African coastal populations at risk from rising sea levels

Irin, Saturday Nation 22 May 09;

NAIROBI: Several large African cities are at risk from rising sea levels and intense storms, experts warn.

Poor neighbourhoods and slums in Bugama and Okrika in Nigeria, Freetown in Sierra Leone, Bathurst in the Gambia and Tanga in Tanzania, are especially vulnerable.

In such low-income urban centres, infrastructure is often non-existent or ill-maintained while storm-water drainage infrastructure is often outdated and inadequate, according to a World Bank report titled Sea level Rise and Storm Surges.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a trend has emerged since the mid-1970s where storms tend to last longer and become more intense, with a strong correlation to the rise in tropical sea surface temperature.

In sub-Saharan Africa, storm surge zones are concentrated in Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Nigeria. These countries alone account for about half (53 per cent) of the total increase in the region’s surge zones resulting from sea level rise and intensified storms.

At least three cyclones struck Madagascar between January and April 2009, affecting thousands.

In Mozambique, one of the most vulnerable coastlines in Africa, 15 of the 56 tropical cyclones and tropical storms that entered the Mozambique Channel from 1980 to 2007 made landfall.
Tropical cyclones, also called typhoons and hurricanes, are powerful storms generated over tropical or sub-tropical waters whose impact includes extremely strong winds, torrential rains, high waves and damaging storm surges, leading to extensive flooding.

“Coastal flooding has started to be of concern in the last 10 to 15 years,” Pedro Tomo, director of the Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management, told IRIN. “Now, a few times each year, there are people who wake up in water.”

In 50 years, Tomo said, some coastal towns will disappear if nothing is done.

Such a scenario would not just displace the population, but also damage economic infrastructure, said Michel Matera, an official of the UN Development Programme in Mozambique.

At least 2.5 million people live in Mozambique’s coastal areas, surviving on rain-fed farming and fishing. But migration to coastal towns is placing more people, infrastructure and services at risk, according to a study by the Mozambique institute.

Researchers project a 3-5 per cent increase in wind speed per degree Celsius increase of tropical sea surface temperatures. “The current understanding is that ocean warming plays a major role in intensified cyclone activity and heightened storm surges,” the study stated.

In a scenario of a high, non-linear sea-level rise due to polar ice melting, Beira (a coastal town) “will be cut off from the interior and will likely become an island...” Maputo’s port, its rail links and oil facilities, which are on an estuary, are also subject to flooding.

Studies show that Mozambique, Ghana and Togo may lose more than 50 per cent of their coastal gross domestic product (GDP), but losses would be highest in Nigeria (US$407.61 million).

Coastal agriculture, in terms of extent of croplands, will be affected 100 per cent in Nigeria, 66.67 per cent in Ghana, and 50 per cent in Togo and Equatorial Guinea.

Mauritania is experiencing the impact of a changing climate exemplified by a steadily creeping desert and other extreme weather events. It is one of the countries likely to be worst affected by intensified storm surges.

Mauritania relies mainly on sand dunes as a natural barrier to control coastal flooding. The dunes cover a 5km stretch into the capital, Nouakchott.

Much of the land in and around Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, is less than 2m above sea level so it, too, is expected to be affected by rising sea levels.

In Cotonou, Benin, the continued advance of the sea, coastal erosion and the rise in sea levels are already threatening vulnerable communities and disrupting the least-protected sensitive ecosystems.

Zanzibar is experiencing marine flooding, partly due to mangrove and coconut plantation felling, said Waride Jabu, director of the disaster management department.

Jabu said high tidal waves were increasing. “So far, no damage to infrastructure has been noted, but the sea seems to be slowly eating the shore.” The Zanzibari disaster department was encouraging reforestation along the coastline.

In Eritrea, trees are being planted on the 1,100km coastline, said Solomon Haile, the director of the planning and statistics division in the Ministry of Agriculture.

More than half the coastal population of Djibouti, Togo, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Sudan would be at risk from intensified storms and rising sea levels, experts say.

According to the Mozambique study, the re-insurance industry has also recognised the need to increase the probability of tropical cyclones making landfall on vulnerable coasts in its risk calculations.

An average 78 million people worldwide are exposed each year to tropical cyclone wind hazard and another 1.6 million to storm surges. In terms of economic exposure, an annual average of $1,284 billion in GDP is exposed to tropical cyclones, according to the 2009 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction.

“Currently 10 per cent of the world’s total population and 13 per cent of its urban population live on the 2 per cent of the world’s land area that is less than 10m above sea level,” it stated. “In Africa, 12 percent of the urban population lives in this area.”

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New worries on Arctic permafrost thaw

Alister Doyle, Reuters 22 May 09;

OSLO (Reuters) - A rise in concentrations of a powerful greenhouse gas over the Arctic after a decade of stability is stirring worries about a possible thaw of vast stores trapped in permafrost, experts said.

Levels of methane in the atmosphere rose 0.6 percent in 2008, according to preliminary data from the Zeppelin station on a remote island in the Norwegian Arctic, after a similar 0.6 percent gain in 2007, Norwegian officials said.

The 2007 rise outpaced a global rise in methane of 0.34 percent to a new record high after levels had been stable for about a decade. World data for 2008 are not yet available.

"The biggest worry is that there are emissions from the permafrost, and also from wetlands in the northern region," said Catherine Lund Myhre, senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.

A thaw of permafrost, such as in Siberia or Canada, could release vast amounts of trapped greenhouse gases and in turn accelerate global warming. "There may be several causes for the rise. Currently it's not solved," she told Reuters.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas behind carbon dioxide, accounting for about 18 percent of the heat-trapping greenhouse effect from human activities that might trigger more heatwaves, floods or rising seas.

Methane is emitted from natural sources -- such as from decaying plants in swamps or by termites -- and by human use of fossil fuels, rice paddies, landfills and from the digestive tracts of animals such as cows and sheep.

