Increasing the flow of water from national taps

Feng Zengkun Straits Times 16 Mar 13;

TUCKED away in a laboratory in Jurong East is a team of people who want to ramp up the amount of locally sourced water that flows from your taps in 50 years.

The researchers from Siemens Water Technologies are testing a way to use electrical charges to extract salt from seawater - which could help make it drinkable.

If successful, the project could halve the energy demand of desalination and help increase Singapore's water supply. Seawater is currently treated in a desalination plant in Tuas by forcing it through filters.

The new technology could be ready for use in future treatment plants within two years, said national water agency PUB. In a new report out today on PUB's plans for the next 50 years, the agency called it an example of research that will be "vital" to Singapore's future.

By 2060, PUB said, the country's water usage could double to almost 800 million gallons a day, enough to fill more than 1,200 Olympic-size swimming pools each day.

PUB wants to recycle and treat enough seawater and used water to meet up to 80 per cent of Singapore's domestic and industrial needs by then, up from 40 per cent now.

The goal is important because a year later, one of Singapore's four national taps - imported water from Malaysia - may dry up.

Malaysia's agreement to supply water to Singapore expires in 2061. "If we do not get... the continuation of the water agreement after 2061, we should be ready to assure our own water supply," said PUB chief executive Chew Men Leong.

To do this, PUB will ramp up the flow from the three other national taps: treated rainwater and seawater, and reclaimed used water.

While the goal is ambitious, at least three international experts believe it can be accomplished.

Visiting professor Asit Biswas at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, one of three co-authors unveiling a book on Singapore's water history today, said the country had already done the impossible once.

The former president of the International Water Resources Association noted that Singapore had only three reservoirs when it became independent, and could only capture rainwater that fell on 11 per cent of the country's land.

In 1965, the three reservoirs supplied less than 20 per cent of the country's needs. Today, there are 17 reservoirs and rainwater that falls on two-thirds of the island is funnelled into them.

Desalinated water, reclaimed used water and treated rainwater now provide nearly 50 per cent of Singapore's water needs, said Prof Biswas.

He said that according to interviews with former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's water future was changed by a single conversation around the time of independence day.

Then British High Commissioner Anthony Head had reported to Mr Lee that unless Singapore behaved as Malaysia wanted, its prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman could cut off the water supply from Johor to the newborn nation, said Prof Biswas.

Jolted into action, Mr Lee asked engineers to "estimate Singapore's annual rainfall, the technical feasibility to capture every drop, and whether this measure could make the island self-sufficient in water".

To sustain that goal, PUB plans to expand the catchment area to 90 per cent. Theoretically, rainwater can be harvested from the entire island, said PUB director George Madhavan, but this may be too costly.

"It's like squeezing sugar cane. Once you squeeze out most of the juice, you can squeeze more, but it takes a lot of energy," he said.

Singapore has other avenues. Ms Olivia Lum, executive chairman and group chief executive of water treatment company Hyflux, helped introduce one of them. A Hyflux consortium opened Singapore's first seawater treatment plant in Tuas in 2005 and will open another one there this year.

The goal is for treated seawater to meet up to 25 per cent of Singapore's water needs by 2060, up from just 10 per cent now.

But the centrepiece of Singapore's water plan is still Newater, made up of reclaimed used water.

The first two Newater plants were opened in Bedok and Kranji in 2003. There are now two more in Ulu Pandan and Changi.

To make Newater, used water is biologically and chemically treated, filtered through membranes and disinfected using ultraviolet light.

Most of the ultra- clean water is used for industrial processes and to cool air-conditioners because they need highly purified water.

This frees up potable water for households.

PUB wants the home-grown invention to become Singapore's biggest tap by 2060, supplying up to 55 per cent of the country's needs - almost twice the 30 per cent it meets now. This will be done by expanding the capacity of current factories and by building more of them.

But Mr Chew said that Singaporeans - and whether they save or waste water - will write the next chapter of the water story.

Larger role for Newater in meeting nation's future needs
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 16 Mar 13;

NEWATER, or reclaimed used water, will have a bigger role to play in Singapore's water future.

According to a report to be launched today by national water agency PUB, the reclaimed water will meet up to 55 per cent of water demand in 2060, up from the previous projection of 50 per cent.

Treated seawater or desalinated water is expected to meet 20 per cent of the country's water demand by 2030 and up to 25 per cent of demand by 2060, up from 10 per cent now.

The new report today sets out PUB's plans for the next 50 years, and is part of its World Water Day celebrations.

