6.9 million population projection is "worst case scenario": Khaw

Channel NewsAsia 1 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has stressed that the projected 6.9 million population by 2030 is the "worst case scenario".

In his latest blog post, Mr Khaw said the government hopes that the country does not reach that figure and added that it may never reach it.

Mr Khaw said as planners, the government has to ensure that the infrastructure can accommodate such a figure if need be but it hopes that the actual figure would turn out to be much lower.

Mr Khaw said infrastructure must be built ahead of demand and some planning assumption is needed in order to achieve it.

He explained that in any long term plan, a key assumption is the projected population size.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he fully agrees with Mr Khaw's explanation that a 6.9 million population is not a target, but just a worst case, aggressive scenario the government must prepare for.

In his Facebook post, Mr Lee said the government needs to plan consciously and responsibly for the future so that Singaporeans can continue to enjoy a good quality of life, and that Singapore continues to thrive.

Mr Khaw said the White Paper on Population released this week offers the basis for one such projection but he stressed the projection is not a forecast or a target.

It simply states the assumptions going forward, based on certain set of productivity and workforce growth rates.

Mr Khaw explained that for planning purpose, it is safer to take the more aggressive projection and plan infrastructure needs based on it.

And by doing so, Mr Khaw said the government will not be caught under-providing as what Singapore is facing now.

The government plans long term, anticipates future challenges and tries to address them early.

Mr Khaw said the White Paper on Population and the Land Use Plan were released this week as the government knows the country's demographic challenges are severe.

He said the government cannot simply pretend the challenges do not exist and then pass the problem to the future generation to deal with.

Mr Khaw said it would be irresponsible and that is not the government's style.

The minister said the responsible thing to do is to prepare for the worst but to hope for the best.

- CNA/fa

6.9m 'a worst-case scenario, not a target'
'Aggressive' projection is for planning ahead, say PM Lee and Khaw
Goh Chin Lian Straits Times 2 Feb 13;

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong has made clear that the projection of a 6.9 million population by 2030 "is not a target, but just a worst-case, aggressive scenario that we must prepare for".

He said he fully agreed with Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan's explanation of the figure, which has been the focus of debate since the release of the Government's White Paper on Population on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Lee wrote: "Fully agree with Khaw Boon Wan's explanation that a 6.9m population is not a target, but just a worst-case, aggressive scenario that we must prepare for.

"We need to plan consciously and responsibly for the future, so Singaporeans continue to enjoy a good quality of life, and Singapore continues to thrive."

On Thursday, Mr Khaw told journalists that 6.9 million was an aggressive projection, to enable planners to prepare for the worst and avoid the under-provision of infrastructure and land space.

Yesterday, he blogged about it, saying that the White Paper and the Land Use Plan were about ensuring a better quality of life for Singaporeans. "That is why we plan long term, anticipate future challenges and try to address them early. That is why we put out these two reports, because we know our demographic challenges are severe. If they are not dealt with properly, our children will suffer," Mr Khaw wrote.

He explained that to plan long term, one needs to make assumptions, such as projecting population. The White Paper, he said, offers the basis for such projection.

It explains that Singapore can have a population of 6.5 million to 6.9 million in 2030, assuming it wants to grow at a sustainable pace economically, maintain a strong Singaporean core and remain vibrant and liveable.

Mr Khaw said yesterday of the figure: "It is not a forecast or a target. It simply states the assumptions going forward, based on (a) certain set of productivity and workforce growth rates. For planning purpose(s), it is safer to take the more aggressive projection and plan infrastructure needs based on it. This way we will not be caught under-providing, as we are experiencing currently."

He said the 6.9 million figure should be read in this light.

"It is the worst-case scenario. We hope we do not reach that figure; we may never reach that figure. But as planners, we have to ensure that the infrastructure could accommodate such a figure, if need be.

"Our hope is that the actual figure would turn out to be much lower. This is following the time-tested survival mantra: prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. It is the only responsible thing to do."

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Malaysia: 'Logging has to stop in Ulu Muda reserve'

Nuradilla Noorazam New Straits Times 2 Feb 13;

DEVASTATING EFFECTS: Its rivers feed 80pc of Penang water supply

KUALA LUMPUR: AN urgent management plan for Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is needed to stop further logging activities in the crucial water catchment area.

Failure to do so would cause grave consequences to the livelihood of people in the northern states.

The logging activities could cause devastating effects to the 135 million-year-old natural forest that functions as the water catchment for the Ahning, Pedu and Muda dams.

Friends of Ulu Muda (FoUM) spokesman Sirin Suksuwan said the water quality of Ulu Muda would be affected due to logging activities.

"Logging in the area is likely to result in the loss of environmental services provided by the forest.

"Without the water storing and filtering functions of natural forests, rainfall will not be captured and stored.

"Water from these three dams are supplied to Kedah, Langkawi and Penang. Eighty per cent of water supply in Penang and 100 per cent in Langkawi depend on the dams.

"Without sufficient water supply, the agriculture industry in these states, particularly padi farmers, would be gravely affected.

"Deterioration of water quality caused by logging activities would also have adverse effects on industries based in the northern region such as Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah and the tourism industry in Langkawi," he said on Thursday.

According to FoUM data, more than 48,000 families in the northern states, who depend on agriculture, would be affected by the disruption of water supply and its quality from the three dams.

Sirin recommended the state government gazette the 160,000ha forest as water catchment forest under the National Forestry Act 1984.

"The protection of Ulu Muda forest should be enhanced by establishing a state or national park with a proper management plan.

