Highlights for the Semester
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Malaysia: ‘Forest City has great potential’
NELSON BENJAMIN, MOHD FARHAAN SHAH, and KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 7 Dec 16;
GELANG PATAH: The mammoth Forest City project has attracted investments totalling RM10bil so far and is propelling the economy and creating jobs, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Prime Minister said the project was not just about property development but involved other positive aspects to it.
“This project is generating the economy and creating jobs, including helping with tourism,” said Najib.
The development would also be a boon for the manufacturing, high tech, services and financial sectors.
“This project has a huge potential,” he said, adding that to date it had also sold 11,000 houses.
Najib was speaking to reporters after a two-day visit to Johor to check on the progress of various projects in the state.
At the forest city, Najib witnessed the signing ceremony between Forest City and 36 other companies before the grand opening of Phoenix Hotel.
Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV) executive director Datuk Md Othman Yusof said the mixed development project was expected to contribute some RM66bil in tax revenue to the country over the next 20 years.
He added that many industries were flocking to Forest City which was expected to contribute RM1.98 trillion to the country’s GDP.
“Forest City is gaining momentum due to its local, regional and global positioning and with a total cumulative investment of US$100bil (RM444bil) will attract returns of sufficient proportion.
“It is expected that Forest City will contribute tax revenue of about RM66bil to the Government over a period of 20 years,” Md Othman said during the signing of strategic initiatives ceremony and grand opening of Phoenix Hotel here yesterday.
The synergic partners are organisations from industries such as medical and healthcare, education and training, tourism, financial services, manufacturing, emerging technologies, smart city as well as green building.
The collaborations include seven companies listed under Fortune 500: Huawei, Cisco, Accenture, Midea, China Construction Steel Structure Corporation, Deutsche Bank (Asia Pacific) and Bank of China (Malaysia).
“This will cumulatively garner Forest City into becoming an economic hub complementing Iskandar Malaysia which will drive new business activities into the sustainable township,” said Md Othman.
He also noted that the completion of the hotel spelled good news for locals, as there would be job opportunities in the services sector, besides spurring tourism.
Md Othman said Phoenix Hotel, located on a 1.71ha plot of land on one of the four man-made islands, was among 50 other hotel chains in China developed by CGPV
Mega projects to give big boost to country’s economy
The Star 7 Dec 16;
JOHOR BARU: Malaysia’s mega infrastructure projects are expected to boost the country's economy by more than 50% to RM2 trillion in the next seven to eight years.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was hoping to make Malaysia one of the top 20 countries in the world.
“Presently, our economy is about RM1.3 trillion. I am confident that we can achieve this, especially with all our present projects,” he said.
The projects include the High Speed Rail, the Pan Borneo Highway, East Coast Rail Link, Bandar Malaysia and Vision Valley.
“In Johor itself, we have Iskandar Malaysia and the Pengerang oil and gas projects,” he said at the launch of Iskandar Malaysia’s 10-year anniversary here yesterday.
Later, asked on the details as to how he planned to make Malaysia to be among the top 20, he said there were certain criteria which would be announced later.
Najib also commended Iskandar Malaysia for helping to propel the state into a southern economic powerhouse, adding that the growth corridor had so far brought in investments totalling RM221bil and helped to create some 700,000 jobs.
During the event, he also announced special incentives for global business services (GBS), which would be one of the promoted sectors in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia.
“I hope this tax benefit will help make Iskandar Puteri into a hub for GBS,” he said, adding that this move was expected to attract some RM6.5bil in investments and create 14,000 jobs.
Under the incentives, eligible companies can apply for special Medini tax support packages and employees, a personal income tax rate of 15%.
Other plans being carried out in Iskandar Malaysia include RM50mil for a Bus Rapid Transit (first phase), RM280mil for a Sg Segget river upgrading project and other infrastructure development.
Asked about the High Speed Rail, Najib said everything was well and good, adding that it was expected to be signed next week.
“Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has contacted me asking for more time as they needed the consent of their president who is away,” he said, calling this a technical matter.
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Malaysia: Evidence found in Danum Valley could mean Sumatran rhinos exist in the wild
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 7 Dec 16;
KOTA KINABALU: The declaration by scientists that the Sumatran rhino is extinct in Malaysian jungles may have been premature after a footprint was spotted in Sabah’s untouched Danum Valley.
