Indonesia: 750 orang-utans 'killed in a year'

Hunting and shrinking habitat hit orang-utan population hard
New Zealand Herald 14 Nov 11;

Villagers living on the Indonesian side of Borneo killed at least 750 endangered orang-utans over a year-long period, some to protect crops from being raided and others for their meat, a survey shows.

Such practices, never before quantified, are now believed to pose a more serious threat to the existence of the red apes than previously thought, says Erik Meijaard, the main author of the report that appeared in the journal PLoSOne.

Indonesia, home to 90 per cent of the orang-utans left in the wild, was blanketed with plush rain forests less than 50 years ago, but half those trees have been cleared in the rush to supply the world with timber, pulp, paper and more recently, palm oil.

As a result, most of the remaining 50,000 to 60,000 apes live in scattered, degraded forests, putting them in frequent, and often deadly, conflict with humans.

"But our surveys also indicate that killing of orang-utans is happening deep inside forested areas, where orang-utans are hunted just like any other species," Meijaard said.

"This may be an uncomfortable truth, but not one that we can any longer ignore."

The Nature Conservancy and 19 other private organisations, including the WWF and the Association of Indonesian Primate Experts and Observers, carried out the survey to get a better understanding of orang-utan killings and their underlying causes.

They interviewed 6983 people in 687 villages in three provinces of Kalimantan on the Indonesian side of Borneo between April 2008 and September 2009. Neil Makinuddin, programme manager of The Nature Conservancy, said they were surprised how many respondents reported killing and then eating orang-utans - just over half.

- AP

750 orang-utans 'killed in a year'
(UKPA) Press Association Google News 14 Nov 11;

At least 750 endangered orang-utans have been killed by villagers on the Indonesian side of Borneo over a year-long period, according to a new survey.

Some were killed in order to protect farmers' crops, while others were killed for their meat, researchers found.

Erik Meijaard, main author of the report that appeared in the journal PLoS One, said he believes the killings pose a more serious threat to the apes' survival than previously thought.

Indonesia is home to 90% of the 50,000-60,000 orang-utans left in the wild.

But as forests are being cleared to make way for pulp, paper and palm oil plantations, the apes are coming into conflict with humans.

The Nature Conservancy and other organisations interviewed nearly 7,000 people in 687 villages to try to better understand the underlying causes for killing orang-utans.

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Number of sea turtles visiting Kerala shores dwindling

Viju B The Times of India 14 Nov 11;

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unpolluted Kerala beaches have always been the favourite nesting grounds for marine turtles, but their imprints may soon be washed away for ever.

During this time of the year, thousands of turtles swim ashore along the coastline and make nests in the sand; they then lay eggs, hatch and breed before the summer sets in.

But a Wild Wildlife Fund(WWF) survey reveals that this year only two species of turtles - Olive Ridley and Green Turtle, have reached the Kerala shores.

"Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles are yet to be spotted, which is a matter of great concern,'' says Renjan Mathew Varghese, state WWF director.

WWF researchers say the number of turtles reaching Kerala coast has been dwindling over the years.

"We are not ruling out the possibility of poaching of turtles for their eggs and meat,'' says Varghese.

Wildlife activists say poachers scout for eggs during night and then sell it for Rs 10 per piece. "The meat of one turtle is sold for Rs 500,'' a WWF volunteer said.

The poachers also cash in on the prevailing dogma that turtle meat and eggs are a good cure for asthma.

Wildlife activists say there is little monitoring done along the coast and the poachers have a field day during the breeding season. Also, many turtles get caught in trawling nets and then die due to lack of oxygen.

"Many fishermen see turtles as their enemies as they feel their fishing nets get destroyed because of them,'' says Varghese.

Indian coasts have been a safe haven for marine turtles for thousands of years. Out of the seven species of turtles found in the world, five have been reported from India.

Turtle landings and nesting have been reported in coastal states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.

A senior official from the environment department said they are planning an awareness and conservation campaign amongst the communities living along the coast to preserve breeding habitats of turtles.

Read more!

WWF sounds warning on caviar

(AFP) Google News 14 Nov 11;

SOFIA — Poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar persist in Romania and Bulgaria, environmental group WWF warned on Monday, posing a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish.