Singapore wants to have the means to produce at least 80 per cent of its own water by 2060.

This is important as the agreement to import water from Malaysia is set to expire in 2061, a year later.

PUB chief executive Chew Men Leong told The Straits Times: "If we do not get... the continuation of the water agreement after 2061, we should be ready to assure our own water supply."

Currently, Singapore can produce at least 40 per cent of its own water needs. Newater contributes 30 per cent of this and treated seawater the other 10 per cent. The rest of the demand is met by imported water and treated rainwater. Singapore is allowed to draw up to 250 million gallons of water from Johor each day. This full quota would meet about 60 per cent of current needs.

Singapore's water demand could double from 400 million gallons a day to almost 800 million gallons a day by 2060, PUB said.

Non-domestic water use, in particular, is set to rocket from 55 per cent of the country's water demand now to 70 per cent by 2060. The rest of the demand comes from homes.

Between now and 2060, PUB plans to build more Newater factories and expand existing capacity to meet up to 55 per cent of demand, up from 30 per cent now. There are currently four Newater plants in Bedok, Kranji, Ulu Pandan and Changi.

Singapore's second desalination or seawater treatment plant will start operations in Tuas this year. The first plant opened in 2005, also in Tuas. The goal is to more than double the tap's capacity from 10 per cent now to 25 per cent by 2060.

PUB also plans to increase the catchment area - where rainwater can be captured and funnelled into reservoirs - from 67 per cent of the island to 90 per cent.

This will be done by building variable salinity plants, which are water treatment plants that can tap smaller streams and rivulets near Singapore's shoreline. The new plants can process brackish rainwater and switch to seawater desalination during dry spells.

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Indonesia, Singapore hold talks on sea boundaries

Straits Times 16 Mar 13;

INDONESIA and Singapore held the sixth round of technical discussions on maritime boundaries in the eastern part of the Strait of Singapore, said a joint statement from the foreign affairs ministries of both countries.

The discussions took place in Lombok yesterday and on Thursday.

The Indonesian delegation was led by Mr Octavino Alimudin, acting director for treaties on political, security and territorial affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Singapore delegation was led by Mr Pang Khang Chau, director-general of the international affairs division of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The delegations continued discussions on the Terms of Reference and other issues relating to the territorial sea boundary in the eastern part of the Strait of Singapore, said the statement.

Both delegation heads acknowledged that the progress at the discussions would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations.

The talks were a follow-up to the fifth round of discussions in Singapore on Nov 8 and Nov 9.

The two countries had in 2009 signed a treaty on the western segment of the maritime boundary, between Indonesia's Pulau Nipa and Singapore's Sultan Shoal.

For the eastern segments of the maritime border, two sections remain unresolved: one between Changi and Batam, and the other between Pedra Branca and Bintan.

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RM3bil reclamation deal off Johor

Tee Lin Say The Star 16 Mar 13;

OVER the week, Benalec Holdings Bhd has secured a major offtaker (a party taking up the offer) for 404.7ha of reclaimable land off Tanjung Piai, at the southern tip of Johor. Sources have estimated the value of the off-taking contract at RM2.5bil to RM3bil.

In an announcement to Bursa Malaysia, Benalec said its 70%-owned unit, Spektrum Kukuh Sdn Bhd (SKSB), had entered into a binding term sheet with the State Secretary, Johor (Inc) and 1MY Strategic Oil Terminal Sdn Bhd “to undertake the reclamation works and sale of about 404.7ha off the coast of Tanjung Piai for the purpose of constructing and operating a crude oil and petroleum storage facility together with a private jetty”.

1MY is a vehicle formed to construct, commission, operate and maintain an oil and petroleum storage facility at Tanjung Piai. A formal sales and purchase agreement (SPA) is to be executed within three months of the term sheet subject to finalisation of all the details.

“The SPA will happen within this three months. Once that takes place, and once the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is completed, typically it should take six months before physical works actually start,” says an industry observer.

Thus it would appear that any profit contributions from this will more likely take place during Benalec's financial year ending June 30, 2014 onwards.

The observer added that phase one of the reclamation works will involve reclaiming the entire 404.7ha along with the construction of a storage tanker. This would take about four years, Subsequent phases would involve the construction of supporting infrastructures such as a private jetty.

More significantly, Benalec's announcement coincided with news that the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed RM39bil to two projects that will create hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs for Malaysians.