The footprint is believed to be from the animal, giving scientists and conservationists here a glimmer of hope.
It was found by a survey team at the internationally renown rainforest research centre between Aug 16 and 29, this year.
“We believe that it is a rhino footprint. But we can’t confirm it.
“It gives us some hope that rhinos still exist in the wild.
“So far, the rhino has not been seen or captured on camera in the area of survey,” said WWF Sabah Terrestrial Conservation Programme manager Sharon Koh Pei Hui during a briefing on her team’s findings to the media here yesterday.
Her team was among 10 who carried out the survey in Danum Valley as part of Yayasan Sabah’s efforts to strengthen strategic conservation efforts in the 438 sq km of untouched rainforest.
Koh, who did not identify the exact area where the footprint was spotted, said they needed to go back with various experts from the Borneo Rhino Alliance, Sabah Wildlife Department and Forestry Department to thoroughly check the area.
Koh said there were also some concerns about encroachment by people – possibly hunters –near where the footprint was found.
“We saw markings on the trees. It looks like people are encroaching into the area. There is a need to secure the place,” she said, adding that the place was close to the border with plantations.
Asked if the footprint could be that of an elephant or its calf, she said this was unlikely as there was no evidence of elephant dung or damage in the forest where the elephants might have passed through.
Only three rhinoceros in captivity are known to exist in Sabah with none having been spotted in the wild since 2011.
The last one spotted in Peninsular Malaysia was in 2007.
Last year, 11 scientists had declared that the Sumatran rhinos are now extinct from Malaysian jungles.
However, local conservationists are still holding on to the slim hope that the rhinos might be out there in untouched forests like Danum Valley or the Tabin Conservation Area in Lahad Datu.
Like in Indonesia’s central Kalimantan where the animals were thought to have also gone extinct, WWF camera traps recorded two rhinos in the wild about three years ago.
All the three rhinos at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary have problems in their reproductive systems and are unable to breed.
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Indonesian govt imposes moratorium on land clearing of peatland
Antara 6 Dec 16;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia, through its new government regulation (PP) No. 57/2016 on the revision of PP No. 71/2014 on Peat Ecosystem Management and Protection, has imposed a moratorium on land clearing in peatland areas.
The revision ruled that there should be no land clearing and no issuance of new licenses in peatland areas, especially for deep peatland, Secretary General of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry Bambang Hendroyono said here, Tuesday.
PP 57/2016 also states that no drainage should be performed as it causes the peat to dry out, and no fires can be set in peatland areas.
Even traditional communities have been barred from setting fires in peatland areas.
The new PP was signed by President Joko Widodo on Dec 2 and will go into effect in the very near future.
The new PP places a permanent moratorium on peatland exploitation, stating that everyone is prohibited from clearing new land until a zoning system for the protection and cultivation of the peatland ecosystem is in place.
"PP No. 57/2016 shows the solid commitment of President Joko Widodo to peatland ecosystem protection," stated San Afri Awang, who works with the Forestry Planology and Environmental Management section of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry.
Natural succession, rehabilitation, and restoration are ways of improving the peatland ecosystem.
"Natural succession means restoration without any human intervention," he explained.
In addition to the regulation, the government will also intensively monitor peatland restoration efforts.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Govt revises regulation on peatland protection
Antara 6 Dec 16;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has issued Government Regulation (PP) No. 57/2016 as a revision of PP No. 71/2014 on peatland ecosystem management and protection.
"President Joko Widodo signed PP No. 57/2016 on December 2, 2016," Secretary General of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry Bambang Hendroyono said here, Tuesday.
The process of revising the government regulation had started in February 2016 with the support of other ministries.
The new PP places a permanent moratorium on peatland exploitation, stating that everyone is prohibited from clearing new land until a zoning system for the protection and cultivation of the peatland ecosystem is in place.
"PP No. 57/2016 shows the solid commitment of President Joko Widodo to peatland ecosystem protection," stated San Afri Awang, who works with the Forestry Planology and Environmental Management section of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry.
Natural succession, rehabilitation, and restoration are ways of improving the peatland ecosystem.
"Natural succession means restoration without any human intervention," he explained.
In addition to the regulation, the government will also intensively monitor peatland restoration efforts.