"The state government plays a very important role in gazetting all identified water catchment areas to confront issues related to development in these important forests," he said.

One of the last remaining tracts of large continuous forests in northern Malaysia, the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is rich in flora and fauna.

It has more than 450 species of floral plants, 305 species of birds and 111 species of mammals such as elephants, tapir and gaur.

The logging activities, which have been reportedly going on for the past month, poses inevitable danger to the wildlife.

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Indonesia: East Kalimantan imposes forest moratorium

Indonesia's agric ministry backs province's forest moratorium
* Aim is to improve land concessions and land use
* Province produces two-thirds of Indonesia's coal
* Produces 2 million tonnes of palm oil annually
Reuters 1 Feb 13;

JAKARTA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia's agriculture ministry backs a move by East Kalimantan to impose a forest moratorium in the province, an official said on Friday, in what may signal a softening in the department's opposition to extending the nationwide forest destruction ban.

East Kalimantan imposed a one-year forest moratorium for 2013, citing the need to cut back on land disputes in the palm oil and coal producing province.

"We support East Kalimantan provincial government's measure to impose plantation moratorium for 2013," Gamal Nasir, director general of plantation at the agriculture ministry, told Reuters.

"We support it because the aim of this moratorium is to fix and improve land concessions and land-use for the sake of better management of natural resources in East Kalimantan," he added.

Plantation firms have doubted whether provincial governments have the authority to issue a separate forest moratorium policy.

East Kalimantan produces about two-thirds of Indonesia's coal, while palm plantations cover about 700,000 hectares of East Kalimantan and produce 2 million tonnes of output each year.

Recently ranked fourth among Indonesia's 33 provinces in terms of infrastructure development and quality of life, East Kalimantan sits on about 40 percent of Indonesia's coal reserves or 8.5 billion tonnes.

Palm oil companies such as Astra Agro Lestari, Sime Darby, Sinar Mas and BW Plantation are some of the biggest in Indonesia and will contribute to the 27.5 million tonnes of production forecast for this year.

"Although temporarily it may halt oil palm plantation expansion in East Kalimantan, it could also result in better and improved land use and the expansion stoppage will be temporary for less than one year," Nasir said, referring to the fact that a two-year nationwide ban on clearing forest was up for renewal in May.

Indonesia, home to the world's third-largest expanse of tropical forests, is under international pressure to curb deforestation and destruction of its carbon-rich peatlands.

Southeast Asia's largest economy imposed a two-year moratorium on clearing forest in May 2011 under a $1 billion climate deal with Norway, and the agriculture minister said in late December that he opposed its extension.

In contrast, Indonesia's Forestry Ministry and influential government officials have backed an extension beyond May. (Reporting by Yayat Supriatna; writing by Michael Taylor; editing by James Jukwey)

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Indonesian Peat Emissions a ‘Global Disaster’

Hayat Indriyatno Jakarta Globe 1 Feb 13;

Thousands of years’ worth of carbon stored in Indonesia’s peat forests is being released at an alarming rate as a result of deforestation, a new study by UK scientists shows.

In the paper “Deep instability of deforested tropical peatlands revealed by fluvial organic carbon fluxes,” published online in Thursday’s edition of the journal Nature, the researchers noted that tropical peatlands “contain one of the largest pools of terrestrial organic carbon,” amounting to about 89 billion tons.

“Approximately 65 percent ... is in Indonesia, where extensive anthropogenic [man-made] degradation in the form of deforestation, drainage and fire are converting it into a globally significant source of atmospheric [CO2],” the paper says.

“We measured carbon losses in channels draining intact and deforested peatlands, and found it is 50 percent higher from deforested swamps, compared to intact swamps,” Sam Moore, the lead author of the study and former Open University PhD student, said in a press release.

“Dissolved organic carbon released from intact swamps mainly comes from fresh plant material, but carbon from the deforested swamps is much older — centuries to millennia — and comes from deep within the peat column.”

The researchers said that carbon emissions from deforested peat swamps “may be larger than previously thought.”

“Carbon dating shows that the additional carbon lost from deforested swamps comes from peat which had been securely stored for thousands of years. Carbon lost from the drainage systems of deforested and drained peatlands is often not considered in ecosystem exchange carbon budgets, but the research team found it increased the estimated total carbon loss by 22 percent,” they said.

“[W]ater falling as rain would normally leave the ecosystem through transpiration in vegetation, but deforestation forces it to leave through the peat, where it dissolves fossil carbon on its way.”

Vincent Gauci, the paper’s corresponding author and a senior lecturer in earth systems and ecosystem science at The Open University, attributed the loss of stored carbon to increased agriculture, especially for oil palms.

“Ancient carbon is being dissolved out of Asian peatlands as they are increasingly turned over to agriculture to meet global demands for food and biofuels,” he said.

“This has led to a large increase in carbon loss from Southeast Asian rivers draining peatland ecosystems — up by 32 percent over the last 20 years, which is more than half the entire annual carbon loss from all European peatlands. The destruction of the Asian peat swamps is a globally significant environmental disaster, but unlike deforestation of the Amazon, few people know that it is happening.”

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Australia: Dugongs under threat

Tony Moore brisbanetimes.com.au 2 Feb 2013;

Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell admits dugongs could be under threat from thick sediment now being washed down the Brisbane River.

More than 80 per cent of Moreton Bay's seagrass beds were lost in some areas after sediment flowed into the bay in 2011.

Mr Powell said some dugongs could die as a result of the sediment, but said others would leave.

“It's true that if the sea grass is in short supply, a small proportion of the population can be expected to die," he said.
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"But most of the dugongs will move away from the area and return as the sea grass beds recover."

