The Philippines: Donsol's mangroves and whale sharks

Donsol's mangroves Conserving nature's resources
Gregg Yan The Philippine Star 15 Jan 12;

MANILA, Philippines - Three very different creatures are known to converge in the municipality of Donsol in Sorsogon: the most celebrated of course, are the whale sharks – largest of all fish and delightfully crisscrossed with bars and spots.

Next come fleets of tiny fireflies, dancing and drifting like ephemeral clouds of light.

Finally, legions of people trudge each summer to chance upon both the largest and smallest denizens of Donsol.

All three creatures intertwine, seemingly held in perfect balance.

“Whale sharks congregate in Donsol because of all the plankton,” according to WWF-Philippines project manager Raul Burce.

“Plankton consume nutrients discharged by Donsol’s still-healthy rivers, one of the few habitats where fireflies still thrive. Remove mangroves and the fireflies shall be driven off. Without the healthy rivers needed by fireflies, plankton populations cannot bloom – and the whale sharks will migrate elsewhere. If one component crashes, the others follow suit. This can be catastrophic for the people of Donsol,”Burce warned.

Tourism has transformed Donsol into a boomtown.

A total of 24,191 local and foreign visitors swam with the gentle giants from December to June 2011.

Donsol’s Municipal Tourism Office estimated that the 2010 season alone generated over P100 million ($2.3 million) from transportation, food, lodging, registration fees, plus whale shark, mangrove and firefly tours.

Around P20 million ($465,000) was retained by the local government, bolstering incomes and improving lives.

Jasmine Yanson, a 36-year old mother of seven, admitted, “Malaking tulong ang turismo sa mga taga-Donsol. Nakabili kami ng bangka, kagamitan sa bahay at nakatapos rin ng pag-aaral ang mga anak ko.” (Tourism gave us a big boost. We were able to buy an outrigger boat, household appliances, plus my children were able to finish school.)

It is, thus, important to conserve not just whale sharks, but mangroves and other critical ecosystems which ensure the livelihood of Donsolanos.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) recently spearheaded a vigorous reforestation drive to plant 10,000 mangrove seedlings in Donsol’s Barangay Sibago last December 13, 2011.

Together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Tourism, Armed Forces of the Philippines and numerous local organizations, 284 people – from battle-hardened soldiers to bright-eyed students and conservationists – took part in the INDRA and Fluor Daniel Philippines-funded initiative.

Known in Tagalog as bakawan, mangroves constitute one of the most productive of marine habitats – able to generate 500 kilograms of seafood per hectare annually.

They absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the major culprit for climate change. The thick onshore hedges protect coastal communities from violent gale winds and waves caused by typhoons.

Labyrinthine roots shelter fish and invertebrates while stabilizing sediments and absorbing heavy trace metals to minimize coastal erosion and prevent inland salt-water contamination.

Even fallen leaves are used by some animals for food and shelter.

Former barangay captain Florencio Gorordo of Rawis in Donsol noted, “Balang araw, makatutulong ang mga punong ire na sumalag sa malalaking alon at malalakas na bagyo.” (One day, these trees will help protect our people from giant waves and strong storms.)

Loss of mangrove forests expose coastal communities to increased flooding, faster beach erosion, saline intrusion and severe damage from intensifying storms.

In 2006, over 1000 stilt homes were swept to sea by unusually high waves in Bongao, capital of Tawi-Tawi.

Almost simultaneously, freak waves demolished 200 homes in Talisay, Cebu.

An estimated 450,000 hectares of mangrove forests once circled the shores of the Philippines in 1918. Up to 75 percent of the original cover has been lost as a result of the post-war government’s program to develop seemingly-idle mangrove forests into fish and shrimp ponds for profit.

Mangrove planting drives have been attempting to remedy the loss.

In 2007, the DENR, with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, estimated Philippine mangrove cover at 289,890 hectares – a morale-boosting improvement over the 112,000 hectares remaining in 1998.

The WWF and its allies in the public and private sector are now working to restore degraded mangrove habitats to improve the lives and livelihoods of people.

According to WWF-Philippines vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, “The key here is balance. Without it, the productivity of our natural systems will crash. Strike a balance between conservation and development and we can ensure sustainability.”

With 36,289 kilometers of coast and a largely shore-borne population, the Philippines and its thousands of seaside communities are highly vulnerable to the worsening impacts of climate change.

Recent storms in the form of Ondoy, Pepeng and Sendong are but harbingers of the future. There’s no better time to plant mangroves and prepare for climate change than now.

“Donsol has long been a point of convergence. Today, dozens of groups have united to protect its productivity. Just imagine what this place can be in 10 years,” Burce pointed out, adding, “when fireflies return to light up this forest, we’ll know that balance has been restored.

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Vietnam: Biodiversity corridor to benefit central provinces

VietnamNet 14 Jan 12;

The Vietnam Environment Administration officially launched the largest ever biodiversity conservation project on January 12, aiming to establish a biodiversity corridor in three central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

The budget for the eight-year project, titled Greater Mekong Subregion Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project – Vietnam Component, is estimated at US$34.083 million, of which $30 million will come from official development assistance (ODA) loans.

The biodiversity corridor, once established, would help restore and maintain the connectivity of ecosystems in the region and at the same time create jobs to benefit local communities and foster economic growth.

The project involves some 70,000 residents in 34 communes, most of whom are poor and living in far-flung areas.

Jeremy Carew Reid, director of the International Centre for Environmental Management, an independent public interest centre, said work on biodiversity conservation often start after there has been a great loss of biodiversity.

