Best of our wild blogs: 31 Oct 17

18 Nov (Sat): R.U.M. mangroves and coastal cleanup
Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative

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PUB resumes ops at Johor water plant after river pollution eases

Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief Straits Times 31 oct 17;

Water treatment plants along the Johor River resumed operations late on Sunday after ammonia levels subsided, including Singapore's Johor River Waterworks that had shut down last Saturday morning.

National water agency PUB, which runs the plant, said it had "progressively resumed water supply to both Singapore and Johor" after water quality was deemed suitable for treatment following high levels of ammonia detected in the river last Friday night.

"PUB will continue to monitor the raw water quality in the Johor River closely, to ensure that the water remains suitable for our abstraction and treatment," it said in a statement yesterday.

The state government shut down a chicken farm and a factory producing fertiliser from droppings after identifying both, located near the river, as the source of the pollution.

Malaysia's Environment Ministry called for further action yesterday, including permanently shutting down the businesses, after water supply was cut for 1.8 million users.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the operators of the farm and factory should be blacklisted "in order to prevent them from forming other companies which will potentially cause harm to people and the environment".

He called for the local authorities in the area, such as the Kulai Municipal Council, Kulai Land and District Office and Veterinary Services Department, "to look into this matter seriously and expeditiously in order to prosecute the chicken farm owners... to the full extent of existing laws and enforce based on their jurisdiction".

While the farm and factory could face action for breaking environmental laws, licensing of chicken farms falls under the Veterinary Services Department, while permission to operate businesses falls under the local council.

Johor Veterinary Services Department director Aida Muhid told The Straits Times that the farm was licensed, but there are no current regulations governing fertiliser factories. The plant was not registered with the local authorities.

Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi said the Department of Environment had ordered the farm to relocate away from the Johor River in July last year as it was polluting the water, but it did not heed the directive.

"It is also sad to note that fertiliser farms are not regulated as of yet. We are given to understand that the Ministry of Agriculture is currently drafting such laws to regulate fertiliser farms," he added.

Johor State Minister for Public Works Hasni Mohammad told The Straits Times yesterday that water treatment plants in Johor were operating at 50 per cent capacity on Sunday and could be back to full service yesterday, if ammonia levels subsided to normal as expected.

Although the state's water supply company, SAJ Ranhill, said late on Sunday that two of three plants were operational and water supply would be restored by midnight, some people have yet to see water flowing from their taps.

Datuk Hasni explained that it could take up to 48 hours for treated water to reach the taps of affected consumers.


PUB resumes treating Johor River water as water quality falls within suitable levels
Lydia Lam Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE - The water quality in the Johor River has been assessed to be suitable for treatment, with PUB's Johor River Waterworks (JRWW) resuming treatment operations on Sunday (Oct 29) evening, PUB said in a statement on Monday.

"The water quality in Johor River at our plant's intake point is assessed to be suitable for treatment," said PUB. "JRWW has progressively resumed water supply to both Singapore and Johor."

PUB added that it will continue to monitor the raw water quality in the river closely, to ensure that it remains suitable for abstraction and treatment.

The national water agency had stopped treatment operations at 11am on Saturday due to high ammonia levels in the Johor River, disrupting water supply to Singapore and parts of Johor.

An ammonia level of 2.75 parts per million (ppm) - nearly double the Health Ministry's permitted level of 1.5ppm - was recorded late on Friday night.

Johor identified the source of the pollution on Sunday - a poultry farm and a factory in the Kota Tinggi district that converts manure into fertiliser.

The farm and factory were ordered to shut down.

Singapore draws up to 250 million gallons of raw water a day from the Johor River, under a 1962 agreement with Malaysia, which expires in 2061.

Malaysia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment asked for authorities such as the Kulai Municipal Council, Kulai Land and District Office and the Veterinary Services Department to "look into this matter seriously".

It also asked for the culprits to be blacklisted.

While PUB was able to increase production at its desalination plants and local waterworks to meet demand during the disruption, the agency stressed that "imported water from Malaysia remains an important source of water supply for Singapore".


Johor restores water supply after weekend disruption due to ammonia pollution
Today Online 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE — Water supply in Johor has been restored, the state’s water supply operator SAJ Ranhill said after pollution from high ammonia levels in the Johor River forced three water treatment plants to temporarily shut down over the weekend.

In a posting on its Facebook page on Sunday night (Oct 29), SAJ Ranhill said the three plants are now fully operational.

“SAJ Ranhill has successfully restored water supply within 24 hours. Water supply in Johor Bahru, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Gelang Patah were fully restored by midnight,” the operator added.

In a statement released on Monday (Oct 30) afternoon, Singapore's national water agency PUB confirmed that its Johor River Waterworks (JRWW) has resumed treatment operations "as the water quality in Johor River at our plant’s intake point is assessed to be suitable for treatment". It added that JRWW has progressively resumed water supply to both Singapore and Johor.

"PUB will continue to monitor the raw water quality in Johor River closely, to ensure that the water remains suitable for our abstraction and treatment," the statement read.

"While PUB is able to step up production at the desalination plants and local waterworks to meet demand during this period, imported water from Malaysia remains an important source of water supply for Singapore."

Malaysian media reported over the weekend that an illegal poultry farm and a factory that makes fertiliser using chicken manure have been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in the Johor River.

The permissible exposure limit for ammonia set by the Malaysian Health Ministry is 1.5 parts per million (ppm). The ammonia level in Johor River reached 2.75 ppm during the incident.

The high level of pollution forced the temporary shutdown of the three water treatment plants since Friday, and led to water supply disruptions affecting 1.8 million people in Johor Bahru.

Johor Chief Minister Khaled Nordin has ordered both the farm and the factory to be closed down.

In a separate statement on Monday, Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Jaafar called for the chicken farm to be forced to close permanently, and for the local authorities to prosecute the operators.

"Blacklist the operators in order to prevent them from forming other companies which will potentially cause harm to people and the environment," he added.

National water agency PUB assured on Sunday that the pollution plaguing the Johor River will not affect the water supply in the Republic, noting that it had stepped up production at the desalination plants and local waterworks to meet local water demand.

The PUB added that it is monitoring the raw water quality in the Johor River and will “resume abstraction and treatment of raw water when the water quality is suitable.”

This is not the first time the Johor River has been plagued by ammonia pollution. In July last year, the same factory had been partly responsible for another incident that affected the water supply to 600,000 people.


Johor River Waterworks resumes treatment operations
Channel NewsAsia 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: PUB’s Johor River Waterworks resumed treatment operations on Sunday (Oct 29) evening, and water supply to Singapore and Johor is being progressively resumed, national water agency PUB said.

The waterworks were closed over the weekend because of ammonia pollution in the Johor River.

"The water quality in Johor River at our plant’s intake point is assessed to be suitable for treatment. (The waterworks) has progressively resumed water supply to both Singapore and Johor," PUB said in a statement on Monday.

"PUB will continue to monitor the raw water quality in Johor River closely, to ensure that the water remains suitable for our abstraction and treatment."

The high level of ammonia in the river caused the temporary closure of three water treatment plants - Semangar, Johor River and Tai Hong, on Saturday.

The ammonia was traced back to a chicken droppings processing factory near the river. Malaysian authorities said this was the third case of ammonia pollution caused by the factory and they have ordered it to close.

PUB added that imported water from Malaysia remains an important source of water supply for Singapore even though PUB was able to step up production at the desalination plants and local waterworks to meet demand when the Johor River Waterworks were down.
Source: CNA/hm

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Malaysia wants illegal chicken farms and fertiliser manufacturers prosecuted

EILEEN NG Today Online 31 Oct 17;

JOHOR BAHRU — The Malaysian environment ministry on Monday (Oct 30) called for the full weight of the law to be brought to bear against operators of illegal chicken farms and fertiliser manufacturers that pollute water sources, after three water treatment plants in Johor was closed over the weekend due to ammonia pollution.

At the same time, Johor executive councillor Hasni Mohammad told TODAY that they will take legal action against the owners of an illegal organic fertiliser processing factory, identified to have caused the temporary closure of the plants.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said chicken farm operators and fertiliser manufacturers should be blacklisted to stop them from forming other companies which can cause harm to the people and the environment.

He also called for enactment of laws requiring chicken farms and fertiliser manufacturers to apply for permits and be subjected to a set of regulations and penalties.

“The ministry is greatly concerned about the welfare of the people and takes a very serious view when illegal factories and farms pollute our waterways and environment for their own gain,” he said in a statement made available to TODAY.

“This blatant disregard for the lives of the people ... is appalling, to say the very least.”

Malaysian media reported over the weekend that an illegal poultry farm and a factory that makes fertiliser using chicken manure have been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in the Johor River.

