wildsingapore news: water

Showing posts with label water. Show all posts

Showing posts with label water. Show all posts

Stretch of Kallang River gets $86 million upgrade, with flood protection and water features

Lim Min Zhang Straits Times 7 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE - A 1.8km stretch along Kallang River has received a facelift, to make it not only more attractive, but also a better defence against the onslaught of rain.

The four-year, $86-million project called ABC Waters @ Kallang River is meant to boost flood protection for residents in the area, as well as to strengthen the canal's structural integrity.

With the canal wider and deeper, drainage capacity has been increased by 80 per cent.

The drainage improvement works by national water agency PUB at Singapore's longest river was completed recently and unveiled on Saturday (Sept 7), at an event attended by Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MPs Ng Eng Hen and Chong Kee Hiong. Dr Ng is also Defence Minister.

Previously, this part of the canal, between Bishan and Braddell roads, was plain concrete and did not have such water features.

PUB releases thousands of fish in Pandan Reservoir to combat midges

Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 19;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB has released "tens of thousands" of fish into Pandan Reservoir, the latest measure employed to try to control the midge pupae population, it said on Friday (Sep 6).

The release of the guppies, mollies and swordtails into the reservoir was done in a controlled manner that does not affect its ecosystem, PUB said in a Facebook post.

Midges, which are commonly mistaken for mosquitoes, are small insects which exist in and near water bodies.

"While these midges do not bite or spread diseases, they can be a nuisance when present in large numbers," said PUB.

Malaysia: Nearly 150,000 to be affected by month-long scheduled water cuts in three districts in Johor

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 3 Sep 19;

JOHOR BARU: The lack of rainfall and the ongoing hot weather in the last two weeks have caused the water level at the Machap Dam to fall to critical level, disrupting supply to almost 150,000 consumers in three areas in Johor.

In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 3), the National Water Services Commission (Span) said the condition at the dam had forced water supply company, SAJ Ranhill, to activate scheduled cuts for about a month.

"Following this, it is estimated that a total of 149,550 consumers from 29,910 accounts around Simpang Renggam, Layang-Layang and Pontian Utara would be affected from Monday until Oct 2.

"To ensure that clean water supply is optimised under limited resource conditions, Ranhill SAJ will arrange to supply water for 36 hours, followed by the next 36 hours without water," said the statement.

Span also pointed out that besides Machap, three other dams in Johor were also at critical levels - the Lebam dam, Upper Layang dam and Pulai dam.

Indonesia: 16 sub-districts in N Sulawesi brace for drought

Antara 2 Sep 19;

Manado, North Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Sixteen sub-districts in eight districts and municipalities in North Sulawesi have braced for drought during the current severe dry season, according to Muhamad Candra Buana, spokesman of the North Minahasa climatology station.

The eight districts and municipalities were Manado, Bitung, Bolaang Mongondow, North Bolaang Mongondow, East Bolaang Mongondow, Southeast Minahasa, North Minahasa, and Sitaro Islands, he said here on Monday.

In Bitung, severe dry spell affected the sub-districts of Aertembaga, North Lembeh and Matuari. In Manado, the drought-hit sub-districts were Mapanget, Malalayang and Bunaken. In Bolaang Mongondow, Bolaang and North Dumoga sub-distr4icts were hit by extreme dry season.

One of Singapore's oldest water treatment plants upgraded for $162m to boost water resilience

Audrey Tan and Jacklin Kwan Straits Times 29 Aug 19;

SINGAPORE - One of Singapore's oldest water treatment plants has been upgraded with state-of-the-art technology, in a move that will boost the Republic's water resilience in the face of climate change.

The upgraded Choa Chu Kang Waterworks, which is also more energy- and cost- efficient now, was officially opened by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Thursday morning (Aug 29).

The Choa Chu Kang plant treats water from Kranji, Pandan and Tengeh reservoirs before it is delivered to taps in homes, businesses and industry.

Climate change may cause the quality of water in Singapore's reservoirs to deteriorate, said Mr Masagos during the event.

He pointed to how rising temperatures could result in warmer waters, while intense rainfall could lead to an excessive amount of nutrient runoff being washed into waterways and reservoirs.

"These conditions are likely to fuel algae growth in the reservoirs, which will need to be removed as part of the water treatment process," said Mr Masagos.

August 2019 likely the driest and warmest on record, says Met Service

Channel NewsAsia 30 Aug 19;

SINGAPORE: This month was likely Singapore's driest and warmest August on record, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Friday (Aug 30).