He said a new way of thinking has taken shape in Vietnam, which sees biodiversity conservation as an essential foundation for economic development and adaptation to climate change.

"The world's going to be watching all these things because this is new world-wide. Vietnam has been out front thinking and acting on the corridor concept," Reid said.

"We know it will require difficult decisions but there's no single correct way to do this. The critical thing is how well we can engage the economic sector, transport sector and industry sector. Unless we bring those actors into the corridor and show them the benefits of it, we know that the corridor is going to be very hard to maintain."

The chairman of the Vietnam Association of Zoologists, Professor Dang Huy Huynh, said the project should keep track of the progress in quantitative terms. For example, it should follow the loss of biodiversity at the beginning and the end of the project or the rate of new jobs generated to make sure such a huge investment would not be wasted.

Pham Anh Cuong, director of the Vietnam Environment Administration's Biodiversity Conservation Agency, said that the relevant legal documents on the design and management of biodiversity corridors haven't been drawn up yet.

"So we hope as part of this project, we can come up with a legal document stipulating this aspect, based on the successful experiments of building a corridor in these three provinces during the 2006-09 period," he said.

Cuong said his agency is due to start constructing a plan for a national network of biodiversity corridors this year and should submit it to the Government by 2013.

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Access, benefit sharing of genetic resources gain ground in Asean

Ana Maria Tolentino and Sahlee Bugna-Barrer Business Mirror 14 Jan 12;

SERIOUS environmental concerns affect people and governments in the Asean region—climate change, pollution, forest fires and haze, access to clean water, land conversion, and mining, among others. One that is currently gaining greater attention is the issue of access and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resources.

In the past, there has been an imbalance in the use of genetic resources. Large companies—such as those in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and mining industries—generally earn millions from exploiting the natural resources of another country, with little benefit going to the country of origin.

ABS aims to address this imbalance by providing international rules where benefits will equally accrue to both providers and users of genetic resources. ABS provides a further responsibility—for both rich countries and local communities rich with biodiversity—to conserve and sustainably biodiversity resources.

The issue of ABS was brought into global prominence when it became one of the three objectives of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): 1) “the conservation of biological diversity; 2) the sustainable use of its components; and 3) the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding.”

ABS is an ongoing process, but its implementation has been spurred by the Nagoya Protocol on ABS, which was adopted at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the CBD in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010.

The Nagoya Protocol provides greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources by establishing more predictable conditions for access to genetic resources, and by helping to ensure benefit-sharing when genetic resources leave the contracting party providing such resources.

By helping to ensure benefit-sharing, the Nagoya Protocol creates incentives to conserve and sustainably use genetic resources, and, therefore, enhances the contribution of biodiversity to development and human well-being.

ABS is a means of leveling the playing field in the use of genetic materials, particularly in the Asean region, where there is an astonishing wealth of biodiversity, but which has been exploited by many powerful foreign companies in the past.

Many Asean member-states have not obtained a fair share of the benefits derived from the use of their resources for the development of a number of highly profitable products, such as high-yielding crop varieties, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The CBD has addressed this issue by recognizing the sovereign rights of States over their natural resources and stating that the authority to determine access to genetic resources rests with the national governments and is subject to national legislation.

ABS also recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples, who, for generations, have lived close to nature and generated traditional knowledge of the qualities, behavior and other salient characteristics of the natural world. This traditional knowledge has been a fountain of information that has been tapped in bio-prospecting activities of various companies that aim to benefit from natural resources and the knowledge of their stewards.

ABS not only protects natural resources, but also ensures that intellectual property rights laws will protect traditional knowledge.



ABS in Southeast Asia

ABS is gaining ground in the Asean region.

In the Philippines Executive Order (EO) 247 was adopted in 1995—the first in the world—which prescribes the guidelines and procedures for the prospecting of biological and genetic resources.

In 2006 the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples issued Administrative Order (AO) 1 entitled “Free and Prior Informed Consent [FPIC]” Guidelines of 2006.

The AO requires persons or entities to obtain the FPIC according to customary laws before conducting any activity within the ancestral domain to ensure that these are consistent with traditional practices and to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits with the concerned community.

The Philippines’s Indigenous Peoples Rights Act provides that indigenous peoples are entitled to the recognition of the full ownership, control and protection of their cultural and intellectual rights. They also have the right to special measures to control, develop and protect their sciences, technologies and cultural manifestations.

Malaysia is one of the pioneers in the Asean region in initiating an institutional framework for ABS when Sarawak became the first State to pass an ABS law in 1997.

The state has a Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, a state statutory body that facilitates traditional knowledge documentation, propagates indigenous plants for conservation and appreciation, conducts awareness and appreciation on biodiversity biotechnology, implements research and development program on bioprospecting, and regulates research with commercial potential in Sarawak.

The State of Sabah followed suit through the Sabah Biodiversity Enactment of 2000 which established the Sabah Biodiversity Council and the Sabah Biodiversity Center. The center regulates the access to biological resources and includes the creation of an ABS Toolkit in Sabah.

Cambodia has enacted several legislations concerning natural resource protection, among them, a Land Law, enacted in 2001 to promote certainty in issues of land ownership and recognizing communal rights and rights to land ownership by indigenous communities.

It also enacted a Forestry Law in 2002 which was then followed by the issuance of a Community Forestry Sub-Decree in 2003 in National Forest Policy.

Cambodia has yet to develop its own ABS regime and is still in the process of fully understanding the Nagoya Protocol and the issues that may arise which will directly affect its people and sovereignty.

