Best of our wild blogs: 13 Sep 17

Collision near the Sisters Islands Marine Park, no oil spill (13 Sep 2017)
wild shores of singapore

EVENT: Creepy Crawlies and Herpy Derpies! (30 Sep)
Entomological Network of Singapore

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5 men missing after tanker-dredger collision near Sisters Island

Today Online 13 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE – Five men are missing after their dredger capsized after an early Wednesday (Sept 13) morning collision with a tanker, the second such maritime accident in Singapore’s waters within a month.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement that the incident happened at 12.40am on Wednesday, about 3.15km south-west of Sisters Island.

The five men are part of a 12-man crew – comprising 11 Chinese nationals and one Malaysian – on a Dominican-registered dredger, JBB De Rong. Their vessel collided with an Indonesian tanker, Kartika Segara.

According to the MPA, the dredger capsized as a result of the accident and is currently partially submerged. It was transiting the westbound lane while the tanker was departing Singapore joining the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait when the incident occurred.

The MPA said the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System had provided navigational information to both vessels prior to the collision.

Seven Chinese nationals were rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard and taken to the Singapore General Hospital. A hospital spokesperson said that five of the seven men have been discharged from the hospital.

One crew member was admitted and is in stable condition, while the other is currently under observation.

The Indonesian tanker sustained damage to its starboard bow, but its 26 crew members were unharmed. The tanker is currently anchored at the Eastern Anchorage.

Inter-agency search and rescue efforts are underway, involving a total of 10 vessels from the Republic of Singapore Navy, the MPA, the Coast Guard and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

In addition, a Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Puma helicopter began an aerial search at 7am.

Two MPA tug boats have moved the partially submerged dredger to an area near Pulau Senang for follow up underwater search operations.

The MPA said it has issued a navigational broadcasts for ships to look out for the missing crew and to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the incident site.

There is no reported disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

Wednesday morning's collision follows the one on August 21, when the US warship USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel in Singapore territorial waters near Pedra Branca.

The USS John S McCain was on its way to Singapore for a routine visit when it collided with the Alnic MC, a chemical and oil tanker about three times the size of the guided-missile destroyer. Ten US Navy servicemen were killed in the incident.


5 missing after tanker and boat collide in Singapore waters; search and rescue ongoing
Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: Search-and-rescue operations are under way for five missing crew members after a tanker and a boat collided on Wednesday (Sep 13) at about 12.40am, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

The collision between Indonesian-registered tanker Kartika Segara and Dominican-registered dredger JBB De Rong 19 took place about 1.7 nautical miles south-west of Sisters' Islands, the statement said.

The dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged. Of the 12 crew members – 11 Chinese nationals and a Malaysian – on board the dredger, seven were injured while five were unaccounted for. No one from the tanker was hurt.

The seven injured men were rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard and taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital at 2.45am. Five have since been discharged, a hospital spokesperson confirmed, adding that one remained admitted while the other was under observation.

MPA is leading the search and rescue operations and relevant Singapore agencies are assisting, it said.

Two MPA tug boats moved the partially submerged dredger to an area near Pulau Senang for follow-up underwater search operations, while three MPA patrol craft are assisting in the search and rescue.

The Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Civil Defence Force and the coast guard have deployed a total of seven vessels for the operation.

A Super Puma helicopter from the Republic of Singapore Air Force began searching from the air at 7am, according to MPA.

"The dredger was transiting the westbound lane while the tanker was departing Singapore joining the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait when the incident occurred," MPA said. "The Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System had provided navigational information to both vessels prior the collision.

"The tanker reported damage to her starboard bow but is stable and anchored at the Eastern Anchorage. Its 26 Indonesian crew did not sustain any injuries," the agency added.

There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait, the statement said.

In a Facebook post on Monday morning, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen reiterated that MPA was leading the search-and-rescue operations for the five crew members.

"I hope the missing seaman can be located," added Dr Ng.

This collision was not the only incident that occurred in recent times. Ten US sailors died after a collision between US Navy warship USS John S McCain and oil tanker Alnic MC in Singapore waters last month.
Source: CNA/mn


Two ships collide in Singapore waters; 7 injured, 5 missing
Linette Lai, Seow Bei Yi, Rachel Au-Yong Straits Times 13 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE - More than 12 hours after two ships collided in Singapore waters, five crew members remain missing.

The accident, involving a Dominican-registered dredger and Indonesian-registered tanker, happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning (Sept 13), about 1.7 nautical miles south-west of Sisters' Island.

The dredger, which had 12 crew members on board, capsized. Its crew consisted of 11 Chinese nationals and one Malaysian.

Seven of the Chinese nationals were rescued and transferred to the Singapore General Hospital for treatment. As of Wednesday afternoon, at least two of the seven remained in hospital.

When The Straits Times arrived at the capsized ship on Wednesday afternoon, boats from the authorities were patrolling the area. A boat carrying divers had pulled up next to the dredger.