Two Griffith University ecologists yesterday told Fairfax Media they believed the sediment – four times as dense as river sediment after January 2011 floods – were now pushing Moreton Bay close to an environmental tipping point.

Mr Powell said flood plumes from the 2010-2011 flood events which caused significant damage to Moreton Bay's seagrass beds, could be higher this time around.

“Sediment washed into Moreton Bay after the Australia Day long weekend storms may be higher than two years ago, given the sediment load in the Brisbane River is four times higher than then,” Mr Powell said yesterday.

“We lost more than 80 per cent of sea grass in some locations and marine life was affected for more than a year afterwards."

Mr Powell said he understood the turtle and dugong populations would recover.

"Indications at the end of last year were that they were recovering fairly well," he said.

However Professor Rod Connolly this week disagreed with Mr Powell.

"What I think is that seagrass beds that were fine last time are now tipped over the edge of what they can cope with," he said.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, the chairman of the South East Queensland Council of Mayors, said the sediment flowing into Moreton Bay was on the agenda at the next meeting of the council.

The higher level of sediment came from soil from Lockyer Valley small crop farms, he said.

"The level of sediment there is considerable greater than what you get from the grazing lands around the Stanley (River) through the Wivenhoe Dam," Cr Quirk said.

Healthy Waterways Partnership chief executive Peter Schneider said he supported "a lot" of the issues raised by the two ecologists from the Australian Rivers Institute.

"For the past 12 months or so, we have been saying sediments are our really big issues," he said.

Mr Schneider said the Healthy Waterways Partnership believed a full-day planning workshop – with all levels of government, industry and ecology group at the meeting – could put forward plans.

"If we could get all levels of government there, yes. You can't lose because everything starts with a conversation," he said.

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Australian government pledges to protect Great Barrier Reef

Jane Wardell Reuters 31 Jan 13;

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The Australian government pledged to stop coal port or shipping developments that would cause damage to the Great Barrier Reef as it responded to a Friday deadline amid U.N. warnings that the reef's conservation status could be downgraded.

UNESCO warned last June that the World Heritage Site could be listed as "in danger" if there was no evidence of progress by Feb. 1 on protecting the reef from threats that also include climate change and the predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, which is wearing away the world's largest living structure.

"The Great Barrier Reef is an iconic Australian environmental asset, the government is absolutely committed to the protection of the reef and our oceans," said Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke as he released the country's report to UNESCO. "We will not cut corners or give an inch on protecting it."

Heralded as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the 2,000 km (1,200 mile) Great Barrier Reef is home to 400 types of coral, 240 species of birds and 1,500 species of fish. It is worth A$6 billion a year in tourism to the local economy.

But coal is one of Australia's top export earners and the state of Queensland is the country's largest coal producer. The reef faces growing threats from shipping driven by coal project expansions.

UNESCO, which gave the reef World Heritage status in 1991, made a number of proposals to the national and Queensland state governments on managing the reef, such as halting further port construction and limiting ship numbers.

"The World Heritage Committee can be assured that no new port developments or associated port infrastructure have been approved outside existing long-established major port areas since the committee made this recommendation," the government's report said.

"A project will only be approved by the Australian government environment minister if the residual impacts on protected matters, including 'outstanding universal value', are determined to be not unacceptable."

The Australian government has already invested A$200 million ($208 million) in its Reef Rescue program and said on Friday it would provide an additional A$800,000 to fight the crown-of-thorns starfish, which prey on the reef and have multiplied amid nutrient rich flood waters in the past few years.

Most of the extra funding will be used to employ a second boat to remove the starfish from "high-value tourism reefs" identified as under threat, with the remainder going to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) to investigate a long-term solution.

A recent study by AIMS researchers found that the pace of coral loss on the reef has increased since 2006 and if the trend continues, coral cover could halve again by 2022, with the southern and central areas most affected.

Globally, reefs are being assailed by myriad threats, particularly rising sea temperatures, but the threat to the Great Barrier Reef is even more pronounced, the AIMS study found.

The government said in its report it believed the reef has the "capacity to recover if the right conditions are in place."

Green groups, who are hoping place the reef on the political agenda this year amid campaigning for a federal election in September, said the report does not go far enough.

"The sheer size and speed of port and associated development along the Reef coast is unprecedented, said Robert Leck, the campaign director of the World Wildlife Fund. "There's more dredging, more ships and more turtles and coral dying." ($1 = 0.9587 Australian dollars) (Reporting By Jane Wardell, editing by Elaine Lies)

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When Mangroves No Longer Protect the Coastline

Science Daily 1 Feb 2013;

The mangrove forests in the Guyanas (French Guiana, Surinam and Guyana), which spread across the Orinoco and Amazon deltas, are among the most extensive in the world. This particular ecosystem, between the earth and the sea, plays a major role in protecting the particularly unstable muddy coastline (2) against erosion. However, most of the Guyana mangroves have been destroyed to develop the coastal plain. The retreating mangrove wall will result in large-scale coastal erosion, threatening populations and their economic activities, as demonstrated in a study conducted by researchers from IRD and the University of Aix-Marseille.

Gaining ground on the sea

Although the French Guiana coastline remains protected by human developments for the time being, that of Guyana is already highly disrupted. The entire coastal strip is now inhabited. In order to conquer this space and subsequently develop the aquaculture and agriculture -- mainly rice cultivation -- the coastal swamp areas have been transformed into polders (3). To this end, dikes have been built, reducing the 1km mangrove strip to just a few dozen metres wide.

