A fifth of U.N. carbon credits may be bogus

Reuters 29 Nov 07;

LONDON (Reuters) - One in five carbon credits issued by the United Nations are going to support clean energy projects that may in fact have helped to increase greenhouse gas emissions, environmental group WWF said on Thursday.

The United Nations runs a scheme under the Kyoto Protocol that allows rich nations to invest in clean energy projects in developing countries and in return receive certified emissions reduction credits (CERs) to offset their own emissions.

But WWF said in a report that the credits are being delivered to projects that would have gone ahead anyway, even without the extra incentive provided by U.N. approval under the scheme, called the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The report, prepared by Germany's Oeko Institute for Applied Ecology, said projects lacking this so-called 'additionality' help increase gases blamed for global warming by giving firms a spurious justification for continuing to pollute.

"One out of five emissions reductions credits sold under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) lack environmental integrity," WWF said in a statement.

It said the problem damages the global carbon market, which is expected to more than double in value to around $70 billion this year.

"The CDM is a new and very important tool and needs to be fine-tuned to reach its purpose," Stephan Singer, head of WWF's European Climate Policy Unit, said in a statement.

The report recommends improvements in the CDM, a market worth some $5 billion in 2006 according to the World Bank.

Strengthening procedures and increasing controls of the bodies that verify the projects are among changes that WWF hopes governments will discuss next week at a U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia.

"Promoting sustainable development... seems to have been largely forgotten by project developers, verifiers, and the CDM Executive Board," the report said.

"The same is true for stakeholder consultation, considered by project developers as a burden rather than an opportunity to gain public acceptance."

The U.N.'s CDM scheme also works with the European Union's emissions trading scheme, the 27-nation bloc's flagship program to help meet commitments under Kyoto.

In phase 2 of the European Union scheme, lasting from 2008-12, countries are able to import around 10 percent of their required credits from UN-approved projects, amounting to an expected market demand of up to 280 million CERs per year.

WWF proposes that the EU should limit the importing of the U.N. scheme's CERs to those certified by the Gold Standard, a quality label developed with help from WWF and endorsed by some 45 non-governmental organizations worldwide.

Gold Standard-certified CERs can fetch between 26 and 28 euros, well above EU credits and ordinary secondary CERs, which trade around 23 euro and 18 euro respectively.

But of the near 94 million CERs issued by the U.N.'s climate change secretariat to date, only around 72,000 are Gold Standard-certified, with a further 3.5 million per year expected to 2012.

This compares with more than 500 million CERs expected annually from some 2,600 projects already in the U.N.'s pipeline.

To read the WWF report or for additional analysis on the carbon markets, click on http://www.reutersinteractive.com

(Reporting by Michael Szabo; Editing by Anthony Barker)

Read more!

Asia faces "unprecedented" water crisis

Reuters 29 Nov 07

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Developing countries in Asia could face an "unprecedented" water crisis within a decade due to mismanagement of water resources, the Asian Development Bank said in a report on Thursday.

The effects of climate change, rapid industrialization and population growth on water resources could lead to health and social issues that could cost billions of dollars annually, it said.

"If the present unsatisfactory trends continue, in one or two decades, Asian developing countries are likely to face and cope with a crisis on water quality management that is unprecedented in human history," Ajit Biswas wrote in the report.

The report, entitled "Asian Water Development Outlook," was submitted to the Asia-Pacific Water Forum in Singapore, which will discuss the issue at a summit in Japan next week.

The report also comes before a U.N. meeting in Indonesia next week to discuss a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

"Water quality management has mostly been a neglected issue in Asian developing member countries. The annual economic cost is likely to be billions of dollars," Biswas wrote.

The report said massive urbanization will present new types of water-related challenges.

In contrast to cities in developed countries such as Tokyo, developing countries have fallen behind in the collection, treatment, and safe disposal of wastewater, it said.

Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of extreme events like droughts and floods and introduce high levels of risks and uncertainties that the water industry may not be able to handle with confidence, Biswas said.

The report, written by a team of water specialists, covers 12 Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The ADB report recommends major changes in water governance practices in most Asian developing countries, and to look to successful models such as in Singapore and Cambodia which had improved monitoring of water consumption.

The report also called for countries to improve the accessibility of data on water quality.

(Reporting by Daryl Loo, editing by Neil Chatterjee and Sanjeev Miglani)

Mismanagement threatens Asian water crises: ADB study
Yahoo News 29 Nov 07;

The mismanagement of resources, not scarcity, will lead to water crises in developing Asian nations, said a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank and released on Thursday.

Urbanisation, industrialisation, population growth and climate change were likely to put a strain on the region's water resources, it said.

But Asia had also developed the expertise and the technology to ensure there was enough water for its people, the study published in Singapore said.

The key was putting in place the right practices and policies to manage the precious resource, said the report entitled "Asian Water Development Outlook."