Environmental Affairs and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has issued an assignment letter to San Afri, placing him in charge of a monitoring team for a peatland restoration operation.
"The government is very serious (about this). We will monitor it continuously and impose sanctions against violators. This is proof of the governments serious commitment to peatland restoration," he added.(*)
Indonesia pledges to protect peatlands to fight climate change, haze
Coco Liu Reuters 6 Dec 16;
HONG KONG (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Environmental activists hailed on Tuesday Indonesia's ban on converting peatlands into plantations but said enforcement was critical to reducing annual fires that shroud parts of Southeast Asia in choking haze.
Indonesia announced on Monday that companies were banned from turning peatlands into palm oil and other types of plantations, and must restore peatlands they have degraded.
Peat soils contain huge quantities of carbon in the form of organic matter, which accumulates over hundreds of years and provides nutrients for plant growth.
When peatlands are drained or cleared by fire to make way for plantations, the carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Environmental experts welcomed Indonesia's ban in light of a global accord signed in Paris last year to lower carbon emissions blamed for a warming planet.
"This regulation will be a major contribution to the Paris climate agreement and a relief to millions of Indonesians who suffer the effects of toxic haze from peat fires," said Nirarta Samadhi, Indonesia country director for the World Resources Institute think tank, in a statement.
Indonesia, the world's 6th largest emitter of greenhouse gases, according to the country's Peatlands Restoration Agency, has more than 15 million hectares of peatlands, an area twice the size of Ireland.
WRI estimates by 2030, the new ban could help Indonesia cut up to 7.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to roughly all the annual greenhouse gases emitted by the United States.
Peaty soil, found in many parts of Indonesia, is particularly flammable when dry, often causing fires to spread beyond their intended areas.
Every year smoke from fires used to clear land for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in Indonesia clouds the skies over much of the region, raising concerns about public health.
Indonesia has been criticized by neighbors and green groups for failing to end the annual fires, which were estimated to cost Southeast Asia's largest economy $16 billion in 2015, and left more than 500,000 Indonesians suffering from respiratory ailments.
Yuyun Indradi, a forest policy researcher at the Jakarta office of international campaign group Greenpeace, said Indonesia's ban was a "good move".
However, Indradi said Indonesia had introduced several moratoria aimed at protecting the environment before.
"A key problem has been enforcement and lack of transparency," Indradi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that previous environmental policies - such as requiring companies to protect carbon-rich deep peatlands - had been widely ignored.
"The big question will be how to get the new regulation enforced," he said.
(Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories)
Indonesia expands protection for peatlands
CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN AFP 6 Dec 16;
Indonesia has extended legal protection for its wetlands and peat bogs by expanding a ban on the conversion of these carbon-rich swamps into plantations.
The move, if properly enforced, could drastically reduce Indonesia's sizeable carbon footprint and prevent a repeat of the annual forest fires that plague the region, conservationists say.
A moratorium on new conversions of certain peatland areas has been in place since 2011 in Indonesia.
But this latest revision -- signed into law by President Joko Widodo, and issued Monday -- clarifies and expands the law, ensuring that all peatlands are covered and that companies must restore areas they have degraded.
"We want to avoid any misinterpretation of the existing regulation, which gives the impression that land-clearing is still allowed," environment ministry spokesman Djati Witjaksono Hadi told AFP Tuesday.
Peatlands take thousands of years to form as layers of dense wet plant material compact into dense carbon stores.
When these ancient swamps are drained or cleared by fire to make way for commercial plantations -- such as for palm oil or pulp wood -- that carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Conservationists hailed the strengthened moratorium as a win for climate change.
"This regulation will be a major contribution to the Paris climate agreement," said the World Resources Institute's Nirarta Samadhi, referring to a binding agreement on reducing emissions.
Norway -- which pledged in 2010 to pay Indonesia up to $1 billion if it preserved its rain forests -- committed $25 million to restore peatlands in the wake of the announcement.
The moratorium could also help prevent the outbreak of deadly smog from forest fires that shrouds the region every year, causing widespread illness.
Peatlands are moist and unlikely to ignite unless drained.
Hadi said the new regulation provided clearer guidance, ensuring no burning or draining was permitted.
Fires deliberately lit in 2015 across Indonesia's forests and peatlands were the worst in nearly two decades.