Paul Fraser, a chief research scientist at the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization, said wetlands, both in the tropics and in the north, seemed a likely source of extra methane after a drier period.

WET TROPICS

Studies indicated that 2007 and 2008 were the wettest years in the tropics for 25 years -- perhaps prompting wetland emissions. High summer temperatures in 2007 in northern regions also led to releases from wetlands, he said.

But he dismissed deeper sources such as permafrost or other frozen deposits, known as clathrates. "Nobody believes that permafrost or deeper methane sources could be involved on such short time scales," he said.

Fraser said the world rise in methane may now be slowing.

"It's difficult to say where the methane is coming from," said Marit Viktoria Pettersen, a senior adviser at the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, of the high Arctic measurements.

"It could be methane from thawing permafrost ... We do not know," she said.

Other possible reasons for high recordings in the Arctic could include a shift in local winds. And new Arctic industrial sources include Russian coal and natural gas activities, or flaring from a StatoilHydro gas field.

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China: rich nations must cut emissions by 40 percent

Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press Yahoo News 21 May 09

SHANGHAI – Wealthy nations, as history's biggest polluters, should cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, China says in a policy document on climate change. The government also rolled out fresh help for solar power and other "green energy."

The reductions China is calling for are based on the principles of "historical responsibility and fairness," the position paper says, and set a hard line ahead of international negotiations on addressing global warming.

A U.N. conference set for December in Copenhagen aims to draft a new agreement on controlling carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases that scientists say are causing the Earth to warm. Delegates will meet in Bonn, Germany, next month to begin discussing the text of that agreement.

China's position paper was posted Thursday on the Web site of the National Development and Planning Commission, the country's main economic planning agency.

Meanwhile, the government announced new support for solar and wind power and other renewable energy sources.

In a meeting Thursday with provincial officials, the Ministry of Finance promised 38 billion yuan ($5.6 billion) in subsidies to promote wider use of wind and solar power and encourage the use of energy efficient cars and appliances, state-run media reported Friday.

China, which relies on heavily polluting coal for about three-quarters of its electricity, has sought to spotlight its efforts to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions, but has not committed to specific targets in climate talks.

The policy document issued this week gave no specific targets for China or other developing countries, but instead reiterated demands for technology transfers and other support.

Rich countries should provide at least 0.5 percent to 1 percent of their annual gross domestic product to help developing countries upgrade technology, cut emissions and adapt to the consequences of climate change, the document said.

China has welcomed President Barack Obama's commitment to tackle climate change and re-engage in the international negotiations to come to an agreement in December.

But despite that shift, "the developed world has yet to do its due part in tackling climate change," the official newspaper China Daily said Friday in a commentary.

"No solution to fight global warming will be genuine enough, and thus practical enough, if developed countries keep glossing over their historical responsibility on this issue," it said.

The U.S. — which also has not issued targets for reducing emissions — has said that any agreement to combat global warming should require developing countries like India and China to reduce emissions.

Together, the U.S. and China are the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, accounting for 40 percent of the global total.

While visiting Prague this week, Premier Wen Jiabao shrugged off pressure from the European Union for China to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, though he backed EU efforts to reach a new global climate change accord to replace the U.N. Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

The EU says it will reduce emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and will go to 30 percent if major world nations will make similar cuts.

Experts say emissions must peak in 2015 and then fall by half by 2050 to limit global warming.

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Living it up, and lending a hand: luxury voluntourism

Business Times 23 May 09;

The recession is sending a steady stream of high-net-worth travellers down the philanthropic travel and luxury voluntourism routes, despite a slump in global tourism figures. But who's benefiting? By Audrey Phoon

NEXT week, two of Christopher Hill's clients will embark on a trip to Brazil, where they will spend a few days schooling street kids and help renovate a dormitory at a children's home in the city of Campinas in Sao Paulo.

What they will not be doing, however, is roughing it out. Throughout the 15-day trip, the travellers will rest on the plumped-up beds of modish hotels and spend the remainder of their time experiencing the finest of what the surrounding regions have to offer - that is, generally vacationing to a tune seldom heard of in these downturn-muffled days.

The pair are not the only ones to have signed up for such an experience lately. Philanthropic travel or luxury voluntourism - as this upmarket sightsee-cum-do-good travel category is known - is the newest trend in high-end vacationing, and to meet the growing demand a number of organisations proffering it in various forms have recently sprung up.

Apart from Mr Hill's UK-based Hands Up Holidays, which was set up in 2006 and is one of the pioneers in the field, other specialists in swanky philanthropic-minded travel include Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel, which combines 'fundraising learning experiences' with luxe trips to some of the world's most exotic places, and Heart+Passion, which offers upmarket holidays interwoven with medical and care missions.

Top-tier hotel chains such as Fairmont and The Ritz-Carlton began offering their share of high-end help too last year, in the form of the Community Conscious Vacations and Give Back Getaways programmes, respectively. These allow guests to comfortably contribute to the community during their stays: at the Fairmont Winnipeg, for example, guests can assist in building homes for needy families under a scheme that the hotel has developed together with Habitat For Humanity. For a little more than the price of a room, they can purchase a package that includes accommodation at the Fairmont, transportation to and from the building site as well as what will probably be a much-needed amenity kit comprising band-aids, hand cream and access to the hotel's steam room.

Admittedly, philanthropic travel is still on the cusp of travel preferences in Singapore. But there are signs that it is picking up speed - lifestyle group and concierge service Quintessentially, for one, says it has put together a few such packages here. And locals are getting a taste of what such a vacation could be like through The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, which organises regular social visits to St Theresa's Home that are open to non-guests.