"It is likely that if there will be a water crisis in the future, it will not come because of actual physical scarcity of water, as many predict at present," said expert Asit Biswas, one of the report's authors.

Any future water crises would likely be sparked by "continuing neglect of proper wastewater management practices," he wrote.

"Continuation of the present trend will make available water sources increasingly more contaminated and will make provision of clean water more and more expensive, as well as more complex and difficult to manage."

But the report said that "there is now enough knowledge, technology and expertise available in Asia to solve all its existing and future water problems."

Although major changes in water governance practices were required, Asia can boast of some success stories, it said, such as Singapore's water management system, described as one of the world's best.

The Manila-based Asian Development Bank said it hoped the report would focus high-level attention on the need to invest in the water sector.

The report was submitted to the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, which is organising the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Beppu, Japan next week.

One issue was the use of water in Asia's energy sector, the study said, since electricity generation typically needs it.

Asian electricity consumption is rising between five percent and eight percent annually, so there is a need to include the water needs of the energy sector in national policies, it added.

The study said "not one Asian developing country has seriously assessed the current and future water requirements of its energy sector."

The rising popularity of biofuels as an alternative energy source also had implications for water resources, the report said.

"Asian biofuel production will require more and more water if this subsector expands as expected," it said.

More use of pesticides and fertilizers to improve biofuel crop yields could lead to the pollution of surrounding water, the report added.

But "as of now, virtually no country has carefully analysed the water, land and social implications of increasing biofuel production and then made appropriate policy decisions," it said.

Read more!

Retailers keep "green" behind the scenes

Nicole Maestri, Reuters 29 Nov 07;

COLUMBIA, Maryland (Reuters) - Retailers may be touting their environmental-friendliness this year, but just about the only "green" in evidence for the holidays is in the usual Christmas decorations.

Thick catalogs continue to clog mailboxes, store personnel keep handing out free gift boxes, and plastic bags are everywhere.

There is little to no signage in stores emphasizing eco-friendly products, beyond those at select chains known for their environmental thrust.

"There are a lot of stories in the media about 'green,'" said Laurie Brooks, a spokeswoman for L.L. Bean, which sells clothing and outdoor gear. "I think it really hasn't trickled down to the consumer level yet."

And amid fears that shoppers may clamp down on holiday spending in the wake of higher food and fuel prices, the slowing U.S housing market and the credit crunch, retailers are loath to do anything to turn off their clientele.

"The consumer is consumed with other things, and very rarely have they ever endorsed and embraced the green endeavors," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at research firm NPD Group.

GREEN BEHIND THE SCENES

As fears over global warming have dominated headlines this year, numerous retailers have announced new and expanded plans to cut down on waste and run stores more efficiently.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), which has a goal of one day being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy and creating zero waste, is pushing its vendors to reduce the amount of packaging they use and make products that consume less power.

Department store operator Kohl's Corp (KSS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is working on implementing rooftop solar energy systems, while consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is giving grants to organizations that hold electronics recycling events.

But this holiday season, there is a divide between the environmental tactics retailers are implementing behind the scenes -- like building stores with recycled materials or using hybrid vehicles -- and the shopping experience they provide.

During the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, a Wal-Mart store in Columbia, Maryland, had no displays of the efforts the world's largest retailer is making to go green.

And at a nearby L.L. Bean store, shoppers could scoop up as many boxes as they wanted.

Brooks said L.L. Bean did not actively promote its environmental efforts to its customers, but she said the gift boxes the retailer handed out were recyclable and made from recycled content.

While the company has not cut down on the catalogs it mails, they contain a higher percentage of recycled content, she said.

L.L. Bean has also retrofitted stores with energy-efficient lighting and converted its trucks to biodiesel fuel.

"These are things that aren't really visible to customers," she said. "We're doing it behind the scenes."

MISSED OPPORTUNITY?

Stacy Janiak, U.S. retail leader at Deloitte, said retailers were missing a valuable opportunity by not promoting green products or eco-friendly business practices.

According to a survey commissioned by Deloitte, 18 percent of respondents said they would purchase more eco-friendly products this holiday season than in the past, and 17 percent said they will shop at more green retailers.

"Another key fact from the survey was that 17 percent said they're willing to pay more for green gifts," Janiak said. "That's a big marketing opportunity for retailers. If they're not taking advantage of it this holiday season, you can bet they're going to through the upcoming year."

One retailer making a big push is upscale department store operator Barneys, which sent out a catalog emblazoned with the words, "Have a Green Holiday."

Not worried about its higher-end customers pulling back on spending, it is advertising organic cotton products like a $595 dress and a $68 T-shirt.

But many retailers are debating how far they should push the green concept and whether customers even want these items.

Brooks said L.L. Bean had not seen an overwhelming demand for more organic cotton or bamboo products.

A spokeswoman for Target Corp (TGT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said that while the discounter sells items like organic cotton sheets and energy-efficient lighting, it was not incorporating a green message into its holiday marketing. Wal-Mart also said it did not have a green marketing plan in place for Christmas.

