Two 'Green Lists' Will Mark Conservationists’ Successes

Becky Oskin LiveScience.com Yahoo News 5 Oct 12;

After decades of playing Cassandra, warning of doomed species only to see more disappear every year, conservationists at the World Conservation Congress in South Korea last month adopted a new approach to saving the planet.

Instead of cataloging only what is going wrong, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature also will track and reward successful efforts to conserve species and their environments. The IUCN plans to launch two programs as complements to its warning-filled "red lists": a Green List of Well-Managed Protected Areas and a Green List of Species.

"The concept of a green list is that it can throw a spotlight on things that are actually working," said Trevor Sandwith, director of IUCN's Global Protected Areas program.

"We already have well-managed, protected areas in the world, which no one is recognizing," Sandwith told OurAmazingPlanet.

Red list, green list

The IUCN, founded in 1948, is the world's largest global environmental group. It publishes the Red List of Threatened Species, which measures extinction risk, and recently created a Red List of Threatened Ecosystems, which measures an ecosystem's risk of collapse.

An ecosystem is an area of land or water plus the species living there. For example, an ecosystem could be a lake or system of lakes, a mountain or mountain range, a river or river basin, a coral reef or group of reefs, an expanse of desert or a set of caves.

The Green List of Well-Managed Protected Areas will provide incentives and rewards for countries that skillfully juggle the competing interests that threaten ecosystems, such as developers, farmers and thirsty suburbanites. The IUCN plans to publicly report how each country nabs a spot on the list, so others can mimic their success.

For example, the green list can show it's not only First World countries that have the resources to serve as an example of global best practices, Sandwith said. "We think it's motivating to show where success is occurring, and to show why and how it's occurring, because if someone is getting it right, then that's the model to copy," Sandwith said.

One of the first green list test cases is Colombia's Parques Nacionales Naturales — that country's national parks system. [Images: Trekking the Coastal Mountains of Colombia]

Advantages of appearing on the green list include showing off solid measures of improvement to development partners and donors, and perhaps using the list as a carrot to push governments to fund ecosystem-protection projects. "It's a really good incentive for donors and governments to invest more," Sandwith said.

The IUCN plans to kick off the Green List of Well-Protected Areas in 2014, at the World Parks Congress in Australia.

Not just avoiding extinction

The Green List of Species, meanwhile, is still in the concept stage. The idea was approved by the IUCN at the World Conservation Congress. Organizers will return to the IUCN's next meeting in 2016 with a full plan for implementing the list.

The Green List of Species would include species identified as fully conserved, which are those that exist in ecologically significant numbers, interacting fully with other species in their ecosystems, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which pushed for the motion.

Elizabeth Bennett, WCS vice president of species conservation, said the green lists are necessary because the conservation community should be presenting an optimistic and inspirational vision of a future in which species are integral parts of functional ecosystems.

"We need to show that conservation is much more than just avoidance of extinction" as assessed by the Red Lists, Bennett told OurAmazingPlanet by email.

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New protections sought for polar bear, elephants, manta rays and other species under UN-backed treaty

UN News Centre 5 Oct 12;

5 October 2012 – Several dozen species – ranging from elephants, polar bears, sharks and manta rays to medicinal plants and rare trees – will receive additional protection under a United Nations-backed treaty for the conservation of endangered species if new proposals are adopted at a world wildlife meeting next March.

More than 50 countries submitted 67 proposals for consideration under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) by the 4 October midnight deadline, and these will now be discussed at a meeting of treaty parties in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3 to 14 March, coinciding with its 40th anniversary.

“CITES is where the rubber ‘hits the road’ and the outcome of our world wildlife conference in 2013 will be of great significance to the future of many species of plants and animals,” said John E. Scanlon, the Secretary-General of the Convention, the secretariat of which is administered by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Geneva.

With 176 Member States, CITES is one of the world’s most powerful tools for biodiversity conservation, regulating international trade in close to 35,000 species of plants and animals, including their products and derivatives, ensuring their survival in the wild with benefits for the livelihoods of local people and the global environment.

The new proposals would grant additional protection to some species, grant initial protection to others and, in some cases, lessen protection for yet others.

For example, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali and Togo are calling for an extension of the ban on the trade in elephant ivory, while Tanzania wants elephant hunting to be legalized within its borders for non-commercial purposes saying its elephant population was no longer endangered.