Research from Harvard and Columbia universities in the US estimate the crisis caused more than 100,000 premature deaths in Indonesia and neighbouring countries.
The World Bank put the economic impact at $16 billion -- twice Indonesia's clean-up bill in the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
New initiative to protect peatland
The Jakarta Post 8 Dec 16;
The biggest question looming over all the laws and regulations the government has enacted so far to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions is how strong and consistent their enforcement will be.
Likewise, the effectiveness of the latest regulation on peatland ecosystem management and protection will rest on the government’s ability to enforce all the elaborate provisions, which in effect impose a permanent moratorium on the conversion of peatland into plantations.
Under the new regulation, any conversion of peatland into plantations such as palm oil is prohibited, until a zoning system for the protection and cultivation of the peatland ecosystem is in place.
The new policy demonstrates the government’s serious commitment to protecting carbon-rich peatlands from exploitation, which has led not only to damage of the peat areas, but also caused massive annual forest fires in many parts of the country, particularly in the northern and southern parts of Sumatra.
Peatland has become the main target for agricultural expansion, such as oil palm plantations, as fertile land becomes increasingly scarce. In order to be able to use peatland for plantations, the underlying peat needs to be drained, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. When dried, the peaty soil is flammable, which often causes fires that spread to forest areas.
The new peatland protection initiative should be supported, not only because it would make a major contribution to the Paris climate agreement, but also it would be able to help reduce peatland fires more effectively. The thick haze caused by vast forest fires in the country last year, which also affected other parts of Southeast Asia, reportedly led to more than 100,000 deaths.
Indonesia, the world’s sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has more than 15 million hectares of peatland, according to Indonesia’s Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG). Global research institution World Resources Institute estimates that by 2030, total emission reductions from the revised regulation could equal approximately 5.5-7.8 gigatons of CO2, depending on whether the hydrology of peat within existing plantations is restored.
The revised regulation builds on a set of existing policies including a two-year moratorium on the issuance of new permits to clear rain forests and peatland, which has been strongly opposed by the country’s palm oil producers.
We do understand that Indonesia, now the largest palm oil producer in the world, needs to further increase its palm oil production to meet the global demand for vegetable oil, but this development should be conducted through environmentally sustainable practices.
The government should improve the business climate for more intensive research to develop new high-yield oil palm seedlings so that we can steadily and significantly increase our production without encroaching into peatland.
Major palm oil producers should also be given incentives to help smallholders, who account for 40 percent of the total plantations, to replant their crops with high-yield seedlings. The use of genetic engineering in propagating high-quality seedlings could also contribute significantly to increasing output.
Enforcement critical in haze fight
If successful, Indonesia can reduce carbon emissions by up to 1 gigaton a year
Francis Chan, Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta The New Paper 12 Dec 16;
Indonesia's latest move to institute an immediate and total ban on the cultivation of peatland has been lauded as a big win in the global fight against climate change.
For South-east Asia, it may signal the beginning of an end to mass forest fires, often in Kalimantan and Sumatra, which cause the toxic haze that engulfs much of the region each year.
The ban, declared by President Joko Widodo on Dec 1, has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to one gigaton annually, according to Indonesia's Peatland Restoration Agency chief Nazir Foead.
Conserving peatlands can also ensure that endangered species such as the orang utan can continue to live in their natural habitats.
Peatland in Indonesia has been under threat for decades, mainly as a result of demands from palm oil and pulpwood industry giants.
World Resources Institute president Andrew Steer said Indonesia's leaders have a unique opportunity to slow the country's emissions through the conservation and restoration of peatland.
Indonesia, however, must follow through in its efforts by rigorously enforcing the blanket ban under the latest presidential decree, to ensure it is not toothless legislation that looks good only on paper.
The decree by Mr Joko is not the first time an Indonesian president has introduced a moratorium to protect primary forests and peatland.
A two-year moratorium was declared by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011, and extended for the second time last year.
But observers said that despite that moratorium, protected forests were still being cleared using the slash-and-burn method because of weak enforcement.
Mr Joko has been tough on those who clear land illegally since he was elected president in 2014 - having taken individuals and plantation firms to task for using fire to prime land for cultivation.