What's interesting about this genre of travel is that, even as the United Nations World Tourism Organization reported in March that tourism had dived by nearly 8 per cent earlier this year as compared to the same period in 2008, the figures for philanthropic travel 'continue to grow strongly', note the operators interviewed by BT Weekend.

'The economic recession is helping global citizens realise our vulnerability and awaken to our humility,' declares David Chamberlain, Exquisite Safaris' founder. Either that, or the people who can spend are shelling out for these feel-good vacations that assuage any guilt about spending.

He continues: 'People who have found success in their chosen careers are getting the call to do something more with their lives; to contribute generously to a world desperately in need of their help.'

Siobhan Flanagan, corporate communications manager of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, confirms this. 'Research shows that luxury travellers are looking for experiences that offer value, but that also align with their values,' she says. 'Increasingly, people are refocusing on what's important to them, be it family, friends or community involvement, and (such holidays) provide a simple way to give back to local organisations.'

Hype or heart?

But are these short-term commitments really beneficial to the communities in need? Some individuals, such as IT manager CK Lai, feel that it's a case of the wealthy merely depriving the locals of much-needed jobs. 'By paying for your 'experience' and doing physical tasks, you are probably taking away the job from someone in the community who could really use the money,' he says. 'And if you don't have specific expertise that you can contribute, such as medical training, then you're better off leaving the job to others who do.'

Lawyer and regular volunteer Amy Lee adds: 'Charity work is all about identifying with the cause. A short stint here and there will not do justice to it. It may also not be respectful of the community we have to work with - we should leave the community in a condition that does not make them resentful of their own conditions.'

In any case, volunteer work and living it up luxuriously just don't gel - at least not on the same trip, reckons Ms Lee. 'I would support philanthropic travel - but as much as I love my Conrad Hotels, I must say that part of the fond memories of my charity work is the cheap lodging,' she says. 'It has a very bonding effect on the team. Your memories are unique to you and your team because you suffered together. Staying at the Conrad at the end of the day won't be the same.'

Still, there are others who would argue that philanthropic travel helps draw out vital contributions from those who would otherwise never consider leaving the comfort of their plush homes to contribute to needy communities. Explains Hands Up Holidays' Mr Hill: '(This sort of travel) makes volunteering accessible to people who might otherwise be put off by the perception that you have to 'rough it' to volunteer, or that you have to go and help for long periods of time. And these people frequently have specialist skills such as in marketing, accounting, design and medicine that can be of benefit even with four to five days of volunteering.'

He continues: 'Part of our aim is also to inspire our guests to become long-term donors and passionate advocates for the projects they get involved in, which makes the impact long-term.'

Help or hindrance, what's certain is that philanthropic travel is playing a role in gradually changing mentalities and driving societies towards more community consciousness. And it may also heighten awareness of issues closer to home.

Says Belinda Yap, who visited a home for the elderly last month as part of one of The Ritz-Carlton's Give Back Getaways: 'Even though we only spent a few hours with the residents, we could see they were very happy to have visitors come by to talk to them. After the trip, I realised I should try to spend more time with my own aged parents and include them in more activities.'

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Best of our wild blogs: 22 May 09

Biodiversity consultation @ Envirofest
on Otterman speaks

Envirofest 2009 and the handing over of The Blue Plan
on the habitatnews blog

Biodiversity Day talk on alien invasives - twitter coverage on the Biodiversity crew @ NUS blog

Major port projects to continue
Pasir Panjang and Changi plus dredging on the wild shores of singapore blog

Death by stonefish
on the annotated budak blog and back to the blue and I won't bite

Wildfacts: Shared sightings updated
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Water Quality Modelling: "Ngee Ann Stream"
on the Water Quality in Singapore blog

Munia eating seeds of grasses III
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Red-winged Starling, another escapee for Singapore
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

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International Biodiversity Day sounds the alarm on invasive species

IUCN 22 May 09;

International Biodiversity Day, celebrated each year on May 22, pays tribute to the global importance of biodiversity, both as an asset for posterity and a vital resource for people and their livelihoods.

This year, International Biodiversity Day focuses on alien invasive species as major threats to biodiversity. Biological invasions are the result of species that are introduced to a new ecosystem in which they are not indigenous. They often cause great harm to their new environments.

These invasions are high on the list of current threats to biodiversity, ecosystems, species and the protected areas which support them. This has knock-on effects on the livelihoods of people that depend on them for their survival.

“The impact of alien invasive species is increasing both in the sea and on land, particularly with global change brought about by climate change,” says Jane Smart, Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group. “We all need to be aware of this link and consider it in our many activities to combat climate change.”

The IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is a network of leading specialists who provide technical advice to policy makers. The ISSG manages the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) and disseminate the most current and reliable information on invasive species ecology, their impacts on biological diversity and ways to prevent and control their spread. The GISD is recognized globally as a key resource by our many partners in conservation action against invasive species.

The 2009 International Biodiversity Day marks the start of the celebrations around biodiversity that will intensify as we get closer to 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity. 2010 will be a very important year for biodiversity conservation.

The United Nations General Assembly will host a special session on biodiversity and the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity will meet on several occasions during the year culminating in its 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Other biodiversity-related processes, like the discussions around the development of an Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the advancement of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study, will support and strengthen conservation work.

Many eyes will be looking closely at these processes and it is expected that by the time of the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in October, governments and stakeholders will have made up their minds about new biodiversity targets to replace the 2010 biodiversity target.

Time to Get Tough on Alien Species
UNEP 22 May 09;

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

22 May 2009 - International Biological Diversity Day 2009 spotlights perhaps one of the least know threats to biodiversity and economies-alien invasive species.

Some governments such as New Zealand are facing up to the challenge with tough customs controls on foreign plants and animals.

Others such as South Africa have well-funded eradication programmes. But far too many countries have failed to grasp the threat or are far too casual in their response.