The record-breaking readings come as the country experienced its first dry spell in more than five years, from Jul 31 to Aug 16.

At the climate station in Changi, the total rainfall recorded for August was 11.8mm as of Aug 29, breaking the previous August low of 18mm in 1888.

"August 2019 is thus on track to be the driest August in Singapore since rainfall records began in 1869," said the Met Service.

Malaysia, Johor: Situation in Pasir Gudang under control, no need to close schools - MB

VENESA DEVI The Star 30 Aug 19;

MUAR: The situation in Pasir Gudang is under control and there is no immediate need to shut down schools in the district, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

Dr Sahruddin said there has not been any new case reported since Thursday (Aug 29), and students who fell sick on Wednesday (Aug 28) have since recovered.

"Whether or not schools need to be shut down depends on the decision by the state education department.

Malaysia: Water treatment plants in Johor affected by hot weather, dry spell in state

VENESA DEVI The Star 24 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: Several water treatment plants have been affected by the dry spell in Johor, says State International Trade, Investment, and Utilities Committee chairman Jimmy Puah.

He said that the Sungai Gembut water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi could no longer operate normally due to the significant drop in the water supply.

"The water level at the treatment plant has dropped beyond its critical level of 0.0 meter to -0.87 meter. The plant is failing to operate normally," he said in a statement released on Saturday (Aug 24).

He added that several areas in the district are expected to experience water disruptions due to the dry spell and hot weather in the state

Singapore Mulls Bonds, Reserves for $72 Billion Climate Fight

Philip Heijmans and Yongchang Chin Bloomberg 21 Aug 19;

Singapore is weighing options including the issuance of government bonds to fund the S$100 billion ($72 billion) it could take to fight rising sea levels over the next century.

In the short-term, funding for projects such as a S$400 million upgrade to the city-state’s drainage systems to boost flood resilience will come from ministry-level expenditures, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in an interview on Wednesday. Longer term spending, he said, could require the government to tap its national reserves and issue state bonds.

“For those that have to be spent that will benefit future generations, we’re talking about borrowing so that whatever we spend for the future will also be paid for by the future generations,” Masagos told Bloomberg TV’s Haslinda Amin. “S$100 billion is actually a lot of money even if spent over 100 years.”

Indonesia: Greater Jakarta, Banten likely to experience intense drought

The Jakarta Post 21 Aug 19;

Residents of Greater Jakarta and Banten should prepare for drought for 20 to 60 days as there is little chance of rain until September, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned.

The agency said in a statement that most of Greater Jakarta and Banten is likely to experience an extended period of drought during the dry season.

Furthermore, the agency also forecast little chance of rain in the remainder of August and September.

Malaysia: Manage water resources better, urges Johor Regent

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 20 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: The Regent of Johor Tengku Mahkota Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, wants the state government to better manage its precious water resources.

This comes after Tunku Ismail, who was appointed as the Regent on Aug 11, attended a briefing on Johor’s water management at Bangunan Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad in Kota Iskandar on Sunday.

In a statement posted on Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar’s official Facebook page, Tunku Ismail said he takes a serious view of issues on pollution and mismanagement of water in the state.

He has urged the state government to start taking the necessary action to rehabilitate Johor’s waters and stamp out pollution.

Tunku Ismail also decreed that the state government should better manage its water resources and educate the public on proper water usage and awareness.

Malaysia: Johor expected not to depend on treated water supply from Singapore in 2022

Bernama 19 Aug 19;

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources expects Johor to no longer be dependent on the supply of treated water from Singapore by 2022, said its Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

He said the effort to reduce the dependency of treated water supply from Singapore was by ensuring treated water in Johor was sufficient.

“We have to make sure that Johor has sufficient treated water and does not need to get it from Singapore. Which is why we have to provide new water treatment plants in Johor.

“The capacity must reach 260 million litres a day. We already have an understanding that by the year 2022, we will have this capacity,” he told reporters after receiving a courtesy visit from Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal here today.

First dry spell in Singapore in more than 5 years: Met Service

Channel NewsAsia 16 Aug 19;

SINGAPORE: Singapore is experiencing its first dry spell in more than 5 years, according to a Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) advisory on Friday (Aug 16).

A dry spell is defined by MSS as a period of at least 15 consecutive days with daily total rainfall of less than 1mm, averaged over rainfall stations with long-term records across the island.