The permissible exposure limit for ammonia set by the Malaysian Health Ministry is 1.5 parts per million (ppm). The ammonia level in Johor River reached 2.75 ppm during the incident.

The high level of pollution forced the temporary shutdown of the three water treatment plants since Friday (Oct 27), and led to water supply disruptions affecting 1.8 million people in Johor Bahru.

Water supply was finally restored around midnight on Sunday (Oct 29).

Confusion, however, has arisen on who exactly caused the shutdown of the plants.

Mr Wan Junaidi fingered the illegal poultry farm, saying that his ministry’s Department of Environment had directed the farm to relocate its operations away from the river in July last year because it was polluting the waters but the operators “totally ignored” the directive.

His ministry cannot do much about it as permits for farms are issued by the Department of Veterinary Services, which comes under the purview of the Agriculture ministry.

The owners however “did not bother” to apply for the permit, said Mr Wan Junaidi.

As such, he called for the chicken farm to be “closed permanently” and the Johor local authorities to “expeditiously” prosecute the farm owners for jeopardising livelihood of people in the vicinity.

But Mr Hasni and Johor Department of Veterinary Services (VSS) head Dr Aida Muhid said the chicken farm was legal.

It is an adjacent fertiliser processing plant that caused the ammonia pollution on Johor river, they said.

“The factory will have to cease operations immediately. We will not entertain any appeals from them as this is not the first time they were found to have caused a similar incident,” said Mr Hasni, adding that state authorities will also keep a close eye on the farm to ensure it does not discharge any waste into the river.

In July last year, the same fertiliser processing plant was partly responsible for another ammonia pollution incident in Johor River that affected the water supply to 600,000 people.

Mr Hasni said following the July incident, the plant’s operators had assured the state government that it will apply for a proper licence and ensure its operations complied with the necessary requirements.

“Unfortunately before they could complete their application, this latest incident took place,” he said.

As such, Mr Hasni said while the plant can try to relocate its operations to a different location, the state’s water regulatory body will go ahead to take “necessary action” against the operators, including hauling them to court.

VSS’ Dr Aida told TODAY the plant was supposed to upgrade its facilities by building more storage areas for the chicken waste and fertiliser as well as a buffer wall to prevent cross contamination with nearby water sources.

“We suspected fertiliser stored near the structures could have flowed into the river during recent rains,” she said, adding that her officers are still probing the matter.


Ammonia pollution: Poultry farm ignores notices on land use, keeps on making fertiliser illegally
Ahmad Fairuz Othman and Halim Said New Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

KULAI: Kulai District Office has issued two notices to the owner of the poultry farm since last year to explain why he was violating the term of land ownership.

Kulai District Officer Md Za'nal Misran said the farm owner had illegally opened up a second plot of land next to its farm to make fertiliser out of chicken manure using “compost” method, which had caused the problem.

He said Kulai District Land Administrative Office issued a notice to the owner two months after the previous big case of ammonia pollution last year, for violating its land usage terms under the National Land Code 1965.

"The 7A Notice for violating terms under Section 128 of the Code was issued to the farm owner in September 2016. The notice required the owner to return to the original terms for land use.

"Processing fertiliser is categorised as an enterprise and this violated its original terms for agriculture," he said in an interview at his office today.

Za'nal said the notice was issued after the fertiliser premises was found to have caused ammonia pollution in Sungai Sayong, which is a tributary of Sungai Johor in July last year.

He said the owner had obtained permission to operate the poultry farm on a 9.4ha site near Layang-Layang, which is located about 30km north of Kulai.

However, the owner had illegally used a second plot of land of 2.2ha nearby to process the fertiliser.

This second plot of land is located about 150m from Sungai Sayong.

Za'nal said after the first notice was issued, investigations were carried out, and Kulai District Land Administrative Office countinued to monitor the premises, but the owner did not adhere to it.

Za'nal said last month (September 2017), Kulai District Land Administrative Office issued its second notice known as 7B under Section 129 of the National Land Code 1965, which is a showcause notice that required the owner to give his reason why he did not revert to the original terms of the land usage.

He said on the part of Kulai District Land Administrative Office, it could not have done anything to force the farm owner to adhere to the notices.

"There is no way for (Kulai District Land Administrative Office) to take action on this matter.

“We were forced to follow the legal process, and it began with the issuance of notice for violating the terms of land use, and then later with a showcause notice.

"The notice that can be issued after this point is the 8A notice to seize the land, which comes with its own set of laws, procedures and evidence that need to be furnished before it can be done," said Za'nal.

Asked if the latest case of ammonia pollution could have been avoided, Za'nal said it was possible if the farm owner adhered to proper management of its fertiliser-making venture.

"It could have been avoided, if he closed down his fertiliser plant, or if he conducted its fertiliser activity on his first plot of land and he does it properly," he said.

The New Straits Times reported yesterday that the poultry farm that also made fertliser using chicken manure had been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor that led to the temporary shutdown of three water treatment plants in Johor since Friday.

The incident raised the ire of residents affected by the water disruption in Johor Baru, Kulai, Iskandar Puteri and Kota Tinggi.

It also led to the state water utility company, SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, issuing a notice that up to 1.8 million consumers could be affected by the incident.

However, what was troubling was that it was not the first time the poultry farm had caused ammonia pollution.

In July last year, a similar case affected the water supply of 600,000 people.


River pollution: Environment Ministry worry over welfare of 600,000 Kulai, Kota Tinggi residents
Seri Nor Nadiah Koris New Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has expressed concern over the welfare of 600,000 residents in Kulai and Kota Tinggi following the shutting down of three water treatment plants due to pollution recently.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the ministry always views seriously the problem of pollution involving illegal factories and farms that contaminate the waterways and environment.

This comes after an illegal poultry farm has been accused of polluting Sungai Kalong by allowing ammonia from the fertiliser it was producing to seep into the river.

Wan Junaidi explained that the ministry, through the Department of Environment, had directed the farm to be relocated away from the river in July last year but the order had apparrently been ignored.

“Under the Johor state law, poultry farm operators are required to obtain a permit from the Veterinary Department. However, the owners of this farm did not bother with this requirement and now we are facing these problems,” he said.

He added that to date, there was no regulations for fertiliser farms.

“However, we understood that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is currently drafting laws to regulate fertiliser farms,” he said.

Wan Junaidi said the operators should be blacklisted in order to prevent them from forming other companies which would cause harm to the residents and environment.

Authorities such as Kulai Municipal Council, Kulai Land and District Office and the Veterinary Department must look into the matter seriously and bring the poultry farm operators to justice.

“A law should also be enacted which requires poultry farms and fertilisers operators to apply for permits and be subjected to a set of regulations and penalties if they failed to comply,” he said.

He also said the waste water management for poultry farms and fertiliser factory should not be located near the riverbanks to avoid pollution.

“The water treatment plant operator should be more proactive by reviewing its Standard Operating Procedure to include Guide Self-Regulation (GSR), early warning system, performance monitoring practices and formulate an SOP to resume operation expeditiously.

“The conventional water treatment plant to treat ammonia pollution should also be upgraded.” he said.

Wan Junaidi also wants the Health Ministry to review the existing raw water intake guidelines based on the capacity and capability of the treatment plant.

“There should also be an alternative to the water storage to be used as drinking water source which will act as a redundancy system namely Off-site River Storage and balancing reservoir.

“We also need to review the existing water intake based on the current needs, change of land use and future development to prevent the risk of water pollution,” he said.

On Sunday, New Straits Times reported that three water treatment plant has been forced to shut down due to the excessive amount of ammonia in Sungai Johor.


Johor orders shutdown of poultry farm, factory that polluted river after water supply cut
Straits Times 29 Oct 17;

GELANG PATAH - Johor has directed a poultry farm and a factory that converts manure into fertiliser located along the Johor River in Kota Tinggi to close down, after identifying the facilities as being responsible for pollution that disrupted water supply to 1.8 million people on Saturday.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the move was necessary as the two premises have been identified as the cause of the high ammonia content in the Johor River.

He said the decision to close the premises was made following suggestions by eight agencies during a special meeting on Sunday (Oct 29), The Star reported.

In the meeting, investigations conducted by the eight agencies had linked the poultry farm and the plant to the high ammonia content in the river.

It was reported the high ammonia content was detected in the river on Saturday, forcing the closure of the Sungai Johor, Semanggar and Tai Hong water treatment plants.

In July last year, Singapore supplied an additional six million gallons of water a day to Malaysia after Johor's water regulatory body, Badan Kawalselia Air Johor, made an "urgent request" to Singapore water agency PUB following the shutdown of its supply system in JB due to pollution in the Johor River.

The extra amount of treated water was supplied by the PUB-operated Johor River Waterworks.