Less protective dikes

More than three quarters of Guyana's 450 km of coastline along the Atlantic are currently diked up. Coastal stability now depends on these earthen dikes. However, these dikes do not provide the same level of protection as mangroves against the swell, which is the main cause of erosion. Moreover, they would not withstand the strength of the waves if the mangroves were to disappear completely. Yet, they prevent the sedimentation of mud coming from the Amazon, which enables forest regeneration.

Coastal stability in danger

Scientists have identified the main geomorphological processes at work across the entire Guyana coast. Thus, they could assess the high risk of destabilisation of the coastline due to the reduction in mangroves. Rocky dikes are currently being built in order to protect economic activities, such as agriculture. However, such works are prohibitively expensive. The only means of protection consists of rebuilding the mangroves.

This assessment will enable the Guyana government to specify the measures for action that should be implemented to help the mangroves recolonise the coastline. French Guiana, of which the coastal area in turn suffers growing demographic pressure, must also draw lessons from these works so as not to encounter the same problems as its neighbour in the medium term.

Notes :

This assessment was carried out for and with the support of the Guyana government, in collaboration with MWH and funded by the Europaid programme.
The 1,600 km coastline between the mouths of two major rivers is composed of mud from Amazon sediments.
Polders are dried shore areas below sea level, with the water removed (usually artificially).

Journal Reference:

Anthony E. J., Gratiot Nicolas. Coastal engineering and large-scale mangrove destruction in Guyana, South America : averting an environmental catastrophe in the making. Ecological Engineering, 2012, 47, p. 268-273. ISSN 0925-8574 fdi:010057269

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Best of our wild blogs: 1 Feb 13

What’s the future of Nature and biodiversity (and us who love them) in Singapore? from Nature rambles

What shores will Singapore lose in 7-million population plan?
from wild shores of singapore

Black-naped Oriole manipulating a katydid
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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5,200 hectares more land to accommodate projected 6.9m population

Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 31 Jan 13;

SINGAPORE: Singapore plans to increase its land supply by nearly 8 per cent to 76,600 hectares to accommodate its projected population of 6.9 million by 2030, according to the Land Use Plan report released on Thursday.

Singapore's total land area now stands at 71,400 hectares.

The details came just two days after the release of the White Paper on Population outlining Singapore's strategies for a sustainable population.

About 60 per cent will be set aside for housing, industry and community facilities -- up from the current 52 per cent. And a large part of the additional land will come from reclamation and freeing up reserve land.

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said: "Some Singaporeans, in fact, many say, 'How could it be? It's already so crowded -- 5.3 million -- buses (and) trains. How is it possible to have 6.9 million population? The planners must be mad!'

"I think that's a legitimate reaction and of course they ask good questions -- which is, how can you be sure, more population, but quality of life will remain the same but in fact even better?

"Actually the answer is yes, it's possible -- you can have a larger population and yet have a better quality of life, but conditions must be right.

"So what are those conditions -- one, there must be planning, which means good long-term planning and secondly, there must be good infrastructure that must be built ahead of demand.

"So if those conditions are there then you can (resolve) this seemingly difficult problem -- how to achieve better quality of life despite a greater or larger population.

"And we are confident because we have time, because we are talking about the future -- 2020, 2025, 2030 -- and as planners our mantra is the Boy Scouts' motto - 'prepare for the worst but hope for the best'.

"So in fact, from the planners' point of view, we need aggressive projection. The figure 6.9 sounds aggressive but from the planners' point of view, we need aggressive figures, aggressive projections, so that we can prepare for the worst.

"The worst is if we plan for the best and then the worst comes, then you'll be under providing as what happened in the last few years."

Some golf courses and military training grounds will make way for redevelopment.

There are now 18 golf courses in Singapore, covering about 1,500 hectares of land with leases that run for 30 years. The Law Ministry said the majority of the leases will expire between 2021 and 2030, adding that some of the golf courses would have to be phased out and the land put to other uses.

"We are working with the planning agencies over the next few months to provide clarity to the various golf courses on whether or not their leases can be extended," the ministry said.

To accommodate 700,000 new homes by 2030, there are plans for new towns, new homes in existing estates and more homes in the central region.

For example, Tengah -- a military training area -- will be transformed into a new town with about 55,000 homes. The plan is to consolidate military training activities at Tekong once reclamation there is complete.

Most of the reclamation will be done at Tekong -- an offshore island located on the north eastern part of Singapore, used for military training -- and Tuas, in the south western part of the island.

Beyond 2030, potential reclamation areas include Marina East, Changi East and Pasir Ris. These are also marked as reserve sites that can support future needs such as housing and industries.

Other possible future reclamation sites include clusters around the western islands and the southern parts of Singapore.

Another strategy is to go underground -- by expanding current uses of underground space -- for example, with train lines, underground expressways and retail malls.

The government is also exploring more uses for underground caverns for industrial and commercial developments.

Addressing concerns over the quality of life, policy makers have painted the picture of what is described as "highly liveable, high density towns".

These will be towns with a full range of amenities from childcare centres, hospitals and recreational nodes.

By 2017, 20,000 more childcare places will be made available near homes, transport nodes and workplaces, up from the current 92,000.

By 2020, there will be an additional 2,200 acute hospital beds -- 30 per cent more than the number available today.

In addition, there will be 1,900 community hospital beds added to the supply by 2020 -- up from the current 800 beds.

By 2030, at least 85 per cent of Singaporeans will live within a 10- to 15-minute walk to a park.