The United States is seeking to have the polar bear transferred from CITES Appendix Two – under which trade in species not necessarily threatened with extinction must be controlled to avoid uses incompatible with their survival – to Appendix One, under which trade is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

The US is seeking similar action on Burmese star tortoises, big-headed turtles and Roti Island snake-necked turtles, while Vietnam wants a similar transfer for the Indochinese box turtle and Annam leaf turtle. Ecuador wants to include the manta ray and the Machalilla poison dart frog in Appendix Two, and transfer its vicuña from Appendix One to Appendix Two.

Madagascar, Kenya and Mexico, meanwhile, are seeking to include various trees, medicinal and ornamental plants in Appendix Two, while News Zealand wants similar protection for the New Zealand green gecko. Brazil, Comoros, Egypt and the European Union are seeking to include the porbeagle shark in Appendix Two.

On the other hand, New Zealand wants to delete the white-faced owl from Appendix Two, and Australia is seeking to delete the dusky flying-fox from Appendix Two while removing the buff-nosed rat-kangaroo and the pig-footed bandicoot from Appendix One.

At the March meeting, Member States will also consider how CITES can further enhance efforts to combat overall illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn as well Asian big cats and great apes.

They are also expected to discuss the potential impact of CITES measures on the livelihoods of the rural poor who are often on the frontlines of using and managing wildlife.

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El Niño seen weak into Northern Hemisphere winter: CPC

Josephine Mason PlanetArk 5 Oct 12;

The U.S. national weather forecaster still expects the much-feared El Niño phenomenon, which can wreak havoc on global weather, to remain weak into the Northern Hemisphere winter, even after its development slowed last month.

In its monthly assessment, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said on Thursday it is still not clear whether a fully fledged El Niño would emerge, although there is a "possibility" it will strengthen over the next few months.

The report further reduces the risk of a major drought in Asia, which produces some of the world's major food staples, such as sugar cane and grains. The CPC first raised its El Niño alert four months ago.

A strong El Niño, essentially a warming of waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, can cause widespread drought in Australia, parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and India, but also bring rains to other parts of the globe.

Based on the CPC's outlook, this year could be on par with previous less-disruptive episodes in 2004-05 and 2006-07 and far off a repeat of 2009 when drought damaged crops across Asia.

"During September, the trend towards El Niño slowed in several key oceanic and atmospheric indicators.... The atmosphere and ocean indicate borderline ... neutral/weak El Niño conditions," it said.

Last month, the CPC forecast the phenomenon would develop weakly in September and persist through February of next year. In Thursday's update, it did not give an estimate for how long the conditions may last.

(Reporting By Josephine Mason; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Gunna Dickson)

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Best of our wild blogs: 5 Oct 12

Man eating lizards and pigs
from Ubin.sgkopi

Plant-Bird Relationship: 3. Euphorbiaceae
from Bird Ecology Study Group

What and where are the Peatlands in Southeast Asia? (ebook and poster) from Otterman speaks

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Row, sail or canoe in the Marina Reservoir

All at sea
Row, sail or canoe in the Marina Reservoir right in the heart of town
Rachel Chan Straits Times 5 Oct 12;

The skyscrapers seem so close you could touch them. And yet here you are, in a sailboat traversing the waters flowing around the big city. Afterwards, you can sink a few drinks on a pontoon and watch the sun set. It may seem the backdrop to somewhere like Miami, but it is right here in Singapore.

Yes, even right by the concrete jungle, you can go paddling in a dragonboat, or go kayaking, rowing and sailing, courtesy of the Marina Reservoir, a body of water that encompasses Kallang Basin and Marina Bay, lapping closely to downtown Singapore.

Its main function is as a freshwater reservoir, harvesting stormwater and water from five rivers that run into it to augment Singapore's water supply.

However, a happy spin-off is that it is a great spot for water sports fans, who are lapping up the chance to make a splash near the city. On weekends between 8am and noon, there can be more than 400 dragonboat paddlers in the triangle of water between Sheares Bridge, Nicoll Highway and the Tanjong Rhu suspension footbridge, says the secretary-general of the Singapore Dragon Boat Association, Mr Raizal Abdol Jalil.

Throw in up to 70 kayakers from the Singapore Canoe Federation, a handful of rowboats from the d'Barrage Rowing Club and a sailboat or two from the Singapore Sailing Federation, and the result is a lively mix that could match busy road traffic.