A total of 52.5 kilos (115.7 pounds) of illegal caviar, retailing for upwards of 6,000 euros ($8,200) per kilo, originating in the two countries were reported by European Union member states between 2000 and 2009, the report said.

"The real volume of illegal trade is likely to be considerably higher," the report's author Katalin Kecse-Nagy said in the statement.

"Any illegal trade poses an unacceptable risk to these highly threatened species."

The Black Sea is one of the most important sturgeon fisheries in the world, second only to the Caspian Sea. The Danube, as one of the major feeder rivers and estuaries of the Black Sea, is crucial for the fish.

According to the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, the Danube is the only large river system in Europe where protection of existing but dwindling sturgeon stocks is still possible.

Fishing and export of sturgeon and sturgeon products of wild origin was banned in Romania in 2006 for 10 years, while Bulgaria is currently under a one-year ban, the WWF said.

The WWF report recommended that Sofia and Bucharest strengthen their enforcement agencies, while also insisting for closer monitoring by the EU and more awareness among consumers and traders.

"The EU has a major responsibility to regulate the caviar trade because EU member states are the largest consumers of caviar from Romania and the second largest consumer of caviar from Bulgaria," WWF sturgeon expert Jutta Jahrl said.

"It is crucial that traders and consumers do not buy unlabelled caviar -- this simple act would strike a major blow against the illegal trade," the statement said.

"The EU must close every loophole in order to save sturgeons from extinction."

Giant Beluga sturgeons, an ancient fish which outlasted the dinosaurs, have been critically endangered by overfishing for their caviar -- uncooked roe or eggs -- and by cutting off their migration routes and altering their habitat.

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New Zealand oil spill: Rena's oiled animals set for release

Jamie Morton NZ Herald 15 Nov 11;

Feathered refugees from the Rena crisis could begin winging their way home this week, as wildlife experts count the cost of a disaster that has wiped out a generation of penguins and killed up to 20,000 birds.

The oiled wildlife centre at Mt Maunganui has swelled from a few shipping containers to a tented village during the crisis, but the emptying of all but the dregs of the Rena's load of heavy fuel oil means the camp should be mostly dismantled by the new year.

It is hoped five shags - among the first birds to be rescued after the Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on October 5 - will be released to a colony near Mt Maunganui by the end of the week.

Centre manager Dr Brett Gartrell said some of the 340 little blue penguins in captivity could also be homeward bound by the weekend.

Penguins being readied for a return to the wild were being put through their paces in swimming pools yesterday - their test being to swim for six straight hours.

"If they can do that, then we figure they're ready to go," Dr Gartrell said.

Wildlife experts also had to ensure the birds' bodyweight and protein levels were adequate and that their coats, weakened by oil, could properly resist water again. Readjusting from a lifestyle of regular fish smoothies and round-the-clock care would be a shock "but the good thing about little blue penguins is that as soon they see the ocean, they'll be off - and they won't be looking back".

The shags, penned in pools covered by netting, had been preening for weeks. "You can see them flapping their wings and they're very much good to go."

Dr Gartrell hoped that by the end of the month all 406 birds would be back in their natural habitats.

The last birds to be released were likely to be the few penguins brought in over recent days and the 60 endangered New Zealand dotterels, which could be disturbed by ongoing beach clean-ups.

Dr Gartrell said the first release would be an emotional moment.

"It really will be a turning point in the whole process that we'd all love to see.

"We weren't able to think about releasing any birds until all of the oil is off and it's a huge relief that we now can."

Wildlife experts were expected to stay for six more weeks at the base, which could be re-established to cope with another major event.

"We'll have some sort of presence here as long as the ship is on the reef."

The wildlife death toll remained unknown, Dr Gartrell said, but the number could pass 20,000.

That included a generation of unborn penguin chicks sacrificed to save their parents and a large number of little diving petrels.

"We had 800 of those birds through the post-mortem tent and of the five that came in alive, none of them made it through the wash tents.

"They're deep ocean birds, so most ofthose that died would have most likely drowned before they could reach the shore to get help.

"It's certainly been a major environmental disaster for New Zealand and it's certainly had an impact on seabird life here in the Bay of Plenty - it will take time to see just how big that will be."

Meanwhile, the crane barge Sea Tow 60 has moored alongside the Rena before the next phase of the salvage operation - removing the 1280 containers. Another, larger crane barge, Smit Borneo, is on its way from Singapore to assist.