The Star reported at the time that effluents discharged from a palm oil mill had been identified as the main source of high ammonia content in the Johor River, which in turn caused the operations of three water treatment plants in Johor to stop, affecting some 600,000 users in the southern parts of Johor.

PUB is entitled to draw 250 million gallons of raw water daily from the Johor River under the 1962 Water Agreement with Malaysia, which expires in 2061.

In exchange, Singapore is obliged to sell five million gallons of treated water to Johor each day. However, PUB has been regularly providing Johor with up to 16 million gallons of water on a daily basis.


Malaysia calls for permanent closure of farm that polluted Johor River, blacklists operators
Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has called for the permanent shut down of a chicken farm that was producing fertiliser from chicken droppings, after it allowed ammonia from the fertiliser to pollute Johor River, resulting in water supply disruption to 1.8 million users.

In a press statement issued on Monday (Oct 30), the ministry expressed “great disappointment” over the closure of three water treatment plants in Kulai and Kota Tinggi in Johor due to the ammonia pollution, which hit water supply to about 600,000 people.

The ministry said it takes a “very serious view when illegal factories and farms pollute our waterways and environment for their own gain”.

The ministry has also asked for authorities such as the Kulai Municipal Council, Kulai Land and District Office and the Veterinary Services Department to “look into this matter seriously and expeditiously in order to prosecute the chicken farm owners for jeopardising the lives and livelihood of 600,000 people in the vicinity to the full extent of existing laws and enforce based on their jurisdiction”.

It has also called for the operators to be blacklisted in order to prevent them from forming other companies which will potentially cause harm to people and the environment.

Furthermore, it will seek to enact laws requiring chicken farms and fertilizer manufacturers to apply for permits and be subject to a set of regulations and penalties in the event of failure to compy.

Water treatment plants in Johor are now operating at close to normal capacity and are expected to resume full operations on Monday, as the ammonia levels in Johor River stabilise, Johor State Minister for Public Works Hasni Mohammad said.

When asked if the water supply has resumed, Datuk Hasni told The Straits Times that the supply to consumers should normalise in a few days, as it will take up to 48 hours for treated water to reach their taps. ​

Water supply to 1.8 million taps in Johor was disrupted over the weekend after high levels of ammonia were detected in the Johor River.

On Sunday, Johor identified a poultry farm and a factory in the Kota Tinggi district that converts manure into fertiliser as the source of the pollution, and ordered them to shut down.

Ammonia level of 2.75 parts per million (ppm) recorded late Friday night remained until 4.30pm on Saturday, nearly double the Health Ministry's permitted level of 1.5ppm.

The Johor River is a major source of drinking water for the state, with the river draining into the Johor Strait north of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. Singapore draws up to 250 million gallons of raw water a day from the river, under a 1962 agreement with Malaysia, which expires in 2061.


No order for Kulai poultry farm to close down, says Johor DoE
Ahmad Fairuz Othman and Halim Said New Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: There was never any directive for the poultry farm and fertiliser plant in Layang-Layang, near Kulai to close down when it was found to have caused ammonia pollution last year, said Johor Department of Environment (DoE) director Datuk Dr Muhammad Ezanni Mat Salleh.

"What was issued by the Johor DoE at that time was a notice for the premises to conduct remedial work to clean up the areas affected by the pollution, and to prevent any recurrance of the problem.

"There was no directive to close the premises last year.

"The discretion to close down the premises is the perogative of the state government. We exhausted all avenues last year. We were seeking cooperation from the owner to comply to the regulations, but he did not cooperate," Ezanni told the New Straits Times.

It was reported yesterday that the poultry farm that also made fertliser using chicken manure had been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor that led to the temporary shutdown of three water treatment plants in Johor since Friday.

The incident raised the ire of residents affected by the water disruption in Johor Baru, Kulai, Iskandar Puteri and Kota Tinggi.

It also led to the state water utility company, SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, issuing a notice that up to 1.8 million consumers could be affected by the incident.

However, what was troubling was that it was not the first time the poultry farm had caused ammonia pollution.

In July last year, a similar case affected the water supply of 600,000 people.

SAJ Ranhill, in its official Facebook page "Setitis Yang Bermakna" said in a poster last night that all three water treatment plants in Semangar, Sungai Johor and Tai Hong have resumed operations.


Johor Veterinary Dept told to inspect all livestock farms near rivers
Halim Said New Straits Times 31 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: The state Veterinary Services Department has been instructed to inspect all livestock farms operating near rivers to ensure adherence to environmental regulations.

State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the move was necessary to prevent further contamination that could threaten the eco-system of rivers in the state.

He said the latest case of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor on Friday, which led to the shut down of three water treatment plants and caused water disruptions affecting 1.8 million users, should serve as a lesson to all enforcement agencies to be more vigilant.

The ammonia pollution was traced to a poultry farm, which opened up a second plot of land to illegally process fertiliser from chicken manure in Kampung Murni Jaya in Layang-layang.

"I am not pointing fingers at any department or agency, but they must be thorough in their checks to prevent untowards incidents such as the pollution in Sungai Johor," he told the New Straits Times.

Ayub said there was also a need to check and revise the list of all livestock farms near Sungai Johor and other rivers in the state.

"I will table this proposal with representatives from the State Veterinary Services Department, Land and Mines Office, District Offices, state Department of Environment and Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to re-affirm our commitment to protect the state's rivers, which also function as water catchment areas," he said.

He said measures must be taken to ensure that farms operators adhere to the law, especially if they are located near water catchment areas.

Johor Veterinary Services Department director Dr Aida Muhid said the state has over 778 livestock farms which are licenced, which come under the Grades A to C categories under the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices.

Another 21 livestock farms are in the Grades D and E categories.

On the state government's request to check on all livestock farms located near rivers, Dr Aida said that she will cross-reference the department's list of existing farms with that of the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) and DID.

She said the department database did not specify if the farms were located close to any river or body of water.

She said the guidelines for livestock farm operations, which is contained in a state enactment that is enforced by the Veterinary Services Department was only introduced in 1997.

"Some of the farms have been operating for 30 to 40 years and these farms mostly apply the convential farming methods which can pose a risk to the environment. They can possibly cause river pollution, and lead to stench, noise and health issues," she said.

Dr Aida said that when these problems occur, the department issues a temporary stopwork order to the premises under the Poultry Farming Enactment 1997, which is enforced at the state-level.

"A stopwork order can be up to three months as the poultry farm needs to ensure all provisions of the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices is observed accordingly.

"They must observe all those requirements before they resume operations, or else they will be asked to shut down," she said.

Citing the example of a poultry farm, it must operate 500m away from residential homes. Farms that were opened before 1997 must make sure that their premises are 200m away from residential homes.

"This is to prevent inconveniences to residents due to smell coming from the farm or any other issues such as noise and health wise problems," she said.

During NST's visit to the farm, a villager said that the houses closest to the farm were located about 200m away.

Dr Aida said other than this, the provision also include no open rearing and must be carried out indoor.

"The indoor facility must be equipped with bio-security measures such as proper ventilations and farm animal waste control to ensure there is no biological threats to the environment," she said.

Checks by NST revealed

that the poultry farm has also been causing hardship to nearby villagers.

Kampung Murni Jaya village head Mohd Azam Saadon said residents such as himself put up with stench, and they have seen how heavy rain caused flooding at the fertiliser plant.

"The most recent flood a few months ago caused a ledge to collapse in front of the stockpile ponds, which contained chicken manure.

"The collapse ledge at the plant's perimeter fencing, caused the chicken faeces inside the stockpile ponds to spill over to a canal which flows into nearby Sungai Sayong," he said. The farm has stopped operating since the Friday.

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Acres and otter watchers looking into rescue of injured otter

Channel NewsAsia 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: An injured otter with a deep cut on its back was found swimming in a canal in Pasir Ris Park on Monday (Oct 30) by a park visitor.

Photos posted by Mr Abel Yeo in OtterWatch, a Facebook group for otter enthusiasts, show a pink wound running across the young pup's back and down its sides.

Mr Yeo described the wound as "deep" but said that it "did not seem infected".

It is believed that a thick wire had got entangled around the otter's body, according to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).

"The wire got embedded in the skin of the otter. We are not sure how this happened," Kalai Vanan, deputy chief executive of ACRES told Channel NewsAsia.

Despite the injury, Mr Yeo said that the otter was swimming and eating well.

However, Mr Yeo felt that the otter needs help soon as he had already learned about the injured pup a week ago through OtterWatch.

"I did feel sad seeing the otter and I was hoping that something could be done and thought that immediate action needed to be taken," Mr Yeo told Channel NewsAsia, adding that he contacted OtterWatch and the National Parks Board immediately.