Although J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) opened a new department store to test eco-friendly building methods, a spokesman said it was too soon to make a big push to sell and promote green merchandise.

"It's something that is growing in importance with the customer," he said, but added: "It's early days."

But NPD's Cohen said the green trend was already over.

"It's basically a card that a lot of people played while it was hot and trendy," he said. "And it got overplayed."

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Read more!

Climate change: "Carbon footprint" enters everyday vocabulary

Emmanuel Angleys, Yahoo News 30 Nov 07;

Buying locally-produced fruit and veg, riding bikes or taking the train instead of using private cars, buying carbon offsets and staging carbon-neutral weddings: all are part of the climate-change awareness taking root in many countries.

Individuals keen on reducing their "carbon footprint" -- the dangerous greenhouse gas that each of us emit through our purchases and activities -- can now turn to a multiplying panoply of tools to calculate their pollution, reduce it or compensate for it.

"Our daily habits are responsible for 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions," says France's Agency for the Environment and Control of Energy (ADEME).

Transport alone causes a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and even though automakers are making efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in new vehicles, the "clean car" still does not exist outside the research lab.

On journeys of around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) in France, an express train emits roughly a quarter less CO2 than an aircraft per passenger, according to ADEME.

A bus emits between 10 and 20 times less CO2 than a car, and both are of course beaten for greenness by walking and cycling if distances permit.

If you have to use a car, keeping your speed down can also help to reduce emissions. Very fast driving can increase a car's CO2 emissions by 40 percent.

Another simple energy-saving method is to climb stairs rather than use electricity-lapping lifts and escalators, a practice actively encouraged in Japan and Belgium for example.

Climate Action Network (CAN), an international collective of environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, lists "50 Top Tips" by which an individual can make a dent on global warming (http://www.climnet.org/publicawareness/toptips.htm).

They include adjusting the thermostat so that your home is at a steady 19-20 degrees Celsius (66-68 Fahrenheit), turning off TVs and computers instead of leaving them on standby and, rather than leave the coffee machine on, transferring the hot brew to a Thermos flask.

Individuals and businesses which feel truly bad about their carbon damage -- or are keen on advertising their greenness -- can buy carbon offsets to compensate for their emissions.

Offsets are investments in a carbon-alleviating scheme, such as planting trees or encouraging renewable energy in a developing country.

One popular offset website says you can compensate for the carbon pollution from a medium-sized family car, driven for 20,000 kilometres (12,000 miles) a year, for less than 20 dollars (13.5 euros).

Low cost airline Easyjet offers customers the possibility of offsetting the CO2 they emit when they take one of its flights, and some of its competitors are also looking closely at this.

A British firm, The Carbon Neutral Company (http://www.carbonneutral.com/) also offers a "carbon-neutral" wedding gift.

For 30 pounds (61.8 dollars, 41 euros), the bride and groom get two trees planted in their name in "MarryMe Wood," a location in Devon, western England.

Offsets and other forms of trading are slammed by some as amounting to buying the right to pollute and discouraging people from trying to change their ways.

Climate change is even present on the dinner plate. Independent French environmental consultant Jean-Marc Jancovici says anyone serious about tackling greenhouse gas emissions should cut back on red meat.

Producing a kilo (2.2 pounds) of beef causes the equivalent of 36.4 kilos (80.08 pounds) in CO2 -- the same as if you drove around three hours while leaving all the lights on back home.

Environmental campaigners also point the finger at globalisation, as products criss-cross the planet before being sold. Each trip, in fossil-fuel-powered planes, ships and trucks, adds to the greenhouse effect.

Raw cotton grown in the United States is often sent to China to be woven, then re-exported to be printed in the US before returning to China to be turned into a garment that will be re-exported to its final destination, says economist Pietra Rivoli.

A pair of jeans made from Uzbek cotton can travel 23,240 kilometres (14,525 miles) before being worn while a Moroccan tomato is likely to have done 3,238 kilometres (2,023 miles) before landing on a European plate, said ADEME.

Such calculations make developing countries wince.

They point out that locally-produced produce, such as tomatoes grown in Dutch hothouses, often carries a high but hidden carbon cost.

And they argue it is unfair to target products from poor countries which are least to blame for global warming -- and which will suffer most from it.

Read more!

Wild birds not ruled out as UK bird flu source

Yahoo News 29 Nov 07;

Wild birds cannot be ruled out as the source of an outbreak of deadly H5N1 bird flu in England, although no evidence they are infected has been found, Britain's acting Chief Veterinary Officer said on Thursday.

Fred Landeg told reporters on Thursday that the first farm infected in the outbreak had been located in an area where wild birds were common and near an ornamental lake which supports 1,000 waterfowl.

He also said the virus also genetically matched most closely a strain isolated from wild birds in the Czech Republic in the middle of 2007.