In the meantime, an initial step was taken by the Cambodian government, through a meeting of the National Assembly, to collectively discuss new international agreements, including the Nagoya Protocol.

Future steps to be taken include the translation of the Nagoya Protocol into the Khmer language and its distribution to National Assembly members and various ministries.

Brunei Darussalam has started documenting traditional knowledge, innovation and practices involving nongovernmental organizations and local communities, creating databases on indigenous knowledge.

From 1998 environmental management in Indonesia has been strongly influenced by the decentralization of power to the regions. The Forestry Law 41/1999 and its implementing instrument, Government Regulation 34/2002 on the Management, Exploitation and Use of Forest Areas, is one of the key natural resource management legislative acts. A draft Natural Resources Management Plan is currently being prepared.

In 1982, Indonesia implemented a National Conservation Plan, which underwent subsequent assessments in collaboration with the World Bank in 1993 and 1995. The plan outlined several action points addressing biodiversity traditional knowledge and ABS.

In Lao PDR, progress has been made in reviewing existing laws and regulations related to biodiversity, including the revision and adoption of the Forestry Law and enactment of the Aquatic and Wildlife Law in 2007. The Environmental Protection Law is also undergoing revision and improvement.

The establishment of the new Department of Forestry Inspection in 2008 was considered a major step forward in an effort to control the use and reduce the loss of forest and biodiversity resources. The 2004 National Biosafety Framework and the Government Policy on Biosafety identifies ABS and traditional knowledge as priorities of Lao PDR.

Myanmar has a National Environmental Policy, which forms the basis for developing environmental strategies, programs and plans in connection with the “Myanmar Agenda 21,” a policy instrument prepared for the Rio Summit of 1992.

The legislations which impact genetic resources in Myanmar are the Forestry Law, the Protection of Wildlife and Wild Plants and Conservation on Nature Areas Law, and the Science and Technology Development Law.

For enhancing and securing involvement of indigenous and local communities and all relevant stakeholders, the Myanmar Forest Law of 1992 allows property rights and privileges for people living in and around the protected areas.

In Singapore the legal basis for conservation has been improved and strengthened by amendments to the National Parks Board Act 2005 and the Parks and Trees Act 2005.

A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is also in place with the Plant Conservation Strategy and the Bird Conservation Strategy as examples of Singapore’s implementation of measures in the field.

The issuance of research permits related to biological research help in monitoring the usage of biological and genetic diversity.

Protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices is not being applied in Singapore because of the lack of traditional and indigenous communities and traditional knowledge.

Singapore has participated with other Asean countries in the drafting of a framework agreement on ABS. It is also a signatory to the Asean Framework Agreement on ABS.

Thailand is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world with high species diversity and 8 percent of the world’s known species.

New laws are planned to support the 1999 Law on the Protection of Thai Intelligence and Traditional Medicines, the 1999 Thai Variety Plant Protection Act and a Framework of Policy and Prospective Plan for Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality for 1997-2016.

The 1999 Plant Species Protection Act provides protection to new plant species, traditional plant species (local and in general), and in forest plant species.

The Thai Government’s Biodiversity Policy of 2009 focuses on the protection and restoration of conservation areas that are important to the preservation of ecology in support of biodiversity conservation. The policy is implemented through surveys, database development, conservation and development.

The Country Management Plan of 2008-11 is Thailand’s fourth policy on land, natural resources and the environment which promotes conservation, development, and sustainable utilization of biodiversity in order to yield better economic benefits.

As its goal, the policy seeks a balance between biodiversity conservation and biodiversity development.

Also worth mentioning is the Policy, Measure and Plan for Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, 2008-12—the instrument seeks to enhance the abundance of biodiversity as a secure foundation for the Thai way of life.

Vietnam has a Land Use Rights-certification system. However, education on the process of applying and implementing these certificates is needed.

In Vietnam’s World Intellectual Property Organization (Wipo) Survey Response, it was reported that there are very few legislative efforts in the area of genetic resources and almost none in the protection of traditional knowledge.

The Forest Science Institute of Vietnam, which is the leader institution for conservation, received continuous funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for research on conservation of forest genetic resources. MOST is responsible to the government for state management of research and development activities in science and technology, including biotechnology.

Legislation regarding access, property rights and benefit sharing of genetic has not yet been formulated, however. Worth noting is the approval of the Biodiversity Law in 2008 followed by its implementation in 2009.

In 1994 the Vietnamese government promulgated the Resolution 18/CP on the development of biotechnology in Vietnam.

Presently, the relevant legislation to ABS are: a) Agreement Between the US and Vietnam on Trade Relations, 2000; b) Law on Environmental Protection, 1993; c) Land Law, 1993; and the d) 2001 Decision 08/2001/QD/Ttg to issue the regulation for management of special-use forests, protection forests and production forests as natural forest.

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Best of our wild blogs: 14 Jan 12

Mynas
from Life's Indulgences

A close encounter with a Brahminy Kite
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Unique Borneo trip aims to protect little known Sun Bear
from Bornean Sun Bear Conservation

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Elevation map may cost up to $125m

Data from such mapping can be used in a computer model to predict floods, experts say
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 14 Jan 12;

A MAP that can show the height of land across Singapore and help fight the flooding problem could cost up to $125 million.

Users of the map, accurate to within 10cm, would have a better idea of where rainwater would flow during storms. The data, plus information on land use and rainfall patterns, would be a good fit for a flood-prediction computer model which does not now exist.