ACRES said that they were alerted to the injured otter about a week ago. Since then, ACRES has been looking into rescue methods to find the pup for a closer inspection and to hand it over to Wildlife Reserves Singapore for treatment.

With new information from Mr Yeo, OtterWatch and ACRES are now on the look out for the hurt animal.

Foul play has not been ruled out yet, according to ACRES.

"We are aware of illegal poaching activities where poachers leave noose snares and other traps to trap wild animals like wild boars and monitor lizards so we can't rule out foul play yet," said Mr Kalai.

While injured otters are rare in Singapore, adapting to the urban environment can pose a threat to the otters, especially as they deal with fishing lines from illegal fishing, illegal traps and snares, added Mr Kalai.

Members of the public are urged to take a photo, note the location and forward the information to OtterWatch or ACRES if they spot an injured otter.


Injured otter with metal wire wrapped around body spotted at Pasir Ris Park
The otter pup, which was born around February or March this year, is part of a family of nine or 10 that is known as the Changi family.
Lydia Lam Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE - An otter pup has been spotted at Pasir Ris Park with a deep cut on its torso from what appears to be a wire around its body, with the Otter Working Group planning an intervention this week.

A photo of the otter, with what seems to be a metal wire around its body, was posted on the OtterWatch Facebook page by Abel Yeo on Monday (Oct 30).

The area around the wound showed pink, exposed flesh.

Mr Yeo said he watched the pup for half an hour and it was still swimming and eating well.

Veteran otter watcher Jeffery Teo, who is part of the Otter Working Group, told The Straits Times that the group received reports of sightings of this injured pup about two weeks ago, but this was the first up-close look.

Along with the Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (Acres) and other agencies, the group plans to track the otter and intervene this week.

Mr Teo did not elaborate on what actions would be taken, as the group is still making plans.

The pup, which was born around February or March this year, is part of a family of nine or 10 that is known as the Changi family. They frequent areas such as Pasir Ris and Lorong Halus and are more wary of humans compared with the popular Bishan family.

On Facebook, some speculated the wire seen around the pup's body could be a fishing line, but Mr Teo said: "We don't know what it is. It looks like a metal wire."

Fellow otter watcher Nick Soo shared the post on Facebook, asking for information.

A veterinary pathologist at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Mr Chia-Da Hsu, left a comment saying the pup could "die due to septicemia (a bloodstream infection) or the band cut into the belly".

However, he added that it would be dangerous to remove the pup from the group, and it would be hard to return him to the family.

The Otter Working Group is a volunteer group set up with several government agencies including the National Parks Board, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and PUB last year.

In June this year, a dead otter was found in a cage along the Marina Promenade, and a man was caught setting traps in the area that same day.

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Heavy rain causes flooding in parts of Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 31 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: Flooding in some parts of Singapore have been reported after a heavy downpour across the country on Monday (Oct 30).

Flash floods were reported at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria Street and at Mount Elizabeth, according to national water agency PUB in a statement on Monday evening. The floods subsided in about 20 minutes.

Ongoing drainage improvement works at Mount Elizabeth are expected to complete by the end of next year, PUB added.

"We are also investigating the flood incident at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria Street and will look into possible drainage improvement in this area," PUB said.

PUB issued high risk flooding alerts in areas including Exeter Road and Somerset Road, Tanjong Pagar Road and Craig Road and Leng Kee Road at around 7pm on Twitter.

The National Environment Agency issued a heavy rain warning at about 7pm, forecasting "moderate to heavy thundery showers with gusty wind".

The downpour also caused the Mediacorp Subaru Car Challenge at Orchard Road's Ngee Ann City to be suspended for almost two hours - the longest disruption yet in the competition's 16-year history.
Source: CNA/kc


Reports of flooding in some areas of Singapore due to heavy rain
Lydia Lam Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE - Heavy rain across the island on Monday (Oct 30) evening caused flooding in some parts of Singapore.

Vehicles were seen driving through water at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria Street around 7.30pm when The Straits Times was there.

A man was seen buying footwear nearby as his shoes were drenched.

Water agency PUB sent out several alerts on Twitter of high flood risks at areas including Exeter Road and Somerset Road, Tanjong Pagar Road and Craig Road and Leng Kee Road in Bukit Timah.

A two-hour weather forecast on the National Environment Agency's website showed rain and thunderstorms across the island.

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore, a mix of dry and wet weather conditions were forecast for the second half of October.

Heavy rains at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria Street

There will likely be thundery showers in the next four days, according to the MSS' four-day outlook.

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Singapore Is Finding It Harder to Grow, Literally

Neighboring countries have banned sand exports over the years
Melissa Cheok Bloomberg 31 Oct 17;

In Singapore, sand is just as precious a resource as oil and water. Securing a steady supply is proving to be trickier these days.

By filling the sea along its coasts with imported sand, the tiny island nation has expanded its physical size by about 24 percent since 1960, according to data from the Singapore Land Authority.

At just 278 square miles, the country is smaller in size than New York City. Yet some of Singapore’s key assets — like its shipping port, one of the world’s busiest, and the airport, which is rated among the world’s best — currently sit on land that didn’t previously exist. Same goes for many of the new skyscrapers that make up the iconic skyline of the city, like the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino.

Getting a steady supply of sand to keep extending the shoreline has become more complicated over the years. Singapore’s biggest suppliers in the past, including Indonesia and Vietnam, have halted some sand exports amid environmental concerns and political considerations about shipping lanes and territorial boundaries.

In July, Cambodia became the latest country to ban sand shipments to Singapore following pressure from activists alarmed by the negative consequences of massive dredging on coastal mangroves.

Singapore imported 38.6 million tons of sand last year, according to data from the United Nations, with more than half of that coming from Malaysia. Authorities there reviewed a decision last year on a total ban, allowing purchases on a case-to-case basis, according to Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Singapore’s government says it has measures in place to ensure it’s prepared for a disruption in sand imports, “such as tapping on other sources from a diverse range of countries” and seeking alternative ways to reclaim land.

“We will also continue to explore new and innovative means to reduce Singapore’s reliance on sand,” the Ministry of National Development said in a response to questions. For example, Singapore has been recycling excavated materials from construction sites to use in some projects, and last year, it piloted a new method to reclaim land that uses less sand than traditional ways, it said.

The government has plans to continue expanding its land size and said in a 2013 proposal that it expects to increase its land size to 296 square miles by 2030 to further support economic and population growth. The proposal is undergoing its regular review, according to the Ministry of National Development.

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Singapore is one of the world’s top cities for sustainable transport

Aqilah Allaudeen Business Insider 30 Oct 17;

Singapore has been ranked as one of the world’s top cities for sustainable transport, according to the 2017 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index.

Hong Kong led the pack, while Seoul (No. 4) and Singapore (No. 8) were the only other Asian countries in the top 10 spots.

Europe dominated the list, with cities like Zurich, Paris and Prague occupying seven of the top 10 ranks.

But while the three Asian cities performed well, others like Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur were ranked as some of the world’s least sustainable for mobility.

The index released by Arcadis, a global design and consultancy for natural and built assets, examined 100 cities across 23 indicators to give an indicative ranking of the mobility and sustainability of the systems in place in each city.

And it took three main pillars into consideration – social (People), environmental (Planet), and economic (Profit).

2017 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index

Singapore came in ninth under the People pillar of sustainability, 15th under the Planet pillar of sustainability and 13th under the Profit pillar of sustainability – but had the best balance of scores across the three pillars.

This was aligned with the finding that cities that ranked higher had a good balance across all three pillars.

The increasingly digital city also seems to be on the right track to becoming a Smart Nation after scoring a perfect 100% for its transport and digital applications.

It also scored 100% for encouraging residents to switch to Electric Vehicles – an essential step in ensuring a lower emissions future – and 99% for its provision of green space.

And Singaporeans won’t have to worry too much about their safety either, with the country being regarded as one of the safest places in the world to be a driver or a pedestrian, after reporting one of the lowest number of traffic fatalities.

With large government initiatives geared towards improving Singapore’s sustainability and mobility, “it will be very interesting to see the effect of projects such as ‘CAR-LITE’, Singapore’s 15-year plan to reduce reliance on petrol-fueled cars,” says Tim Risbridger, country head for Singapore at Arcadis.

But it is not all rays of sunshine for the city state. While efforts are being made to curb “bike dumping” of shared bicycles, the city state still has poor bicycle infrastructure compared to cities such as Shanghai.