The projects involve the setting up of a RM21bil strategic petroleum reserve that can store up to 60 million barrels of crude oil in Tanjung Piai, and a RM18bil strategic partnership in the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) between UAE's Aabar Investments PJS and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Both these signing were witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Zayed Al Nahyan, during the his official visit to Malaysia on Tuesday.

“Benalec has been marketing their project for a long time. They have been everywhere looking for potential purchases to Europe, Middle East, apart from combing the Jurong petrochemical hub in Singapore. With Johor shaping up very nicely and fast becoming a viable hub, foreigners see the potential. They understand the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) appeal. Now Johor gives Singaporeans a choice. Benalec is similar to the IDR for the oil and gas sector,” says one observer.

“This landmark announcement vindicates our long-standing conviction of Tanjung Piai's high development potential. By extension, it addresses any doubt about Benalec's dealmaking prowess, with much more to come,” says Amresearch analyst Mak Hoy Ken.

Mak says that while salient details such as the contract price have not been revealed, the significance of the deal is clear.

“Firstly, the strategic importance of a trailblazer offtaker and associated inflow of potential foreign direct investment may see the EIA approval being fast-tracked. Secondly, the spillover from it is massive, anchored by future investments from Abu Dhabi. This will likely trigger more interest from other offtakers to invest in its land concessions at Tanjung Piai, and also Pengerang,”

“Thirdly, the sheer scale of this project will likely accelerate the maturity of Tanjung Piai as a future oil hub, located near Jurong petrochemical hub,”

The observer added that if there is a real offtaker who is investing in Tanjung Piai, there is no reason why Benalec should not get its EIA approval.

Mak says that Benalec is fast-emerging as a cheaper leverage to the oil and gas sector at 2013 and 2015 price earnings ratio of 8 times (x) to 11x versus the sector average of 17x.

If this reclamation contract comes through, Benalec still has a sizeable landbank of 1,717.9ha in south Johor. It has 1,004.8ha in Tanjung Piai and 712.2ha in Pengerang.

The 404.7ha forms part of Benalec's entitlements to reclaim 1,410.3ha off the coast of Tanjung Piai and a further 712.2ha along the shoreline of Pengerang.

Sources close to the company say that Benalec was pricing its initial reclaimable tracts off Tanjung Piai at over RM3mil per acre. This is a lot lower than the RM10mil per acre in the Jurong Industrial Estate, an oil and gas hub built on reclaimed land in Singapore.

The group, via its subsidiaries Spektrum Kukuh and Spektrum Budi Sdn Bhd, last September sealed the land concessions with the Johor government, but the EIA on the entitled area is still ongoing.

At that time, Benalec had entered into development agreements with the state government of Johor to develop reclaimed land in Tanjung Piai and Pengerang.

Benalec's role is to undertake the reclamation of land for the project, the development and construction of infrastructure works and search for potential buyers for the land.

The group hopes to develop the Tanjung Piai project into an integrated petroleum hub, similar to that of Jurong Island in Singapore. It intends to reclaim and then sell or lease the land to the offtakers, for instance, oil terminal operators.

In an earlier report, Mak had valued Benalec's first phase reclamation project in Tanjung Piai, which is about 809ha at around RM1.4bil.

“Notably, our current valuation only includes the first 809ha at Tanjung Piai. As such, a formalisation of this deal would help narrow the deep discount of 49% that Benalec is trading at versus its sum of parts value of RM2.48,” says Mak.

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Philippines: Dead baby whale shark found off Catanduanes

Fernan Gianan Inquirer Southern Luzon 15 Mar 13;

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Philippines—A dead baby whale shark, nearly 11 feet long and weighing between 200 and 250 kilos, was found by four fishermen floating in the deep waters of Maqueda Channel in the vicinity of this island province early Friday morning.

Jorge Reyes, chairman of the Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries Council, said in a telephone interview that he cautioned against butchering dead fish, which was found at around 5 a.m., for food.

He said Larry Tabuzo, one of four fishermen from Barangay (village) Magnesia del Sur in this town, had just caught a big blue marlin between Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay and Catanduanes Island when they came upon the dead whale shark, locally known as ‘butanding.”

The four fishermen tied a nylon rope around the tail of the whale shark and towed it to shore.

Tabuzo reported the find to Barangay chairman Gerrybel Bautista, who in turn notified the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

Officials from the DENR, who coordinated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, later came in and advised the barangay council to wait for the BFAR representative regarding disposal of the whale shark.

An official of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, who asked for anonymity, suggested that the whale shark may have been accidentally hit by a banca as it had a two-inch-long wound on the head.