However, you would not see swimmers and water skiiers as only sports that do not involve bodily contact with the water are allowed on the reservoir. This is due to safety reasons because Marina Reservoir receives water from highly urbanised catchment areas, says a spokesman for the Public Utilities Board, the national water agency. Still, from the Kallang Water Sports Centre in the Kallang Basin and the Marina Barrage to the Marina Bay area, there is bound to be at least one way you can get out on the water. Even confirmed landlubbers can venture out, by hopping aboard boats that have the skipper and crew laid on.

Experiential sailing, which means that you do not need to know how to skipper a boat to try it, is the newest offering in the reservoir. The Singapore Sailing Federation, which runs the National Sailing Centre in East Coast Parkway, and carmaker Audi launched sailing for city folk in February with eight 20ft keelboats for advance bookings, complete with a skipper. The boats are docked in front of Marina Bay City Gallery, a stone's throw from integrated resort Marina Bay Sands.

Keelboats are designed not to capsize, so you can board without getting wet. More adventurous sailors can try one of the federation's 10 capsizable dinghies berthed at the Marina Barrage. The federation has received between 30 and 40 bookings a month for its Marina locations since February.

Experiential sailing is particularly popular among corporate organisations which charter the boats for events, says Mr Jason Lim, the federation's general manager and secretary-general. Most recently, it launched a three-part TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) series beginning last Friday. Participants meet at the pontoon near Marina Bay City Gallery and set off for a fun race in the bay area.

Mr Lim says: "People used to say that they don't want to go sailing because the facilities are ulu (Malay for far-flung). Now, we have brought sailing right into the heart of the city, so there is no excuse not to try it." Handing out cans of beer to TGIF participants, he adds: "The idea is to get people to come for a sail when they knock off early on Friday, then sit back and relax with a couple of beers right here on the waterfront."

Mr Stanley Chan, 35, a first officer with Singapore Airlines and a former national sailor, was among the revellers when Life!Weekend visited.

Mr Chan, who registered for the sailing series with nine pilot colleagues, says: "Sailing in the city is conducive for beginners. Conditions are mild and the water is calm. It can be challenging for competitors, however, because the wind could be coming from anywhere, but the scenic landscape more than makes up for it."

Interest in water sports is on the rise, say five water sports associations Life!Weekend spoke to.

"When PUB opened up the reservoirs for recreational use, it brought about a big change. There is easily a 300 to 400 per cent increase in membership," says Mr Joseph Ang, general manager of the Singapore Canoe Federation.

The PUB opened up designated areas of reservoirs to water sports activities in February 2005. There has also been an increase in the number of dragonboat teams affiliated with the Singapore Dragon Boat Association, from 90 teams five years ago to 110 teams currently.

PA Water-Venture head Saini Hassan noted that dragonboating is becoming increasingly popular among community groups. He says: "Dragonboating used to be seen as a competitive sport for the very fit. But now people join it for fitness reasons and for team bonding. The People's Association created races to cater to different age groups, such as teens and senior citizens, so more people compete with others at their level."

The sight of the gleaming cityscape is an obvious perk for other sports enthusiasts too. Student Vythiswari Murali, 15, was at a kayaking course with 14 schoolmates from her co-curricular group at Yuhua Secondary School when Life!Weekend was at the Kallang beach last Saturday. "I've seen the Singapore Flyer from the road and never from the water. It's even more beautiful," she says.

SAILING

What: For those not keen on getting wet, going sailing on a keelboat, which is very stable, in Marina Bay is ideal. Women can even wear a dress, but no heels please. Only flat, rubber- soled shoes are allowed on board. Do not fret if you do not know your abeam from your astern as a skipper is provided. If a dunking does not bother you, try a pacer, which is capsizable, at Marina Barrage.

Where: Keelboats set sail from the jetty in front of the Marina Bay City Gallery, near ThePromontory@Marina Bay, while pacers depart from the Marina Barrage, 260 Marina Way

When: 7am to 7pm daily

Prices: For a 20ft keelboat at Marina Bay which takes up to five adults, $363.80 (off-peak hours - weekdays before 5pm) and $417.30 (peak hours - weekdays after 5pm and weekends) for 21/2 hours. For a 13.5ft pacer at Marina Barrage for up to four adults, $53.50 a person or $98.10 for one adult and one child, for two hours. Prices include a skipper.