Indonesia, however, must follow through in its efforts by rigorously enforcing the blanket ban under the latest presidential decree, to ensure it is not toothless legislation that looks good only on paper.
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Indonesia: Central Sulawesi’s mineral mining muddle
Ruslan Sangadji The Jakarta Post 6 Dec 16;
Risky business: Sand and rock mining activities take place on the shores of Palu and Donggala, Central Sulawesi. The massive mining operation has caused environmental and health problems.
Large-scale rock and sand mining in Central Sulawesi has taken its toll on the environment and people in the area.
On the shores of Palu and Donggala, Central Sulawesi, excavators and crushers were seen in full operation, smashing stones into gravel, sand and dust. Large trucks then took these small rocks to barges and tugboats for delivery to East Kalimantan.
Around 100 meters from the mine in Watusampu subdistrict, Ulujadi district, Palu, a middle-aged woman was sweeping the yard of the local public health center. The thick dust she was removing came from mineral, rock and sand mines around the hills in Watusampu.
Hamidah, the woman who heads the health center, said the dust polluting the air had caused local residents to suffer from acute respiratory infection, with up to five patients complaining of symptoms daily. If they remain untreated, she fears that they might be affected by tuberculosis.
The health center has recorded around 20 cases of people vomiting blood and hundreds of others affected by respiratory disease caused by the mining dust over the last few months.
In addition to health problems, 23 traffic accidents have taken place at mining locations. There has also been erosion and landslides, creating slippery roads within only a year.
Environmental activist Dedi Irawan said large-scale mining activities had also impacted the supply of water in the area. Currently, there are six mining companies operating in the region, each with a concession of 12 hectares and a shoreline reclamation area of up to 200 meters.
Talo, a local woman, said it was now harder for her to access water than five years ago, when water from nearby mountains was running plentifully.
“Now the water has been contaminated by mining dust,” she complained.
An agriculture expert from Palu’s Tadulako University (Untad), Alam Anshari, said the dust had also affected plants cultivated by residents as the thick dust sticking to their leaves hampers the process of photosynthesis.
The irresponsible mining activities may also increase the vulnerability of the area to earthquakes, the university’s spatial layout expert, Amar Akbar Ali, says.
He explains that sand mining activities located on the outskirts of Palu and Donggala serve as a buffer zone for the city and regency.
Seismographic records at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in Palu show that almost every minute Palu and Donggala are shaken, though only by minor tremors detectable by the seismograph.
“The situation will get worse if uncontrolled mining continues in the same way,” said Amar.
Health and environmental problems are among issues that have arisen from the lack of supervision over large-scale sand and rock mining in Palu and Donggala, resulting in many irresponsible practices, at both the exploration and exploitation stage.
When mining business licenses were still under the authority of regents and mayors, local governments issued many mining permits. Yet, there has seemingly been an inadequate level of supervision from local authorities.
Head of the provincial energy and mineral resources office, Bambang Sunaryo, said that 34 licenses had been issued in Palu and an additional 55 in Donggala, most of which hadn’t been clear and clean.
Meanwhile, the Mining Advocacy Network of Central Sulawesi recorded only 24 licenses issued in Donggala.
“If the number turned out to be 55 in Donggala, the provincial administration might have issued new ones,” said Syahruddin Douw, the network’s director for Central Sulawesi
Syahruddin explained that his office’s data was based on Donggala’s mineral mining tax revenue of Rp14.063 billion (US$1.04 million) annually between 2014 and 2015.
Yet, Bambang Sunaryo denied such accusations, arguing that since the revocation of local authority over license issuance by Law No. 23/2014; his office had not issued any new mining business licenses.
“We’re now evaluating all the existing mining licenses,” Bambang said, adding that both license holders and local administrations were responsible for the many violations that had occurred.
Among others, some mining companies possessing only exploration permits have begun exploitation activities. As an excuse, they have reportedly said that the materials they are looking for are visible on the surface and therefore no further exploration is needed.
The provincial energy and mineral resources office plans to halt all mining activities with questionable licenses. Such action follows the Corruption Eradication Commission’s supervision program in 2014 on mining operation restructuring.
“If a company is unwilling to meet the relevant requirements, its license will be revoked,” Bambang pointed out.
Head of the provincial environment agency, Abdul Rahim, admitted that provisional study results had revealed many violation indicators, including environmental damage around mining areas in Palu and Donggala and respiratory complaints from residents.