“It may have strayed from its usual feeding site in the waters between Masbate and Sorsogon,” he said.

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Tourists head to Myanmar islands as Thai reefs decline

Boonleun Promprathankul The Nation 16 Mar 13;

Coral bleaching around Thai islands in the Andaman Sea has made a dent in tourism numbers. Many foreign divers have flocked lately to St Luke Island in Myanmar instead.

"They have turned away from Thailand because of the coral bleaching at key diving spots on our side," a source at A-One Diving Co Ltd disclosed.

Based in Ranong, the company has arranged dive trips to various destinations in the Andaman Sea. Some destinations are in Thai waters while others are in Myanmar territory.

"St Luke Island of Myanmar is now becoming world famous," the same source said.

The source said St Luke Island had yet to see a big boom because entry to Myanmar is still subject to complicated procedures and strict regulations. Each trip to the island takes at least seven days and the boats in Myanmar are not very comfortable.

"Despite that, the number of tourists to St Luke Island has now jumped by more than 30 per cent when compared with the previous year," the source pointed out.

He said if coral bleaching in Thai waters continues an increasing number of tourist divers are likely to head to Myanmar.

Ranong Tourism Association president Somchai Ouitekkeng said St Luke Island in southern Myanmar was becoming popular among Asians and Europeans. But, on the bright side, he believed Ranong could still reap benefits from the situation.

"We have the potential to become a gateway to hundreds of islands in southern Myanmar," Somchai said. He said apart from St Luke, the Mergui Islands were also beautiful and had more sights on them.

He said if the plan was successful, it would be possible to arrange for groups of Myanmar tourists to visit Thailand also.

Chang Island, which is close to the Myanmar-Thai border, is just 30 kilometres from Ranong town. It is a famous attraction on the Thai side.

"We can promote Chang Island further while protecting its good environment," Somchai said.

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Global warming may have fueled Somali drought

Jason Straziuso Associated Press Yahoo News 15 Mar 13;

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Global warming may have contributed to low rain levels in Somalia in 2011 where tens of thousands died in a famine, research by British climate scientists suggests.

Scientists with Britain's weather service studied weather patterns in East Africa in 2010 and 2011 and found that yearly precipitation known as the short rains failed in late 2010 because of the natural effects of the weather pattern La Nina.

But the lack of the long rains in early 2011 was an effect of "the systematic warming due to influence on greenhouse gas concentrations," said Peter Stott of Britain's Met Office, speaking to The Associated Press in a phone interview.

The British government estimates that between 50,000 and 100,000 people died from the famine. But the new research doesn't mean global warming directly caused those deaths.

Ethiopia and Kenya were also affected by the lack of rains in 2011, but aid agencies were able to work more easily in those countries than in war-ravaged Somalia, where the al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist group al-Shabab refused to allow food aid into the wide areas under its control.

The peer reviewed study will appear in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Senait Gebregziabher, the Somalia country director for the aid group Oxfam, said climate change is increasing humanitarian needs.

"In the coming decades, unless urgent action is taken to slash greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures in East Africa will continue to rise and rainfall patterns will change. This will create major problems for food production and availability," Gebregziabher said.

Stott said that the evidence is "very strong" that the planet is warming due to an increase in greenhouse gases. He noted that the study indicates that both natural causes — La Nina and the short rains — and man-made causes contributed to Somalia's drought.

The Met Office's computer modeling study found that between 24 percent and 99 percent of the cause of the failure of the 2011 rains can be attributed to the presence of man-made greenhouse gases, Stott said.

Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — which sends heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the air, changing the climate, scientists say.

Ahmed Awale works for the non-profit group Candlelight, which is dedicated to improving conservation and the environment. He believes Somalia's climate has been changing for many decades, with rainfall patterns becoming more erratic.

"If you miss one of the two rainy seasons we have a very severe drought. The other indicator is that there is a rise in temperature," he said, adding later: "This all negatively impacts the livelihood of the people. Most of Somalis depend mostly on pastoral production."

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World not coping well with change in diets, says FAO Director-General

Calls for all sectors of society to collaborate on new nutrition strategies
FAO 15 mar 13;

15 March 2013, Wageningen, Netherlands - Urbanization, economic growth and other transformations are causing changes in lifestyles and diets in many parts of the world and countries are not coping as well as they could, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told professors and students at Wageningen University and Research Centre today.

The Director-General, on an official two-day visit to the Netherlands, spoke of the need to guarantee the production of safe food and to offer consumers better alternatives and information on their diets.