For who: Those seven years old and above and can swim at least 50m with the aid of a personal flotation device

Info: Call 6444-4555 or go to www.marinabaysailing.sg; e-mail zixian@singaporesailing.org.sg to book a keelboat or ask to be put on a mailing list about corporate events by the Singapore Sailing Federation; e-mail zhenfang@singaporesailing.org.sg for booking of pacers

ROWING

What: Rowing was one of the sports featured in the Youth Olympic Games 2010 and the Marina Barrage was the location for the 1,000m racing course.

Although 22 Singaporean rowers took part, rowing is considered a niche sport compared to kayaking and is more popular among Britons and Europeans.

To get started, enrol in this Basic Learn To Row course.

Where: d'Barrage Rowing Club, Marina Barrage, 260 Marina Way

When: Saturday mornings

Prices: Basic course is $160 for four sessions; Advanced Learn To Row is $240 for four sessions. Hire fees are $40 for a single boat, $60 for a double boat and $80 for a four-man boat. Each session lasts two hours.

For who: Those who can swim 50m unaided

Info: Call Mr Budiman Osman of d'Barrage Rowing Club on 8383-4118 to register for classes. E-mail barrage@rowing.org.sg and go to www.rowing.org.sg

DRAGONBOATING

What: You need to have a group of 10 to get started in this team sport or you could join an existing one. The Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) offers recreational and competitive dragonboating. PA Water-Venture (Kallang) is one of four locations islandwide run by the People's Association (PA) which offers dragonboat hire, an orientation programme and certification courses.

Where: Singapore Dragon Boat Association, Kallang Water Sports Centre, No. 10 Stadium Lane; PA Water-Venture (Kallang), 4876 Beach Road

When: Singapore Dragon Boat Association - Learn-to-paddle courses are available on an ad-hoc basis; contact the association for details. Technical or competitive courses are usually run quarterly. Basic courses have finished for the year. The new training calendar starts in January. It will be up on the association's website about the end of the year.

PA Water-Venture (Kallang) - There will be an orientation programme involving a 10km expedition around the reservoir on Nov 24, 10am to 1pm.

Prices: Singapore Dragon Boat Association - Rental of a standard 20-seat dragonboat is $220, a 10-seater costs $180; for two hours. A trainer and a steersman are included.

PA Water-Venture (Kallang) - Renting a 20-seat dragonboat costs $100; a 10-seater is $60. A steersman costs $60. Sign up for an orientation programme for $12 (students) or $15 (adults). The Reservoir Discovery Series @ Kallang orientation course costs $30.

For who: Those 12 years old and above and can swim 50m with the aid of a flotation device

Info: Call 6440-9763 (SDBA) and 6296-6683 (PA Water-Venture (Kallang).

Go to www.sdba.org.sg and www.water-venture.org.sg

KAYAKING

What: Kayaking differs from canoeing in that a double-bladed paddle is used instead of a single-bladed one, which requires more effort.

You need to have passed at least a 1 Star Personal Skill Award to paddle without a coach.

Sign up for a course with PA Water-Venture (Kallang) or the Singapore Canoe Federation (SCF). After you have certification, go to PA Water- Venture (Kallang) for walk-in rentals as the federation does not entertain walk-ins.

Where: Singapore Canoe Federation, Kallang Water Sports Centre, No. 10 Stadium Lane; PA Water-Venture (Kallang), 4876 Beach Road

When: The Kayaking 1 Star Personal Skill Award is a two-day course. Upcoming dates: Tomorrow and Sunday, 8am to 2pm (SCF). PA Water-Venture tomorrow and Sunday, Oct 13 & 14, 20 & 21, Nov 3 & 4, 10 & 11, 10am to 5pm

Prices: SCF - 1 Star Personal Skill Award Course at $80 (adults); $60 (students enrolled in Ministry of Education institutions); $70 (NSF). The same course at PA Water-Venture costs $50 (students) and $80 (adults). Rent a kayak for $15 for two hours or $30 for the whole day.

For who: Those 12 years old and above and can swim 50m with the aid of a flotation device

Info: Call 6296-6683, PA Water-Venture (Kallang). Call Mr Goh Eng Soon on 9690-1619 or e-mail him at gohes@scf.org.sg (SCF). Go to www.scf.org.sg and www.water-venture.org.sg

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Glowing Mushrooms, Stalk-Eyed Bugs & Plant Toilet Found in Borneo

Megan Gannon LiveScience.com Yahoo News 5 Oct 12;

A recent expedition to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia turned up some trippy species: bioluminescent mushrooms, stalk-eyed flies, jumping spiders and a pitcher plant that doubles as a toilet for small animals.