"Each set of containers will present its own unique challenges," Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Arthur Jobard said.

"This means it is impossible to predict exactly how long it will take to safely remove all of the containers - but realistically, it is likely to take several months of patient work."

He said the Rena's fragile state meant it could break up before all containers were offloaded.

The outlook

* Seven months - the time it could take to offload the Rena's containers.
* Six weeks - the time the oiled wildlife centre is expected to remain in operation.
* Six months - the period the Government has to decide whether it will prosecute the Rena's owners.
* One year - the timeframe of a long-term environmental recovery plan.
* Several years - the expected timeframe of ongoing environmental monitoring.
* Unknown - the time it will take to mop up oil remnants still on board the Rena and on beaches.

New Zealand crews to remove containers from grounded cargo ship
Salvors to begin complex job after teams manage to remove all but a few traces of oil from Liberian-flagged Rena
Peter Walker guardian.co.uk 14 Nov 11;

Salvage crews are preparing to remove containers from a cargo ship that ran aground on a New Zealand reef nearly six weeks ago after pumping all remaining oil from the vessel and averting an environmental disaster.

Government ministers and local politicians hailed the work of the teams after they managed to remove all but a few traces of oil from the Liberian-flagged Rena, which ran aground off Tauranga, in North Island's Bay of Plenty, in heavy seas on 5 October.

In the following days, several hundred tonnes of oil spilt into the sea after a fuel tank ruptured, washing onto beaches and affecting birds and other wildlife. There were fears that the badly damaged 47,000-tonne vessel could completely break apart, spilling a further 1,600 tonnes of fuel and causing an environmental catastrophe.

But the Rena stayed intact as salvage workers spent weeks pumping the heavy fuel oil from its tanks to an adjoining tanker, and this process was almost complete, Maritime New Zealand said on Monday.

The next stage of the operation would involve a crane barge being put into position to begin the tricky job of removing cargo containers from the ship.

An accompanying shoreline cleanup has been sufficiently successful for local beaches to be expected to reopen later in the week.

The country's prime minister, John Key, said the operation had been "very, very successful", the New Zealand Herald reported. "I think the people of Tauranga will be very happy they haven't had the environmental disaster that some predicted," Key added.

The local mayor, Stuart Crosby said: "The salvors have done an amazing job under treacherous conditions to avoid an environmental disaster. I guess we've all gone through a series of emotions that we all do in this type of event. There has been disbelief, frustration, anger, and now relief – relief that the oil has been taken away by these great people."

However, the operation to remove the containers remains long and risky, Maritime New Zealand said. It is likely to take several months, during which time the Rena could still break up.

"The salvors are taking this time to make sure that all the equipment and systems are ready and working properly before commencing operations. They also need good, calm weather to operate effectively, with safety being the top priority," the salvage unit head, Arthur Jobard, said.

"Once the testing has been successfully completed, the salvors will be lowering men down in a cage to ready the containers for removal.

"However, as we have seen with this entire operation so far, the speed at which the salvage team can work depends on many different factors. This includes weather and how complex it proves to be to access the containers, many of which are badly damaged and in very precarious positions."

He said this meant it would be "impossible to predict exactly how long it will take to safely remove all of the containers on board – but realistically, it is likely to take several months of patient and careful work".

Read more!

Artificial reefs' effect on fish populations comes under question

Kate Spinner Herald Tribune 14 Nov 11;

Artificial reefs — long believed to boost fish populations — might be doing the opposite by concentrating fish and fishermen in the same places.

For decades, Gulf of Mexico fishing regulators have tried to rebuild depleted popular reef fish, including grouper and snapper, with limited success, despite increased restrictions.

Meanwhile, many coastal communities have looked to artificial reefs as a way to increase fish populations, to provide better fishing for the public and to dispose of large piles of refuse.

But while sunken ships, concrete rubble, Army tanks and oil rigs do a great job of attracting fish, they do not help them grow and reproduce, scientists and regulators say. Rather, they concentrate fish in widely publicized spots, making them more vulnerable to hooks and spears.

Despite their limitations, artificial reefs could still play an important role in helping select species survive to breeding age. But reefs designed for conservation are not likely to succeed if they also serve as fishing destinations.