The top 10 cities for sustainable transport are: 1. Hong Kong 2. Zurich 3. Paris 4. Seoul 5. Prague 6. Vienna 7. London 8. Singapore 9. Stockholm 10. Frankfurt

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India imports sand from Malaysia but KL says no permit issued

Supply comes at half the cost in Tamil Nadu; Malaysian minister seeking to probe matter
Straits Times 31 Oct 17;

KUALA LUMPUR/NEW DELHI • India has just imported its first shipment of sand from Malaysia, totalling 55,000 tonnes, at half the price that it commands in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

But a Malaysian Cabinet minister was quoted as saying that he suspected "hanky-panky" in the contract as his government has not issued any export licences for sand.

Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Free Malaysia Today news site on Sunday: "As far as I know, on record, we have never issued any (approved permits) to anyone to sell sand to India. There seems to be some hanky-panky by someone here."

The Times of India reported on Sunday that the arrival of the sand at a port in Tuticorin raised hopes among project developers that they could overcome the shortage of river sand for construction.

Previous reports in the Indian media said Tamil Nadu was also looking to source for sand from Cambodia and Kenya.

The sand was brought in from Malaysia by a private firm, according to industry sources quoted by The Times of India, at a price of 60 rupees (S$1.26) per cubic ft - about half the 110 to 120 rupees asking price for river sand from Tamil Nadu quarries.

Faced with sand shortage for construction, neighbouring Karnataka state has also been importing sand, the report said, though it did not identify where the commodity has been coming from.

Last month, the southern state of Kerala gave the green light to ferry sand from Malaysia, The Hindu newspaper reported.

In Tamil Nadu, the 55,000 tonnes imported could last a week, said The Times of India.

Responding to a Malaysian media report last month about Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi saying that Malaysia had not issued any export permits, Karnataka Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra was quoted by the Bangalore Mirror as saying that the Malaysian bidder "had participated in the bidding process because he has the legal permission to export sand".

The issue of sand exports is a sensitive one in Malaysia over concerns that sand dredging on land or offshore causes great environmental damage.

Malaysia banned sand exports between 1997 and 2015.

The ban was lifted last year, but the government has not issued any export licences, Mr Wan Junaidi told Free Malaysia Today.

He said he would look into the matter to see if any company had breached the terms of its sand-mining permit. "If it did, I will discuss with the Prime Minister to revoke its licence," he said.

The Malaysian Insight news site said on Sunday: "Even as the source of India's imported sand remains a mystery to Malaysians, it is clear that it is not stopping other sand-starved Indian states from placing their orders, with Kerala reported to be at the head of the queue for sand from Malaysia."

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Malaysia: Call to preserve natural heritage of Merapoh forest, a wildlife haven

Noor Ainum Ibnu Hajar Abu Seman New Straits Times 30 Oct 17;

LIPIS: Logging activities at the Merapoh forest at Batu Yon here could result in the permanent loss of the country's natural heritage which has high tourism potential.

With the assistance of two non-governmental organisations - The Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) and Save Merapoh Caves (SMC) - Harian Metro had the opportunity to witness the land clearing near a limestone cave known as Gua Hari Malaysia (Malaysia Day Cave).

It is understood that the land clearing of the 668.79 hectares area encompasses Sungai Merapoh, which was a source of clean water to around 10,000 residents in eight villages.

SMC founder Mohd Laili Basir said that the villagers' source of clean water would be under threat if the water catchment area was not safeguarded.

He said that aside from acting as a source of clean water, Merapoh forest with its flora and fauna, was a safe haven for wildlife.

"Merapoh, which borders Kelantan and Perak, needs to be protected also for its beautiful limestone cave which was estimated to be between 230 million and 350 million years old.

"In terms of wildlife, I have never visited another location where I could find elephants, tapir, tigers, bears, deer, and mountain goats at the same time.

It is a haven for widlife.

"It is also a habitat for a species of 'Bunga Padma Tikus' or its scientific name Rhizanthes loweii (Beccari) Harms, which is the smallest Raflessia family in the world," he said.


SMC founder Mohd Laili Basir said that aside from acting as a source of clean water, Merapoh forest with its flora and fauna, was a safe haven for wildlife. (pix by NAZIRUL ROSELAN)
Laili said logging and mining activities in Merapoh forest would also jeopardise the income of villagers, who worked as tour guides for visitors in the area known for its ecotourism activities.

"When I previously came (to Merapoh) in 2012, there were no homestays built and only one tourism agency, but now there are 12 homestays and three tourism agencies, as well as extreme events such as mountain biking and The Magnificent Merapoh Trail running event," he said.

Meanwhile, Peka president Puan Seri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said that the NGO's investigation found that the cleared forest area was given by the state government to an agency for large-scale agriculture activities.

She said they found gold and sand-mining activities at nearby areas which were done without valid licence and approval from the Department of Environment (DoE).

She was concerned that before any agricultural activity was carried out, all natural resources in the area would be exploited via mining and logging until there were no trees left.

"Therefore, Peka Malaysia and Friends of the Earth Malaysia (SAM) urge DoE to carry out immediate enforcement on the licensor and contractor who is carrying out logging as it is understood that they did not produce the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to DoE.

"We also urge the Pahang state authorities to gazette the area and any remaining government land in Merapoh as protected areas, especially as Permanent Forest Reserve.

"It is also hoped that the federal government, via the Tourism and Culture Ministry and Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, will gazette the Merapoh (forest) area as a sensitive natural environment and ecotourism spot that needs to be maintained," she said.

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Indonesia: Karangsong named a mangrove research center

Theresia Sufa The Jakarta Post 30 Oct 17;

Karangsong, a mangrove forest in Indramayu, West Java, has been named a research and learning center for the western part of Indonesia.

The forest is considered unique and has long been managed by coastal communities living in the area.

The Environment and Forestry Ministry’s research and development and innovation department head, Henry Bastaman, said the ecosystem in the Karangsong mangrove forest was well-preserved thanks to the management skills of local communities.

He was speaking at the declaration of Karangsong as a mangrove research center on Saturday. Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya and Indramayu administration officials also attended the event.

Siti hoped that Karangsong would help researchers discover the richness of the mangrove ecosystem in the western part of Indonesia. For the eastern areas, mangrove research activities are found in Surabaya, East Java.

Henry said the mangrove forest covered about 20 hectares of land. As of the beginning of this year, 22 mangrove species have been planted at Karangsong, including sea poison, known locally as butun, white-flowered black mangrove or teruntum, stilted mangrove and mangrove apple or crabapple mangrove.

Ali Sodikin, the head of community group Pantai Lestari that manages Karangsong, said the mangrove forest had been destroyed by erosion when part of the Cimanuk river basin area was closed.

For 10 years, Ali and other residents have been striving to save the area by replanting the mangrove forest. (ebf)

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Climate change already damaging health of millions globally, report finds

Heatwaves, pollution and disease are the main health issues linked to global warming but action to halt emissions would deliver huge benefits
Damian Carrington The Guardian 30 Oct 17;

The health of hundreds of millions of people around the world is already being damaged by climate change, a major report has revealed.

Heatwaves are affecting many more vulnerable people and global warming is boosting the transmission of deadly diseases such as dengue fever, the world’s most rapidly spreading disease. Air pollution from fossil fuel burning is also causing millions of early deaths each year, while damage to crops from extreme weather threatens hunger for millions of children.

The findings, published in the Lancet journal, come from researchers at 26 institutions around the world, including many universities, the World Health Organization, World Bank and the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO reported on Monday that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere made a record jump in 2016 to hit a concentration not seen for more than three million years.

“Climate change is happening and it’s a health issue today for millions worldwide,” said Prof Anthony Costello, at the World Health Organization and co-chair of the group behind the new report. It follows a related report in 2009 that warned that climate change was the biggest danger to global health in the 21st century, an assessment repeated in the new report.

But Costello said acting to halt global warming would also deliver a huge benefit for health: “The outlook is challenging, but we still have an opportunity to turn a looming medical emergency into the most significant advance for public health this century.”

“Our scientists have been telling us for some time that we’ve got a bad case of climate change. Now our doctors are telling us it’s bad for our health,” said Christiana Figueres, who as the UN’s climate chief negotiated the Paris climate change agreement and also co-chaired the new report.

“Hundreds of millions of people are already suffering health impacts as a result of climate change,” she told the Guardian. “Tackling climate change directly, unequivocally, and immediately improves global health. It’s as simple as that.”

One of the most striking of the 40 indicators assessed by the researchers was a huge increase in the number of people over 65 exposed to extreme heat. This rose by 125 million between 2000 and 2016 and worries doctors because older people are especially vulnerable to heat.

“There is no crystal ball gazing here, these are the actual observations,” said Prof Peter Cox, at the University of Exeter, UK. He said the 70,000 deaths that resulted from the 2003 heatwave in Europe looked small compared to the long-term trends: “We were alarmed when we saw this.”