"We need integrated nutrition strategies, formed with the inputs of society as a whole - the private sector, consumers, doctors, and consumer organizations and others," he said.

While 870 million people suffer from hunger, there are also over half a billion who are obese and susceptible to non-communicable diseases.

Graziano da Silva signed an accord with the University of Wageningen covering a closer collaboration on scientific research and joint activities to foster and promote education, research and technology capacities in developing countries. He said that FAO was renewing its relationship with the university because it believed that in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, partnerships were "absolutely essential".

Role of traditional crops

Graziano da Silva said a global review of nutrition strategy could, for example, involve rethinking the role of traditional crops, which have lost space in modern diets.

"Every region has a variety of non-commodity crops that were used in the past as food," he said. "One example is quinoa, which is being celebrated in 2013 in an international year." Quinoa is an Andean "super food", a highly nutritious, cereal-like crop rich in protein and micronutrients.

Importance of family farms

The FAO head praised the university for supporting the development of both industrial agriculture and small-scale production, adding that its research made an important contribution to understanding family farming.

"I believe there is room for both agricultural models in the world today, we need both of them," he said.

Pointing out that 2014 will be the International Year of Family Farming, Graziano da Silva said that in most developing countries small-scale farming is the main producer of the food consumed nationally and also the main source of employment in rural areas.

He also noted that in recent decades rural populations have become older and in many cases predominantly female. Women therefore need to be empowered, provided with the rights, policies, tools and resources necessary to support the role they play in all aspects of rural life and food security. People especially youth also needed better economic opportunities that would keep them in the rural areas, he added.

Technology needs to adapt to local needs

Although science and technology must drive agricultural productivity and production increases, Graziano da Silva cautioned his audience that technology can not simply be exported from one country to another and be expected to work perfectly. It must be adapted to local conditions.

"Agriculture is too sensitive and location specific," he said. "Soil, climate, water availability and so many other factors influence how one technology will work elsewhere."

"We need to ask farmers what they need, what they want, see what could fit, how it needs to be adapted and ensure that whatever we do ends up being ‘owned' by the farmers themselves," he added.

FAO's role

Graziano da Silva also spoke of fundamental changes taking place in FAO as it concentrates its work on the world's most pressing food, nutrition, agricultural and rural development problems.

"FAO's mission to contribute to ending hunger in the world is as valid today as it was in 1945 when it was created ... but the challenges are different today," he said.

He said that FAO has developed new strategic objectives to respond to emerging global trends and challenges. These strategic objectives are: ending hunger and malnutrition; producing sustainably; reducing rural poverty; improving food systems and their fairness; and increasing resilience to external shocks.

Memorandum of Understanding signed

Graziano da Silva and Aalt Dijkhuizen, President of the Executive Board of the Wageningen University and Research Centre, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on collaboration over the next four years. It covers exchanges of information and policy dialogue, the joint promotion of education, research and technology capacities in developing countries, and exchange of scientific staff and young professionals among other things.

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Best of our wild blogs: 15 Mar 13

How many Oriental Pied Hornbills can Singapore support?
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Sunday March 17 tour
from a.t.Bukit Brown. Heritage. Habitat. History.

Crowd Sourcing: Make no bones about it
from Through the Eyes of the Leopard Cat

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'Less trash, pay less' scheme to be tested

Project involving over 1,400 homes aims to cut waste, boost recycling
Grace Chua Straits Times 15 Mar 13;

THROW away less trash, and get to pay less.

The Government is piloting "save-as-you-reduce" schemes in Punggol, Bartley and Yuhua, to see if they help cut household waste and get residents to recycle more, said Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu yesterday.

"If we find that households are reducing their waste, we can consider passing back some of the savings so there's a direct relationship between their behaviour and their pocket."

The domestic waste generated in Singapore has been rising faster than population growth.

And the overall waste this country produces has grown from 5.97 million tonnes a year since 2008 to 6.9 million tonnes in 2011 - which roughly equals the weight of 275,000 fully loaded garbage trucks.

In the same year, 59 per cent of Singapore's total waste was recycled, but the National Environment Agency hopes this figure will hit 65 per cent by 2020.

There are already schemes to encourage recycling. From last year, new public waste collection contracts must include the supply of one recycling bin for each HDB block. And from next year, large hotels and shopping centres have to report how much waste they generate and what their targets are to reduce and recycle it.

Although few details were available on how the new scheme will be implemented, the Government is hoping the 11-month "save-as-you-reduce" trial, which starts next month for more than 1,400 households, will also make a mark.