"You can use them as a tool for economies. You may be able to use them as a tool for ecological benefits, but you can't necessarily do both simultaneously with the same reef," said William Lindberg, a fisheries science professor at University of Florida in Gainesville.

Artificial reef bonanza

With its vast shoreline, Florida has one of the nation's largest artificial reef programs, with about 2,600 statewide.

The program began in the 1970s, with counties taking the lead in deciding where to place the reefs and materials to use. With a few notable exceptions, most have become very popular fishing spots that contribute greatly to local economies.

From Pinellas County to Lee County, artificial reefs generate $253 million in spending each year, according to a recent University of Florida report.

Artificial reefs get tremendous support, and state grants allow counties to spend almost no money on them, said Laird Wreford, Sarasota County's coastal resources manager.

Sarasota County has several permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to place material, such as old bridges and demolished buildings, off the coast as they become available.

That was the fate of the old Ringling Causeway, which is now part of the Lynn Silvertooth reef off the shores of New Pass. Wreford called the project a "glowing win" because it kept the bridge out of the landfill.

"It becomes basically a major fishery," he said.

Statewide it is up to each county to decide where to put reefs, within the confines of state and federal regulations. There is little collaboration with other counties, with scientists or with those who manage fisheries in state and federal waters.

Can reefs grow fish?

It is no secret that artificial reefs attract fish.

People have been using them for that purpose for hundreds of years, said James Cowan, a professor of oceanography and coastal science at Louisiana State University.

The question is whether they help fish grow and survive into adulthood, and several studies, dating as far back as the 1980s, consistently say they do not.

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Artificial reefs' effect on fish populations comes under question
By Kate Spinner
kate.spinner@heraldtribune.com
Published: Monday, November 14, 2011 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 10:37 p.m.

Page 3 of 5

While reefs provide shelter for several species, including grouper and snapper, they do not provide a primary food source. For food, those fish need to travel.

Most natural reefs are small, providing limited shelter. Most artificial reefs, by contrast, are much larger, providing a great deal of shelter — perhaps too much.

In a 2006 study, Lindberg and eight other scientists found that grouper choose safety over sustenance by congregating on large artificial reefs. The result was that grouper of the same age on those larger reefs weighed significantly less than those on smaller, less sheltered reefs.

"They're willing to sacrifice a bit of growth so as to not be eaten," Lindberg said. The concern is that the grouper may not get sufficient food to reproduce if they choose to hide instead of eat.

Think of the overlarge reef as a city.

"You can have a city of several million people, but you better have some farmland out there producing food for them," Lindberg said.

Complicating the matter, people choose to place artificial reefs in places that are convenient for them, not for the fish.

"It turns out that some of those areas where reefs are deployed are areas that would be, in nature, the nursery habitat," Cowan said.

That encourages the adult fish, particularly snapper, to live among and compete with the juvenile fish. It also attracts more predators to what would naturally be nursery habitat. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, those shifts have brought large deep-sea fish, such as bluefin, closer to shore.

As a result, the sheltering fish face two threats instead of one: more natural predators and more baited hooks.

Because reefs attract fish, they can give fishermen the perception that they increase fish populations.

"It's not self-evident that that may not be the case for the population as a whole," Lindberg said.

State and federal fishing limits, which are based on estimates of fish populations compared with the annual catch, minimize the harm that artificial reefs might pose if fishing were unrestricted.

If artificial reefs make overfishing easier, that should show up when regulators survey fish populations, Lindberg and others said.

"The saving grace is the management actions that have to be taken by fisheries managers," Lindberg said.

Artificial reefs for conservation

All artificial reefs are not created equal.

They can be randomly sited in areas that negatively alter juvenile habitat or they can be specifically designed to help juvenile fish.

Steve Bortone, executive director of the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, has advocated using artificial reefs as a tool to enhance fish populations for more than a decade. He says the potential is there to design reefs in ways that meet the needs of fish that struggle with immense fishing pressure.

That kind of work is not being done now with conservation in mind, but that might change.

In partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Lindberg is working to find out whether artificial reefs can be designed to help juvenile grouper reach breeding age.

In northern Florida, nearly 500 small reefs designed for juvenile grouper have been scattered across the continental shelf, between the seagrass nurseries and the deeper waters where adult grouper live. The assumption is that the grouper population as a whole is limited by lack of shelter for juveniles.