Most of the increase in exposed people resulted from rising temperatures, but the number of older people is also rising, creating a “perfect storm”, Cox said. The report also found that hotter and more humid weather was increasingly creating conditions in which it is impossible to work outside. In 2016, this caused work equivalent to almost a million people to be lost, half in India alone.

The report also found that climate change has increased the ability of dengue fever to spread, because the mosquitoes and the virus they carry breed more quickly. Dengue is also known as “breakbone fever” due to the pain it causes and infections have doubled in each decade since 1990, now reaching up to 100m infections a year now. Dengue was used as an example in the report and the researchers suggest global warming will also increase the spread of other diseases such as schistosomiasis.

Air pollution is known to cause millions of early deaths every year but the new report highlights the 800,000 annual deaths related solely to coal burning. The good news here, said Prof Paul Wilkinson, is that coal production peaked in 2013 and is now falling. “We are seeing the first turn [in the trend] but we have a long way to go,” he said. “It is a health dividend we are ignoring if we do not act.”

The impacts of climate change are not limited to poorer nations, said Dr Toby Hillman, at the Royal College of Physicians, but also affect developed nations like the UK. He said air pollution kills about 40,000 in the UK each year and criticised low government funding levels for cycling and walking. Hillman also noted other impacts, such as sharp increases in mental health problems after extreme weather events like flooding.

The new report highlighted imminent threats as well, such as the loss of crops to increasingly hot and extreme weather. “We are going to see millions more undernourished children as a result of that,” said Prof Hugh Montgomery, at University College London (UCL).

Montgomery said the potential benefits of climate change appeared to be small in comparison to the damages: “We are not ducking the potential benefits, we just find it hard to see what they are.”

Cox said it was not clear that global warming will actually reduce winter cold spells, which cause early deaths in higher latitude countries, because changes happening in the Arctic can exacerbate cold snaps. Prof Georgina Mace, also at UCL, said the evidence for a warmer climate increasing food production was often very localised and short term: ”Overall the overwhelming pattern is negative.”

Clare Goodess, a climate researcher at the University of East Anglia and not part of the Lancet report, said: “The indicators reveal some stark warnings for human health, as well as some glimmers of hope, [and] the key messages appear robust. The attribution of [climate change] temperature trends to human activities is now unequivocal, so the urgency of addressing the issues raised by this report is not in doubt.”

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Global atmospheric CO2 levels hit record high

UN warns that drastic action is needed to meet climate targets set in the Paris agreement
Jonathan Watts and agencies The Guardian 30 Oct 17;

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased at record speed last year to hit a level not seen for more than three million years, the UN has warned.

The new report has raised alarm among scientists and prompted calls for nations to consider more drastic emissions reductions at the upcoming climate negotiations in Bonn.

“Globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached 403.3 parts per million (ppm) in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Niño event,” according to The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the UN weather agency’s annual flagship report.

This acceleration occurred despite a slowdown – and perhaps even a plateauing – of emissions because El Niño intensified droughts and weakened the ability of vegetation to absorb carbon dioxide. As the planet warms, El Niños are expected to become more frequent.

The increase of 3.3 ppm is considerably higher than both the 2.3 ppm rise of the previous 12 months and the average annual increase over the past decade of 2.08ppm. It is also well above the previous big El Niño year of 1998, when the rise was 2.7 ppm.

The study, which uses monitoring ships, aircraft and stations on the land to track emissions trends since 1750, said carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now increasing 100 times faster than at the end of the last ice age due to population growth, intensive agriculture, deforestation and industrialisation.

The last time Earth experienced similar CO2 concentration rates was during the Pliocene era (three to five million years ago), when the sea level was up to 20m higher than now.

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The authors urged policymakers to step up countermeasures to reduce the risk of global warming exceeding the Paris climate target of between 1.5C and 2C.

“Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century, well above the target set by the Paris climate change agreement,” World Meteorological Organisation chief Petteri Taalas said in a statement.

The momentum from the Paris accord in 2015 is faltering due to the failure of national governments to live up to their promises. In a report to be released on Tuesday, UN Environment will show the gap between international goals and domestic commitments leaves the world on course for warming well beyond the 2C target and probably beyond 3C. International efforts to act have also been weakened by US president Donald Trump’s decision to quit the accord.

Prof Dave Reay, professor of carbon management at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This should set alarm bells ringing in the corridors of power. We know that, as climate change intensifies, the ability of the land and oceans to mop up our carbon emissions will weaken. There’s still time to steer these emissions down and so keep some control, but if we wait too long humankind will become a passenger on a one-way street to dangerous climate change.”

“The numbers don’t lie. We are still emitting far too much and this needs to be reversed,” the head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said in reaction to the new report. “What we need now is global political will and a new sense of urgency.”

The report comes amid growing concerns that nature’s ability to deal with CO2 is weakening. Recent studies show forest regions are being cleared and degraded so rapidly that they are now emitting more carbon than they absorb.

“These large increase show it is more important than ever to reduce our emissions to zero – and as soon as possible,” said Piers Forster, director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds. “If vegetation can no longer help out absorbing our emissions in these hot years we could be in trouble.”

The World Meteorological Organisation predicted 2017 will again break records for concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane, but the growth rate will not be as fast because there is no El Niño effect.


Record surge in atmospheric CO2 seen in 2016
Matt McGrath BBC 30 Oct 17;

Concentrations of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere surged to a record high in 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Last year's increase was 50% higher than the average of the past 10 years.

Researchers say a combination of human activities and the El Niño weather phenomenon drove CO2 to a level not seen in 800,000 years.

Scientists say this risks making global temperature targets largely unattainable.

This year's greenhouse gas bulletin produced by the WMO is based on measurements taken in 51 countries. Research stations dotted around the globe measure concentrations of warming gases including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

The figures published by the WMO are what's left in the atmosphere after significant amounts are absorbed by the Earth's "sinks", which include the oceans and the biosphere.

2016 saw average concentrations of CO2 hit 403.3 parts per million, up from 400ppm in 2015.

"It is the largest increase we have ever seen in the 30 years we have had this network," Dr Oksana Tarasova, chief of WMO's global atmosphere watch programme, told BBC News.

"The largest increase was in the previous El Niño, in 1997-1998, and it was 2.7ppm; and now it is 3.3ppm. It is also 50% higher than the average of the last 10 years."

El Niño impacts the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by causing droughts that limit the uptake of CO2 by plants and trees.

Emissions from human sources have slowed down in the last couple of years according to research, but according to Dr Tarasova, it is the cumulative total in the atmosphere that really matters as CO2 stays aloft and active for centuries.

Over the past 70 years, says the report, the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere is nearly 100 times larger than it was at the end of the last ice age.

Rapidly increasing atmospheric levels of CO2 and other gases have the potential, according to the study, to "initiate unpredictable changes in the climate system... leading to severe ecological and economic disruptions".

The study notes that since 1990 there has been a 40% increase in total radiative forcing. That's the warming effect on our climate of all greenhouse gases.

"Geological-wise, it is like an injection of a huge amount of heat," said Dr Tarasova.

"The changes will not take 10,000 years, like they used to take before; they will happen fast. We don't have the knowledge of the system in this state; that is a bit worrisome!"

According to experts, the last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was three to five million years ago, in the mid-Pliocene Epoch. The climate then was 2-3C warmer, and sea levels were 10-20m higher due to the melting of Greenland and the West Antarctic ice sheets.

Other experts in the field of atmospheric research agreed that the WMO findings were a cause for concern.

"The 3ppm CO2 growth rate in 2015 and 2016 is extreme - double the growth rate in the 1990-2000 decade," Prof Euan Nisbet from Royal Holloway University of London, UK, told BBC News.

"It is urgent that we follow the Paris agreement and switch rapidly away from fossil fuels. There are signs this is beginning to happen, but so far the air is not yet recording the change."

Another concern in the report is the continuing, mysterious rise of methane levels in the atmosphere, which were also larger than the average over the past 10 years. Prof Nisbet says there is a fear of a vicious cycle, where methane drives up temperatures which in turn releases more methane from natural sources.

"The rapid increase in methane since 2007, especially in 2014, 2015, and 2016, is different. This was not expected in the Paris agreement. Methane growth is strongest in the tropics and sub-tropics. The carbon isotopes in the methane show that growth is not being driven by fossil fuels. We do not understand why methane is rising. It may be a climate change feedback. It is very worrying."

The implications of these new atmospheric measurements for the targets agreed under the Paris climate pact are quite negative, say observers.

"The numbers don't lie. We are still emitting far too much and this needs to be reversed," said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment.

"We have many of the solutions already to address this challenge. What we need now is global political will and a new sense of urgency."