Mountain tree shrews (Tupaia Montana), like this one, feed on the nectar coating the undersides of leaves of the Nepenthes lowii pitcher plant. Conveniently, they can also defecate into the pitcher, leaving nitrogen-rich feces

"It has been a successful expedition," team leader Menno Schilthuizen, of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands, said in a statement. "A lot of material has been collected … Now the next phase will start, namely DNA research into the relationships."

The team of Dutch and Malaysian researchers aimed to investigate the biodiversity around Mount Kinabalu, Borneo's highest point, and they say they've collected some 3,500 DNA samples of more than 1,400 species of plants, fungi and animals. Of these, they've identified about 160 species previously unknown to science, inlcuding spiders, mushrooms, beetles, snails, damselflies, ferns, termites and possibly a frog. [See Photos of the Borneo Finds]

The scientists won't publish their finds until next year, but they described this part of Borneo as an "El Dorado" for fungi experts.

"While the plant and animal life of this mountain has been the focus of numerous research projects, Kinabalu has remained terra incognita for scientific studies on fungi," team member and mycologist József Geml said in a statement. "One of the manifestations of this diversity comes in the endless variety of shapes and colors that sometimes are truly breathtaking."

During walks through the jungle in the dark, Geml and his team found two glowing species of fungi, one of which might be new to science.

"Glowing mushrooms are rare but they do exist outside the psychedelic world," Luis Morgado, who worked with Geml, wrote in a September blog post for the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. "During daytime one might pass by and even photograph them without knowing it, but only a nocturnal excursion reveals this incredible phenomenon that remains hidden in plain daylight."

Among the other highlights of the expedition was the study of the region's stalk-eyed flies whose peepers sit on stems that are sometimes even longer than their bodies.

"The longer the stalks of the male flies, the more attractive they are to the females," Hans Feijen explained in an August blog post on Naturalis' website. Feijen said samples collected in Borneo could help answer questions about the life history of the flies.

"In Asia, species produce up to 5 or 6 generations per year, while species in Africa produce only one generation per year," Feijen said in the post. "On the other hand, there is one stalk-eyed fly in Borneo that can live up to 1.5 years. How is that possible? Does this have to do with the parasite fungi on the flies, which are killing them? Do the ageing flies in Borneo lack these fungi, or did they find a way to live happily together? We would like to answer these kinds of questions."

The researchers also spotted a species of pitcher plant, Nepenthes lowii, in an undisclosed area where it hadn't been recorded previously. The plant, which is endemic to Borneo, gets much-needed nitrogen from the poop of small animals like mountain tree shrews.

"To accomplish this, it attracts and feeds small mammals with exudates (nectar) produced by glands in the inner lid of the pitchers," team researcher Rachel Schwallier wrote in a September blog post. "As the tree shrew sits to feast on this plant-produced meal, its feces fall into the opening of the trap for a nitrogen rich snack for N. lowii — what an awesome strategy for nutrients!"

See also National Geographic New Species Photos: Giant Millipede, Horned Frog Among Borneo Finds

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Philippines is way behind biodiversity protection: admits Environment Department report

Nikko Dizon Philippine Daily Inquirer 5 Oct 12;

MANILA, Philippines—In its first report in 20 years since the enactment of a law aimed to ensure the conservation of the country’s biodiversity, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) acknowledged that much has to be done even as there have been gains in its efforts in protected areas management.

The 48-page report entitled “Communities in Nature: State of Protected Areas Management in the Philippines” admitted that the country’s biodiversity has remained threatened.

It said: “Many scientists have expressed the concern that despite the significant gains in protected areas management, the Philippines is still losing its remaining forest and coastal ecosystems at an alarming rate.”

“In other words, the country is either not effective in conserving its resources, or not fast enough in protecting ecosystems at risk,” the report said.

Nonetheless, the DENR was able to establish “a system of protected areas for biodiversity conservation and has rehabilitated and restored degraded ecosystems,” according to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje.