The 26 Indonesian crew on the tanker were unscathed. However, the ship's right front section was visibly damaged.

The Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System provided navigational information to both vessels prior to the collision.

The Indonesian-registered tanker is the Kartika Segara.

The Dominican-registered dredger, the JBB De Rong, is manged by Malaysian company LK Global Shipping, according to www.dredgepoint.org. A representative for LK Global Shipping was at Singapore General Hospital but declined comment when approached.

Representatives from the Embassy of China in Singapore were at the Singapore General Hospital to visit the survivors. Consul-General Wang Jiarong expressed his concern for the missing crew members and hopes that the authorities will do their best in the search and rescue operations.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that it was alerted to the incident at around 12.40am on Wednesday.



It said that the dredger was transiting in the westbound lane, while the tanker was leaving Singapore to join the eastbound lane in the Singapore Strait.

The MPA is leading the search and rescue operations for the missing people. Two tug boats have moved the dredger to an area near Pulau Senang for underwater search operations.

The RSAF conducts search and rescue operations

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Wednesday morning said the Republic of Singapore Navy Patrol Vessel RSS Fearless, the Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Puma Rescue 10 and Chinook, Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force craft have been deployed to assist in search and rescue operations.

Patrol boats and a helicopter have also been deployed. Ships have been told to be on the lookout for the missing crew members, and to navigate with caution near the accident site.

There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

The latest incident comes just after a United States warship, the USS John S. McCain, collided with an oil tanker, Alnic MC, in Singapore waters off Pedra Branca on Aug 21. Ten US sailors were killed and five others were injured in that incident.


2 bodies found after tanker and boat collide in Singapore waters; 3 still missing
Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: Divers recovered the bodies of two of the five crew members that were missing after a tanker and a boat collided, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday (Sep 13) afternoon.

Search and rescue efforts for the three remaining crew members are ongoing, MPA added in its update at 4pm local time.

The collision took place at about 12.40am on Wednesday, between Indonesian-registered tanker Kartika Segara and Dominican-registered dredger JBB De Rong 19 about 1.7 nautical miles south-west of Sisters' Islands.

The dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged. Of the 12 crew members – 11 Chinese nationals and a Malaysian – on board the dredger, seven were injured while five were unaccounted for. None of the tanker's 26 crew members was hurt.

The seven injured men were rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard and taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital at 2.45am. Five have since been discharged, a hospital spokesperson confirmed, adding that one remained admitted while the other was under observation.

VESSELS HAD BEEN WARNED: MPA

The dredger had been transiting the westbound lane while the tanker was departing Singapore joining the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait when the incident occurred, MPA said.

MPA said that Singapore’s Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) had provided "timely navigational information and warnings to both vessels to take preventive actions to avoid a collision".

"While the vessels acknowledged the information provided by the Singapore VTIS, the collision was not averted," MPA said.

The tanker reported damage to her starboard bow but is stable and anchored at the Eastern Anchorage, the agency said.

There was no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait, MPA said, adding that there have been no reports of oil spills or disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

MPA is investigating the incident.

SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

About 200 personnel are involved in the search and rescue operations.

MPA is leading the search and rescue operations and the relevant Singapore agencies are assisting it, it said.

A Super Puma helicopter from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) began searching from the air at 7am.

Assets from the Singapore agencies now include two Super Puma, two Chinook and a Fokker 50 from the RSAF, as well as 15 vessels from MPA, the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force; and seven vessels from PSA Marine and POSH SEMCO.

MPA said it has notified the Indonesian Rescue Coordination Centre about the incident and they have deployed five vessels to help with search and rescue efforts in Indonesian territorial waters.

Mr Andrew Tan, chief executive of MPA said: “MPA expresses our deepest condolences to the families of the two deceased and wish those injured a speedy recovery.

"We will continue with our search and rescue efforts to find the remaining three missing crew members,” he added.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday morning, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen noted that "another collision" has taken place in the Singapore Strait, and said he hoped that the missing seamen could be found.

Wednesday's collision came less than a month after the US Navy warship USS John S McCain and oil tanker Alnic MC collided in Singapore waters. Ten US sailors were killed in the accident, which is being investigated.
Source: CNA/mn


Vessels deployed to search for five missing sailors
Fadli Fadli The Jakarta Post 13 Sep 17;

Indonesian authorities have stepped up efforts to assist ongoing search-and-rescue operations for five foreign sailors reported missing after their dredger collided with an Indonesian tanker in waters off Singapore on Wednesday.

The five sailors, which comprise four Chinese and one Malaysian national, were among 12 sailors on board the Dominican-registered dredger JBB De Rong 19, which collided with Indonesia’s Kartika Segara tanker at 12:40 p.m. local time.