Plans are already underway to improve public transport connectivity by ramping up the rail network and improving bus connectivity. To alleviate congestion around main commercial centres, jobs will be brought closer to homes.

So there are plans for two new commercial belts in the northern and southern parts of Singapore.

The North Coast Innovation Corridor will be ready in about 10 to 15 years' time while the Southern Waterfront City is expected to be developed after 2027, when the existing port relocates to Tuas.

Mr Khaw said: "The underlying principle is not quantity, it's not statistics, the underlying principle is quality.

"In the next phase of development in Singapore, let us strive for quality. Quality living, quality worklife, quality environment, quality schools, quality pre-schools that have better balance in life. Quality in inter-people relationships, a much more gracious society.

"I think that is a life worth looking forward to and that is a vision that is within our grasp. We can achieve it with better resources and better attitude, it is totally within our grasp.

"This is not to say we don't have current problems, overcrowding etc etc but you know we are addressing that as fast as we can and they will be resolved.

"Please do give us some time but even as we resolve current problems, our eyes must be on our future.

"So the key is planning and infrastructure and with time, we can achieve both, so please don't worry."

- CNA/ck

Reclamation will add land the size of nine AMK towns
Straits Times 1 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE will grow its land area by 5,200ha through reclamation between now and 2030, to cater for a projected population of between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by then.

The increase in land area will be the size of nine Ang Mo Kio towns.

The Ministry of National Development's (MND) Land Use Plan, released yesterday, said land will be reclaimed as part of a wider urban planning strategy to support Singapore's growing population.

Besides reclamation, some reserve land, which is now vacant, will be developed. And other pockets of land with lower-intensity uses, such as old industrial areas and some golf courses, will be redeveloped.

Most of the land to be reclaimed will be at Pulau Tekong for military training use, and at Tuas Port and Jurong Island for use by industry. Other areas include Tuas and Pasir Panjang for industry and port use.

Singapore's total land area will grow to up to 76,600ha, up from about 71,400ha currently, said the plan.

The plan also outlined areas for reclamation beyond 2030. These include Marina East, Simpang, Changi East, Sungei Kadut, Pasir Ris, and around the Western Islands.

Experts The Straits Times spoke to said several matters to consider include territorial sea boundaries and environmental concerns.

Civil engineering professor Yong Kwet Yew at the National University of Singapore said that reclaiming land, even if within Singapore's boundaries, can have an impact on hydrodynamics and the tidal flow of waters in Singapore, as well as coastal waters of neighbouring countries.

Future reclamation will be more costly because the depths of water will be deeper, at 20m to 30m, with some areas going beyond that, he said.

That will require much more imported sand. Singapore has faced difficulty importing sand in recent years, as countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia moved to ban the export of sand to the Republic.

Prof Yong said that there are other more cost-effective ways to make room for more people. These include intensifying the use of existing land by building higher or underground. "These are 'low-hanging' fruits to work on, and if there is more demand for space, we can look at reclamation and use of space deep underground," he said.

The MND said the 2008 Master Plan is being revised and updated to support the Population White Paper. "Over the long term... we will continue to exploit technology and implement innovative solutions to optimise our land use," it said.

JESSICA CHEAM

Golf courses to make way for housing needs
Straits Times 1 Feb 13;

SEVERAL sprawling golf courses will be cut up, moved or closed as the Government seeks land to house Singapore's growing population by 2030.

The Land Use Plan yesterday confirmed what many golfers had been fearing for several years: that the leases for their golf clubs might not be renewed.

The plan did not specify which of the country's 18 golf clubs - occupying some 1,500ha of land - would have to make way for redevelopment, but Keppel Club and the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) are tipped to be at the top of the list.

Both have eight years to run on their leases.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Law, which oversees the Singapore Land Authority, said the courses here are generally on a 30-year lease, and the majority of the leases will expire by 2030.

"Some golf courses would have to be phased out and the land put to other uses. For these golf courses, we would not be able to extend the lease," she said, adding that the ministry is now working with planning agencies to determine which golf courses can have their leases extended.

At least one club, Laguna National, is safe for now as it secured a lease extension last year to remain in its Tanah Merah location until 2040. Part of the deal, however, includes building a new hotel on its grounds.

While the Keppel Club has declined comment, its members told The Straits Times that they have been warned that the lease is not likely to be renewed.

This is because it sits on prime land just across from Sentosa, and the Keppel area has also been identified as a potential redevelopment site under the plan, though no further details were given.

Members were told of three possible outcomes: that the club might be relocated to Lorong Halus; moved to an empty plot in Seletar; or be allowed to lease one of SICC's courses.

Meanwhile, an SICC spokesman said it is still waiting for its landlord, the national water agency PUB, to give more details on lease renewal after writing in a number of times.

PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said carving up SICC makes sense, given that it is the only one with four 18-hole courses.

SLP International's head of research Nicholas Mak added that the move was to be expected as such courses benefit a small minority.

He said: "Golfers, who make a small minority of the proposed 6.9 million people, can head to Malaysia if need be.

"Singapore must use its limited land in an efficient manner, to better handle the future."

DARYL CHIN



Related links
Ministry of National Development Land Use Plan http://www.mnd.gov.sg/landuseplan/

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Three more nature areas to be conserved under land use plan

Tan Weizhen Today Online 1 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE — While policymakers seek to optimise land use, they have also identified more nature areas that will be conserved under the land use plan unveiled yesterday.

These areas are Jalan Gemala at Lim Chu Kang, as well as Beting Bronok and Pulau Unum, which are off Pulau Tekong.

According to the Ministry of National Development (MND), Jalan Gemala has varied habitats such as wet grassland, freshwater marshes, as well as tall secondary woodland and freshwater reservoir.