HDB residents in the targeted estates pay between $4.82 and $6.08 a month for trash services, while the cost for landed properties ranges between $17 and $20.

Mr Andrew Tan, 29, a civil servant who lives in a house off Braddell Road, said the scheme would make him think twice about throwing things out rather than recycling them.

Punggol HDB resident Daphne Maia Loo, a 29-year-old social media manager, wondered if people would stop reducing their waste if the financial incentive was later removed.

She said: "How are we going to inculcate a habit of reduce, reuse and recycle if we only go for short-term solutions and instant-gratification programmes?"

Ms Fu, who was speaking at the Eco-Products International Fair at Marina Bay Sands' convention centre yesterday, also said that from next year, television sets being sold must bear labels showing how energy-efficient they are. Air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers already carry such labels.

From next year too, clothes dryers and general lighting must meet minimum energy-efficiency targets.

Save-As-You-Reduce waste disposal pilot to launch in April
Louisa Tang Today Online 15 Mar 13;

SINGAPORE — In a bid to encourage recycling and reduce waste, the Government is currently exploring the feasibility of charging households based on how much waste they dispose of.

Speaking at the Eco-products International Fair yesterday, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu said a Save-As-You-Reduce pilot will be carried out with selected households in the Punggol and Bartley areas, and at the first HDB Greenprint precinct at Yuhua.

A usage-based pricing waste disposal system will allow households to “directly reap the benefits of reducing waste”, said Ms Fu, who also revealed that the Government would be extending water and energy-efficiency labelling to more appliances to help households save on utility bills.

Presently, occupants of flats, landed residential properties and hawker/market stalls pay a flat monthly refuse collection fee, regardless of their waste disposal habits. Only trade premises are levied fees based on their volume of waste disposal.

Besides enhancing the recycling infrastructure, such as with more recycling bins, Ms Fu said “it’s important for the consumers to see how the behaviour affects them personally” by providing incentives.

Countries like Japan and the United States already charge households based on the volume or weight of waste disposed. The pilot will begin in April and end in February next year, during which its effects on waste disposal patterns will be monitored.

Meanwhile, the Government is tweaking the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS), Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MWELS). Changes include adding television to the MELS list from next year, while the National Environment Agency will tighten MEPS standards for air conditioners and refrigerators this September. Louisa Tang

Energy efficiency labelling to be extended to more appliances
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 14 Mar 13;

SINGAPORE : The government is extending water and energy efficiency labelling to more appliances, and is looking into more mandatory efficiency standards for them.

Grace Fu, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said: "It is important for us to first of all give our consumers the necessary information about how energy-efficient products can help them to save energy costs in the long run.

"At the same time, by regulating the type of product that is being sold, we hope that we can bring in more energy-efficient products so that it will bring down the costs for consumers."

Ms Fu was speaking at the Eco-products International Fair on Thursday.

From September, air conditioners and refrigerators sold in Singapore will have to meet stricter energy efficiency standards.

From next year, television sets will come with labels showing how energy-efficient they are, while clothes dryers and lighting must meet performance standards.

Washing machines will also have to meet a minimum water efficiency standard of one tick from April next year.

This will help consumers and businesses make informed choices and enjoy cost-savings from energy and water consumption over time.

Households will be encouraged to recycle, with more bins and collections.

The government is also considering a usage-based pricing waste disposal system.

"Save-As-You-Reduce" pilot projects will be conducted in the Punggol and Bartley areas.

They will involve a small number of HDB blocks, condominiums and landed properties, as well as the first HDB Greenprint precinct in Yuhua.

During the pilot projects, residents will be updated on how much they have recycled and thrown away.

- CNA/ms

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Turtle shell smuggler jailed

Tham Yuen-c Straits Times 15 Mar 13;

A WOMAN from Seychelles was jailed for three months yesterday for trying to smuggle 60kg worth of shells harvested from endangered Hawksbill sea turtles into Singapore.

Barne Florence Flossy Beryl, 48, who had pleaded guilty, came to Singapore with her son about two weeks ago with two suitcases packed full of the shells. They are commonly used in making jewellery and household items like trays, as well as medicine.

The shells, estimated to be worth $10,000, were discovered by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers at Changi Airport, who found the "dense items" packed inside the bags rather unusual.

When the bags were opened, the officers found that they were stuffed with the shells.

Beryl told the officers she had been asked to carry them by a person in Seychelles named "Michel", who also told her that a "Mr Choo" from Singapore would arrange to pick up the goods from her.