The Maritime Security Board’s (Bakamla) maritime operation director Commodore Rahmat Eko Raharjo said the agency’s KN Belut Laut national vessel had departed from Batam, Riau Islands, for the search operation. It would join with two patrol vessels dispatched by the Riau Islands Water Police and five patrol vessels of the Batam Customs and Excise Office to look for the missing crew members.

“We are going to conduct a search-and-rescue operation and anticipate a possible oil spill incident in the waters because the accident involved an oil tanker,” Rahmat told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The oil tanker was joining the eastbound lane to depart, while the dredger was transiting in the westbound lane when they collided in the Singapore Strait, the city state’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said.

The 26 crew members of the Kartika Segara oil tanker did not sustain any injuries. The tanker was reportedly damaged on her starboard bow, but was stable and is currently anchored at the Eastern Anchorage. Meanwhile, the dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged. (afr/ebf)


Bodies of two vessel collision victims found
The Jakarta Post 14 Sep 17;

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, said on Wednesday that two of the five sailors reported missing during a collision between the Indonesian-flagged MV Kartika Segara tanker and the Dominican Republic-flagged JBB De Rong 19 dredger had been found dead.

Basarnas Tanjungpinang head Djunaidi said the bodies of the two sailors were found inside the JBB De Rong 19 at around 1:04 p.m. local time.

He said Basarnas Tanjungpinang personnel helped move the bodies of the two sailors to the Singaporean Coast Guard office.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Djunaidi said, Basarnas Tanjungpinang, the search-and-rescue mission coordinator, continued to carry out operations to find the three other sailors who remained missing.

“So far, nine victims have been found, seven of whom survived the incident,” he said as quoted by Antara.

It was earlier reported that the number of people on board the vessel was 12. They comprised 11 Chinese citizens and one Malaysian national. It was later learned that seven of them managed to escape the incident.

The oil tanker was joining the eastbound lane to depart, while the dredger was transiting in the westbound lane when they collided in the Singapore Strait, the city state’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said.

The 26 crew members of the Kartika Segara oil tanker did not sustain any injuries. The tanker was reportedly damaged on her starboard bow, but was stable and is currently anchored at the Eastern Anchorage. Meanwhile, the dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged. (ebf)


Update 2 - Collision of TANKER KARTIKA SEGARA and DREDGER JBB DE RONG 19
MPA Release 14 September 2017

1 As of 6pm (Singapore time), multi-agencies search and rescue (SAR) efforts to locate the remaining three missing crew of Dominican-registered dredger JBB DE RONG 19 are still ongoing. The dredger had collided with Indonesian-registered tanker KARTIKA SEGARA in Singapore territorial waters at about 12.40am (Singapore time) on 13 September 2017, despite collision warnings issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

2 Of the two crew members who were warded in hospital yesterday, one has since been discharged and one remains under observation at the Singapore General Hospital.

3 Today, the MPA continues to lead the SAR operations with support from relevant Singapore agencies. The total surface search area was expanded to 250 km2 from 130km2 on 13 September 2017. The aerial search area has also expanded to 2701km2 from 770km2.

4 The SAR, supported by assets from the Singapore agencies, include five aircraft from Republic of Singapore Air Force, 21 vessels from MPA, the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force; and eight vessels from PSA Marine and POSH SEMCO. To date, about 280 personnel have been involved in the SAR operations.

5 The Indonesian Rescue Coordination Centre is working with Singapore authorities to assist the SAR operations with 10 vessels in Indonesian territorial waters.

Update 1 - Collision of TANKER KARTIKA SEGARA and DREDGER JBB DE RONG 19
MPA release 13 Sep 17;

1 As of 4pm (Singapore time), divers have recovered two bodies out of the five missing crew of JBB DE RONG 19, following the collision between Indonesian-registered tanker KARTIKA SEGARA and Dominican-registered dredger JBB DE RONG 19 that occurred in Singapore territorial waters at about 12.40am (Singapore time) on 13 September 2017.

2 At the point of collision this morning, 12 crew members were onboard JBB DE RONG 19. Seven were sent to the Singapore General Hospital, out of whom five have since been discharged. Search and rescue (SAR) efforts for the three remaining crew members are ongoing.

3 The incident took place in the westbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait. Prior to the collision, Singapore’s Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) had provided timely navigational information and warnings to both vessels to take preventive actions to avoid a collision. While the vessels acknowledged the information provided by the Singapore VTIS, the collision was not averted.

4 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) continues to lead the SAR operations with support from relevant Singapore agencies. Assets from the Singapore agencies include two Super Puma, two Chinook and one Fokker 50 from Republic of Singapore Air Force, 15 vessels from MPA, the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force; and seven vessels from PSA Marine and POSH SEMCO. About 200 personnel are involved in the SAR operations.

5 MPA has notified the Indonesian Rescue Coordination Centre about the incident and they have deployed five vessels to assist with SAR in Indonesian territorial waters.