This is a mistake of profound environmental and economic proportions. By some estimates alien invasive species may be costing the global economy $1.4 trillion or more while representing a further challenge to the poverty-related UN Millennium Development Goals.

So where are they coming from? In HG Wells' celebrated sci-fi saga, "The War of the Worlds" aliens invaded in space ships to wreak havoc and mayhem.

In the real world they are spread from one Continent to another via the global agricultural, horticultural and pet trades or by hitchhiking lifts in ballast water and on ship's hulls.

Free from natural predators and checks and balances, alien invasive spaces can explode in numbers in their new homes ousting native species, clogging waterways and power station intakes, bringing novel infections including viruses and bacteria, poisoning soils and damaging farmland.

Take water hyacinth. A native of the Amazon basin, it was brought to Continents like Africa to decorate ornamental ponds with its attractive violet flowers.

But there is nothing attractive about its impacts on Lake Victoria where it is thought to have arrived in around 1990 down the Kigera River from Rwanda and Burundi.

Hyacinth can explode into a floating blanket, affecting shipping, reducing fish catches, hampering electricity generation and human health.

Annual costs to the Ugandan economy alone may be $112 million. The plant has now invaded more than 50 countries world-wide.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the invasive witchweed is responsible for annual maize losses amounting to US$7 billion: overall losses to aliens may amount to over $12 billion in respect to Africa's eight principle crops.

The challenge is both a developed and developing economy one and the more scientists look at the issue the more concerned they become.

In the United States researchers believe they now know why a weed from Europe - garlic mustard - is damaging native hardwoods. The alien produces a poison which kills native fungi which the trees need to grow.

The scale is perhaps only now unfolding. One of the most comprehensive Continent-wide assessments to date has just been completed.

The Delivering Alien Species Inventories for Europe or DAISIE says there are now 11,000 invaders in Europe of which 15 per cent cause economic damage and threaten native flora and fauna.

Globalization and international trade will, when the economy recovers, increase the chances of new aliens to travel from one part of the world to another.

Meanwhile climate change is likely to favour some alien species currently constrained by local temperatures.

Scientists have termed them 'sleepers'-foreign agents who become embedded in a community to be activated some years later. Introduced rainbow trout into the UK is a case in point.

In War of the Worlds the Martians are defeated by an Earthly infection - perhaps a bout of flu - to which they have no resistance. Real world aliens are often made of sterner stuff.

Improved international cooperation through the UNEP-linked Convention on Biological Diversity is needed and stepped up support for the Global Invasive Species Programme.

Important too to boost the capacity of the responsible national customs and quarantine agencies, especially in developing countries and to accelerate via the UN's International Maritime Organization.

Preventing alien species entering a new country is going to be demonstrably cheaper than the cure of trying to eradicate a well-entrenched species.

Alien invasive species have for too long been given a free ride - raising awareness among policy-makers and the public and accelerating a comprehensive response is long overdue.

The DAISIE network of scientists is clear. Inaction "is becoming increasingly disastrous for Europe's biodiversity, health and economy". They could be speaking for the whole world.

Ban Ki-moon's message for the International Day for Biological Diversity
UNEP 22 May 09;

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Message On The International Day for Biological Diversity

22 May 2009 - The global decline in biodiversity remains alarming, despite agreement at the World Summit on Sustainable Development to significantly reduce the rate of loss by 2010.

The main causes include deforestation, changes in habitat and land degradation, often linked to the growing impact of climate change. Another threat – the focus of this year's observance of the International Day for Biological Diversity – is the spread of invasive alien species.

An unwanted by-product of globalization, non-native species are harming ecosystem services, livelihoods and economies throughout the world. The Government of South Africa alone is spending as much as $60 million per year in an attempt to eradicate plants, such as wattles, that are invading valuable farmland, river systems and economically important tourist sites such as the Cape Floral Kingdom.

In the Great Lakes of North America, zebra mussels are affecting shipping, fisheries and electric power generation. Throughout the islands of the Pacific Ocean, rats from foreign ships are exterminating indigenous birds. In many countries in Africa, water hyacinth is clogging lakes and rivers, to the detriment of aquatic wildlife and the communities and industries that profit from it.

There are many other examples of how invasive alien species can affect native biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and even human health. Such threats stand to be exacerbated by the other drivers of biodiversity loss, and climate change in particular. The implications for poverty reduction, sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals are profound.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is addressing the threat of invasive alien species by setting global priorities and guidelines, sharing information and expertise, and helping to coordinate international action. The most cost-effective and feasible method of control is prevention. To be successful, this strategy requires collaboration among Governments, economic sectors and non-governmental and international organizations. A country can only prevent invasions if it knows which species may invade, where they may come from and the best management options for dealing with them.

Individuals, too, have a responsibility. Abiding by local and international quarantine and customs regulations will prevent the spread of insect pests, weeds and diseases. A simple rule applies: leave living organisms in their natural habitats and bring home only memories.

Next year is the International Year of Biological Diversity. Highlights include a high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly and the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Nagoya, Japan. These events will help to shape future strategies to preserve the planet's ecosystems. Controlling invasive alien species and addressing the other causes of biodiversity loss is an increasingly urgent task. I urge all Governments, organizations and individuals to renew their efforts to protect life on Earth.

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Government spending S$68m to test-bed solar projects

Ryan Huang, Channel NewsAsia 21 May 09;

SINGAPORE: Singapore has achieved significant progress in its effort to become a "living laboratory" for solar energy.

Nine new solar test-bed projects in the private and public sector were unveiled on Thursday.

This brings the total commitment from the government for such projects, which allow the testing of new technology, to S$68 million.

This will also increase its installed base of solar systems to about 5 megawatts from just 200 kilowatts last year.

Singapore had earlier identified the development of clean technology as a key strategic growth area.

The nine new projects feature innovations such as a solar air-conditioning system which does not require electricity - a first in Singapore.