Experts from Wildlife Reserves Singapore later ascertained that the shells were from Hawksbill sea turtles, found only in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

The species' population has fallen by about 80 per cent worldwide in the last 10 years, landing it in an international convention that bans trade and the over-exploitation of certain animals and plants.

Since Singapore recognises the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, by smuggling the shells into Singapore, Beryl contravened the country's Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act.

In pushing for a deterrent sentence, the prosecuting officer submitted that some 60 turtles would have been killed to yield the "staggering" amount of shells, which are known for their beauty. Not only that, but the shells had also been reduced to their scutes - hard, keratin layers - to evade detection. Foil was also used to line the bags.

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Website to help neighbours share household items

Founder hopes the lending and borrowing will help to rekindle kampung spirit
Sue-ann Tan And Cheng Jingjie Straits Times 15 Mar 13;

A CASUAL chat which resulted in Mr Moh Hon Meng inviting his neighbour round to use his sewing machine has led to an idea which could see many more Singaporeans sharing their resources.

The website BlockPooling.sg goes live today, providing an online platform for residents of condominiums and Housing Board flats to help one another out.

Residents who live in blocks within 200m of one another are grouped together with other households that set up an online inventory. Users who sign up to the site will be able to approach those who have something they need to borrow.

Mr Moh, 44, the chief executive officer of Estatebuzz, a company that helps to set up social websites, received a $20,000 grant from the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre's Jump Start Fund. The centre's chief executive officer Laurence Lien said: "We support this initiative because it promotes neighbourly cooperation and interdependence. Ultimately, we hope to create a giving nation where individuals take ownership to do more good within the communities."

Estatebuzz's first website was ShareTransport.sg, which has attracted 11,000 users since it was set up a year ago. Through BlockPooling.sg, Mr Moh hopes to rekindle the "kampung spirit" among Singaporeans.

Invoking the Chinese proverb that close neighbours are better than distant relatives, he said: "Sometimes even though we are willing to help, we don't know what our neighbours need. This website provides the communication tool."

He hopes that through the ripple effect of sharing, residents can create a support network and widen their social circles.

Mr Moh acknowledged that the system does have some potential problems - such as people who damage or do not return items - but he said that residents will have to settle the issues on their own, "as neighbours do".

The website suggests a list of 24 items that neighbours can share, such as sports equipment, household appliances, books and DVDs. There are also six services proposed for sharing, such as help with Internet issues and changing light bulbs.

Another service, "pool-to-buy", has exclusive deals that allow households in need of the same services or goods to buy in bulk to cut costs.

Mr Moh hopes that by the end of the year, 160 blocks will have five to six households each that have managed to pool the list of suggested items and services and register them on the website. He has also planned a "food pooling" party in June.

Residents expressed mixed opinions on the sharing initiative.

Student Liew Shuo Ren, 19, who lives in Bukit Batok, said: "It takes more to promote neighbourliness. We're more self-sufficient and less sociable than in the past."

Mr Wong Zhi Rong, 27, a security officer from Bishan, said: "I will try it. It will allow us to make more friends. There will be more communication and it will be good for everyone."

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CITES: ‘Gang of eight’ on ivory probation and landmark shark ban upheld

Matt McGrath BBC News 14 Mar 13;

The worst offending countries in the ivory trade have been given a strict deadline to reduce their involvement or face sanctions.

The decision taken at the final meeting of the Cites conference in Bangkok is meant to compel countries like China and Thailand to tougher action.

But some campaigners say Cites is failing to protect elephants and want more urgent action.

Data indicates that 17,000 elephants were killed by poachers in 2011.

This is the most up-to-date information available for areas monitored by Cites.

In its final session here in Bangkok, delegates approved a decision to demand a clear set of targets for reducing the trade in ivory from the countries deemed the worst offenders.

The “gang of eight” countries include the supply states, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, plus the consumer states of China and Thailand. The group also includes three countries - Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines - which are important in the transit of ivory.
Resource issue

The meeting heard that six of the eight countries had now come up with action plans.

The standing committee of Cites also agreed that if the actions described in those plans were not completed then sanctions against the offending country, or countries, could be taken from July 2014.

Secretary General of Cites, John Scanlon, explained that the deadline was real.

“The eight states are prepared to do more and be measured against that," he said. "There is also a recognition that a failure to take action, [may see] the standing committee consider compliance measures. And the ultimate sanction under our convention is a trade suspension."

But the lumping together of the eight countries as worst offenders has upset several of the countries.