6 Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA said, “MPA expresses our deepest condolences to the families of the two deceased and wish those injured a speedy recovery. We will continue with our search and rescue efforts to find the remaining three missing crew members.”

7 There have been no reports of oil spill or disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

8 MPA is investigating the incident.




Collision of TANKER KARTIKA SEGARA and DREDGER JBB DE RONG 19 in Singapore Waters
MPA Release 13 Sep 17;

On 13 September 2017, at about 12.40am (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified of a collision between an Indonesian-registered tanker KARTIKA SEGARA and a Dominican-registered dredger JBB DE RONG 19 in Singapore territorial waters, about 1.7 nautical miles south-west of Sisters Island.

2 The dredger was transiting the westbound lane while the tanker was departing Singapore joining the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait when the incident occurred. The Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System had provided navigational information to both vessels prior the collision.

3 The dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged.

4 A total of 12 crew ─ 11 Chinese nationals and one Malaysian ─ were onboard the dredger at the time of incident. Seven of the Chinese nationals have been rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and transferred to the Singapore General Hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances for medical treatment. Five crew remain unaccounted for.

5 The tanker reported damage to her starboard bow but is stable and anchored at the Eastern Anchorage. Its 26 Indonesian crew did not sustain any injuries.

6 MPA is leading the Search and rescue (SAR) operations and relevant Singapore agencies are rendering all assistance. Two MPA tug boats have moved the partially submerged dredger safely to an area near Pulau Senang for follow up underwater search operations. In addition, MPA has deployed three patrol craft to assist in the SAR operation and the Republic of Singapore Navy, SCDF and PCG have also deployed a total of seven vessels on scene to support the SAR.

7 A Super Puma helicopter from the Republic of Singapore Air Force has commenced aerial search at 7am.

8 MPA has also issued navigational broadcasts for ships to look out for the missing crew and to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the incident site.

9 There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

10 MPA is investigating the incident.


Last missing crew from ship collision on Sep 13 found, identified: MPA
Channel NewsAsia 10 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE: The search and recovery operations for the missing crew members following the collision between a dredger and a tanker in Singapore territorial waters on Sep 13 have concluded, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

In a statement on Friday (Nov 10), the authority said the body of the last missing crew member of dredger JBB De Rong 19 was found and identified on Nov 5.


The body was found inside the accommodation structure of the dredger by divers during salvage operations, MPA said.

As all 12 crew members on board the vessel are now accounted for, with seven rescued and five bodies recovered, search and recovery operations have concluded, MPA added.

The Dominican-registered dredger collided with the Indonesian-registered tanker Kartika Segara about 1.7 nautical miles south-west of Sisters' Islands at about 12.40am on Sep 13.

The dredger capsized.

Source: CNA/ms

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Occupants of green buildings less prone to 'sick building syndrome': Study

SIAU MING EN Today Online 12 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE – Occupants of buildings with a Green Mark certification are less prone to fatigue, headaches, and irritated, dry or itchy skin, otherwise known as the “Sick Building Syndrome”, found a research study here.

Jointly conducted by the Building Construction Authority (BCA) and the National University of Singapore, findings from this study were revealed by the authority at the opening of the Singapore Green Building Week on Tuesday (Sep 12).

Conducted since 2014, the study analysed eight Green Mark and six non-Green Mark office buildings that are between three and 50 years old and looked at their Indoor Environment Quality. Those occupying the buildings were also surveyed over a week in each building.

The Green Mark scheme is used by the BCA to evaluate the environmental impact of a building’s facilities and operations.

Among the key findings, the study found that the green buildings helped create a healthier indoor environment as their higher performing filters were able to filter out fine particulates such as PM2.5 and bacteria more effectively than those in buildings without the green certification.

In the survey with occupants, those working in the Green Mark buildings were more satisfied with the temperature, humidity, lighting, air quality and indoor environment.

They were also less likely to experience the sick building syndrome, such as the unusual fatigue, headache, irritated, dry or itchy skin.

BCA said these findings will be used to refine future Green Mark schemes. For a start, this will be piloted as a new set of criteria for the Green Mark for existing non-residential buildings scheme for a year to improve their indoor environment quality. This could mean getting building owners to adopt smart control systems to operate the buildings and use highly efficient filters in air distribution systems and sensors to monitor indoor air pollutants.

A BCA spokesperson said as energy efficiencies improve, the BCA would like to also increase the weightage of other criteria such as building “smart and healthy buildings”, as part of the entire Green Mark scoring system.

“That will motivate the designer, the building owner, the developer to place greater emphasis on indoor environmental quality issues,” he said.

In addition, BCA is working with the Health Promotion Board to develop a new Green Mark scheme to encourage better infrastructure and health-related programmes at the workplace to encourage healthy practices among the office occupants.

For example, the physical design of the building could encourage occupants to take the stairs instead of the lift or organise workshops related to people’s health and well-being.

More details will be announced in the middle of next year, but the BCA hopes to get about two to four companies to participate in the initiative for a start.