The report has been issued just a week ahead of the next instalment of UN climate talks, in Bonn. Despite the declaration by President Trump that he intends to take the US out of the deal, negotiators meeting in Germany will be aiming to advance and clarify the rulebook of the Paris agreement.

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Best of our wild blogs: 30 Oct 17

Wed 08 Nov 2017: 2.00pm – Green Jobs Symposium & Networking 2017 for tertiary and JC students (registration required)
Otterman speaks...

Outreach October with the RUMblers
Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative

Awesome October at the Marine Park
Sisters' Island Marine Park

Coastal Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus gigas) @ Coney Island (Pulau Serangoon)
Monday Morgue

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Singapore’s water supply not affected by pollution in Johor River: PUB

Today Online 29 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE – The pollution plaguing the Johor River will not affect the water supply in Singapore despite the temporary disruption in treatment operations at the Johor River Waterworks (JRWW), said national water agency PUB.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Sunday (Oct 29), the utilities board said it had stepped up production at the desalination plants and local waterworks to meet local water demand .

“Johor River Waterworks has to temporarily stop treatment operations at 11am on Oct 28 due to pollution in the Johor River with high ammonia levels,” the PUB said.

“The stoppage of treatment operations at JRWW disrupted its supply to Singapore and some parts of Johor.

“Water supply in Singapore will not be affected as PUB had stepped up production at the desalination plants and local waterworks to meet demand.”

The PUB added that it is monitoring the raw water quality in the Johor River and will “resume abstraction and treatment of raw water when the water quality is suitable”.

Malaysian media reported on Sunday that an illegal poultry farm that also makes fertiliser using chicken manure has been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in the Johor River.

The level of pollution forced the temporary shutdown of three water treatment plants since last Friday (Oct 27), and led to water supply disruptions affecting 1.8 million people in Johor Bahru.

This is not the first time the Johor River has been plagued by ammonia pollution. In July last year, the same farm had been partly responsible for another incident that affected the water supply to 600,000 people.

Johor Department of Environment (DoE) director Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the poultry farm on the banks of Sungai Sayong, which is a tributary of Johor River, was operating without approval his office.

But any order to close the factory must come from the Johor Veterinary Services Department or the District Land Office, he added.

Dr Ezanni revealed that, based on checks conducted by DoE staff at the farm since the previous case of pollution last year, the factory did not adhere to proper storage techniques for its fertiliser.

"The factory uses manure from the chicken to make fertiliser. Much of the fertiliser is improperly stored. The fertiliser products and chicken manure are stacked and exposed to the elements,” he said.

"When it rains, the water soaks these items and the water seeps into the ground and flows into the river. This leads to the high content of ammonia in the river.”

The PUB added that it is monitoring the raw water quality in the Johor River and will “resume abstraction and treatment of raw water when the water quality is suitable”.

Malaysian media reported on Sunday that an illegal poultry farm that also makes fertiliser using chicken manure has been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in the Johor River.

The level of pollution forced the temporary shutdown of three water treatment plants since Friday (Oct 27), and led to water supply disruptions affecting 1.8 million people in Johor Bahru.

This is not the first time the Johor River is plagued by ammonia pollution. In July last year, the same farm had been partly responsible for another incident that affected the water supply to 600,000 people.

Johor Department of Environment (DoE) director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the poultry farm on the banks of Sungai Sayong, which is a tributary of Johor River, was operating without the approval from the state DoE.

He said his department had no jurisdiction over this factory as it rears chicken and, therefore, any order to close must come from the Johor Veterinary Services Department or the District Land Office.

Mr Ezanni revealed that, based on checks conducted by DoE staff at the farm since the previous case of pollution last year, the factory did not adhere to proper storage techniques for its fertiliser.

"The factory uses manure from the chicken to make fertiliser. Much of the fertiliser is improperly stored. The fertiliser products and chicken manure are stacked and exposed to the elements,” he said.

"When it rains, the water soaks these items and the water seeps into the ground and flows into the river. This leads to the high content of ammonia in the river.”


Water supply in Singapore not affected by pollution in Johor River: PUB
Channel NewsAsia 29 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: The water supply in Singapore will not be affected by high ammonia levels in the Johor River, Singapore's national water agency PUB said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Oct 29).

Johor River Waterworks had to temporarily stop treatment operations at 11am on Saturday, PUB said.

While the water supply to Singapore and some parts of Johor was affected, PUB has stepped up production at desalination plants and local waterworks to meet demand.

Ammonia levels of 2.75 parts per million were recorded in the raw water on Friday night and three water treatment plants were closed down. Malaysia resident in Johor Baru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi were affected, The Star reported.

The ammonia pollution was traced to a chicken droppings processing factory close to the river.

Malaysia authorities have said that the factory, which uses manure from chickens to manufacture fertilizer, will be closed down.

PUB added that it is monitoring the raw water quality in the Johor River and will resume abstraction and treatment of raw water when the water quality is suitable.


Operations halted at 3 Johor water treatment plants due to high ammonia levels: Report
Channel NewsAsia 28 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: Around 1.8 million residents in Johor Baru have been affected by a major water supply disruption, after operations at three water treatment plants were stopped due to high ammonia levels found in their raw water from the Johor River, local media reported on Saturday (Oct 28).

Operations were halted at the Semangar, Johor River and Tai Hong plants on Saturday, the Star Online reported.

Residents in three districts - Johor Baru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi - have been affected and the shutdown may last for up to two days, it added.

Jamaluddin Jamal, head of corporate communications at water supply company SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, told the Star Online that ammonia levels of 2.75 parts per million were recorded in the raw water on Friday night and that levels had not gone down as of Saturday afternoon.

The permitted ammonia level is 1.5 parts per million according to the Star Online.

"Water quality is our priority, thus we decided to halt operations to treat raw water from the river," he told the Star Online. "This is not the first time high levels of ammonia have disrupted water supply. We have recorded three major incidents this year alone."

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Malaysia, Johor: Illegal poultry farm to be shut down for causing pollution in Sungai Johor

Rizalman Hammim and Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 29 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: An illegal poultry farm that also makes fertiliser using chicken manure will be shut down by the Johor state government, after it was identified as the source of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the decision was made following a recommendation made during a meeting chaired by the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) today.

The pollution in Sungai Johor, which was caused by the farm located at the border of Kulai and Kluang, has led to the temporary shut down of three water treatment plants since Friday.

The emergency meeting, Khaled said, was attended by representatives from water utility company SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, Johor Department of Environment (DoE), Kulai Municipal Council and Johor Veterinary Services Department.

“We (state government) will close down the premises... the recommendation will be further discussed at the state executive council meeting this week.

“We have to take drastic measures to prevent this from happening again in the future,” Khaled told reporters after launching the “eRezeki and eUsahawan Bootcamp” at the Johor Baru Central Municipal Council hall in Gelang Patah today.

The pollution in Sungai Johor had forced SAJ Ranhill to shut down its Semangar water treatment plant on Friday after ammonia levels exceeded the permissible exposure limit.

The permissible exposure limit for ammonia set by the Health Ministry is 1.5 parts per million (ppm). The ammonia level in Sungai Johor reached 2.75 ppm.

SAJ Ranhill was also forced to shut down the Sungai Johor and Tai Hong water treatment plants after ammonia was detected downstream.

The temporary closures affected about 1.8 million consumers in Johor Baru, Kulai, Iskandar Puteri and Kota Tinggi.

An SAJ Ranhill spokesman said this is the third time its treatment plants shut down this year due to ammonia pollution.

State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat yesterday confirmed that the pollution was caused by a poultry farm.

Ayub had said the pollution created by the farm caused the three water treatment plants to shut down on July 12 last year, affecting some 600,000 consumers.

Meanwhile, Johor DoE director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the farm was operating without the approval from the state DoE.

“The state DoE previously did not support the approval of the factory in the Preliminary Assessment Site (PAT) to proceed with the project in the area.”

“After last year’s ammonia pollution, a meeting was conducted with all stakeholders and the DoE had recommended for the factory to be relocated.

“However, no action was taken,” he said, adding that the premises fell under the purview of the Veterinary Services Department.

Johor Veterinary Services Department director Dr Dr Aida Muhid, however, said ths was not a “clear-cut case” as the department was not informed of the plan to construct a fertiliser component at the farm.

“Initial checks revealed that a licence was given to the farm to rear livestock on one plot of land.

“But the fertiliser processing plant, which may have opened more recently, is located on a different plot of land. There is no permit for this plant,” she said when contacted.

Dr Aida assured the public that her department will continue to monitor the premises to prevent untoward incidents.

Two of the three affected water treatment plants resumed operations at about 7pm yesterday.

SAJ Ranhill corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil water supply is expected to return in stages.

The Tai Hong plant, which is operated by Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB), remains closed.