— Photos by Ruslan Sangadji
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Indonesia: Efforts underway to restore Lake Limboto in Gorontalo
Otniel Tamindael Antara 6 Dec 16;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The central government is giving special attention to Gorontalo, currently the third conservation province in Indonesia after the provinces of West Papua and East Kalimantan.
Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya explained in Gorontalo on Monday that the conservation effort is intended to preserve and protect the environment, biodiversity and rare flora and fauna and to restore Lake Limboto.
The largest lake in Gorontalo is now in critical condition from an environmental standpoint because of silting, so efforts are being made to restore the lake to its former glory and prevent it from running dry.
Local wisdom in Gorontalo, according to the environment and forestry minister, must be revived as one of the necessary measures for restoring the condition of Lake Limboto.
Conservation efforts in the area, including restoring the condition of the lake, must consider other dimensions to the problem and solution, such as taking into account the values of the nobility in society.
The environment and forestry minister also highlighted the decline in the quality of water at Lake Limboto and promised to step up efforts to conserve and restore the lake.
Lake Limboto is one of the most popular tourist spots in Gorontalo, but it is being threatened by pollution and environmental problems, so prompt measures for preservation are underway.
Without these efforts, the lake, also a habitat for the flora and fauna in the province, will eventually completely dry out.
The locals have been called on to lend their complete support to the revitalization initiative, which is in their own interests and for their welfare.
The Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) has coordinated efforts to restore and revitalize Lake Limboto with the government of Gorontalo to synergize the various programs associated with the lakes preservation.
The coordination effort also involved the Department of Public Works of Gorontalo Province, the Lake Limboto Revitalization Team, and the Board of Watershed Management.
Gorontalo Regional Development and Natural Resources Head Sulastri Husain has said her party is currently familiarizing the locals with the revitalization process for Lake Limboto.
"Coordination with the Gorontalo city government is important because the revitalization and handling of Lake Limboto must be comprehensive and sustainable," she remarked in Gorontalo some time ago.
According to her, embankment construction work and the dredging of sediment in the lake will continue and needs the support of the local government, local people, and all relevant parties.
The local government should proactively provide clear information to the locals concerning the revitalization efforts, so that there is no confusion.
The revitalization of Lake Limboto will include recovery efforts upstream, midstream, and downstream, because the largest contribution of sediment occurs upstream.
Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie has also encouraged the locals to support the project by not hindering the construction of an embankment around the lake and a sluice gate to manage the flow of water into and out of the lake.
He also pointed out that the embankment and sluice gate will help prevent the floods that frequently plague Gorontalo during the rainy season.
The governor explained that continuous dredging was necessary as the depth of the lake had steadily decreased.
"The revitalization process is aimed at restoring the condition of the lake," he noted, adding that the central government, through the Public Works Ministry, had allocated funds worth Rp150 billion to restore the lake.
The funds were also used for sediment dredging and the construction of a sluice gate and dykes around Lake Limboto.
As part of the 15 inland water bodies in Indonesia that are in critical condition, Lake Limboto, the largest in Gorontalo province, should be returned to its original state.
Thus, Gorontalo Deputy Governor Idris Rahim stated that the provincial administration was ready to implement a forest integration program to save the lake.
"Lake Limboto is currently in a very alarming condition because of silting. Therefore, the forest integration program, involving the military (TNI) and police, aims to save the lake," Rahim remarked in Gorontalo some time ago.
He noted that efforts such as reforestation programs around the lake and along the banks of the tributaries that empty into the lake have been started to prevent silting.
According to him, the forest integration program to save Lake Limboto is a strategic effort as it is among the 15 lakes in critical condition in Indonesia that need to be preserved.
"Lake Limbotos preservation must involve the local communities that are concerned about the viability of the lake," he emphasized.
He pointed out that although the provincial administration has implemented several programs to save the lake, these had yet to yield optimal results.
"Therefore, involving the TNI and Polri in the forest integration program to save Lake Limboto is expected to prove effective," he added.
Even President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is concerned about the current condition of Lake Limboto, as it was covered by water hyacinths, which make the lake shallower by the day.
Moved by the critical condition of Lake Limboto, the head of state had promised to speed up the dredging of sediments from the lake bed, a process that he estimated could cost nearly Rp11 trillion.