To allow building owners to benchmark their building’s energy performance against buildings of similar types, the BCA said they will publicly disclose the energy performance data of commercial buildings of owners who have voluntarily agreed to do so starting this week. This covers about three-quarters of all commercial buildings in Singapore.

The information will be available on BCA’s Building Energy Submission System website and Singapore’s open data portal data.gov.sg.


New initiatives under Green Building Masterplan to emphasise healthier work environments
Rachel Phua Channel NewsAsia 12 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: Some employees in Singapore can now look forward to working in a healthier environment as the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) updates its 3rd Green Building Masterplan.

Several new initiatives were announced on Tuesday (Sep 12) at the opening of this year’s Singapore Green Building Week, including changes to the Green Mark scheme.


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ADDITIONS TO GREEN MARK SCHEME SERIES

BCA will conduct a one-year pilot on a new set of criteria for the Green Mark for Existing Non-Residential Buildings certification, which was last revised in 2012. The new measurements will include greater requirements for building owners to improve their indoor air quality, as well as adopt "smart" control systems to operate their buildings.

For example, building owners will be encouraged to use high-efficiency filters in air distribution systems and sensors to monitor indoor air pollutants.

Higher-tier green mark projects will also have to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation survey to see how they can improve occupants’ comfort.

Changes to the scheme for existing non-residential buildings comes after the two major green mark schemes for new buildings were amended in 2015 and 2016.

The BCA also wanted to update the scheme for existing non-residential buildings after it conducted a study with the National University of Singapore on indoor air quality.

The research project found that buildings certified with a green mark had lower bacteria and pollutants in the air as compared to those not certified. And through a survey, they found that occupants in the Green Mark buildings were more satisfied with the indoor environment compared to their counterparts and less likely to experience "sick building syndrome" – when people feel unwell after staying inside a building for a period of time.

A new Green Mark scheme that is focused on improving the health of occupants through the office interior and wellness programmes offered will also launch in mid-2018.

The BCA is working with the Health Promotion Board to develop this separate scheme, which looks to encourage building owners and companies to offer “good designs such as the provision of energy efficient lighting and office equipment, as well as the development of workplace health-related programmes”, the BCA said.

MAKING SURE BUILDINGS ARE ENERGY-EFFICIENT

But the BCA is not forgoing the need to help buildings in Singapore consume less energy.

To encourage more building owners to go eco-friendly, data on how much energy each commercial building consumes is now publicly available on BCA’s online platforms. For now, the data was given voluntarily, but BCA said what will be made available already covers 76 per cent of all commercial buildings in Singapore.

The BCA is looking to make it mandatory for all commercial buildings to disclose their energy performance in “a couple of years”.

It hopes that this data platform will encourage building owners to reduce their building’s energy use through “peer pressure”. And by comparing how much energy other similar buildings use, it could spur them to think of more energy-saving – and hence, cost-saving – methods.

The BCA also revealed that it is developing a roadmap on how Singapore can create more energy-efficient buildings, or more specifically: low-rise buildings that produce more energy than it consumes; medium-rise buildings that generate as much energy as it uses; high-rise buildings that require much less energy than it usually does.

The roadmap will reveal what are some of the technologies building owners and tenants can tap on to green their buildings and how Singapore can enhance these equipment.

For example, the BCA is working with its partners on how to develop the country’s solar panel capabilities so that their efficiency levels improve and how more of these renewable energy sources can be installed around the island.

The BCA said it has not fixed a date to launch the roadmap yet. It also has yet to set a target on the number of such energy-efficient buildings it wants Singapore to host, but the agency said it hopes to have a “good mix of demonstration projects” by 2035.

MORE GREEN EXPERTISE NEEDED

A new target on the number of green building professionals BCA hopes to train has also been set – 25,000 green building professional by 2025. The earlier target was 20,000 by 2020.

So far, about 16,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians have been trained by higher learning institutes, the BCA Academy and industry associations, the BCA said.

To produce more green-minded individuals, some of the professions BCA is looking at are: architects that can design energy-efficient buildings; M&E engineers that know how to design devices that save energy; facilities managers that can operate a green building; researchers and developers with know-how on "smart" technologies.

With more green building professionals, Singapore will also be able to move up the global construction sector’s value-chain, as the country has the talent to produce eco-friendly building products – particularly those for places with tropical climates - that are also in demand internationally, BCA said.

More details about the manpower plan will be given during the Construction Industry Transformation Map, which will be released in October, BCA added.
Source: CNA/aa

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Malaysia: Mantanani Island may become Sabah's next marine park, says Masidi

AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 12 Sep 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Mantanani Island, a well-known site for recreational diving off Kota Belud, and its surrounding areas have been identified as Sabah’s next potential marine park.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the state government aims to turn 10 per cent of Sabah’s waters into protected marine areas.

He said the government has identified several potential areas to achieve that goal.