Beting Bronok and Pulau Unum contain a wide array of marine and coastal flora and fauna — including two locally-endangered mangrove plant species. Examples of the wildlife species found there are the Knobbly Sea Star and Thorny Sea Urchin.

This will bring the total number of nature areas that are conserved to 20, excluding the four nature reserves.

The MND said it will continue to allocate 10 per cent of total land in Singapore to greenery, which it considers to be a large proportion, as the island is highly urbanised.

Mr Yong Ding Li, a conservationist and member of the Nature Society, said that Jalan Gemala, which lies on the western fringe of Kranji Reservoir, is well-known for the existence of fireflies, while Pulau Unum is a “very pristine piece of mangrove”.

He said: “These areas are good to have, but to me, there are more important areas to be conserved.” He cited a patch of woodland in Ulu Pandan, which has been zoned for other development plans in the Urban Redevelopment Authority masterplan.

Tan Weizhen

Two new sites declared nature areas
David Ee Straits Times 2 Feb 13;

SOME species of rare plants and animals will get more protection in Singapore, with two new sites designated as nature areas in the Government's latest Land Use Plan.

In one, marshes, woodland, and a river system near Jalan Gemala in Lim Chu Kang will be conserved, though the exact boundaries are still unknown.

The other, off the northern shore of Pulau Tekong, comprises a submerged reef at Beting Bronok and coastal mangroves on the tiny island of Pulau Unum.

The move, which brings the number of nature areas in Singapore to 20, has been lauded by conservationists.

Nature areas, as defined under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan 2008, are identified for their biodiversity and "will be kept for as long as possible until required for development". Natural flora and fauna in these areas "will be protected from human activity" and ecological studies may be required before any future development.

Rare plants such as the Fox grape have been sighted in Jalan Gemala, while locally endangered mangrove and mollusc species are found at Beting Bronok and Pulau Unum. Sea stars and sea urchins can also be seen there.

Wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai called the northern coast of Pulau Tekong "a very important site" with birds such as the Blue Flycatcher, which are nearly extinct on the mainland.

Beting Bronok, said marine biologist Karenne Tun, 42, is a rocky intertidal area that is small but ecologically rich, with species similar to those found at Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin.

Access to the area is currently restricted due to its proximity to military areas on Pulau Tekong. It is not immediately clear if the public will be granted access.

Jalan Gemala, said Mr Subaraj, is less known among conservationists, but supports an important colony of fireflies.

"It's good that they're conserving these areas. It's a step in the right direction."

But nature lovers are concerned by other aspects of the new Land Use Plan. For instance, the sea around southern island Pulau Hantu has been earmarked for possible reclamation.

"That would be devastating to the marine ecosystem," said Mr Subaraj, referring to the coral reefs in the island's surrounds.

The island's nearby subtidal reefs account for over 10 per cent of those remaining here, said Dr Tun. Over 60 per cent of coral reefs here have been lost to development, leaving 5 to 10 sq km left.

In a statement, the Ministry of National Development said that there were "no immediate development plans" for Pulau Hantu, and that environmental impact assessments would be done before any reclamation work.

Conservationists are also calling for more clarity regarding the Government's plans for land use beyond 2030.

Said environmental blogger Ria Tan: "There's not enough detail on ecology in the report, so I'm not sure how much it's been factored in. I would like to know about the thinking that went on behind it."

Professor Victor Savage, who researches sustainable urban development at the National University of Singapore, added: "There could have been better clarification from the authorities... especially where (the plans) impinge on areas of natural value."

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Jailed a month for trying to smuggle in 44 birds

Khushwant Singh Straits Times 1 Feb 13;

A MAN who tried to smuggle 44 zebra doves into Singapore on his motorcycle after hiding them in two laundry bags was jailed for a month yesterday.

Malaysian carpenter Ng Chor Le, 42, bought 52 of the popular cage birds for RM160 ($65) and put 44 in the fabric laundry bags, which he hid under a raincoat on the front of his bike.

He was found out in a routine check by a Central Narcotics Bureau officer. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to bringing in the birds without a licence from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and subjecting the birds to unnecessary suffering.

Three of the birds died and a post-mortem revealed they had suffered from marked dehydration and heat prostration. One also had a fractured wing. Ng admitted to AVA officers that he knew that the import of the birds was prohibited. He could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to a year on each offence.

The court heard that Ng works in Johor and often visits his wife, who is also Malaysian but lives and works here.

Court papers state that birds can be imported only from countries that are free of bird flu and they must be quarantined for 21 days before being allowed in. AVA also requires them to be transported in containers that comply with international air transport standards. This means the cages are well ventilated with perches for the birds to rest and there is sufficient food and water.

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Malaysia: Revamp of jumbo plan on the cards

Muguntan Vanar The Star 1 Feb 13;

KOTA KINABALU: A revamp of Sabah's elephant action plan is on the cards after the death toll of the state's worst conservation tragedy climbed to 14 with the discovery of another dead Borneo pygmy elephant in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve yesterday.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the state government would re-look its conservation efforts and strengthen its elephant action plan to ensure that a similar tragedy “never reoccurs”.

“We just cannot have this repeating itself. We have to overcome any weaknesses and tackle the shortcomings,” he said.

Since Dec 29, wildlife rangers have recovered 14 dead elephants at the state-owned Yayasan Sabah's Forest Management Unit 23 (FMU) in the Gunung Rara area.

The FMU area involves various companies undertaking oil palm plantations, industrial timber planting and logging and most of the dead elephants, including the latest body, were found within a 10km radius.