He also urged the public works minister to speed up the dredging process and construction work.
The local government is optimistic that the revitalization and preservation programs for the lake can be accelerated.
(T.O001/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
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Indonesia: 177 landslides since early this year
Antara 7 Dec 16;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A total of 576 landslides have hit Indonesia since early this year, leaving 177 people dead and 100 others injured, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB).
"The threat of landslides continues to increase, along with heavy rainfall. The rains are expected to peak in January 2017 and more landslides may occur," Chief of the BNPB Information Center and Public Relations Service, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said here on Tuesday.
The landslides also forced 38,506 people to abandon their homes and caused major damage to 1,068 houses, moderate damage to 987 houses and minor damage to 926 houses.
The landslides also affected tens of public buildings, the board added.
The agency predicted that more landslides are expected to occur in the few days left in this year.
Landslides have been occurring with ever more frequency, compared to 291 in 2012, 296 in 2013, 600 in 2014, and 515 in 2015.
While 119 deaths were recorded in 2012, 190 in 2013, 372 in 2014 and 119 in 2015.
"The rising number of landslides in Indonesia is related to the high level of vulnerability," he noted.
A total of 274 districts and municipalities in Indonesia are prone to landslides.(*)
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Thailand: Heavy flooding kills 14, inundates tourist isles
Reuters 6 Dec 16;
Floods in Thailand have killed 14 people and badly affected southern holiday islands as the country heads into the December-January high season for tourism, authorities said on Tuesday.
A low pressure system has brought heavy rain to parts of the south including the islands of Samui and Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, and floods have also severed the rail link to the south and Malaysia beyond.
Tourism has been a rare bright spot for an economy that has struggled to gain traction since the army seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014 to end months of political unrest.
The death on Oct. 13 of long-reigning King Bhumibol Adulyadej plunged the country into grief and also raised questions about tourist arrivals though authorities say the country is open for business despite a year of mourning.
"There has been heavier rain than usual which has caused drainage problems," Nongyao Jirundom of the state Tourism Authority of Thailand on Samui island told Reuters.
"Swimming is out of the question."
National Disaster Warning Centre said 14 Thai people had been killed in various accidents caused by the weather in different parts of the south.
Southbound trains have been halted in the town of Thung Song in Nakhon Si Thammarat province because of flooding.
Nakhon Si Thammarat has had 447 mm of precipitation in the past 7 days, 380 mm more than the average for this time of year, according to Thomson Reuters data.
December marks the beginning of the dry season when tourists descend on palm fringed beaches to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Despite the mourning period for the late king, authorities are bullish about the outlook for tourism, which accounts for 10 percent of gross domestic product.
The tourism ministry expects a record 32.4 million arrivals this year.
Widespread floods in 2011 killed more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry, cutting economic growth that year to just 0.1 percent.
(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan declared disaster areas
Bangkok Post 5 Dec 16;
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Koh Samui and Koh Phangan have been placed on the disaster areas list as heavy rain continues to pound the two resort islands and other areas in Surat Thani and other southern provinces.
Surat Thani governor Auychai Inthanak said on Monday that the two islands were among the 16 districts declared disaster-hit areas of all 19 districts in the province as they were damaged by floods and heavy rain.
Surat Thani is one of the worst-hit provinces in the region, which has been blanketed by downpours since last week.
The Meteorological Department on Monday warned of severe weather in the region.
Flooding already forced the State Railway of Thailand to cancel train services southward of Thung Song junction station in Thung Song district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, at least until Tuesday.
Flooding on Koh Samui eased on Sunday but downpours overnight left roads inundated again on Monday.
The situation looks worse due to overflowing Phru Chawaeng, the island's main reservoir, into low-lying communities on the island.
The weather office predicted rain in most areas on Koh Samui until Wednesday.
On Koh Phangan, a road between Ban Tai and Tong Nai Pan, a main route for tourists on the island, was impassable after fallen mountain rocks brought down four electricity poles, causing blackouts in some areas.
Workers from the Provincial Electricity Authority later cleared the blockade and were trying to repair the damaged poles.
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South Korea expands poultry cull to fight bird flu
Reuters 6 Dec 16;
South Korea plans to cull more chickens and ducks as it tries to contain an outbreak of bird flu, with a total of around 8 percent of the nation's poultry population expected to be slaughtered.