Another innovation being used in the testbed projects is the integration of solar panels into the building facade, by combining building materials with solar photo voltaic cells.

Another company specifically engineered roof clamps for its solar panels.

These were among the technologies used by the five private sector projects which were chosen by the Economic Development Board for their creative design and effectiveness.

The chosen projects are City Developments Limited's Tampines Grande, Lend Lease's 313@Somerset, Robert Bosch's regional headquarters building, Lonza Biologics's manufacturing facility, and Applied Materials' manufacturing facility.

The EDB said these projects will create opportunities for players in the cleantech industry - such as architects, engineers, developers and technology providers - to hone their expertise and track record which can position them for entry into the global energy market.

The EDB said Singapore is making good progress in its efforts to attract such test-bedding activities.

EDB's deputy managing director Manohar Khiatani said: "Singapore is looking at being the location where companies will find it attractive to carry out these activities here, be it foreign or local...

"If they can work together to come up with solutions, it really provides a win-win (situation) for both. The end-benefactor will be Singapore. We are positioning Singapore as a living lab."

The clean technology sector is expected to help Singapore generate S$3.4 billion in value-added and create 18,000 jobs by 2015. The fast-growing sector was estimated to be worth over US$150 billion globally in 2008, according to research firm New Energy Finance.

There is also potentially plenty of money to be saved. By adopting green features, a building such as the Tampines Grande is estimated to be able to cut its electricity bills by over half a million dollars annually.

The demand for green technology is expected to grow as it becomes cheaper and more efficient.

- CNA/ir

$68m war chest to grow solar industry
SOLAR panels of different shapes and sizes are finding their way onto Singapore's buildings as the nation bids to grow its solar industry.
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 21 May 09;

The Economic Development Board (EDB) said yesterday that it has handed out $8 million in grants for public and private solar projects which will develop Singapore's expertise in the technology.

The Government will spend a total of $68 million to test-bed solar projects and develop local skills in preparation for mass adoption when the technology becomes cheaper, said EDB managing director Beh Swan Gin.

The EDB-led Clean Energy Programme Office (Cepo) yesterday gave the Solar Pioneer Award under the $20 million Solar Capability Scheme to the first five private-sector projects. The scheme was launched last year.

They are City Developments' office building Tampines Grande, Lend Lease Retail's shopping complex 313@Somerset, Robert Bosch's regional headquarters building, and manufacturing facilities at Lonza Biologics and Applied Materials.

The EDB funds up to 40 per cent of the costs of certain solar projects.

The test-bed projects were chosen based on innovation, design, effectiveness and skills development, said the EDB.

Tampines Grande, for example, raised the bar by being the first private commercial building to use building integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV. This integrates solar panels into the facades of buildings.

It also built Singapore's first solar thermal air-conditioning system, which works by heating up water needed by chillers to produce chilled water.

The building, which won a platinum green building award for its green features, saves an annual 2.7 million kilowatt-hours and reduces carbon emissions by 1,400 tonnes a year.

Cepo also announced a second batch of public-sector projects under its $17 million Clean Energy Research and Test-bedding programme.

These are Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the Changi Airport Budget Terminal, National Environment Agency's Meteorological Station and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Separately, the Housing Board is committing $31 million to testing solar panels on its flats.

Altogether, Singapore's installed base of solar systems will increase by 25 times, from 200 kilowatts last year to about 5MW, when all the test-bed projects are up and running.

A new National Solar Data Repository centre was also announced, jointly set up by Singapore Polytechnic and the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore.

Data will be collated and studied to improve the efficiency of solar systems in the tropical climate, said its chief executive, Professor Joachim Luther.

EDB deputy managing director Manohar Khiatani said some firms have expressed interest in being 'solar utilities' where mass solar systems are aggregated and operated to achieve cost savings, although there are no details yet.

The EDB is also in talks to attract more 'key solar players' to further grow Singapore's solar ecosystem of firms, he said.

5 buildings get grants to install solar panels
Jamie Lee, Business Times 22 May 09

FIVE commercial buildings for office, retail and manufacturing use have received grants from a $20 million scheme to install solar panels, the Economic Development Board said yesterday.

It did not reveal the amount disbursed from the fund, saying that it is a small percentage. It noted that firms can receive grants of up to 40 per cent of the cost for solar panels.

Grants to 14 private and public solar projects so far total $8 million. or 21.6 per cent, of $37 million of funds, EDB said. The $37 million combines the $20 million solar capability scheme and $17 million set aside for clean energy research and test-bedding (Cert).

The five private sector projects that have received grants are: City Developments Ltd's Tampines Grande, Lend Lease Retail's 313@Somerset, Robert Bosch's regional headquarters building, Lonza Biologics' manufacturing facility and Applied Materials' manufacturing facility.

By year-end, Applied Materials is set to put up the largest solar installation in Singapore at its operations centre at Changi. The 5.7 sq metre panel to be installed - about the size of a Western king-size bed - can generate 430 megawatt hours (MWh) per annum. This is enough to power 95 four-room HDB flats.

CDL's office building Tampines Grande will incorporate a solar power system to provide air-conditioning to the atrium, the company said. It expects to save 2.7 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year.

Besides the five commercial projects, EDB has given grants to four public sector projects under Cert - Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Changi Airport budget terminal, the National Environment Agency's Meteorological Station and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

With the earlier five public sector projects, Singapore's total installed base of solar power systems stands at 5MWh, up from 200kWh in mid-2008.

Singapore as a living laboratory for solar energy
By TODAY | Channel NewsAsia 21 May 09;

SINGAPORE: The Clean Energy Programme Office has awarded the Solar Pioneer Award to the first five private sector projects under the S$20 million Solar Capability Scheme (SCS).

