mangrove forests are particularly vulnerable," she said.

"Mangroves are predicted to be submerged in parts of Thailand, Sumatra, Java, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands."

However the outlook in other parts of the world was more positive.

"Our modelling shows mangroves are likely to persist in east Africa, the Bay of Bengal, eastern Borneo and north-western Australia -- areas where there are relatively large tidal ranges and/or higher sediment supply," said Professor Lovelock, who works in UQ's School of Biological Sciences and the Global Change Institute.

"Even in other areas though, the good news is that through accretion of sediment and maintenance of wetland soils, mangrove forests do have the capacity to avoid inundation and keep pace with sea-level rise."

Professor Lovelock said this was why there was an urgent need to plan for the maintenance of sediment supply in river systems that were likely to be dammed or heavily modified in future.

"The Indo-Pacific region holds most of the world's mangrove forests, but sediment delivery in this region is declining, due to activities such as dam construction," she said.

"This is of particular concern as this region is expected to have variable but high rates of future sea-level rise."

Forest degradation had to be reversed because it reduced organic inputs to soils that was vital for mangrove survival, Professor Lovelock said.

Plans should be made for the landward migration of vulnerable mangrove forests to higher elevations.

"Intertidal mangrove forests occur on tropical and subtropical shorelines, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services -- to fisheries, in coastal protection and in carbon sequestration -- with an estimated value of $USD194,000 per hectare per year," she said.

"Sea-level rise could threaten the long-term sustainability of coastal communities and of valuable ecosystems such as coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves.

Professor Lovelock said the researchers analysed trends based on data from an international network of 27 sites.

UQ's Global Change Institute and the Australian Research Council funded the project.

The vulnerability of Indo-Pacific mangrove forests to sea-level rise is published today in Nature.

Co-authors are from the US Geological Survey; National University of Singapore; Cambridge University; University of Wollongong; Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand; Macquarie University; Vietnam National University; and the International Crane Foundation, US.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Queensland. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Catherine E. Lovelock, Donald R. Cahoon, Daniel A. Friess, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Ken W. Krauss, Ruth Reef, Kerrylee Rogers, Megan L. Saunders, Frida Sidik, Andrew Swales, Neil Saintilan, Le Xuan Thuyen, Tran Triet. The vulnerability of Indo-Pacific mangrove forests to sea-level rise. Nature, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/nature15538


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150 countries pledge to curb carbon emissions

Countries represent 90% of global carbon emissions, leading to hopes for deal at Paris climate summit
Arthur Neslen The Guardian 13 Oct 15;

Some 150 countries representing around 90% of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at the Paris climate summit in December.

The promises made so far would still put the world on track for dangerous global warming rise of 3C (around 9F). But they could be adjusted in the future to meet the 2C target recommended by international scientists, the EU’s climate commissioner, Miguel Cañete, told a UN conference in Rabat, Morocco.

“The gap is not as big as expected if the INDCs (intended nationally determined contributions) are transformed and fully implemented,” said Cañete. “Their scope and scale is an achievement in itself.”

The French development minister, Annick Girardin, said that many of the pledges came from developing countries, and had brightened prospects for a climate treaty in December.

“We’ve now got a global positive dynamic telling us that the world is moving on climate change,” said Girardin. “It was unexpected to receive all these contributions and it sends a very strong signal from Rabat that we can reach a global agreement in Paris.”

Privately, EU officials admit that many national pledges have been conservative, reflecting caution about an untried INDC process. Ambitions were also dented by the onus on countries to make pledges in advance of a final deal or, often, knowledge of other countries’ offers.

But there is growing certainty among diplomats that a deal will be signed in Paris, succeeding the 1992 Kyoto protocol. By the time the US withdrew from it in 2005, Kyoto only covered 35 countries, and 14% of the world’s emissions.

Unlike that treaty, the Paris agreement will have no ‘stick’ of legal sanctions or formal enforcement to use against countries which renege on their commitments. “It is a bottom up approach as there are no compulsory targets and sanctions,” said Cañete.

Instead, officials hope that performance reviews will take place at regular five-yearly intervals to “facilitate” emissions-cutting reforms. “If you are serious about this message, the INDCs need to be revised before they start in 2021,” said Wendel Trio, the director of Climate Action Network Europe. “Unfortunately, there is no agreement on that and I wouldn’t expect any.”

Cañete suggested that the EU would consider progress towards meeting carbon-cutting promises, when assessing future climate funding payouts. “We have to assess globally how the INDCs have been implemented,” he said. “If there is additional financial support available, those who have made conditional pledges, we will have to look at them and see how we target financial support.”

The EU is the world’s biggest donor of funds for climate aid and disaster relief, and the UK, France and Germany say they will double their climate spending by 2020. France has promised revenues for an early warning system that can be installed in developing countries, while Germany has pledged €400m (£298m) of funds for an insurance scheme to help people in poor southern countries that are vulnerable to natural disasters.

Globally, countries have signed off on the creation of a $100bn-a-year green climate fund, which should disburse climate aid by 2020. Only a tenth of that has been ring-fenced so far, but the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development says that£40bn was channelled to developing world climate projects by their richer neighbours last year.

Oxfam is unhappy that much of this money may be double counted from overseas development aid budgets. But after fears at the highest level this summer that slow progress could doom an agreement in Paris, a sense of relief, if not optimism, was tangible in Rabat.

“We are making history,” the Moroccan environment minister, Hakima el-Haité told the UN meeting. “The fight against climate change is not going to end in Paris. It is not going to end with our generation. It is a long term struggle and our efforts so far are not sufficient. But in terms of progress, we have made a revolution in just one year.”


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