“The United Nations has invited us to gazette at least 10 per cent of our ocean and we have gazetted 7.6 per cent, with the current size of protected marine parks in Sabah at two million hectares.

“I’ve asked my assistant minister (Datuk Pang Yuk Ming) to form a committee to look into the possibility of increasing the size of these marine parks so that we can comply with the 10 per cent requirement.

“We have ample amounts of areas that we can eventually turn into parks and we have identified several. This reflects the good conservation policies that the state government has started and continued to implement.

“We are actually looking at Mantanani and we are seriously considering turning (Mantanani) into a protected marine park,” he told reporters after launching the Maritime Environmental Security Workshop 2017 here, today.

Masidi, however, said this would take some time as the plan depends on the government’s engagement with local residents, district office, and other relevant quarters.

He said the ministry is in the midst of preparing the necessary technical requirements before bringing the proposal to the state government’s attention.

“It’s not something we have to do in a hurry. We have to take into account the current status of Mantanani as an agriculture area but we believe the island is an excellent candidate to be considered as a marine park,” he said.

Last year, the state government gazetted Tun Mustapha Park off Kudat. Spanning approximately 898762.76 hectares, it is Malaysia’s largest marine park.

Sabah’s two other marine parks are Tun Sakaran Marine Park off Semporna and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park off Kota Kinabalu.

Speaking on the maritime environmental security workshop, Masidi described the conference as important to Sabah.

He also extended his gratitude to the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for organising and sponsoring the event.

The four-day workshop, which starts today, will see participants made up of ministers, officers, and military personnel from the US and Malaysia, as well as non-governmental organisations presenting talks and ideas related to the subject.

“This workshop reflects the strong partnership between Sabah and the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. I am pleased that the US embassy has acknowledged Sabah’s uniqueness in the field of marine protection.

“I believe participants will make use of this workshop to share views and find ways to protect our marine treasures while getting input on suitable methods to be used in Sabah to allow us to increase our ability to protect marine resources,” said Masidi.

Meanwhile, US Embassy’s environmental officer Todd Hannah said the US was committed to global environment conservation.

She also said the workshop speaks volume of the importance of Malaysia’s relationship with the US.

“That is why we have this sustain this relationship and we will continue to have such relationship with Malaysia on environmental issues.

“One of the most important outcomes of this workshop is to convene like-minded people in the same room to have conversations on the way forward.

“On resources, the US has to make a decision on where to put its money and the fact we are here doing this (workshop) now shows how important our relationship is with South East Asia, including Malaysia."

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Malaysia: Environmental Education to be introduced as subject by 2019

manjit kaur The Star 12 Sep 17;

IPOH: Environmental Education as a subject is expected to be introduced in schools and universities by 2019.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the draft of the proposal would be presented in Cabinet next year.

Wan Junaidi said the suggestion was made by him earlier this year, not only for the subject to be introduced at primary and secondary school levels, but right from kindergarten to university.

"We are already in the midst of discussions with the Education Ministry on the matter.

"Once the discussions are completed with top officials from the ministry (Education), we are hoping to bring it over to the Cabinet by mid of next year," he told a press conference after speaking at the "Asean Dialogue" session at the Pangkor Dialogue 2017 here on Tuesday.

Wan Junaidi said the subject would help in addressing issues like environmental pollution and the importance of sustainable development.

"We need to start from an early age to create awareness on the importance of protecting the environment, and as a subject in school, it will be a great step forward," he added.


Schools to teach about Environment
The Star 13 Sep 17;

IPOH: Environmental education is expected to be introduced as a subject in schools and universities by 2019.

The draft would be presented to Cabinet next year, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

Dr Wan Junaidi said he mooted the suggestion earlier this year, not only for the subject to be introduced in the primary and secondary schools but also at kindergartens and universities.

“We are already in discussion with the Education Ministry.

Dr Wan Junaidi said with the syllabus in place, it would greatly help in addressing environmental pollution problems and the importance of sustainable development, among others.

“As a school subject, we can instil in children the importance of protecting the environment at an early age. It will be a great step forward,” he said.

During his talk, Dr Wan Junaidi said it was impossible to carry out development without thinking of sustainability.

He said the management of natural resources was important so that future generations could enjoy it.

“In Malaysia, we have several forests in Sabah, Perak and Langkawi that attract tourists from far and near,” Dr Wan Junaidi said.

“If these are destroyed it will also impact tourism.”

Dr Wan Junaidi said people were visiting countries in Europe and the United States, but there was just as much to see in Asean countries.

“For example, many people are not aware that the Sarawak Chamber at the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak is the largest in the world.

“It is so big that about 100 Boeing 747 planes can fit inside,” he added.

On a separate matter, Dr Wan Junaidi said more areas in the country would be included under the National Heritage Trust (Amanah Warisan Negara) to protect and maintain green zones.