Private companies said the mapping could be done by planes or ground teams but added that the Government had to take on the work, given its scale.

Three private land surveyors put the cost of the undertaking at between $100 million and $125 million, based on smaller-scale work done for the construction industry. But this figure may be much lower if more advance tools are used.

On Tuesday, a 12-man expert panel set up to solve Singapore's flooding woes said a computer model would be essential for the country to plan long-term solutions.

The panel, appointed by the Government in June last year after a spate of floods in the past two years, gave its findings after a six-month study.

It advised the authorities to invest in a digital map of land heights, known as a digital elevation map, and said it would have to be accurate to within 10cm to be useful.

National water agency PUB's flood-prediction models - in place since the 1990s and upgraded over time - now forecast water movement only within drains and canals, and what degree of rainfall intensity they can handle. It said it is studying the panel's recommendations and will respond at a later date.

Professor Chan Eng Soon, head of the panel and dean of the engineering faculty at the National University of Singapore, said the current models are not enough. 'You must understand the entire catchment to know how water is going to flow,' he said on Tuesday.

The panel noted that higher resolution data needed for the improved computer model can be obtained using available technology.

The National Environment Agency has rainfall data going back to the 1860s. The Urban Redevelopment Authority records land-use data while the Singapore Armed Forces Mapping Unit produces our national topography maps.

The unit declined to comment on its maps' accuracy, how it gets data and how often the maps are revised but the private firms said it is likely that aerial methods - which are relatively cheap and fast - are used to do the work.

They added that the methods may include estimating land heights through aerial photos or a technique known as light detection and ranging (Lidar).

However, Dr Liew Soo Chin, head of research at the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, said these aerial methods may not meet the panel's requirements.

Aerial Lidar involves fitting an aircraft with a global positioning system (GPS) and laser scanners. The scanners emit laser pulses which hit the ground and reflect back to the scanners. The distance to the ground is calculated based on the pulse's travelling time, and the data is combined with the GPS to produce a digital map of land heights.

No local companies use this method. Foreign firms have claimed error margins of 15cm or less using aerial Lidar but they said this technique suffers in urban and densely forested areas, where tall buildings and trees may distort the pulse reflections.

Mr Tan Eng Fei, owner of land surveying firm Wang and EF Tan Associates, said ground surveys - which involve moving tools across the land - can be much more accurate at just a 5mm deviation, but are also more expensive and time-consuming.

Based on foreign companies' prices, an aerial Lidar survey of Singapore would cost between $150,000 and $300,000, compared with ground surveys which local companies said could cost more than $100 million. A ground-based Lidar approach, which uses Lidar-equipped vehicles, may fall between the two extremes.

A Lidar plane can cover all of Singapore within two days, whereas a typical ground-survey team of three people would need three days to cover 10,000sqm, or a sliver of the country's total land area of 712 sq km.

The private firms said a national ground survey would have to be undertaken by the Government since the project would exceed their capabilities, and they are unlikely to be able to enter areas where access is restricted because of security concerns.

But surveyor Tan Choo How said a ground survey may not be entirely feasible. 'Some parts of Singapore are very thickly forested and inaccessible to ground teams. It may be better to fly Lidar planes very low instead to improve their accuracy. This may not be below 10cm but exceeding that by a little should not make a big difference to computer models,' he said.

Other countries to have embarked on such projects include Australia, where the state of Queensland was devastated by floods last year. The state's authorities will complete elevation maps of some coastal areas - accurate to 10cm - by the end of the year using a mix of approaches.

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NEA, AVA to handle all complaints on bird nuisance

Vimita Mohandas Channel NewsAsia 13 Jan 12;

SINGAPORE: The public can now channel all complaints on bird nuisance - whether it's crows, pigeons or mynahs - to the National Environment Agency or the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) cleared the air in a Facebook posting on Friday.

This, after MediaCorp reported last month that it was tough pinning down the relevant authorities in charge of mynahs.

A coffeeshop in Bishan, which saw mynahs flocking to its premises, had complained to the two agencies but was told that they do not handle mynahs.

NEA takes care of crows, while AVA handles pigeons.

Both agencies now said they will look at improving the current system to provide a more coordinated response to deal with the mynah problem.

MND has also urged the public not to feed birds in public.

MND said NEA and AVA will undertake a closer study of the mynah problem in Singapore to identify better ways to manage the population. It added that with closer proximity between urban and nature areas, more of such problems can be expected.

It added that NEA and Town Councils have been culling crows and pigeons to control their population and stepped up cleaning in public areas where large numbers of birds gather.

AVA and NEA have also been taking enforcement action against people who feed birds.

- CNA/cc

Orchard Road hit by bird nuisance
Ng Puay Leng Channel NewsAsia 16 Jan 12;

SINGAPORE: Since Channel NewsAsia's report last month about mynahs being a public nuisance, viewers have given feedback that Orchard Road is plagued by this problem as well.

Mynahs residing in trees along Orchard Road can be heard for more than an hour after the sun sets.

Orchard Road merchants said there could be a few thousand mynahs.

The birds' droppings have left unsightly stains on pedestrian walkways.

The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) said it's exploring ways to chase the mynahs away.

This included borrowing an eagle from the Singapore Wildlife Reserve but this did not work out due to the large number of mynahs.

They have also approached various government agencies for help, but so far no concrete solution has been provided.

The National Environment Agency said that with the close proximity between urban and natural areas, there will be such minor bird nuisances.