Jamaluddin said he expected the plant to resume operations by tonight.


Illegal poultry farm found to be cause of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor
Ahmad Fairuz Othman and Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 29 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: An illegal poultry farm that also makes fertiliser using chicken manure has been found to be the source of ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor that led to the temporary shut down of three water treatment plants since Friday.

The incident raised the ire of residents as water supply disruptions affected several parts of Johor Baru.

It also led to the state water utility company SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd to issue a notice saying that up to 1.8 million consumers could be affected by the incident.

However, what was troubling was that it was not the first time the same poultry farm contributed to ammonia pollution.

A previous case of ammonia pollution at Sungai Johor in July last year, which affected the water supply to 600,000 people, was partly caused by the same farm.

Johor Department of Environment (DoE) director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the poultry farm on the banks of Sungai Sayong, which is a tributary of Sungai Johor, was operating without the approval from the state DoE.

"The state DoE previously did not support the approval of the factory in the Preliminary Assessment Site (PAT) to proceed with the project in the area.

"However, it continued to operate. The farm operated under the jurisdiction of the Kulai District Land Office and Johor Veterinary Services Department, and these are the only agencies which can tell the farm to stop its operations," Ezanni told the New Straits Times.

Ezanni said that following the previous case of pollution that occurred in July last year, a meeting was conducted with all stakeholders and it was agreed upon that the factory should be relocated.

"However, there was no action taken on this, and the state DoE's notice to have the poultry farm relocated has fallen on deaf ears," said Ezanni.

He said the department had no jurisdiction over this factory as it rears chicken and therefore any order to close must come from the Johor Veterinary Services Department or the District Land Office.

He said based on checks conducted by DoE staff at the farm since the previous case of pollution last year, the factory did not adhere to proper storage techniques for its fertiliser.

"The factory uses manure from the chicken to make fertiliser. Much of the fertiliser is improperly stored. The fertiliser products and chicken manure are stacked and exposed to the elements.

"When it rains, the water soaks these items and the water seeps into the ground and flows into the river. This leads to the high content of ammonia in the river," said Ezanni.

Yesterday, Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat confirmed that the ammonia pollution was caused by the premises which processed chicken manure.

Ayub said this was the third incident of ammonia pollution and based on SAJ Ranhill's investigation, it was caused by the same party.

“The Department of Environment (DOE) previously did not support the approval in the PAT to proceed with the project in the area and we also regret that the local Land Office and Veterinary Department did not take stern action over the matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, SAJ Ranhill's corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil said that two out of the three water treatment plants that were shut down had resumed operations.

"The Semanggar and Sungai Johor water treatment plants were re-opened about 7pm last night. Now, only the PUB (Public Utilities Board) Tai Hong water treatment plant remains closed," said Jamaluddin, adding that regular water supply to several areas would resume by tonight.


Call to impose heavier penalties on anyone found to have polluted water catchment areas
Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 29 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: Residents affected by the water supply disruptions in Johor want the government to be more stringent and impose heavier penalties on anyone found to have polluted the water catchment areas in the state.

These residents, who have experienced dry taps before, said it was not enough to just impose fines as these polluters could do it again.

Sahrulerman Abd Rahim, 38, said many Johoreans were forced to endure days without water supply in the past due to the shut down of water treatment plants because of excessive amount of ammonia at rivers.

He said the nightmare kept recurring and many people wondered how come nothing was done to stop the polluters from doing it again.

"It is not enough for authorities to only impose fines or compounds on those who are found to commit such offences.

"They should not be let off with just a slap on the wrist. They will continue to carry out their activities even after a fine or a compound because they can afford to pay.

"The authorities should impose a heavier penalty like shutting down the operation of any business found to be polluting rivers. Better still, ask the operator to move their factory to another place," said Sahrulerman, who lives in Taman Nusa Bestari 2 in Gelang Patah with his wife and three children.

He said it is was a nuisance for his family whenever there was a water disruption as it affected their daily lives.

"The last time the Semangar plant was closed, water supply to my house was disrupted for about three days," he said.

Sahrulerman was commenting on the move by SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd to shut down the operations of three water treatment plants along Sungai Johor, namely the Semangar, Sungai Johor and Tai Hong plants, since Friday night following the increase in the level of ammonia in the river.

The Semangar plant was closed late on Friday night when ammonia levels at its intake point at the river was recorded at 2.75 parts per million (ppm), which was higher than the permissable level of ammonia set by the Health Ministry, which was 1.5 ppm.

The situation got worse when SAJ Ranhill announced yesterday evening that high ammonia levels were also detected at the Sungai Johor and Tai Hong water treatment plants, which forced the shut down of the plants.

The Sungai Johor and Tai Hong water treatment plants are located further downstream from the Semangar plant.

This is the third occurrance of water treatment plants being temporarily shut down due to ammonia pollution this year.

The authorities traced the latest case of ammonia pollution to a poultry farm which processes fertiliser from chicken manure located at the banks of the river.

Meanwhile, Norazilah Ab Rasul, 36, said the water supply in her area was disrupted a day after she heard about it through SAJ Ranhill's announcement.

She said she only noticed that the water supply to her house was disrupted about 10 am today.

"I knew about the closure of the Semangar plant, but the water supply at my house was initially not affected.

"It is only this morning I found that the water supply was disrupted. By that time, I could not do anything," said Norazilah, who lives in Taman Nusantara.

The housewife agreed that more stringent action should taken against those who were found polluting the water sources.

"These polluters must be dealt with strictly by the authorities. Action must be taken against them to serve as a lesson to others not to pollute our rivers," said Norazilah.

Fertiliser factory ordered to close for polluting Sg Johor
zazali musa The Star 30 Oct 17;

GELANG PATAH: A factory processing poultry manure into fertiliser in Layang-Layang along Sungai Johor has been ordered to close as it is linked to ammonia pollution in the river.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the drastic move was taken as the factory had been identified as the source that caused the rise of ammonia in the raw water.

He said operations at the Semanggar, Sungai Johor and Tai Hong water treatment plants were forced to stop when the chemical content was detected in the raw water from Sungai Johor on Saturday.

Following that, water supply to some 1.8 million users in south Johor was disrupted for two days.

He said the same factory had in July last year caused a major water disruption to hundreds of thousands of consumers in south Johor due to ammonia pollution in Sungai Johor.

Khaled said a similar directive was given to a poultry farm operating near to the factory, as it also contributed to the chemical content in the raw water.

The decision to ask the factories to cease operations was made following recommendations by eight agencies including the Johor Water Regulatory Body, SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, Department of Environment, Kulai Land Office and Veterinary Department in a special meeting yesterday.

SAJ Ranhill corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil said water supply to some areas in three districts namely Johor Baru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi has been restored.

Operations at the three water treatment plants would back to normal today.

“We will not take any risks as water quality is top priority,” he said.

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Malaysia: All logging activities near Fraser's Hill ceased, says NGO

HIDIR REDUAN New Straits Times 29 Oct 17;

KUANTAN: All logging activities near Fraser’s Hill in Raub have stopped since the imposition of a temporary cease order on Sept 8.

This was confirmed by The Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil, who sent a fact-finding team to the famous eco-tourist spot earlier this month.

“(There is) no more logging and all the machines have been taken out of the area,” she said in reference to the removal of heavy machinery from the area, which measures 106.78 hectares.

On Oct 6, the New Straits Times quoted her saying that a fact-finding team would be dispatched to Fraser’s Hill to verify claims that a lorry was seen entering the Batu Talam Forest Reserve, which is in violation of the active interim cease order.

Shariffa said Peka intends to conduct a reforestation project at the hill to restore it to its pristine state.

However, she said, Peka can only do so after receiving permission from the Raub District Forestry Officer (DFO).

“We have written a letter to the DFO seeking permission to conduct the project. We are still waiting for the green light,” she said, adding that the letter was sent two weeks ago.

Sabrina said many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteers are eager to take part in the restoration exercise.

On whether the interim stop order should be extended, Pahang Forestry director Datuk Indera Mohd Paiz Kamaruzaman said the department will look into the matter seriously.

“We will conduct a study to determine the suitability (of extending the stop order),” he said when contacted today.

Meanwhile, a Raub Forestry Department representative said the department has received Peka’s letter.

He said the reforestation project, if allowed to proceed, will be a joint effort by Peka and the Forestry Department.

“The department will identity suitable areas to plant the new trees and the NGOs will be in charge of planting them.”

He also confirmed that no new logging activities will take place near Fraser’s Hill while stop order is active.

He said Forestry Department officers, during their routine patrols, have not encountered any parties breaching the order.

NST on Sept 26 published a report on illegal logging activities near Fraser’s Hill, which had been gazetted as a primary forest reserve and water catchment area.

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