"If functioning properly, the number of fish on reefs farther offshore should increase," said Jon Dodrill, environmental administrator in the FWC division of fisheries management.

The key to the research — and for any other artificial reef that aims for conservation — is that it not be publicized as a fishing destination, Dodrill and other scientists said.

Recently, some communities in the Panhandle and Florida's east coast have expressed interest in building conservation reefs in undisclosed or hard-to-reach spots, Dodrill said. But no communities have made any reefs completely off limits.

Indeed, very few sites in the Gulf of Mexico are set aside as protected areas where fish can find refuge from fishing hooks.

But scientists and regulators said making fishing off-limits on some artificial reefs or even on natural reefs would probably produce the greatest benefit for exploited fish populations.

"That's just not a concept that is supported by the recreational fishing lobby — or even our own commissioners," Dodrill said.

Read more!

FAO says traditional crops key to facing climate change

FAO 14 Nov 11;

14 November 2011, Rome - Traditional food crops and other plant varieties worldwide are in urgent need of protection from climate change and other environmental stresses, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, as it observed the tenth anniversary of the international treaty to protect and share plant genetic resources.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf called on countries to develop specific policies to conserve and make wider use of plant varieties for generations to come. He lauded the injection of $6 million made available through the treaty to help farmers of traditional crops adapt to climate change.

"The conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are key to ensuring that the world will produce enough food to feed its growing population in the future," Diouf said.

Diouf pointed out that the global gene pool of more than 1.5 million samples of plant genetic material governed collectively and multilaterally by signature countries under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture "constitutes the basis for more than 80 percent of the world's food derived from plants and it is possibly our most important tool for adapting agriculture to climate change in the years to come."

The Treaty's ‘Benefit-sharing Fund' is being used to support farmers and breeders in 21 developing countries to adapt key crops to the new conditions brought on by climate change, floods, droughts, plant pests, plant diseases and other factors.

"The effects of climate change on agriculture do not respect national borders, they cover entire agro-ecological zones," said Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the International Treaty. "For this reason, this portfolio of projects is taking a pioneering approach in generating a global knowledge base. Some of these projects will help us to establish clear priorities and action plans across borders for future actions."

Peru's Potato Park

One such project is based in a potato sanctuary in Peru, where community members combine traditional knowledge with efforts to conserve native varieties, improve agricultural production and ensure food security.

"When I was a little girl, native potatoes were cultivated in the lower lands. Today, lower zones are much hotter than before and it is not possible to cultivate potatoes anymore. As a result, we need to cultivate them much higher in the mountain," said Francisca Pacco, Potato Park Guardian.

During a recent knowledge-exchange session with visitors from Ethiopia, Pacco and other Potato Park residents showed how they used local knowledge of wind patterns, native plants and other factors to change the locations and timing for local potato cultivation. With support from the Benefit-sharing Fund, Potato Park residents are also increasing income-generating activities.

Recognition of farmers' work

"Farmers are the key actors in the conservation and sustainable use of food crops and they struggle with all the changes that are happening. If we work hard with a solid scientific basis and the integration of farmers, we will see results in two years when these projects will be over," said Zoila Fundora, a Cuba-based expert from the panel that evaluated the new projects approved.

"The fund helps farmers, in a very practical way, to adapt to climate change and contributes to food security by recognizing that one part of the solution is in the huge diversity of crops", said David Cunningham, a panel expert from Australia.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 14 Nov 11

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [7 - 13 Nov 2011]
from Green Business Times

All about Ovulids of Singapore!
from wild shores of singapore

A Few Critters In the Central Catchment Areas
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Of Bird Watching, Bird Photography and the Like
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Short-nosed Halfbeak
from Monday Morgue

Read more!

Twelve New Species of Fish Found Near Bali

Made Arya Kencana Jakarta Globe 14 Nov 11;

Denpasar. Scientists from the US-based Conservation International said they may have discovered 12 new fish species in the waters off of Bali.

“Right now the fish are being identified and classified. Hopefully by December, or at the latest by January, the names can be listed and formalized [as new species],” the group’s coral fish researcher Mark van Nydeck said on Sunday.