"We have no other evidence of any other route of infection to this premises to date (other than wild birds)," acting CVO Fred Landeg told a media teleconference following the publication of a preliminary report into the outbreak.

Landeg added, however, that tests taken on fresh droppings from wild birds in the area had so far found no evidence of infection although tests were continuing.

"I think we have to keep an open mind still," he said.

Britain confirmed on November 13 an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu at an organic poultry farm near Diss, Norfolk in eastern England.

The virus subsequently spread to a second farm operated by the same company and which shared the same workforce.

"The poor biosecurity measures employed by the stockmen who care for more than one unit of poultry..resulted in the transmission of infection, certainly to one premises," Landeg said.

The virulent H5N1 strain has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003 and millions of birds had either died from it or been killed to prevent its spread.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Bird flu cause probe inconclusive
BBC News 29 Nov 07;

The preliminary report into the latest outbreak of bird flu in Suffolk concludes that wild birds "may have been" the main source of infection.

But no evidence has yet been found to support this theory.

The report also found that poor biosecurity was practised by some of the staff on the farm where the outbreak occurred on 11 November.

This is thought to be the probable reason for the disease spreading to another farm.

The virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, a variant capable of being transmitted to humans, was first discovered at Redgrave Park Farm near Diss, where all 6,500 birds were slaughtered.

The disease was later also confirmed to have reached the nearby Hill Meadow Farm at Knettishall - 9,000 turkeys were culled there.

Two theories

The report concludes that the disease has a very close genetic match with an outbreak of H5N1 in the Czech Republic in the summer.

It says that there are two main theories about how the disease was introduced to the UK - either via contamination from people from a country with an undisclosed infection in their domestic flocks, or infected wild birds.

There is currently no evidence to support either theory.

"As there are no epidemiological links with domestic poultry in central Europe, the molecular genetic results suggest that wild birds may have introduced the virus into Suffolk from Europe," the report said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says the disease was discovered in an area where wild birds were relatively common and was notably near to an ornamental lake which supports some 1,000 waterfowl.

The affected poultry were free-range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and may have been at greater risk of catching the disease.

H5N1 infection has not been detected in wild birds nor have any incidents of high mortality been observed in the area, according to the report.

But it added that wild birds, most likely migratory species from central Europe, cannot be ruled out as the source of infection.

Poor biosecurity

The report also said poor biosecurity was employed by stockmen who worked at Redgrave Park Farm and on other farms in the area.

Simple measures to prevent the transmission of infection between premises were not followed, it said.

Such measures include changing clothing between premises, disinfection of Wellington boots, the disinfection between premises of buckets for the distribution of feed, and the carriage and handling of dead birds.

Gressingham Foods' subsidiary Redgrave Poultry, which runs both Redgrave Park Farm and Hill Meadow said it had identified several changes that were needed when it purchased the farms at the start of the year.

It said: "Due to our commitments to our customers and the lack of available organic land, it was simply not practical to make all of the planned changes for this season.

"We believe in the highest standards of organic and free range farming for these production systems, so we have looked for lessons from the recent outbreak and have identified a number of improvements that we are implementing."

Dr Mark Avery, conservation director for the RSPB, said imported poultry could have been the cause of the Suffolk outbreak.

"A migrating bird could have carried the disease here without showing symptoms but imported poultry could have done exactly the same.

"Defra and the poultry industry should be doing more to protect wild birds from coming into contact with infected farmed birds."

Suffolk previously had an H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm in February, but the report found there was no connection that incident.

Read more!

Housing versus Habitat Conservation

New Approach Suggested in Housing vs. Habitat Battles
Sara Goudarzi, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 28 Nov 07;

The well known real estate rule of thumb—location, location, location—applies to conserving wildlife and plant habitats near homes, too.

Housing developments create a smaller footprint on the environment if they're located away from ecologically sensitive areas such as lakeshores, according to new research.

In recent years, environmental proponents have touted cluster developments—houses on smaller lots with a shared open space—over the typical sprawl that spread in the United States after World War II when more people started to migrate to the suburbs.

But a new study, detailed in the journal Ecological Applications last month, shows that while cluster developments are easier on the environment than dispersed developments, location is just as important.

"We were very much surprised by our findings," said study co-author Volker Radeloff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We knew before how many houses had been built over the last 60 years in our study area (Northern Wisconsin). We thus expected to see a strong increase in habitat fragmentation due to houses. Relatively speaking, this was not the case. Yes, fragmentation due to houses increased, but at a much lower rate than expected."

That was good news to the researchers. And the reason for this finding was that houses were highly clustered.

"The bad news is that houses were highly clustered along lakeshores, and these represent very sensitive and important habitats," Radeloff told LiveScience. "Our main conclusion is thus, that clustering is good, but it is equally important to decide where to place the clusters and to avoid critical habitats."