He said that among these places were Pulau Anak Tikus, Kilim Geoforest Park and the Dropstone area measuring 1,200m in Langkawi.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced earlier that Taman Tugu in Kuala Lumpur has been placed under the National Heritage Trust.

“After the first discussion with Khazanah Nasional Bhd, I felt there are more treasures that must be included,” he added.

The Taman Tugu project will be completed in two years, comprising about 1,000 species of flora and fauna, camping grounds, hiking spots and pedestrian walkways.

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Indonesia: Food resilience issue poses huge challenge

Antara 11 Sep 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Food resilience issue poses a huge challenge at present, therefore the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry keeps trying to increase food productivity, according to an official.

"At present, every country faces a huge challenge concerning food resilience," Slamet Soebjato, director general of aquaculture of the ministry, said here, Monday.

The rapid population growth has triggered an increasing demand for food, he said.

The ministry has been doing efforts to increase food production in the fishery sector, among other things by expanding land productivity and carrying out accountable and sustainable management, he noted.

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has believed that it is the food sector and not politics and law that will hold the reins of power in future.

"Those who have food will hold the reins," the president stated in his oration at the open session of the anniversary of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, in Bogor, West Java, on Sept 6, 2017.

He said countries, in future, will compete to gain control over food, energy, and water, so it is necessary for the state to prepare logistics to make it resilient from being conquered.

"Without adequate logistics, the country can easily be conquered, as in future, food and not politics or law will have a commanding authority," he pointed out.

Hence, new paradigms and innovations in the food sector need to be made.

"Without this, it is difficult for us to compete with other countries," he added.

He reminded that Indonesia needs to adapt to the fast global changes if it does not want to lose its competitive edge.

The president admitted to often reminding his ministers about food-related issues. He cited as an example the fishermen who were unable to tackle the problem of trawls for years.

"Trawl problems have been faced for years, but they remain unresolved. However, the world has now shifted to offshore aquaculture. Why are we not able to adapt to these changes?" he questioned.

The head of state emphasized that fishermen should be imparted education, so that they can develop offshore aquaculture, and the problem of trawls can be solved.

In the agricultural sector, the president remarked that farmers will be able to enjoy added value by forming cooperatives to ensure that they are able to benefit from their agricultural plantations.

He admitted that most farmers in Indonesia have small land holdings, measuring some 0.25 - 0.3 hectares per farmer.

Fishermens, animal breeders, and farmers cooperatives need to be formed to improve their welfare, he added. (*)

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Scientists say damage to Florida's coral reef has made the state more vulnerable to storm surges

Chelsea Harvey The Washington Post 12 Sep 17;

As we begin to piece together the damage from Hurricane Irma in Florida, scientists are pointing to an environmental factor that may have made the storm's impact worse: the ongoing loss of coral on the state's increasingly threatened barrier reef.

At 360 miles long, the Florida Reef Tract is the third-largest barrier reef in the world, stretching from the Florida Keys up to Martin County. But as Chris Mooney of The Washington Post reported just a few months ago, the reef is in big trouble — scientists estimate that less than 10 percent of it is covered with living coral, the result of a long history of damage that, most recently, includes warming waters and back-to-back bleaching events in recent years.

Now, scientists say these losses may have weakened the reef's storm buffer.

Research demonstrates that "if you reduce coral reef health — if you go from that really rough coral reef with lots of live coral to a degraded coral reef with a relatively smooth surface — you have increased run-up in flooding," said Curt Storlazzi, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

In a follow-up email to The Post, he added that, based on recent observational and modeling studies, "the science indicates that had coral reefs been healthier across the Caribbean (including the Florida reef track), the resulting wave-driven run-up and coastal flooding of areas fronted by coral reefs would have been less than did occur (due to the current degraded nature of the coral reefs)."

And although the recent bleaching events along the Florida reef have drawn the most attention, new evidence suggests that this is part of a far broader — and longer — picture. A recent study in the journal Science Advances analyzed maps of the Florida Keys dating to the 18th century that noted the locations of coral reefs, and found that more than half the area formerly occupied by corals has been lost over the past 250 years. Most of these losses occurred near shore, suggesting that human influences and the expansion of European settlements most likely played a major role.

Related: [240-year-old nautical maps show coral loss is much worse than we knew]

Many scientific authorities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have pointed out that corals help reduce the risk of flooding during storms. The latter notes that reefs "contribute to protecting the shoreline from the destructive action of storm surges and cyclones."

"The main effect of coral reefs on flood reduction, period, is because of wave breaking," said Michael Beck, lead marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy. "It's acting like a submerged breakwater offshore, breaking those waves, reducing and dissipating that wave energy offshore, so that then only tiny little amounts of wave energy come onshore."

The effects are striking, research shows. One 2014 meta-analysis co-authored by Beck and Storlazzi along with other colleagues from Stanford, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Bologna in Italy, which compiled more than 250 individual studies, suggested that coral reefs may reduce the energy of incoming waves by up to 97 percent. Another meta-analysis from 2016 suggested that reefs may reduce the height of waves by 70 percent.