The five are City Developments Limited's Tampines Grande, Lend Lease's 313@Somerset, Robert Bosch's regional headquarters building, Lonza Biologics' manufacturing facility, and Applied Materials' manufacturing facility.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) says the projects were chosen for their innovative design and effectiveness. For instance, combining building materials with solar photo voltaic cells and using solar thermal air-conditioners.

In addition, four public sector projects have been added to the Clean Energy Research and Test-bedding (CERT) programme.

These are Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Changi Airport Budget Terminal, the National Environment Agency's Meteorological Station and the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Altogether, the government has committed S$68 million for solar testbeds, and this includes the Housing Board's solar test-bedding project which aims to fit solar panels in 30 HDB precincts by 2015.

With the latest projects, Singapore's installed base of solar systems will increase from just 200 kilowatts last year to about 5 mega watts. And this will go towards making 80 per cent of buildings here BCA Green Mark certified by 2030 as part of the Blueprint for a Sustainable Singapore.

The EDB says these projects will create opportunities for players in the cleantech industry - such architects, engineers, developers and technology providers - to hone their expertise and track record which can position them for entry into the global energy market.

The cleantech industry is expected to generate 3.4 billion dollars in value-added and create 18,000 jobs by 2015.

The Clean Energy Programme Office (CEPO) is Singapore's key inter-agency workgroup responsible for planning and executing strategies to develop Singapore into a global clean energy hub where clean energy products and solutions are developed here for the global market.

- TODAY/ yt

A bright future
Esther Ng, Today Online 22 May 09;

GRID parity — when solar power prices cost the same as retail electricity — may still be far away, but Singapore is already positioning itself as a solar test-bedding hub for when that day arrives.

Yesterday, five private sector projects were given the Solar Pioneer Award — under the $20-million Solar Capability Scheme (SCS) — for investing and integrating solar energy solutions in building design and test-bedding.

The awards were given out by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to City Developments Limited’s Tampines Grande, Lend Lease Retail’s 313 at Somerset, Robert Bosch’s regional headquarters building at Bishan, Lonza Biologics’ manufacturing facility at Tuas, and Applied Materials’ manufacturing facility at Upper Changi.

These were chosen for their innovative design and effectiveness. For instance, Tampines Grande combined building materials with solar photo voltaic cells and is the first commercial property in Singapore to use solar thermal panels to power its air-conditioning system. Though not enough togenerate electricity for the entire building, it is enough to cool the atrium and two lobbies.

Four public sector projects have also been added to the existing five in the $17-million Clean Energy Research and Test-bedding (Cert) programme. These are Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Changi Airport Budget Terminal, National Environment Agency’s Meteorological Station and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Out of the $37-million fund from Cert and SCS, $8 million has been given out to 14 projects — nine from Cert and five from SCS. These projects complement the Housing Development Board’s $31-million solar test-bedding project which aims to fit solar panels in 30 HDB precincts by 2015. With these new projects, Singapore’s installed base ofsolar systems will increasefive-fold from 200 kilowattslast year to about 5 megawatts.

The performance and climatic impact data from these test-bed sites will be captured by the newly-launched National Solar Data Repository — jointly set up by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore and Singapore Polytechnic.

The cleantech industry is expected to generate $3.4 billion in value-added and create 18,000 jobs by 2015.

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Egg=Life Turtle Conservation Campaign

Help Save Turtles with Just One Signature
WWF 21 May 09;

Petaling Jaya, 21st April 2009 – WWF-Malaysia today launched the “Egg=Life” campaign aimed at improving the protection of marine turtles in Malaysia. The campaign, which will run from Earth Day 22nd April to 30th September 2009, targets to gain pledges from 40,000 members of the public. People who sign up in support of WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign will pledge to:

• support laws that will ban the sale and consumption of all turtle eggs throughout Malaysia
• support the call for comprehensive and holistic Federal legislation to conserve marine turtles
• never consume turtle eggs, or trade in turtles or their parts

Anyone can sign up to support the campaign and help our marine turtles at wwf.org.my. Organisations and colleges that would like to undertake signature drives in support of the campaign can contact WWF-Malaysia for educational materials and postage-paid hardcopy sign-up forms.

At today’s launch, WWF-Malaysia Executive Director/CEO Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma said, “Turtles play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy; the same ecosystems which sustain our fisheries and tourism industries that provide food and livelihoods for millions of people. Marine turtles are threatened with extinction due to various factors, including: the practice of consuming turtle eggs, becoming accidentally caught in fishing gear, poorly planned coastal development, marine and nesting beach pollution as well as illegal trade of turtles and their parts.”

He explained that leatherback turtles have already been declared functionally extinct in Malaysia. In the 1950s, there were 10,000 leatherback nests in Rantau Abang each year; now there are less than 10. Moreover, turtle protection laws are inadequate. Current Federal law on turtles are limited. Under the Federal Constitution, it is the states that have the authority to make laws on turtles. State laws vary from state to state and are simply inadequate.

Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma appealed to the public and said, “Comprehensive and holistic Federal laws, additional resources and heightened enforcement are needed to effectively protect our turtles. Each signature in support of WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign will lend weight to efforts aimed at improving turtle protection legislation in Malaysia, and I hope that everyone will log on to wwf.org.my and help save turtles with just one signature.”

In Peninsular Malaysia, WWF-Malaysia works with partners including the Department of Fisheries Malaysia to conserve turtles at key nesting rookeries including Kem Terendak, Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting beaches in Melaka as well as Ma’Daerah and Setiu beaches in Terengganu. Melaka’s beaches are home to the peninsula’s largest population of hawksbill turtles – with 20 to 30% of the state’s total nestings occurring on the 120 meter strip of beach in

Pulau Upeh, the densest nesting beach in Melaka – while a significant population of green turtles nests on Terengganu’s beaches. These nesting beaches must be protected from pollution and development because they are critical to the survival of our marine turtles.