Radeloff and colleagues looked at housing patterns in Northern Wisconsin from 1937 to 1999. They determined the environmental impact of cluster developments by mapping more than 27,000 houses based on aerial photographs.

"The percentage growth of disturbed land area was much lower than for housing growth; in the most extreme case, a 1,658 percent increase in the number of houses resulted in only a 204 percent increase in the disturbed land area," Radeloff said.

Developments begin to impact the environment when construction starts and continues for years after. During the building phase, natural vegetation is disturbed, often causing soil erosion, and habitat is lost and frequently fragmented. Wildlife is also displaced and restricted by the new man-made features.

Researchers found that in their study area habitat loss was up to 60 percent in deciduous forests and lowest in wetlands, and that houses were strongly clustered alongside lakeshores.

"People and wildlife are often drawn to the same places and that exacerbates the environmental effects of houses," Radeloff said. "Some areas are going to be more important to avoid than others because of their conservation value. High-density development in areas such as lakeshores means degrading habitat we prize for its scenic and recreational value."

As far as environmental impact is concerned, infill development—building in vacant areas of urban settings—would be best, Radeloff said.

"If natural areas are developed, then it would be best to place clusters in habitats that are fairly abundant," he said. "And it would be best to place it at the edge of large habitat patches to avoid fragmentation."

Read more!

Asian governments should rethink policies to secure water supplies: report

Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 07;

"One example is Singapore. One way to look at Singapore is as a megacity. The other way to look at it is (that) there are different townships. How are the townships administered, what is the government's practice, there is a lot one can learn."

SINGAPORE: Governments in Asia need to rethink their policies on water and energy in order to secure their water supplies in the face of increasing water pollution and unstoppable urbanisation.

This was among the key messages in a report, entitled 'Asian Water Development Outlook 2007', published in Singapore on Thursday.

More natural disasters have rattled Asia in recent years, with the latest being a cyclone which hit Bangladesh earlier this month, killing thousands of people. And experts expect extreme weather to increase due to climate change.

Because of such events, the report said water management and facilities have to be more robust and flexible.

It may take a while, however, despite measures being taken to secure clean water and sanitation for small towns and urban areas.

"It is important we learn," said Professor Bhanoji Rao, a team-member of the Asian Water Development Outlook 2007. "One example is Singapore. One way to look at Singapore is as a megacity. The other way to look at it is (that) there are different townships.

"How are the townships administered, what is the government's practice, there is a lot one can learn." But apart from learning best practices, the report also put forward ideas to fix the problems.

The lead expert in the study, Professor Asit Biswas, said the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which commissioned the report, predicts that Asian member countries have enough knowledge, technology and expertise to solve existing and future water problems.

If some Asian members face a water crisis in the future, he said, it will not be because of the scarcity of water, but because of inadequate or inappropriate water governance.

The bank is providing about US$2 billion a year until 2010 - or a total of about US$10 billion - for reforms and capacity development programmes at rural communities and cities.

However, it said that more money is needed to achieve targets set-out in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation in Asia.

Therefore, the bank hopes to double its US$10 billion with money from governments, private sectors and investors.

However, countries need to carry out reforms and implement appropriate policies to run the infrastructure and services in order to help bring in investment, according to the ADB.

It also said that if countries embrace the reforms and policies, investments will come in because of profitable projects investors can pour their money in.

"What we are hoping is that US$10 billion investment programme is a catalyst for the private sectors, the investors, the co-financiers, the government agencies, to add another US$10 billion," said K E Seetharam, a principal Water and Urban Development Specialist at ADB.

The ADB runs a programme that directs funds, reforms and capacity development programmes at rural communities, cities and river basins.- CNA/yb


Asia needs $29b a year to tackle water woes
Sum needed over 10 years, says ADB ahead of first water summit
Tania Tan, Straits Times 30 Nov 07

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that Asia will require over US$20 billion (S$29 billion) annually for at least a decade to develop proper infrastructure and management capabilities to tackle the region's water woes.

In an attempt to kick-start action on the issue, it launched its inaugural water report, the Asian Water Development Outlook (ADWO), yesterday.

To be presented before the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Japan next week, the report will be tabled in a bid to get world leaders attending the summit to sit up and take notice.

Discussion of the report has been scheduled during the two-day summit.

'This will not be another report that will be shelved and ignored,' said Dr K.E. Seetharam, the ADB's principal water and urban development specialist.

'We hope that this will inspire leaders to take action now.'

For its part, the Manila-based bank is channelling some US$2 billion a year into regional water operations. But the rest of the effort must come from the countries themselves, noted Dr Seetharam.

Over 700 million Asians still lack access to safe drinking water, with another two billion going without modern sanitation, said Singapore's Ambassador-at-large Professor Tommy Koh.

Prof Koh, who is also chair of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, which is organising the summit, said: 'This situation is deployable and unacceptable.'

'It must be our collective ambition to ensure that water is high on the minds of our region's leaders.'