The unidentified species cover a number of genus and families, including the eels, damsels and coral fishes in the genus of Siphamia, Heteroconger, Apogon, Parapercis, Meiacanthus, Manonichthys, Grallenia and Pseudochromis.

Partnering with the local maritime and fisheries agency, the Bali Marine Rapid Assessment Program began in January with a survey of 33 marine locations around Bali covering depths of 10 meters to 70 meters.

The group said Bali had a high level of marine biodiversity, with more than 1,000 species of fish.

In May, Conservation International discovered eight new species of coral fishes and one new species of coral. The species were believed to be endemic to the area and had not migrated from other regions.

The study found that coral reefs in Bali had been well-preserved and their condition was significantly better than that reported in studies 20 years ago.

But some species of fish are becoming increasingly hard to find, such as sharks and groupers. The finding indicates that there has been over-fishing in the area.

More than 100 sharks are captured and killed each day in Bali, the group said, particularly the long-finned shark, which is prized for its fins.

Trading in shark fin is legal in Indonesia and can fetch up to Rp 2.5 million ($280) per kilogram.

Read more!

Regions must brace for weather extremes: UN climate panel

Marlowe Hood AFP Yahoo News 14 Nov 11;

Southern Europe will be gripped by fierce heatwaves, drought in North Africa will be more common, and small island states face ruinous storm surges from rising seas, according to a report by UN climate scientists.

The assessment is the most comprehensive probe yet by the 194-nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) into the impact of climate change on extreme weather events.

A 20-page draft "summary for policymakers" obtained by AFP says in essence that global warming will create weather on steroids.

It also notes that these amped-up events -- cyclones, heat waves, diluvian rains, drought -- will hit the world unevenly.

Subject to modification, the draft summary will be examined by governments at a six-day IPCC meeting starting on Monday in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.

In the worst scenario, human settlement in some areas could be wiped out, the report warns.

"If disasters occur more frequently and/or with greater magnitude, some local areas will become increasingly marginal as places to live or in which to maintain livelihoods," it says.

"In such cases migration becomes permanent and could introduce new pressures in areas of relocation. For locations such as atolls, in some cases it is possible that many residents will have to relocate."

Three years in the making, the underlying 800-page report synthesises thousands of recent, peer-reviewed scientific studies.

The authors expresses high confidence in some findings but stresses uncertainty in others, mainly due to lack of data.

They also emphasise that the vulnerability of human settlements depends as much or more on exposure, preparedness and the capacity to respond as it does on the raw power of Nature's violent outburts.

Average global temperatures have risen by nearly 1.0 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, with forecasts for future warming ranging between an additional 1.0 C to 5.0 C (1.8-9.0 F) by 2100.

But these worldwide figures mask strong regional differences.

Among the findings:

-- Western Europe is at risk from more frequent heat waves, in particular along the Mediterranean rim.

Record-busting temperatures in 2003 responsible for some 70,000 excess deaths across Europe may become closer to average summer peaks by as early as mid-century, the report suggests.

-- The eastern and southern United States and the Caribbean will probably face hurricanes amplified by heavier rainfall and increased wind speeds.

Greater population density in exposed areas, rising property values and inadequate infrastructure will boost vulnerability, the draft warns. Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005, is seen by some scientists as an example of just such an confluence.

-- For small island states, the top threat is incursion from rising seas, which not only erodes shorelines but poisons aquifers and destroys farmland as well.

Already measurable, these impacts are "very likely" -- a 90-percent or greater probability -- to become worse over time, even intolerable, the report concludes.

"In some cases, there may be a need to consider permanent evacuation," it says.

-- Climate models hold out the prospect of more droughts for West Africa, raising the spectre of famine in regions where daily life is already a hand-to-mouth experience for millions.

Factor in the biggest population boom of any continent over the next half-century and the danger of food "insecurity" in Africa becomes even greater, it cautions.

-- In South Asia and Southeast Asia, computer models see a doubling in the frequency of devastating rainstorms. In East Asia, exceptional heatwaves will become hotter, and less exceptional.

By mid-century, temperature peaks in East Asia will be around 2.0 C (3.6 F) more than today, and by 2100 some 4.0 C (7.2 F), even under scenarios that see some efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

The IPCC co-won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize after publishing a landmark "assessment report" that sparked worldwide awareness about climate change and its impacts. That document made only a brief reference to extreme weather events, leaving a gap that the panel hopes to fill with the new report.