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Traditional whaling at Lamalera

It’s Just a Matter of Saving a Way of Life
Bernard L. Krova, Jakarta Globe 21 May 09;

Last week at the World Oceans Conference, the government officially declared 3.5 million hectares of critical marine habitat in the Savu Sea for conservation. Though government representatives have assured that traditional whaling — which has been supporting the surrounding communities’ means of living — will not be banned in the area immediately outside the zone, concerns still remain.

Residents of Lefo Lamalera, a fishing community in East Nusa Tenggara with a population of more than 1,700, have hunted whales for centuries using traditional methods. In what was agreed upon during the formation of the conservation area, Lamalera residents will still be allowed to hunt whales, their primary source of livelihood.

The concern now is that outside parties will attempt to transform the village’s economy from subsistence whale-hunting to commercial whale-watching. This possibility has been mentioned in three separate reports by Apex Environmental written for The Nature Conservancy, as well as in a joint report by the World Wildlife Fund and TNC.

However, tourism based on whale-watching is not likely to provide a sustainable enough substitute for whale-hunting for two key reasons.

First is the remoteness of Lamalera from the tourist center of Bali.

Getting to Lamalera from Bali takes a minimum travel time of three days by air and land. If there are already whale-watching tours operating in Bali, which, being a popular tourist destination, offers way more amenities, why will tourists still hassle themselves to get to Lamalera? Besides, the hundred or so tourists who visit Lamalera each year do so to see a unique way of life, not to see whales.

The other reason is revenue generated by whale-watching won’t be sufficient to sustain Lamalera. The only people benefiting primarily from whale-watching have been some losmen operators in the village. The alternative is to the advantage of a few, but whale-hunting can feed an entire village.
Besides the reasons mentioned, outsiders must understand that there is more to Lamalera’s whale-hunting than it appears.

Before the beginning of the hunting season, Lamalera people carry out a traditional ceremony, requesting blessings from their ancestors and paying respects to those who have died at sea. The ceremony is held every May 1 which signals the beginning of the whale-hunting season. According to tradition, hunters are not allowed to seize whales during their breeding phase, as well as young whales and pregnant ones. Hunters also avoid killing specific species such as minke whales because according to belief, this particular whale once came to the village’s aid. If hunters break these strict rules, it is believed that the hunting season will turn out a failure.

In short, whaling in Lamalera is not some mere form of recreation or mere profit venture; it is a way of life. And transforming this way of life will prove costly to the people who depend on it.
With limited farmland that can be tilled to serve a whole village’s needs, residents of Lefo Lamalera like myself depend on marine resources. There is no doubt that we agonize as well at how whales appear when they are killed, but Lefo Lamalera has no choice.

When a whale is caught, it is first distributed to those holding a share-right in the boat. These include crewmen, craftsmen and members of the clan who own the boat. From a single boat, there may be 40 or more share-right holders. When two or more boats cooperate to catch a whale, as is common, the number becomes twice as large. Most residents of Lamalera enjoy the whale captured through a method of reciprocity known as bfene and lamma, or joy in sharing and trade. We also believe that a whale is sent to support the life of widows and the poor living around Mount Labalekan. This belief system has existed for a long time, even before our Indonesian founding fathers.

Also, the people of Lamalera aren’t the only ones who benefit from whale hunting, but also the residents of the interior areas of Lembata Island, Adonara Island and even parts of Flores Island.
Because Lamalera residents have very little agricultural land, they acquire products such as maize, bananas, manioc and other fruits and vegetables by trading with farmers from the interior areas. For these farmers, Lamalera’s whales supply them with a source of protein.

To add, recent research at the University of Indonesia has shown that without whale meat, the traditional barter market will collapse, with detrimental effects for both the whale hunters of Lamalera and farmers from interior land.

Lamalera is one of the last remaining Indonesian whaling communities; it is categorized by the International Whaling Commission as aboriginal whaling.

Under the terms of the 1986 moratorium on whaling, the IWC allows aboriginal groups to whale but only on the basis of subsistence. The WWF went to Lamalera to conduct a survey to determine that the limited hunting does not endanger the world whale population or other endangered species. The global population of sperm whales — the kind caught in Lamalera — has been estimated at 360,000. The average number of whales being caught each year in Lamalera in the past 30 years has been about 21. The highest number of whales captured? It is pegged at 59, which occurred in 1969.

The cessation of whaling in Lamalera, therefore, will affect thousands of people, not just in Lamalera but in neighboring villages as well. We do not believe that tourism hinged on whale-watching can provide a sustainable alternative to traditional whale hunting. It is our hope that outside parties will grasp the drastic change that will entail the people of South Lembata. We hope the rights of the people of Lamalera will be respected, a right to pursue a way of life they have maintained for centuries.

Bernard L. Krova is the coordinator of Save Lamalera.

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Some 55 percent of coral reefs in South Sulawesi damaged

Antara 21 May 09;

Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Around 55 percent of coral reefs in South Sulawesi waters are damaged due to destructive fishing practices by fishermen.

The use of explosives to catch fish has damaged marine ecosystem, including coral reefs at Takabonerate marine park, in Selayar Island District, South Sulawesi Province, Iskandar, head of the South Sulawesi marine and fishery service, said here on Wednesday.

The condition of the coral reefs in the national marine park was bad and only 45 percent of them were in good state, he said.

The Destructive fishing practices not only destroying the coral reefs at Takabonerate but also other marine species, he said.

The Indonesian Naval personnel had arrested fishermen in South Sulawesi waters for using bombs to catch fish, he said.

Takabonerate is considered the world`s third most beautiful marine park and has received an award from the World Ocean Conference (WOC) which was held in Manado, North Sulawesi, May 11-15, 2009.

Meanwhile, six heads of state/government participating in the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit organized as part of the WOC, signed a declaration here on May 15, 2009, approving the CTI Program.