Compiled by the region's water experts, the report flags nine key areas of concern including the need for policy changes, the rising incidents of water pollution and the impact of urbanisation on water resources.

Also included are regional success stories - Singapore's for instance - which the ADB hopes will be emulated around the region.

'Singapore plays a crucial role in inspiring countries to overcome their water problems through innovation and perserverance,' said Dr Bhanoji Rao, a noted economist and ADWO expert.

The Republic's expertise in water management is also invaluable, he said, adding that mismanagement of water resources will be a major stumbling block for countries around the region.

Dr Rao said: 'It is my humble hope that one day, maybe a decade from now, every Asian will be able to have what Singaporeans have - fresh water at the turn of a tap.'

A price for solving water problems
Subsidised drinking water rates will have to go to invest money on water infrastructure
Tania Tan, Straits Times 1 Dec 07;

WATER prices must go up if the region's water woes are to be addressed.

This politically sticky issue will be among the concerns that Asia-Pacific leaders will grapple with when they convene in Japan on Monday for the inaugural Asia-Pacific Water Summit.

Some 300 representatives from 49 countries will be at the two-day dialogue.

'We hope to seek commitment from the region's leaders to move water higher up on their national development agendas,' said Singapore's Ambassador- at-large Tommy Koh, who is also chairman of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, the event's organiser. The summit is expected to be held every two to three years.

Key on the agenda: increasing public and private investment in water and sanitation projects.

The Philippine-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that some US$20 billion (S$29 billion) will be needed annually to help build the region's water and sanitation infrastructure over the next decade.

ADB, which is also a sponsor of the Japanese water summit, already invests some US$2 billion annually in water operations.

Another of its efforts to improve water infrastructure is

the launch of the Asian Water and Development Outlook report, penned by noted water experts, including Stockholm Water Prize laureate Professor Asit Biswas.

One message is that, with the increasing need to improve water services, it is 'impossible to continue with the traditional idea of providing drinking water free of cost or at highly subsidised rates'.

A United Nations report pegged the price of water in India at just US$0.01 per cubic m, while Cambodians pay just US$0.09. These countries also suffer some of the most severe water shortages and sanitation problems in the region.

Households in Singapore pay $1.17 per cubic m.

'By diluting the definition of access to clean water and considering sanitation only in a very restricted sense, developing countries, including many in Asia, are mortgaging their future in terms of water security,' said Prof Biswas.

The Stockholm Water Prize is the highest honour in the water industry.

The summit outcomes will be presented at future political events, including the G8 summit in Japan next year.

Live updates from each day's sessions will be available online at www.ips.org

RELATED ARTICLES

Solving Asia's water problem
To reach the targets for water and sanitation in Asia, the money needed is about US$8b a year in investments, Ke Seetharam, Business Times 29 Nov 07;

Read more!

Global, regional warming to blame for Jakarta floods

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Jakarta Post 29 Nov 07;

Jakarta's regular floods can be partially blamed on global and regional warming, a scientist has said.

"This will get worse in the years to come. It has been estimated that by 2050, 25 percent of Jakarta will be inundated," said Armi Susandi, a climate change expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on Wednesday.

He added that poor city planning, bad zoning systems and a lack of infrastructure were contributing to the problem.

Armi has studied flooding in Jakarta since 2005. He received his Ph.D on climate change in 2004 from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

He said regional climate change such as has take place in Jakarta has the potential to increase local temperatures, "inviting" more rain.

"The city's severe pollution has created regional warming. This warming has moved the rain from Bogor in the south to Jakarta in the north," he said.

"We have managed to record and identify the pattern of the shifting rain -- how the rain keeps moving to Jakarta. The increase in the city's rainfall rate could reach up to 5 percent per year," he said.

Global warming has also increased the sea level north of Jakarta by 0.57 centimeters per year. The increasing sea level and the lack of a buffer zone due to the decreasing size of the mangrove forest that once covered the area would certainly aggravate the erosion of the beach and floods in the coastal areas of the city, he said.

He added that the fact that the city's land has sunk by 0.85 centimeters per year due to the pressure imposed by concrete buildings and skyscrappers as well as the massive exploitation of underground water springs hasn't helped the city in dealing with the worsening floods.

Armi said that currently 40 percent of the city already lies below sea level.

The government, he said, should construct a buffer zone in the coastal areas to prevent the sea's waves from entering the city. The buffer could be made of mangroves or a six-meter-tall concrete wall.

"When dealing with climate change-related problems, our country has a very low adaptation capacity. In fact, all we have to do is decide whether we will plant mangroves or construct a wall. Otherwise, we need to relocate the residents who live along the coastal areas," he said.

"In January 2008, the floods, I believe, will be worse than the ones we had in 2007 provided that the rainfall rate doesn't change," he said.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 29 Nov 07

Discovery at the Botanic Gardens
swans, sculptures and stupendous trees on the discovery blog

Growing carnivorous plants
will encouraging cultivation without sharing where ordinary people can get specimens affect wild populations of these plants? on the garden voices blog

Read more!