Sabah Wildlife investigators, together with police, are trying to find the source of poisoning - widely speculated to be large doses of pesticides. Natural toxins have also not been ruled out. Police are also scouring for any criminal element over the incident.

So far, the actual source of poisoning has not been identified while wildlife officials are still waiting for the chemist's report.

The Malaysian Nature Society has called for steps to be taken to ensure that human-wildlife conflict is managed properly.

“MNS acknowledges that elephants can sometimes roam into villages and plantations, but proper measures should be taken to relocate these animals into other forest reserves instead of poisoning them.

“We hope that the local authorities will act swiftly to ensure endangered animals are not in jeopardy due to the lack of enforcement,” its president Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed said.

Danau Girang Field Centre director Dr Benoit Goossens, an expert on the subject, said it was necessary to study the roaming patterns of the elephants and either take appropriate action to allow them to move safely or translocate them.

Another Pygmy elephant found dead
Roy Goh New Straits Times 1 Feb 13;

SENSELESS ACT: Authorities urge people to be more vigilant against cruelty to wildlife as death toll rises to 14

KOTA KINABALU: THE heartwrenching deaths of Bornean Pygmy Elephants caused by poisoning has prompted authorities here to plead with the people to be more vigilant against cruel acts inflicted on wildlife.

The death count of the elephants is now 14, with the latest carcass found near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Tawau on Wednesday night.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun described the discovery of yet another dead elephant "a nightmare".

He said while the authorities were trying their best to preserve and protect elephants, there were those who saw things differently.

"Enforcement of the law is important but it is equally incumbent for people in the state to consider the wildlife as their own.

"With such mindset and with the law to punish the wrongdoers, our wildlife would have a better chance of surviving," he said.

Masidi said the authorities were serious in nabbing those responsible for killing the elephants and a senior police officer in Tawau had also been roped in to help track the culprits.

A special task force has been formed to investigate the deaths and are currently tracking the route of the herd that died, apperently by poisoning.

Only a 3-month-old baby elephant, now named Joe, was found alive next to its dead mother which was among those that died.

It is now kept under round-the-clock supervision at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here.

Meanwhile World Wildlife Fund-Malaysia executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma suggested that the central forest landscape in Sabah needs to be protected from being converted into plantations.

"All conversion approvals need to be reviewed by the Sabah Forestry Department and assessed not purely from commercial but the endangered species and landscape ecology perspectives," Dionysius said.

He said conversions result in fragmentation of the forests, which in turn results in loss of natural habitat for elephant herds, thus forcing them to find alternative food and space, putting humans and wildlife in direct conflict.

To prevent such conflicts, he said frequent and large scale patrolling was critical. However, he admitted that it was no easy task for the Sabah Wildlife Department to be everywhere as the area that needed patrolling was too vast.

"More resources, including manpower, hardware and finances, should be allocated for the Department. The existing honorary wildlife warden programme of the department is doing well and should be expanded."

'No more jumbo carcasses'
Kristy Inus and Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 2 Feb 13;

TRAGIC: However, likelihood of more Pygmy Elephant deaths not ruled out

KOTA KINABALU: EVEN though no more carcasses of Bornean Pygmy Elephants have been found in Tawau since Wednesday night, the special task force investigating the issue has not ruled out the possibility of more deaths.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said there could be more deaths if the motive behind the poisoning of the animals was "pest control".

He said members of the taskforce were currently combing a 10 sq km area where they estimate the particular elephant group had frequented.

"So far, in the last two days, we have not seen anything more. But if this (poisoning of elephants) is an act of pest control, (we are) more likely to see more bodies. However, this is something we have yet to confirm," he said yesterday.

Ten dead elephants were discovered near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, which sits between the Danum Valley and Maliau Basin Conservation areas from Dec 29 to Jan 25. In the next few days, four more were found.

Located 130km from Tawau, the forest reserve is also within the Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Unit concession area.

Laurentius reminded people not to speculate on what happened before the result of investigations are known.

On a report by a local daily quoting non-governmental organisation Borneo Rhino Alliance that the elephants may have ingested poison by mistake, he said: "Let's wait for the results. It is not fair (for other parties) to speculate as the last time I only confirmed it as symptoms of poisoning."

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, meanwhile, gave his assurance that the country was committed towards protecting its forests and wildlife.

The Sabah government in particular, he said, has done its part in ensuring biodiversity was kept intact.

Besides the nation's pledge to maintain over 50 per cent of land under forest cover, the plantation sector also relied on increasing yield through productivity instead of clearing more lands.

"I think all of us are very sad in light of the Pygmy Elephants' deaths as they are part and parcel of the Sabah scenery.

"The palm oil industry in particular have vested interests in seeing nothing untoward happens to forests in the country, because it gives all plantation players a good image, which we would like to promote in this industry," Dompok said after a Chinese New Year walkabout in Donggongon town.

He said plantation owners here had also set aside areas for wildlife corridors, as part of their efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said they would investigate the matter together with the Forestry Department.

He said investigation papers had been opened under section 429 of the Penal Code.

Yayasan Sabah Group, in a statement, said it would cooperate with relevant departments in investigating the cause of death of the elephants at its concession area.

Its director Tan Sri Datu Khalil Datu Jamalul said the group, which is part of the special task force, would also work with relevant agencies to come up with corrective actions to avoid similar incidents in future.