Dr. Mundita Lim, national project director of the New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (NewCAPP), said the government might have been “slow” in addressing biodiversity conservation because there have been gaps in the identification of protected areas nationwide, funding constraints as well as the capacities and awareness gaps among people, including DENR employees themselves.

“Management is a problem itself. We want to sustainably manage the protected areas themselves,” said Lim, who is also the director of the DENR Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).

She stressed the need for the participation of stakeholders, particularly the local governments, which could invest their money in conservation efforts.

“They know that if they invest in protected areas, the returns would be huge. Everything would come in later. There should be the recognition of the people of the value of biodiversity to them, even the national government. Once the national government recognizes that (biodiversity) is actually the foundation for development, they would invest more than what we are getting at the moment,” Lim said.

Between 2005 and 2009, the PAWB was allocated less than P1 million to support activities for protected areas system management, according to the report.

But Lim also said that recognizing the problems in protected areas management was already a “good step towards addressing (the issue).”

While he has yet to see the report, Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan of the conservation group WWF-Philippines told the Inquirer by phone that “generally, protected areas management is insufficiently funded.”

“There is much room for improved management and enforcement. The rules of the NIPAS ACAT have by and large proven to be cumbersome, throwing, in many cases, too many roadblocks that would allow for improved effective management,” he said.

He added: “The situation is a slope. There are protected areas that are truly called leaders globally in protected areas management while there are areas that are laggards in protected areas management.”

Tan said that among the successes were the Tubbatha Reef in Palawan and the Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Mindoro Occidental, which has been home to the endangered tamaraw, while much can be done for the Penablanca protected area in Cagayan, the Agusan Marsh in Agusan del Sur, and even Mt. Makiling in Laguna.

“There should be a sense of ownership among the people… Governance is not government… It is the quality of local ownership, seeing private sector interest, support, and money (in the protected areas management),” Tan said.

One of the 17 mega-diverse countries, the Philippines hosts about 70 to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Ironically, it is also one of the hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Two decades after the implementation of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), a total of 240 protected areas have been established, covering 5.4 million hectares of land and sea. Of the figure, the total land area consists of 13.6 percent and only 0.64 percent of the country’s vast marine territory.

Eventually, 228 key biodiversity areas covering 7.6 million hectares, including 128 terrestrial and 100 marine sites, were identified.

The report said key biodiversity areas were “habitats of 209 globally threatened species,” among others.

“Since many of the (protected areas) were established long before the (key biodiversity areas) were identified, only about 35 percent of the key biodiversity areas are deemed protected by law. That is, about 65 percent of the country’s key biodiversity areas still lack protection through the NIPAS,” Lim said.

The report noted the lack of a systemic data on the impact of the protected area management system on “whether there is improvement in biophysical condition of (protected areas), quality of life of communities, or increased benefits to the country.”

According to the report, the fact that protected areas are the “host communities—even entire municipalities—presents a “unique challenge” in biodiversity protection

Lim said the DENR intended to come up with a report on the state of the protected areas management every two years.

The first report came out in time for the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India, next week.

The report was prepared with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, the Ateneo School of Government, the University of the Philippines, and the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation Inc., among others.

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World food prices rise, stay close to crisis levels: U.N.

Catherine Hornby Reuters 4 Oct 12;

(Reuters) - World food prices rose in September and are seen remaining close to levels reached during the 2008 food crisis, the United Nations' food agency said on Thursday, while cutting its forecast for global cereal output.

The worst drought in more than 50 years in the United States sent corn and soybean prices to record highs over the summer, and, coupled with drought in Russia and other Black Sea exporting countries, raised fears of a renewed crisis.

Grains prices have retreated in recent weeks due to rapid harvest progress and concerns about weak demand in a slowing global economy.

But the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) price index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, rose 1.4 percent to an average of 216 points in September after remaining stable at 213 points in August.

The rise reflected mainly higher dairy and meat prices, with more contained increases for cereals, it said.

"Prices are remaining high... prices are sustained, it's highly unlikely we will see a normalization of prices anytime soon," FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian told Reuters in a telephone interview.

He added however that it was not clear whether the small increase in September meant prices were now on an upward trend, but he expected volatility in markets could intensify in coming months.

Parmjit Singh, head of the food and drink sector at law firm Eversheds, said higher prices would place further pressure on squeezed international food supply chains.

"Manufacturers and producers will naturally want to pass on increased costs to their clients but they will meet with stiff resistance from retailers who are reluctant to increase checkout prices for increasingly value-conscious customers," Singh said.