Life in Singapore by the Telegraph Mentor

Telegraph 28 Nov 07;
Tim Passey says if you have the chance to work in Singapore, take it, it's a great place to be.

[A long article covering Climate, Accommodation, Money, Healthcare, Getting around, Eating, Shopping, Entertainment]

For such a small, heavily urbanised country, there is a surprising amount to discover. In the centre of the island Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and MacRitchie Reservoir have miles of walking and cycling tracks set in stands of what is, amazingly when you think about it, virgin rainforest. You’ll see a lot of wildlife, notably monkeys.

There are actually a lot of smaller parks and reserves to discover and when you do find them you’ll probably find you’re the only one who has – places that spring to mind are Kent Ridge Park, where the Allies made their last stand against the advancing Japanese, and the rocky shoreline at Labrador Park.

Read the full entry for all the details.

Tim manages a marketing agency for the pharmaceutical industry, and after having previously frequently visited Singapore for business, took the opportunity in 2005 to be based here.

Two years living and working on the island has provided a great opportunity to soak up the culture that - as the advertising goes - is ‘uniquely Singapore’.

If you have the chance to work here, take it, this is a great place to be.

Telegraph mentors are volunteers and any information they provide is for information only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

Read more!

Heavy afternoon downpour causes flooding in many parts of Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 28 Nov 07;

SINGAPORE : The heavy downpour on Wednesday afternoon caused flooding in many parts of the island.

Several Channel NewsAsia viewers called MediaCorp's hotline to report water ponding at Orchard Road near the Scotts Road junction.

The owner of a shop at the basement of Lucky Plaza said the water reached ankle level and affected business.

There was also flooding near the Keppel Road-Cantonment Link junction.

Another caller reported an over-flooding canal at Delta Avenue.

Police also received several calls about floods at Havelock Road, Cavanagh Road, Tomlinson Road and Orchard Boulevard. - CNA /ls

WET, WET, WET
Loh Chee Kong, Today Online 29 Nov 07;

THE festive mood — and goods — at one of Orchard Road's busiest shopping malls were literally dampened by yesterday's persistent downpour.

With the Christmas shopping fever in full swing, doors to Lucky Plaza's basement were shut for some three hours after rainwater, gushing in from the street above, reached ankle deep.

When Today visited the shopping mall at 6.30pm, maintenance workers and shop owners in rolled-up pants and flip-flops were feverishly mopping up the water. Others, carrying cartons of goods, were tiptoeing and cursing the inclement weather for the damage to their goods and loss of business.

The scene was no less chaotic in other parts of the island during the afternoon storm. Callers to the Today Hotline and MediaCorp radios' Traffic Watch, reported flash floods along River Valley Road, Outram Road, Scotts Road, and the junction of Keppel Road and Cantonment Link.

Today reader J A Schooling, who was in a bus, said she saw two taxis and a car stalled in knee-deep water along River Valley Road.

"It was a freak flood," she said. "I've travelled this route for more than 20 years and have never seen anything like this."

Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's director of catchment and waterways, said the intense rainfall, coinciding with a high tide, hit the central part of Singapore from 2.30pm.

"Low-lying areas in the city, such as Jalan Besar, Indus Road and Tiong Bahru, experienced flash floods," he said. "The flash floods subsided within an hour and PUB officers were on site in some of the areas to help motorists."

He added that the PUB had issued a flood advisory on Nov 2, warning residents and shop owners of the possibility of flash floods during the year-end North-east Monsoon.

Back at Lucky Plaza, shop owners said it took less than 10 minutes before the place was covered in inches of water and shops with direct access to the pedestrian walkway were the worst hit, including Giordano, where staff placed cardboard pieces on the parquet flooring to soak up the water.

Mr Mohamed Nasar, 42, who runs a moneychanger and silk store, said: "At about 3pm, they closed the doors and asked the customers to leave." He then scrambled to remove his goods, which remained undamaged. But he said he lost "about $500" in takings.

A neighbouring shop, which sells spectacles, was spared the hassle. The owner said: "I guess it helps to be prepared since this is not the first time it has happened. I place my goods a few inches off the ground."

A tailoring shop owner said this was "the third time in nine years" that the mall had been flooded.

"We have spoken to the management, but they said they can do nothing about it," said Mr Mohamed.

Lucky Plaza's maintenance office insisted the flooding was not caused by a building fault. A senior technician said: "The water flowed down from Orchard Road. We had to close the doors and clear the water into the manholes within the building."

PUB officials were at the site, assisting the landlord in its investigation. Mr Tan said: "The PUB has checked and found that the water from the drains did not overflow into the basement of Lucky Plaza."

The PUB said flash floods in low-lying areas would be alleviated when the Marina Barrage becomes operational next year. The PUB also has other flood alleviation projects, such as the $12.8-million canal construction at Commonwealth Avenue.