The draft summary for policymakers will be reviewed, line-by-line, during a joint meeting of the IPCC's Working Group I, which focuses on physical science, and Working Group II, which examines impacts. It is set to be released on Friday.

Read more!

Environmental watchdog makes scientific expedition in Tambunan

Durie Rainer Fong The Star 14 Nov 11;

KOTA KINABALU: A scientific expedition was made to an important water catchment area deep in Sabah’s interior to ensure it is well preserved and continues to be a pristine source of life.

Environmental watchdog WWF-Malaysia made the trip with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to the Liwagu sub-catchment area in Tambunan, about 80km from here from Nov 10 to today.

The main objective of the expedition was to gather information that contributes towards building critical knowledge for supporting the management of the sub-catchment area and the natural resources within it.

The expedition included surveys and investigations, as well as identification and establishment of sampling and research plots for future data collection.

“UMS is very excited to work with WWF-Malaysia and we believe we can complement each other in terms of expertise, skills and resources,”

said UMS’ Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation director Dr Abdul Hamid Ahmad.

The collaboration between WWF-Malaysia and UMS will continue beyond the expedition and will extend throughout further research undertakings in the Liwagu sub-catchment area in the future including in documentation and distribution of research findings.

“This expedition will be an interesting one as this will be WWF-Malaysia’s first scientific expedition that focuses on upland catchment area in Sabah,” said WWF-Malaysia freshwater coordinator Daria Mathew.

The Liwagu sub-catchment in Tambunan has been WWF-Malaysia’s project area since January last year and will end by December 2012. It is fully funded by HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd.

This project site focuses on sustainable management of freshwater resources and water catchment.

Its core targets are to improve the protection and sustainable management of freshwater resources, enhance management, conservation and restoration of wildlife in the area as well as to enhance the capacity and participation of local communities in catchment and natural resources management.

Read more!

Rivers in Sabah in dire straits

The Star 14 Nov 11;

TAWAU: Palm oil factory waste disposal in Sabah has reached a serious level as several rivers in the state have been reported to be severely polluted due to weaknesses in waste management.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Bolkiah Ismail said 60% of factories in Sabah were still using conventional methods to dispose of industrial waste, including toxic residue, into the river.

He hoped that local authorities, as well as relevant agencies and departments, would monitor the situation so that it would not worsen to the extent of affecting the river's ecosystem, environment and public health.

“Two factories in Sandakan have already been issued compounds by the Department of Environment for polluting the Segaliud River,” he said after launching the Tawau-level No Plastic Bag Day campaign at a shopping centre here yesterday.

In his speech earlier, Bolkiah said the use of plastic bags among Malaysians had increased to 1.9 million tonnes this year compared with 1.85 million tonnes in 2006.

Tawau Municipal Council president Datuk Ismail Mayakob said the council would officially kick off the campaign next year. - Bernama

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'Climate vulnerable' countries meet in Bangladesh

(AFP) Google News 14 Nov 11;

DHAKA — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will open a forum in Bangladesh on Monday at which countries most vulnerable to climate change will try to unite ahead of global talks in South Africa in December.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum has gathered 18 countries in Dhaka to also share experiences of fighting global warming and to discuss how to tackle its effects.

"The aim of this conference is to get the nations who are disproportionately affected by climate change, the most vulnerable nations, to come together and speak with one voice," Mesbah ul Alam, Bangladesh's environment secretary said.

"Climate change is real and it is affecting us now -- we live with floods, with climate refugees, with rising salinity in our coastal areas and with the impact of rising sea levels," he told AFP.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum was set up in 2009 under the chairmanship of the Maldives and was then passed to Kiribati in 2010.

In addition to pressuring rich nations to assist poorer countries, it aims to showcase some of the most innovative adaptation strategies already in place in vulnerable countries.

"The aim is to counter the pessimism surrounding climate talks now," said Saleem Huq, a fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development.

"We want to show that the poorest, most vulnerable countries are not being passive but proactive."

Huq acknowledged that there was a "deadlock" in terms of international climate talks and said it was unlikely there would be any significant breakthroughs at Durban, South Africa in December.

Among the countries meeting in Dhaka are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the Maldives, Nepal and the Philippines.

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