In a written reply to a question in parliament on Monday whether there will be a single agency to handle bird-related problems, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said that the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) would coordinate the work of all agencies involved whenever problems caused by birds arise.

- CNA/ck

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Best of our wild blogs: 13 Jan 12

Bringing Folks from Malaysia on a Mantidfly Hunt
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Black-naped Oriole collecting spider’s silk
from Bird Ecology Study Group

At Sembawang seeking anemones
from wild shores of singapore

A Navjot Sodhi module objective: “I just wanna teach them some empathy”
from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS

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Cheap and quick green roofs

Rooftop gardens can be relatively inexpensive to install
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 13 Jan 12;

ROOFTOP rain gardens are relatively inexpensive and can hold large amounts of water. And if the authorities accept a recommendation by an expert panel on floods to mandate that all buildings have these green roofs, they can be quick to install, too.

The 12-man panel, tasked by the Government to look into solving Singapore's flooding woes in the long run, has recommended that building owners be required by law to build green roofs. These rooftop gardens, traditionally installed to beautify the skyline and reduce the heat around a building, can help absorb rainwater and reduce the speed of water flow.

Local contractors The Straits Times interviewed yesterday said these gardens would cost from $20,000 to $180,000, depending on their size.

Property developer City Developments, a leader in green buildings here, spends $150 to $400 per sq m for a green roof for a new building, and $105 to $150 per sq m to retrofit an existing one. For a residential project with an extensive green roof, installation generally does not exceed 1 per cent of total construction cost, it said.

Contractors say such gardens can store anything from about six to 34 litres per sq m. The size can range from 200 sq m for a commercial building, to 1,200 sq m for the entire roof of a multi-storey Housing Board carpark.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said the cost of such gardens is usually between $100 and $150 per sq m, which means a commercial green roof costs between $20,000 and $30,000 and can hold 6,800 litres. An HDB carpark roof costs $120,000 to $180,000 and can hold 40,800 litres of water.

Mr Andy Chew, director of local firm Elmich, which designs, builds and installs green roofs, said the idea of rooftop gardens to help alleviate flooding could work for Singapore as large amounts of rainwater can be stored in the garden's water retention system.

This comprises soil-like material, membranes and storage trays. The water is then eventually absorbed by the plants as they grow. He added that the soil-like material also helps to regulate the flow of water; therefore, the speed of any excess water that flows down to ground level is reduced. The system is also light and can typically be installed in an average building.

Elmich, which has been in the business for 26 years and has installed gardens such as the one atop Orchard Central mall, offers systems that can store between six and 28 litres per sq m.

Another firm, Prince's Landscape & Construction, offers a proprietary solution whose water reservoir feature can store up to 34 litres of water per sq m.

Its manager Eugine Spicer said its roof gardens can help alleviate flooding as 'the sudden flow of water is minimised'. Depending on the size of the project and whether there is easy rooftop access, installing a green roof of about 400 sq m could take a month. Growing the plants takes two to three months before that, said Mr Spicer.

Prince has installed green roofs for properties such as Marina Bay Sands, and typically installs gardens 500 sq m in size at a cost of $150 per sq m.

NParks deputy director of horticulture and community gardening Ng Cheow Kheng told The Straits Times that to date, 36ha of skyrise greenery - greenery planted on rooftops or vertically on walls - have already been installed in buildings across Singapore.

NParks has a Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme which pays for half of installation costs, up to a maximum of $75 per sq m of green roof and $750 per sq m of green wall. Since the scheme launched in 2009, it has seen 40 buildings get fitted with 1.1ha of green roofs and 0.1ha of green walls.

Under the Building and Construction Authority's green building rating scheme Green Mark, buildings that feature such green roofs get extra points.

HDB has also piloted green roofs in existing housing blocks in recent years to reduce heat build-up and slow down stormwater. Its first eco-friendly residential project, Treelodge@ Punggol, features a rain-harvesting system where water collected is put to uses such as washing common areas.

PUB said it is studying the recommendations of the expert panel and will respond at a later date.

Benefits of rooftop gardens

A GREEN roof, also known as a rooftop garden or rain garden, is a roof that is partially or completely covered with plants and provided with an irrigation system.

Such greenery reduces the 'urban heat island' effect which makes a built-up area significantly warmer than its surroundings.

Green roofs also:

Conserve energy use in the building by keeping temperatures down so less air-conditioning is needed;

Improve air quality;

Reduce noise pollution;

Enhance a building's aesthetics;

Store rainwater and reduce the amount and speed at which water flows to the ground.

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Record-breaking 2011 for Singapore port

All-time highs in cargo and containers handled, vessel arrival tonnage, and bunker fuel sales
Jonathan Kwok Straits Times 13 Jan 12;

SINGAPORE'S port beat several records last year, against the tide of global economic uncertainty and challenges faced by the shipping industry.

The strong growth in shipping activity cemented the Republic's position as one of the world's busiest ports, as it retained the top spot in a number of industry-wide indicators.

According to advance data announced last night by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, all-time highs for Singapore's port were achieved in terms of cargo and containers handled, tonnage of vessels arriving and bunker fuel sales.

The early data shows that the number of containers handled last year grew by 5.3 per cent to 29.9 million standard-sized containers, marginally exceeding 2008's record high, said Mr Lui.

In 2010, Singapore was overtaken by Shanghai as the world's busiest port in terms of containers handled. Last month, China released figures showing Shanghai handled at least 30 million containers, beating Singapore's latest figures.

Vessel tonnage and bunker fuel sales also beat records set in 2010.