Malaysia: Water supplies dwindling in parts of S'wak as drought sets in

Stephen Then The Star 16 Aug 19;

MIRI: Water supplies in five districts in Sarawak have dwindled to critically-low levels.

The drought is starting in various locations in the state, even as battles to tackle forest fires continue.

Details from the state Disaster Relief Management Committee show that the Sri Aman Division in southern Sarawak is facing water shortages already.

Malaysia: Hot and dry weather until October, says the weatherman

The Star 8 Aug 19;

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia is expected to experience hot and dry weather with less rainfall until October, says Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.

She said apart from Malaysia, neighbouring countries Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia are expected to experience the same weather pattern.

"We expect to experience a shortage of rainfall with warmer and drier weather this year without the El Nino and La Nina phenomena until October, " she said when asked about the essence of the 21st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the Ministerial Steering Committee Sub-Region on Cross-border Haze Pollution in Brunei.

Indonesia: Drought affecting 20 districts, towns in West Java

Antara 6 Aug 19;

We have supplied more than 1.7 million liters of clean water to the families facing water scarcity
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - The West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported Tuesday that this year's protracted drought has affected 20 districts and towns leaving 166,957 families facing water scarcity. Among the affected areas were located in the cities of Bogor and Cirebon as well as the districts of Bekasi, Bogor, Karawang, Bandung Barat, Sumedang, Tasikmalaya, Bandung, Sukabumi, Purwakarta, Subang, and Kuningan, head of the agency's rehabilitation and reconstruction unit, Budi Budiman Wahyu, said.

The total number of affected districts and towns increased from 13 on July 17 to 20 on August 5, he said, adding that the drought had threatened 20,621 hectares of agricultural land and left 166,957 families facing water scarcity.

"We have supplied more than 1.7 million liters of clean water to the families facing water scarcity," he said.

He still reviewed a plan to declare a drought as proposed by the BPBD because related authorities had offered concrete solutions to those affected, West Java Governor M. Ridwan Kamil said.

PUB to carry out fogging, checks as midges multiply near Pandan Reservoir

Channel NewsAsia 1 Aug 19;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB will carry out inspections and fogging near Pandan Reservoir to control the rising midge population, it said on Thursday (Aug 1).

"There has been an increase in midges around the HDB blocks near Pandan Reservoir recently due to the hot and wet weather," said PUB in a Facebook post.

Midges, which are commonly mistaken for mosquitos, are small insects which exist in and near water bodies.

"While these midges do not bite or spread diseases, they can be a nuisance when present in large numbers," said PUB.

"PUB has been closely monitoring the situation and has stepped up measures at the reservoir to control the midge population."

Indonesia: Drought threats may affect food prices: researcher

Antara 28 Jul 19;

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government would need to seriously address the threat posed by drought as it could lead to the risk of crop failures and furthermore affect food prices, a researcher at he Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) Galuh Octania said.

"The risk of crop failure cannot be separated from drought as most parts of Indonesia has started to experience dry season," Octania said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.

Hence, she said, the government must be aware of the possibility of soaring food prices.

Malaysia: Ulu Muda logging suspension costing Kedah economy RM435m

Audrey Dermawan New Straits Times 22 Jul 19;

ALOR STAR: The economic cost of suspending logging activities in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve (UMFR) currently stands at RM435.52 million, says the Kedah Loggers’ Association (PPNK).

PPNK chairman Wan Muhammad Amin Mokhtar said this loss of revenue to Kedah's economy, being shouldered by loggers, resulted from the suspension of the Selective Management System logging on 20,000ha of the UMFR, out of the 106,418ha forest reserve.

The remaining hectarage is not a production forest and, thus, is fully protected.

He said this loss had not only impacted the logging industry but also other industries and the general population of the state.

Tropical cities will face 'unknown climates' by 2050

David Fogarty Straits Times 22 Jul 19;

Many of the world's major cities will face sharply different climates by 2050, with those in the tropics such as Singapore and Jakarta facing conditions they have never experienced before, including more intense rainfall and extreme droughts, researchers say.

Cities are on the front line for climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels, heatwaves, droughts and threats to food security.

Half of the planet's population lives in cities and by 2050, little more than a generation away, three in four will live in urban areas, says the United Nations.

Singapore is boosting its defences and resilience. Last week, the Government announced it will pump $400 million over the next two years into upgrading and maintaining drains, and channel $10 million into studying sea level rise. These are just two of many measures meant to guard against a multitude of climate threats.

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