The government said on Tuesday that 28 cases of the H5N6 strain of bird flu had been confirmed since mid-November, with another 10 possible cases being investigated.
It added that if the virus continued to spread, the government could issue a so-called 'standstill order' to prevent workers from the poultry industry moving around the country. That would follow similar temporary restrictions that were introduced over a weekend in late November.
The agriculture ministry said in a statement that 4.4 million farm birds had been slaughtered as of Tuesday, with another 2.6 million expected to be culled. That would be over 8 percent of the country's poultry population of nearly 85 million.
Supplies of chicken, eggs and duck meat have not tightened as of yet, an agriculture ministry official said, but chicken prices are expected to fall as consumer worries grow.
Producer prices for chickens stood at 1,690 won ($1.44) per kilogram as of Tuesday, down 4.5 percent from the November average of 1,770 won/kg, according to data from the Korea Broiler Council.
Cases of human infections from the H5N6 virus have previously been reported elsewhere, with the virus killing at least 10 people in China since April 2014. No cases of human infections have been reported in South Korea.
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Japan has been culling poultry due to the discovery of a different form of bird flu there, while a series of cases have also been found in Europe.
(Reporting by Jane Chung; Editing by Joseph Radford)
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Climate protection gap widening, warns insurance report
Mark Kinver BBC News 7 Dec 16;
Experts have warned of a US $100bn (£79bn) "protection gap" in the global insurance sector as a result of the rising impact of climate risks.
ClimateWise, based at the University of Cambridge, warned that the gap of uninsured or under-insured assets had quadrupled over the past three decades.
The insurance sector's role as society's risk manager was under threat, warned one senior figure.
The network outlined its findings in two reports published on Wednesday.
"What we have seen is that over the past 30 years, as societal exposure to climate change has increased, is that the traditional response of insurance - which is to reassess, re-underwrite, and reprice - is almost becoming the sector's Achilles heel if you like because it is repricing itself out of risk but it is not addressing the root cause of the problem, which is that society is increasingly vulnerable to climate risks and it is in need of enhancing its resilience," explained ClimateWIse programme manager Tom Herbstein.
He said the protection gap was the difference between total economic loss and the value of assets that were covered by insurance policies.
"We have seen this gap open up from about US $23bn about 30 years ago to over US $100bn today," Dr Herbstein told BBC News.
He said that the burden of covering the cost of the protection gap fell on other parts of society, such as governments and asset owners. "In some cases, no-one covers it at all," he added.
The details of the widening protection gap in the global insurance market was published in ClimateWise's annual review of its 29 members' activities.
ClimateWise, a network of leading insurance companies, was established in 2008 by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability.
'Under threat'
The network's chairman, Maurice Tulloch, who is also chairman of global general insurance at Aviva, warned: "The insurance industry's role as society's risk manager is under threat.
"Our sector will struggle to reduce this protection gap is our response is limited to avoiding, rather than managing, society's exposure to climate risk."
In another ClimateWise report, Investing in Resilience, the network highlighted ways that the industry could help support its clients to build a more robust infrastructure.
Dr Herbstein said the report published by ClimateWise's Societal Resilience Programme, identified a number of approaches that would allow the global insurance industry to use its expertise and data in risk management to support its clients and the wider financial world to deliver climate resilience.
"One is how insurers can start to invest in resilience internally, within its existing investment portfolio - such as increased investment in green bonds," he said.
"Interestingly, it also looks at what insurance can do, given all of its data and expertise, to help the wider financial system to better understand its risk exposure.
"There potential for the insurance industry to support banks to better understand the risk exposure that their mortgage portfolio is facing from climate change, on the basis that if banks are more aware of the risks the properties they are lending to might face, such as the knock-on effect of a loss in property values.
"Insurance companies have a vested interest in banks making a more strategic decisions because that would have a knock-on impact on the decisions that developers, local governments and property owner will make in terms of where they plan to locate new properties or protect existing ones."
"Our argument is that the really powerful role the insurance sector can play is to support external stakeholders to start investing in climate resilience.
"If the industry can start working outide its traditional risk-carrying role, it is going to have huge knock-on benefits. There is a real case for change," Dr Herbstein observed.
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