FAO's index is below a peak of 238 points hit in February 2011, when high food prices helped drive the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, but current levels are very close to those seen in 2008 which sparked riots in poor countries.

OCTOBER MEETING

The Rome-based agency said it had cut its 2012 world cereals output forecast by 0.4 percent to 2.286 billion tonnes from a previous estimate of 2.295 billion tonnes, mainly due to a smaller maize crop in central and southeastern parts of Europe, where yields have been hit by prolonged dry conditions.

It also decreased its forecast for world cereal stocks at the end of the 2013 season to 499 million tonnes, down 4 million tonnes from its projection last month.

Despite the rise in food prices, the United States Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome said on Thursday it had agreed with other countries that a meeting of the emergency Rapid Response Forum to discuss food prices under the G20 agriculture body AMIS was not necessary.

"Agricultural commodity markets are functioning," the mission said.

Abbassian said a ministerial meeting on the food market situation was still planned for Oct 16.

Aid agency Oxfam called on governments to tackle the root causes of food price volatility at the meeting.

"They need to boost food reserves and strengthen social protection programmes for populations that are at risk of hunger," Oxfam spokesman Colin Roche said in a statement.

"We cannot afford to sleepwalk into the next food crisis."

French President Francois Hollande has launched a global campaign to win support for strategic stocks of agricultural commodities, but EU development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said this week that was not the best way to tame food prices, advising a focus on agricultural investment to boost production.

(Editing by Veronica Brown and James Jukwey)

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Best of our wild blogs: 4 Oct 12

Damselfly (1) – Euphaea Impar
from Dragonflies & Damselflies of Singapore

6 Oct (Sat): Mangrove talk by Dan Friess at Sungei Buloh
from wild shores of singapore

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It's Not Too Late for Coral Reefs, Experts Say

ScienceDaily 3 Oct 12;

Coral reefs -- ecosystems of incredible environmental and economic value -- are showing evidence of significant degradation, but do not have to be doomed. We can make a difference.

Once plentiful, coral reefs worldwide and locally have been ravaged by a number of stresses, including global threats like rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, and local threats like pollution, overfishing and coastal development. An estimated 25-30 percent of the world's coral reefs are already severely degraded or lost, and another very high percentage are in danger of greater impact or worse. Some even predict reefs could be essentially wiped out within a human generation unless action is taken.

The coral reef issue is not only an environmental problem, but an economic one. The United Nations estimates globally, coral reefs generate over $172 billion per year from the services they provide including tourism, recreation and fisheries. In South Florida alone, where 84 percent of the nation's reefs are located, reef ecosystems have been shown to generate over $6 billion in annual economic contributions and more than 71,000 jobs.

In July, hundreds of scientists joined in a consensus statement written at the recently held 12th International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns Australia, stating: "Across the globe, these problems cause a loss of reef resources of enormous economic and cultural value. A concerted effort to preserve reefs for the future demands action at global levels, but also will benefit hugely from continued local protection."

Is there good news for the posterity of reefs? There can be. Research is allowing greater understanding about how reefs response to threats. Consequently, there are clear steps that must be taken to ameliorate stresses. Some of these are easy fixes that include stopping overfishing, controlling pollution and establishing marine protected areas. Others, like the rising ocean temperatures that are causing coral bleaching or the increasing acidity in our oceans, are more complex.

Research can also help us learn how to restore these valuable reefs. This includes raising corals in places where larvae and juveniles are nurtured in a relatively safe environment before being moved to a location where we can hope to restore a coral population.

Offshore coral nurseries are showing tremendous potential for restoration. A corollary, and less studied technique, is to grow corals under more controlled conditions in on-land nurseries where they are less subject to stress and variation. These specimens can then be transplanted back to degraded reefs that need a kick start. It's a fairly new idea -- and one among others that we hope will lead to increasing the tools for restoring coral reefs.

Because coral nurseries can play a significant role in restoration, we are expanding our grow-out facilities. With our new reef research facility, the Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research in Hollywood, Fla., we will triple the size of our land-based coral nursery operation. Our offshore nursery research area with thousands of corals will continue its efforts. We'll use state-of-the-art facilities to study coral stressors in a controlled environment in order to better understand the impacts of these threats and how to better take corrective actions.