Sabah offers RM40,000 reward
Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 6 Feb 13;

MYSTERY: Payment to informers if report confirms 14 Borneo pygmy elephants were poisoned

KOTA KINABALU: IF the chemist's report indicates that the 14 Borneo pygmy elephants were poisoned, the state government will offer a RM40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said yesterday the chemist's report would be ready on Friday.

At a task force meeting on Monday, he was told that two senior police officers from Kinabatangan had been assigned to investigate the matter.

"The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) has offered RM10,000 and they (task force) have asked the ministry to top it up.

"I found that there is a provision for this in the Wildlife Enactment and I agreed to top it up with another RM40,000. So the potential reward is RM50,000."

All eyes have been on Sabah since news of the death of 14 elephants near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, 130km from Tawau, was published.

The Sabah Wildlife and Natural Parks Department believes that the endangered mammals were poisoned. It submitted samples to the Chemistry Department last week.

"Once the chemist's report is ready and if it shows conclusively that someone poisoned the elephants, we will start sending flyers to let people know about the reward.

"We are not saying that the elephants were poisoned. We are saying if the chemist's report confirms it, we will start looking for the culprits."

Cops locate logging firms over deaths of pygmy elephants
New Straits Times 7 Feb 13;

KOTA KINABALU: Police have identified logging companies carrying out work at the site where 14 Borneo pygmy elephants died mysteriously in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, 140km from Tawau, recently.

State police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said there were logging companies with 300 workers at the location.

"The Criminal Investigation Department is completing the investigation. We know that the place is remote but we also know which companies are working there," he said at the police headquarters, here, yesterday.

He added that police did not discount the possibility that the elephants were poisoned as the dead animals were found with their ruptured stomachs .

"We have to wait for the chemist's report to establish if it was poisoning.

"Only then will we continue our investigation."

On Tuesday, state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said RM40,000 would be offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the deaths of the elephants. Bernama

Police: Pygmy elephants in Sabah were killed
Stephanie Lee The Star 7 Feb 13;

KOTA KINABALU: The 14 pygmy elephants found dead at a forest reserve near Tawau last month were killed, police said.

The criminal investigation department is completing its investigations under Section 429 of the Penal Code for mischief towards animals, which carries a maximum five years' jail upon conviction.

“Investigations indicated that the elephants were killed as autopsies found their intestinal tracts ruptured and there were other internal injuries,” said Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Hamza Taib.

He said that police had moved their investigations to several logging companies around the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, about 139km from Tawau.

However, he could not confirm if the elephants' deaths were caused by poisoning.

“We are still waiting for the chemist's report,” he said.

Comm Hamza said they had identified some of the logging companies, which had about 300 workers at the forest reserve.

Meanwhile, an additional reward of RM40,000 is being offered for information leading to the capture of those responsible for killing the animals.

A three-week-old male calf is the sole survivor of the massacre and is recuperating at the Lok Kawi zoo.

Apart from the police, the state Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry and Yayasan Sabah are also investigating the case.

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) had offered RM10,000 in reward and the state government has now offered RM40,000 more for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

“It is not the reward that matters. What's more important is the result of the case,” Comm Hamza said.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said he had been briefed on the matter by his permanent secretary Datuk Micheal Emban, who chaired the meeting of the task force on the dead elephants.

“If the chemist's report shows that there was intentional killing of the elephants, the ministry is ready to offer a reward of RM40,000 to the informant,” he said after launching the Malindo Air service for the Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur route here yesterday.

“So with Matta's offer, this brings the reward to RM50,000,” he said.

Move to send forensics samples overseas lauded
Kristy Inus New Straits Times 12 Feb 13;

INCONCLUSIVE RESULTS: NGOs urge for solution to human-wildlife conflict

KOTA KINABALU: HUTAN, a Sabah-based wildlife research and conservation non-governmental organisation (NGO), has supported the government's move to find out the cause of the deaths of 14 elephants in Tawau recently.

The government has sent samples to two specialised centres overseas for analysis.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun on Friday announced in Ranau that a second opinion was being sought from experts as preliminary test reports here were inconclusive.

Masidi had instructed the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to send samples from the carcasses to the Ramathibodi Poison Centre at Mahidol University, Thailand, and Queensland Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Department in Australia.

Hutan co-director Dr Marc Ancrenaz, a wildlife veterinarian, said it was disappointing that after two weeks, the results were inconclusive.

"We still do not know for sure what killed the 14 elephants and left a baby orphaned. Sending the samples for verification overseas and having it double checked by other independent bodies is the best step at this time."

Ten dead elephants were discovered near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, which sits between the Danum Valley and Maliau Basin Conservation areas, from Dec 29 to Jan 25. In the next few days, four more were found.

Acrenaz said since the NGO started working in Sabah 15 years ago, there had been a rise in human-elephant conflict resulting from the rapid reduction of elephant habitat, especially in agro-industrial landscapes.

"We are aware that agricultural development is an important source of revenue for the state, but what is needed now is to implement a sound land use solution to reduce such conflicts."

He, however, praised SWD's commitment in addressing the issue with other partners as well as releasing a multi-stakeholder five-year State Action Plan last year that contained effective recommendations to reduce human-elephant conflict.

Masidi said yesterday that he had conveyed the need for future solutions to the special task force investigating the current case.

"I told them to come up with a better framework policy to overcome this problem and reduce human-wildlife conflict," said Masidi.

On the samples, he said he received the report on Friday and gave the order to send out the samples to the overseas experts that same day.

Masidi said the move to have the samples tested overseas should not be viewed as a lack of confidence in local experts, but an indication of the government's commitment in getting to the bottom of the tragedy.

The findings would be compared with the results here and help eliminate any doubt or suspicions on its accuracy.

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