Total vessel arrival tonnage - which refers to the cargo-carrying capacity of ships calling here, rather than their weight - is projected to have grown 10.4 per cent to 2.12 billion gross tons last year. And sales of bunker fuel, a fuel type used by ships, are expected to have risen 5.6 per cent to 43.2 million tonnes.

In short, all these mean Singapore is right up there among the top ports of the world, holding the top spot in terms of vessel arrival tonnage and sales of bunker fuel.

Singapore is also one of the top 10 ship registries in the world. As of end-December last year, the total tonnage of ships under the Singapore flag had grown 17.6 per cent to 57.4 million gross tons.

The maritime sector plays a key role in the economy, employing more than 170,000 people and contributing 7 per cent of economic output.

Said Mr Lui, who was speaking at a New Year cocktail reception held by the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF): 'For Singapore, it is important that we do well as an international maritime centre, that we continue to attract a diverse range of players that enhance the breadth and depth of services that are available here.

'Last year we welcomed players like (insurance companies) Arthur J. Gallagher and Starr Managing Agents, maritime legal practice Mayer Brown JSM, and The Bank of Fukuoka.'

Singapore is also building infrastructure in anticipation of growing demand, noted Mr Lui. The Republic continued to expand port capacity at the Pasir Panjang Terminal, and launched a third Port Operations Control Centre at Changi to enhance navigational safety.

Government initiatives have been unveiled to support shipowners and service providers, to train manpower for the industry, and help reduce the environmental impact of shipping.

One of the green shipping initiatives, administered by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, received a boost yesterday. Some 15 organisations signed the Maritime Singapore Green Pledge, in which they committed to supporting and promoting clean and green shipping here.

The newcomers, including ship classification society DNV and units of Japan-based shipping company NYK Line, joined 12 others that signed the Green Pledge last year.

'It's a good success story,' said Captain Michael Elwert, a director at Thome Ship Management, a third-party ship manager based here. 'Singapore has good policies in place and other countries try to emulate it.'

But it may not be smooth sailing this year across the industry generally.

SMF chairman Michael Chia warned that 'the ride ahead will become rougher, tougher before it turns for the better'.

'Many companies, especially those in the container shipping and dry-bulk sectors, would need to streamline their operations and make bold moves to restructure their business strategies to ensure their commercial viability,' he said.

But he noted that the shipyards and offshore engineering sector can expect to see strong activity, underpinned by high oil prices.

Yesterday also saw the reappointment of Mr Chia as SMF's chairman, and two changes to its board.

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Malaysia: Pengerang gearing up to become regional oil storage hub

Malaysian firms are committed to investing tens of billions of ringgit
Pauline Ng Business Times 13 Jan 12;

EARMARKED as an up- and-coming oil storage hub for Asia, Johor's Pengerang is expected to see a step up in activities this year, with Malaysian companies led by Petronas committed to investing tens of billions of ringgit there.

A RM5 billion (S$2.05 billion) independent deepwater petroleum terminal (IDPT) project by a Dialog- Royal Vopak joint venture has already gotten off the ground, 5 per cent of the first phase completed as at December.

It will deliver an initial 1.3 million cubic metres (cbm) of storage with seven vessel berths when commissioned in 2014. The IDPT will offer five million cbm storage when fully completed over 10 years.

An integrated specialist technical services provider in the oil and gas and petrochemicals industry, Dialog has a 60-year exclusive mandate to develop the IDPT by the Johor state government which also has a stake in the project. Petronas is expected to be the terminal's main client.

Pengerang has distinct advantages as an IDPT because its 24-metre deepwater jetty facilities can accommodate VLCCs and ULCCs, allowing tankers to collect or deliver crude oil without a costly buoy mooring system.

Moreover, its sheltered harbour next to international sea lanes provides 'captive demand' for tank storage facilities. Other developments are brewing, too.

Integrated marine construction specialist firm Benalec has received an in- principle approval from the state government to reclaim 1,760 acres in the Pengerang area at the southern tip of Malaysia.

Over the coming 10 years, it plans to sell the reclaimed land to fabricators and shipyards in outright land sales or enter into joint ventures with foreign oil and gas companies wanting to set up there.

It has also been awarded another concession to reclaim 3,485 acres along Tanjung Piai, across from the Jurong Island Petroleum & Petrochemical Hub.

The company believes terminal operators will be keen to relocate there in future given Singapore's space constraints.

Plans are underway to work with Rotary International on an independent oil terminal with a one million cbm capacity.

The Johor royal family has a stake in both Benalec projects which are targeted to commence sometime this year.

The growth in Asia's crude oil consumption has boosted confidence that demand will remain strong.

Consumption is projected to grow by 420,000 barrels/day over the five years (2010-2015), Hwang- DBS Vickers observed in a sector report.

To provide further impetus to Pengerang's evolution into a regional oil storage hub, Petronas has plans for a US$20 billion Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development project called RAPID for short.

As a result, the oil major increased its capital expenditure by another RM50 billion to RM300 billion for the next five years beginning 2012.

A feasibility study ought to be concluded by year- end, and if it supports initial findings, will lead to work on a 300,000 barrels- per-day refinery as well as a petrochemicals and polymer complex that will produce differentiated and highly specialised chemicals.

The target commissioning date for RAPID is end- 2016.

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Illegal South African rhino killings hit record high

Final 2011 death toll of 448 represents one rhino lost every 20 hours, a slaughter driven by increased Asian demand for horn
David Smith guardian.co.uk 12 Jan 12;

The illegal slaughter of rhinos in South Africa surged to a record high last year with a final death toll of 448, official figures show.