Under the cooperation the six countries located on the 5.7 million square kilometers area agreed to coordinate protection of marine resources.

With its width only two percent of the world`s ocean, the Coral Triangle is home to 76 percent of the world`s known coral species.

The region is full of various fish species because of its coral diversity. More than 120 million people directly depend their livelihood on the riches of the sea in the region.

The invaluable resources however are now under threat due to climate change, overfishing, illegal fishing, unsustainable coastal development and pollution.

All of them have caused a fish supply decline and destruction of mangrove forests in a large scale and degradation of coral system. (*)

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Wader populations decline faster than ever

UNEP 20 May 09;

Netherlands, 20 May 2009 - More than half the populations of waders in Europe, West Asia and Africa are declining at an accelerating rate. There is a need for better protection of the key wetlands along their flyways, especially in Africa and the Middle East. This is the conclusion of the Wetlands International's Wader Atlas, the first comprehensive overview of key site networks for waders in Europe, West-Asia and Africa, launched in London today.

Waders are relatively small waterbirds including species like lapwings, plovers, godwits, curlews and sandpipers. Many of them undertake long distance migrations from their Arctic breeding grounds to wintering areas as far away as Southern Africa. Some concentrate in huge numbers at just a few sites, making these critical wetlands for their survival.

Incomplete network of protected areas

The European Union has established a comprehensive network of protected areas for waders in Europe under the Birds Directive. Outside the EU however, the protection and management of key sites is still far from adequate. A string of wetlands concentrated on the western coast of Africa, (Sahel zone along the Senegal and Niger rivers, around Lake Chad), and in East Africa in the Sudd, along the Rift Valley and eastern coast of Africa, is crucial for the survival of many migratory waders.

Therefore, if EU investment in protecting waders is to be effective, these crucial sites must also be included in its conservation strategy. Wader Atlas author Simon Delany said: "Waders such as the Ruff are heavily protected in the EU; farmers receive thousands of Euros for nest protection. These same birds are for sale in the markets of Mopti, Mali for just 25 cents each! If just a part of the finance available in the EU for waterbird protection were to go to the areas where these same birds winter, a huge difference could be made".

Pressure on wetlands

The wetlands of the African west coast are under enormous pressures. The sparse water resources in the Sahelian zone are tapped by dams on the Niger or Senegal rivers, which have turned formerly shallow wetlands into permanently dry lands. Irrigation schemes for growing human population disrupt the water flow in wetlands such as the shrinking Lake Chad. Often wetlands themselves are converted to agricultural use, such as in the Tana River Delta in Kenya, which is threatened by conversion to sugar cane plantations.

A similar story can be told for the Middle East. Many waders migrate from the Arctic and

Scandinavia to the coastal zones along the Persian Gulf. These coastal areas are now suffering from rapid development which threatens the habitat of the scarce and declining Broad billed Sandpiper, for example.

Highlighting important wetlands

The Wader Atlas highlights the most important wetlands to be protected for each wader population.

It will thus provide decision makers across the Africa-Eurasian region with crucial information so that they can increase and better focus their efforts for wetland conservation. Better water management preserving the Sahelian wetlands benefits not only waders, but also local people.

Indeed, involving local people in protection strategies for waders has been successful in many regions.

Simon Delany
Senior Technical officer Waterbird Conservation Wetlands International

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UN study advises caution over dams

Michael Casey, Associated Press 21 May 09;

BANGKOK – A dam-building spree in China poses the greatest threat to the future of the already beleaguered Mekong, one of the world's major rivers and a key source of water for the region, a U.N. report said Thursday.

China is constructing a series of eight dams on the upper half of the Mekong as it passes through high gorges of Yunnan Province, including the recently completed Xiowan Dam, which — at 958 feet (292 meters) high — is the world's tallest. Its storage capacity is equal to all the Southeast Asia reservoirs combined, the U.N. report said.

Laos, meanwhile, has started construction on 23 dams expected to be finished by 2010 on the Mekong and its tributaries, the U.N. said, as a means to spur development and lift the country from poverty. Cambodia and Vietnam also have ambitious dam-building plans.

"China's extremely ambitious plan to build a massive cascade of eight dams on the upper half of the Mekong River, as it tumbles through the high gorges of Yunnan Province, may pose the single greatest threat to the river," the report said.

The report went onto to say that the impacts of the proposed dam development include "changes in river flow volume and timing, water quality deterioration and loss of biodiversity."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a regular briefing the government pays equal attention to the development of the Mekong and its protection. The Mekong is known as the Lancang river in China.

"I would like to point out that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the exploration and the protection of cross-border rivers and conducts the policy of equal attention to development and protection," Ma said.

The proposed dams would add further pressure to the Mekong, which runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The 307,000-square-mile (795,000-square-kilometer) river network is home to dozens of rare bird and marine species, including the Mekong giant catfish, and is a source of food and jobs for the 65 million people who live in the river basin.

The river and its vast tributary network already face threats from pollution, climate change and the effects of earlier dams that were built in China and have caused water levels to drop sharply on the upper Mekong.

Still, the U.N. report said for the time being, the Mekong's pollution levels were not at "alarming levels" while water shortages and conflicts over water on the Mekong have so far not emerged.

"The Mekong is in good condition at this time and can take more pressure such as irrigation development or industrial development," said Mukand S. Babel, one of the reports' authors.

The report, however, found several river basins in the Mekong that are under threat, including the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, Nam Khan in Laos and Sekong-Sesan Srepok in Vietnam and Cambodia due to increasing development and demand for water.

It called for countries bordering the Mekong to work more closely together to ensure that the region's growing population and expected economic development doesn't further strain the capacity of the delta.

"The time to tackle these challenges is now, otherwise the projected growth and development may impact on the basin's ability to meet future water needs," said Young-Woo Park, a U.N. regional director.

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