Flash floods hit central S'pore
Straits Times 29 Nov 07;

Knee-deep water left these cars stranded at the open-air carpark opposite Delta House yesterday.

A canal nearby had overflowed following the heavy downpour islandwide, which started at about 2.30pm.

This caused the carpark, located at the junction of Alexandra Road and Delta Road, to be flooded.

The authorities said the few hours of rain accounted for nearly half of the rainfall for the entire month.

To make matters worse, the storm coincided with a high tide, causing flash floods in many low-lying parts of Singapore.

In Orchard Road, customers looking for their afternoon caffeine fix were also affected when rainwater streamed into a basement Starbucks outlet.

FLASH FLOODS IN SINGAPORE
Washout for businesses as waters rise in town
Eateries and shops hit by sudden, heavy rainfall; cars also not spared
Carolyn Quek, Straits Times 29 Nov 07;

IT WAS 'high tea' at the Starbucks outlet in Liat Towers yesterday afternoon, as water rose to knee level.

Thanks to the sudden flash flood beginning at around 2.30pm, customers who had walked into the shop had to climb out of the knee-high water onto chairs laid out by the staff.

Two other shops also located on the basement level of Liat Towers - Burger King and Massimo Dutti, a boutique - were badly flooded.

The heavy thunderstorm yesterday dumped, in just a few hours, about 40 per cent of the monthly rainfall typically received in November.

The National Environment Agency said the highest rainfall recorded yesterday was 99mm, occurring around Somerset Road between 2.30pm and 5pm. The average rainfall for November is about 254mm.

Making matters worse, the intense rainfall coincided with a high tide which hit the central part of Singapore from around 2.30pm, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) said.

It led to flash floods in several low-lying areas in the city. Apart from the Orchard Road area, other flooded spots included Jalan Besar, Indus Road and Tiong Bahru.

But the floods subsided within an hour, the PUB said.

The store manager of the Starbucks outlet in Liat Towers told The Straits Times there had been minor flooding before, but yesterday's was the worst. 'We put out chairs for our customers,' said the store manager, who did not want to be named. Maintenance staff later pumped out the water in the basement.

Over at Lucky Plaza, businesses were affected when water started gushing out of a gap in the basement level of the shopping centre at 3.30pm.

According to Mr Yip Fook Chow, 70, an employee at Stitchwell Clothiers, which is located on the basement level, it was the third time in nine years that such an incident had happened.

The ankle-level flood subsided within an hour, but many shops remained closed.

'Our carpets and furniture were destroyed,' Mr Yip said.

Meanwhile, the open-air carpark in Lower Delta Road was so badly flooded that cars there were half-submerged.

Mr Brandon Quah, a financial planner who works at Valley Point, the building opposite the carpark, snapped some photos of the water-logged area and sent them to Stomp, The Straits Times' online interactive site.

The police said there were no road closures.

The PUB said heavy downpours are expected during this time of the year, with the onset of the North-east Monsoon.

More than 600 residents and shop owners in low-lying city areas have already been alerted to the possibility of flash floods, the PUB said.

It added that the Marina Barrage will help alleviate flash floods in low-lying areas when it comes into operation next year.

What a few hours of rain did

For several hours yesterday, Central Singapore was deluged with heavy rain causing flash floods, waterlogged shops and stranded cars. About 40 per cent of the average rainfall for November fell in just a few hours. Many Straits Times readers sent their pictures of the flood to online interactive portal Stomp.

Read more!

Jakarta Warning: High Waves to Peak on December 8

Tempo Interactive 28 Nov 07;

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Jakartans are asked to be on the alert as high waves are still a threat for the capital city’s northern coast.

The Indonesian Naval Hydrology and Oceanography Agency has estimated that high waves will reach a peak this December 8.

“These could be worse than the current ones,” said Major Saroso, Head of the Oceanography Section at the Hydrology and Oceanography Agency, yesterday (27/11).

According to Saroso, on December 8, the high waves will reach their highest point of the whole year.

The reason is the date coincides with the dark of the moon, when as usual, in the cycle of Qomariyah moon system, tides will rise.

In addition, the high tides will culminate because in early December, it is predicated that Jakarta will have rain.

Strong winds from south of the equator at speeds of 12 knots will also pull sea water towards the land.

“This will enlarge the water flow,” said Saroso.

During peak of high tides, according to Suroso, the height of waves may reach 2.2 meters.

High tides reaching 1.2 meters have hit the Jakarta coast since last week.

The high tides breached the sea water dike in Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Monday evening (26/11).

In a short period of time, sea water flooded almost the entire north and west parts of Jakarta.

So that sea water flooding does not happen again, next year Jakarta Provincial Government will build a dike of one kilometer long in Muara Baru.

“We propose a budget of Rp15 billion,” said Public Works Service Head, Wisnu Subagyo.

Read more!