The total, representing one rhino lost nearly every 20 hours, marked a significant increase on 2010 and suggested the country was still losing its war against poachers.

Two suspected poachers were killed in a shootout at the world renowned Kruger national park on Wednesday night after the gruesome discovery of eight rhino carcasses – an unprecedented one-day toll.

There has been a steady increase in rhino deaths through poaching in recent years. In 2010, the number killed was 333; in 2007, it was just 13.

Campaigners warn that, if the trend continues, the animal's future could be in jeopardy. The 2011 toll includes 19 critically endangered black rhinos, of which fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild.

Andrew McVey, species programme manager at WWF-UK, said: "If left unchecked, poaching gangs could put the survival of these iconic species in jeopardy."

The carnage is driven by increased demand for rhino horn in Asia, particularly Vietnam, where it carries prestige as a luxury item, a post-partying cleanser and – based on false science – a cure for cancer.

Tom Milliken, rhino trade expert at Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, said: "Rhino horn has gained popularity among wealthy Vietnamese elites and business people to give as a gift, when currying political favour, or taken as an antidote to over-indulgence.

"But killing endangered rhinos to mitigate a hangover is a criminal way to see in the new year."

Poaching gangs have become increasingly sophisticated, using helicopters, silent tranquilisers, body armour, night-vision equipment and mercenaries experienced in rhino tracking. There are rumours of collusion by some park rangers and owners seeking to cash in.

The rise continues unabated, despite increased law enforcement efforts. South African officials made 232 poaching-related arrests in 2011, compared to 165 the previous year. Sentences imposed for rhino crimes have also increased, with poachers and horn smugglers receiving as long as 16 years in prison.

Dr Morné du Plessis, chief executive of WWF-South Africa, said: "Rhino poaching is being conducted by sophisticated international criminal syndicates that smuggle horns to Asia.

"It's not enough to bust the little guy. Investigators need to shut down the kingpins organising these criminal operations. Governments in Africa and Asia must work together across borders to stop the illegal trade."

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has ruled that Vietnam needs to show progress in curtailing illegal trade in rhino parts and derivatives.

"So far we have yet to see Vietnam respond to this ruling from CITES," said Colman O Criodain, wildlife trade policy expert at WWF International. "For that matter, CITES must put pressure on Vietnam to respond meaningfully, as it has done with other countries whose compliance with the convention has been called into question."

Rhinos in other African and Asian range countries are also being targeted. In October, WWF announced the extinction of rhinos in Vietnam. The last Javan rhino in the country was killed by poachers and its horn removed.

More than half of South Africa's rhino deaths – 252 – last year occurred in Kruger park, which attracts millions of tourists every year. There is no sign of respite so far in 2012.

Rangers found eight rhino carcasses with their horns missing in two sections of Kruger park on Tuesday, South African National Parks (SANParks) said. In a follow-up anti-poaching operation on Wednesday night, field rangers came into contact with a group of suspected poachers.

There was a shootout between the rangers and poachers, leaving two suspected poachers fatally wounded. Both were from neighbouring Mozambique, in common with many poachers motivated by an apparent chance to escape poverty.

A .375 rifle and other hunting equipment were discovered at the scene, SANParks said.

Meanwhile, debate rages in South Africa over how to curb the trend, with some calling for the trade in rhino horn to be legalised. A wildlife agency's decision to sanction the hunting of a R1m (£81,000) white rhino bull has also divided experts this week.

Reynold Thakhuli, a spokesman for SANParks, said: "The 2011 total is an all-time high. We are very concerned and quite disappointed. We are drawing up plans for the year to deal with this problem once and for all."

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Cut back on soot, methane to slow warming: study

AFP Yahoo News 13 Jan 12;

There are simple, inexpensive ways to cut back on two major pollutants -- soot and methane -- and taking action now could slow climate change for years to come, international scientists said Thursday.

When it comes to fending off global warming, the focus often is on harmful carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels in coal plants and car engines that linger in the atmosphere for many decades, said the study in Science.

But given the lack of comprehensive global action and mounting resistance from countries whose economies rely on cheap fuel, targeting two shorter-term pollutants could offer significant results over the coming decades, it said.

"Ultimately, we have to deal with CO2, but in the short term, dealing with these pollutants is more doable, and it brings fast benefits," said lead author Drew Shindell, a researcher at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University's Earth Institute.

Soot, also known as black carbon, is a byproduct of burning wood, dung, coal and other fuels. It causes lung and heart disease in people, warms the air by absorbing sun radiation, and can shift rainfall patterns.

Ways to cut back include building more efficient cookstoves, installing more filters on diesel vehicles, taking the worst polluting vehicles off the road and banning the practice of burning farmland, the study said.

Methane, which is the flammable part of natural gas and also results from decay and digestion, is a greenhouse gas like C02 but is more potent.

Nations could update wastewater treatment plants, limit emissions from farm manure, drain rice paddies more often, capture gas that escapes from coal mines and oil and gas facilities and reduce leaks from long-distance pipelines.

It should cost less than $250 to stop the emission of one metric ton of methane, but the benefits would range from $700 to $5,000, the article said.

Soot costs were harder to estimate but "the bulk of the measures could probably be implemented with costs substantially less than the benefits given the large valuation of the health impacts," it said.

If their 14 recommendations -- whittled from a potential field of 400 existing pollution control measures -- are followed, global warming could be reduced by about half a degree Centigrade (0.9 Fahrenheit) by 2050, the study said.