The effects of storm surge produced by hurricanes — that is, a temporary rising of the sea associated with large storms — can diminish the protective capacity of coral reefs by raising the water level, Storlazzi noted. But even in the case of storm surge, coral reefs can still have a significant buffering effect on wave action, he said.

Of course, it goes both ways — hurricanes can also damage reefs and weaken them.

Bleaching and death can make the physical structures of corals weak and brittle, Beck pointed out. This makes the tops of corals more likely to be broken off by strong waves, reducing the height of coral reefs and rendering them less useful in breaking up subsequent waves. In turn, climate change is also expected to contribute to higher sea levels and higher waves in many areas, making it tougher even for healthy corals to break them up.

A 2015 paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, co-written by Storlazzi and other scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and colleagues in the Netherlands, suggested that all of these factors — higher waves and greater degradation of coral reefs — will have a "significant negative impact on the ability of coral reefs to mitigate the effects of coastal hazards in the future."

Other research, meanwhile, has found that the seafloor around key reefs — including those in Florida — is getting deeper as the reefs themselves decline. This is because dead coral turns into sand and feeds the seafloor, but when reefs stop growing as much, less sand is provided.

This, too, weakens the protection provided by coral reefs, U.S. Geological Survey researcher Kimberly Yates told The Post earlier this year. "Erosion of coral reefs and seafloor is happening much more and much faster than what was previously known or expected, enough so that it's affecting those local sea level rises," she said. "Enough so that it increases the risk to the coastlines from coastal hazards, storm waves, everyday persistent waves, tsunamis and those kinds of things."

None of this is to say that the Florida Reef Tract, or any other coral reef, provides 100 percent protection against flooding or makes coastal communities "safe" in any way, Beck cautioned. But the reefs do significantly lessen the effect of waves, and their destruction is likely to have a noticeable effect.

"I think it's incredibly important to recognize that these coral reefs are our first line of defense, and when we degrade them, we put ourselves at much greater risk," he said.

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Third of Earth's soil is acutely degraded due to agriculture

Fertile soil is being lost at rate of 24bn tonnes a year through intensive farming as demand for food increases, says UN-backed study
Jonathan Watts The Guardian 12 Sep 17;

A third of the planet’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24bn tonnes a year, according to a new United Nations-backed study that calls for a shift away from destructively intensive agriculture.

The alarming decline, which is forecast to continue as demand for food and productive land increases, will add to the risks of conflicts such as those seen in Sudan and Chad unless remedial actions are implemented, warns the institution behind the report.

“As the ready supply of healthy and productive land dries up and the population grows, competition is intensifying for land within countries and globally,” said Monique Barbut, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the launch of the Global Land Outlook.

“To minimise the losses, the outlook suggests it is in all our interests to step back and rethink how we are managing the pressures and the competition.”

The Global Land Outlook is billed as the most comprehensive study of its type, mapping the interlinked impacts of urbanisation, climate change, erosion and forest loss. But the biggest factor is the expansion of industrial farming.

Heavy tilling, multiple harvests and abundant use of agrochemicals have increased yields at the expense of long-term sustainability. In the past 20 years, agricultural production has increased threefold and the amount of irrigated land has doubled, notes a paper in the outlook by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European commission. Over time, however, this diminishes fertility and can lead to abandonment of land and ultimately desertification.

The JRC noted that decreasing productivity can be observed on 20% of the world’s cropland, 16% of forest land, 19% of grassland, and 27% of rangeland.

“Industrial agriculture is good at feeding populations but it is not sustainable. It’s like an extractive industry, said Louise Baker, external relations head of the UN body. She said the fact that a third of land is now degraded should prompt more urgent action to address the problem.

“It’s quite a scary number when you consider rates of population growth, but this is not the end of the line. If governments make smart choices the situation can improve,” Baker said, noting the positive progress made by countries like Ethiopia, which has rehabilitated 7m hectares (17m acres).

The impacts vary enormously from region to region. Worst affected is sub-Saharan Africa, but poor land management in Europe also accounts for an estimated 970m tonnes of soil loss from erosion each year with impacts not just on food production but biodiversity, carbon loss and disaster resilience. High levels of food consumption in wealthy countries such as the UK are also a major driver of soil degradation overseas.

The paper was launched at a meeting of the UNCCD in Ordos, China, where signatory nations are submitting voluntary targets to try to reduce degradation and rehabilitate more land. On Monday, Brazil and India were the latest countries to outline their plan to reach “land degradation neutrality”.

However, the study notes that pressures will continue to grow. In a series of forecasts on land use for 2050, the authors note that sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, the Middle East and north Africa will face the greatest challenges unless the world sees lower levels of meat consumption, better land regulation and improved farming efficiency.

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