There are many unanswered research questions: What size of coral best survives transplantation? When is the optimum time to conduct the transplantation? What genetic strains and mix of a single species will have greatest survivorship? How are the most appropriate species for restoration? How long does it take to restore a reef?

Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea. And like the Amazonian rainforest that's facing extreme degradation, reefs are disappearing at an alarming rate. We are embarking on a critical mission to understand and restore reef ecosystems. It's a mission that must be accomplished.

Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D., is dean of the Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center in Hollywood, Florida, and executive director of its National Coral Reef Institute.

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Land acquired over past decade could have produced food for a billion people

Oxfam calls on World Bank to stop backing foreign investors who acquire land for biofuels that could produce food
John Vidal The Guardian 4 Oct 12;

International land investors and biofuel producers have taken over land around the world that could feed nearly 1bn people.

Analysis by Oxfam of several thousand land deals completed in the last decade shows that an area eight times the size of the UK has been left idle by speculators or is being used largely to grow biofuels for US or European vehicles.

In a report, published on Thursday, Oxfam says the global land rush is out of control and urges the World Bank to freeze its investments in large-scale land acquisitions to send a strong signal to global investors to stop "land grabs".

"More than 60% of investments in agricultural land by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010 were in developing countries with serious hunger problems. But two-thirds of those investors plan to export everything they produce on the land. Nearly 60% of the deals have been to grow crops that can be used for biofuels," says the report.

Very few, if any, of these land investments benefit local people or help to fight hunger, says Oxfam. "Instead, the land is either being left idle, as speculators wait for its value to increase … or it is predominantly used to grow crops for export, often for use as biofuels."

The bank has tripled its support for land projects to $6bn-$8bn (£3.7bn-£5bn) a year in the last decade, but no data is available on how much goes to acquisitions, or any links between its lending and conflict.

Since 2008, says Oxfam, 21 formal complaints have been brought by communities affected by World Bank investments, in which they claim that these have violated their land rights.

Oxfam's chief executive, Barbara Stocking, said: "The rush for land is out of control and some of the world's poorest people are suffering hunger, violence and greater poverty as a result. The World Bank is in a unique position to help stop land grabs becoming one of the biggest scandals of the century."

She added: "Investment should be good news for developing countries – not lead to greater poverty, hunger and hardship."

According to the International Land Coalition, 106m hectares (261m acres) of land in developing countries were acquired by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010, sometimes with disastrous results.

Nearly 30% of Liberia has been handed out in large-scale concessions in the past five years, and up to 63% of all arable land in Cambodia has been passed over to private companies.

Oxfam dismisses the claim made by the World Bank and others that lots of available land is unused and waiting for development. "It is simply a myth. Most agricultural land deals target quality farmland, particularly land that is irrigated and offers good access to markets.

"It is clear that much of this land was already being used for small-scale farming, pastoralism and other types of natural resource use."

A 2010 study by the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) – the World Bank's official monitoring and evaluation body – stated that about 30% of bank projects involved involuntary resettlement. The IEG estimated that at any one time, more than 1 million people are affected by involuntary resettlement in active World Bank-financed projects.

Oxfam urged the UK government, one of the bank's largest shareholders, to use its influence to persuade it to implement the freeze. "It can also play a crucial role as president of the G8 next year by putting food and hunger at the heart of the agenda, and addressing land grabs as part of this. Critically, it can also press the EU to reverse biofuels targets – a key driver of land grabs."

Stocking said: "The UK should also show leadership in reversing flawed biofuels targets, which are a main driver for land and are diverting food into fuel."

In a statement to the Guardian, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's private lending arm, said: "IFC does not finance land acquisitions for speculative purposes. We invest in productive agricultural and forestry enterprises that can be land intensive to help provide the food and fibre the world needs. IFC has roughly a $4.85bn portfolio of agri-related investments. Of that, roughly $600m has a land component. Total land holding related to those investments total 0.7m hectares.

"Competition for scarce land resources has spurred rising investment in land. This competition can fuel conflict with existing users. Inevitably, bank group involvement in forestry and agriculture is not without risk, particularly given the fact we are operating in imperfect governance environments. But the total number of complaints received gives no explanation as to their validity."

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Best of our wild blogs: 3 Oct 12

Exotic parrots and fishes; and feather star-crab
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

TMSI @ St. John's Island 10th Anniversary Open House
from Peiyan.Photography

Slaty-Breasted Rail Behaviour
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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