Between 700,000 and 4.7 million premature deaths could be averted and annual crop yields could rise by 30 million to 135 million metric tons.

Most of the lives saved would likely be in Bangladesh, Nepal and India where soot levels are high.

Ozone and farming benefits would likely center on hot places such as Iran, Pakistan and Jordan as well as southern Asia and the Sahel region of Africa.

The projections were made using computer models devised by US space agency NASA and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany.

"The scientific case for fast action on these so-called 'short-lived climate forcers' has been steadily built over more than a decade, and this study provides further focused and compelling analysis of the likely benefits at the national and regional level," said Achim Steiner, executive director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program.

The research team included the Stockholm Environment Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

Scientists say cut soot, methane to curb warming
Seth Borenstein Associated Press Yahoo News 13 Jan 12;

WASHINGTON (AP) — An international team of scientists says it has figured out how to slow global warming in the short run and prevent millions of deaths from dirty air: Stop focusing so much on carbon dioxide.

They say the key is to reduce emissions of two powerful and fast-acting causes of global warming — methane and soot.

Carbon dioxide is the chief greenhouse gas and the one world leaders have spent the most time talking about controlling. Scientists say carbon dioxide from fossil fuels like coal and oil is a bigger overall cause of global warming, but reducing methane and soot offers quicker fixes.

Soot also is a big health problem, so dramatically cutting it with existing technology would save between 700,000 and 4.7 million lives each year, according to the team's research published online Thursday in the journal Science. Since soot causes rainfall patterns to shift, reducing it would cut down on droughts in southern Europe and parts of Africa and ease monsoon problems in Asia, the study says.

Two dozen scientists from around the world ran computer models of 400 different existing pollution control measures and came up with 14 methods that attack methane and soot. The idea has been around for more than a decade and the same authors worked on a United Nations report last year, but this new study is far more comprehensive.

All 14 methods — capturing methane from landfills and coal mines, cleaning up cook stoves and diesel engines, and changing agriculture techniques for rice paddies and manure collection — are being used efficiently in many places, but are not universally adopted, said the study's lead author, Drew Shindell of NASA.

If adopted more widely, the scientists calculate that would reduce projected global warming by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius) by the year 2050. Without the measures, global average temperature is projected to rise nearly 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) in the next four decades. But controlling methane and soot, the increase is projected to be only 1.3 degrees (0.7 degrees Celsius). It also would increase annual yield of key crops worldwide by almost 150 million tons (135 million metric tons).

Methane comes from landfills, farms, drilling for natural gas, and coal mining. Soot, called black carbon by scientists, is a byproduct of burning and is a big problem with cook stoves using wood, dung and coal in developing countries and in some diesel fuels worldwide.

Reducing methane and black carbon isn't the very best way to attack climate change, air pollution, or hunger, but reducing those chemicals are among the better ways and work simultaneously on all three problems, Shindell said.

And shifting the pollution focus does not mean ignoring carbon dioxide. Shindell said: "The science says you really have to start on carbon dioxide even now to get the benefit in the distant future."

It all comes down to basic chemistry. There is far more carbon dioxide pollution than methane and soot pollution, but the last two are much more potent. Carbon dioxide also lasts in the atmosphere longer.

A 2007 Stanford University study calculated that carbon dioxide was the No. 1 cause of man-made global warming, accounting for 48 percent of the problem. Soot was second with 16 percent of the warming and methane was right behind at 14 percent.

But over a 20-year period, a molecule of methane or soot causes substantially more warming then a carbon dioxide molecule.

The new research won wide praise from outside scientists, including a conservative researcher who held a top post in the George W. Bush administration.

"So rather than focusing only on carbon dioxide emissions, where we have to make a tradeoff with energy prices, this strategy focuses on 'win-win-win' pathways that have benefits to human health, agriculture and stabilizing the Earth's climate," said University of Minnesota ecology professor Jonathan Foley, who wasn't part of the study. "That's brilliant."

John D. Graham, who oversaw regulations at the Office of Management and Budget in the Bush administration and is now dean of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University, said: "This is an important study that deserves serious consideration by policy makers as well as scientists."

The study even does a cost-benefit analysis to see if these pollution control methods are too expensive to be anything but fantasy. They actually pay off with benefits that are as much as ten times the value of the costs, Shindell said. The paper calculates that as of 2030, the pollution reduction methods would bring about $6.5 trillion in annual benefits from fewer people dying from air pollution, less global warming and increased crop production.

In the United States, Shindell calculates the measures would prevent about 14,000 air pollution deaths in people older than 30 by the year 2030. About 0.8 degrees Fahrenheit of projected warming in the U.S. would be prevented by 2050.

But health benefits would be far bigger in China and India where soot is more of a problem.

The study comes a day after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the most detailed data yet on American greenhouse gas emissions. Of the emissions reported to the government, nearly three-quarters came from power plants. But with methane, it's different. Nineteen of the top 20 methane emitters were landfills.

Stanford University climate scientist Chris Field, who is a leader in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change but wasn't part of this study, praised the study but said he worried that officials would delay cutting back on the more prevalent carbon dioxide. Focusing solely on methane and soot and ignoring carbon dioxide "tends to exacerbate climate change," he said.

Another outside climate expert Andrew Weaver of the University of Victoria in Canada said the study is good news amid a sea of gloomy reports about climate change.

"This is a no-brainer," he said. "We have solutions at hand."

___

Online:

Science: http://www.sciencemag.org

NASA's interactive of benefits by nations: http://1.usa.gov/zqXdyJ

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