Speaking in the final session, Patrick Omondi, the spokesman for Kenya’s delegation, drew a major distinction between the actions being taken by source and consumer countries.

“The demand reductions strategies (in Thailand and China) are totally different from what we are supposed to be doing. Ours depend on resources.”

If you give me screens to screen tonnes of containers we’ll screen all containers passing through Mombasa airport. If you give me 50 more sniffer dogs, we’ll be sniffing every animal part that passes through,” he added.

Thailand’s legal domestic market has been highlighted at this meeting as being a particular source of concern. It is believed that criminal gangs take advantage of this loophole to launder ivory from African elephants into Asia.

At the start of the meeting, the Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra accepted that her country needed to change its laws.
'Trinket choice'

The conference also discussed other measures in the fight against elephant poaching.

The delegates decided to require countries that make seizures of ivory to send samples for DNA analysis to established facilities.

They also asked countries with stockpiles of ivory to give up-to-date information on the scale of these holdings. Many experts fear that ivory from these stockpiles is being diverted into the markets.

Jason Bell from the International Fund for Animal Welfare agreed that these steps would help.

“These developments will not stop the current poaching crisis that is killing up to 25,000 elephants per year, but they will help and they should save some elephants,” he said.

But many campaigners were unimpressed by the Cites stance. A group of 10 conservation and welfare organisations issued a statement saying they were outraged by what they term as “the failure of Cites to stop the poaching”. They want a much tougher approach taken, especially with respect to China.

“China could end the killing by immediately closing its domestic ivory markets and severely punishing citizens engaged in illegal ivory trade," said Steve Itela, director of Youth for Conservation.

“But it chooses ivory trinkets for a luxury market over live elephants,” he added.

Landmark shark ban upheld at conservation meeting
Matt McGrath BBC News 14 Mar 13;

Pro-shark fishing nations have narrowly failed to overturn a landmark protection deal struck at the Cites conservation conference in Bangkok.

Japan and China tried to block trade regulations on three critically endangered shark species by re-opening the debate in the final session.

But delegates refused the request by a wafer-thin majority and the shark ban was upheld.

The decision is being seen as a landmark win for animal conservation.

Campaigners say it is a truly historic day for the species, in which science triumphed over politics.

On Monday, the decision to increase protection for oceanic whitetips, porbeagle and hammerhead sharks had only scraped past the two-thirds majorities required by a handful of votes.

Campaigners had been extremely worried that China and Japan, the main opponents of the measures, would be able to muster the one-third support needed to re-open the debate and block the ban.

In a tense session here in the conference centre, they failed by just over 1%.
'Major step'

UK environment minister David Heath, who had just arrived in Bangkok, told BBC News that this was a great day for the Convention.

"I’m absolutely delighted. I think this is a major step forward today. What we saw was member states across the board say 'we are not going to be diverted from our path'," he said.

The proposals will not ban the fishing of these sharks but it will mean that for the first time, the international trade in them will be regulated.

Similar attempts at previous meetings of Cites had ended in failure. What seems to have made the difference here in Bangkok was the unity of Latin American nations, who all stood behind the proposals.

Hesiquio Benitez from the Mexican delegation told BBC News that this decision was good for sharks and for those communities that make their living from the sea.

"It's important to know that this is not prohibiting trade for domestic markets, it is not against the fisheries communities. It is to have more control, to have better assessments in the populations," he said.

Campaigners who had worked for decades to get these species listed in Appendix II of Cites said it was a landmark day.

The Appendix lists species which may become threatened with extinction unless trade is closely controlled.

"This is an historic day for marine conservation," said Glenn Sant from Traffic International.

"Shark populations are in freefall, but have been thrown a lifeline today - Cites has finally listened to the scientists," he said.

Sharks, rhinos and elephants among wildlife trade summit winners
IUCN 14 Mar 13;

A historic vote to improve the sustainability of the international trade of eight species of sharks and rays that are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is among the key decisions taken at the CITES wildlife trade summit closing today in Bangkok.

Other decisions taken at the 16th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) include strengthening measures to reduce poaching and illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, which have increased dramatically in recent years.

“The decisions taken at CITES will help secure the survival of many threatened species in the wild,” says IUCN Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre. “We are delighted to see that the scientific expertise on the biology, conservation and trade of species provided to the Convention by IUCN’s Species Survival Commission and TRAFFIC was key in supporting evidence-based decision making at the Bangkok meeting.”

The conference saw a record number of countries vote to regulate the international trade in the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, three hammerhead species, the Porbeagle shark and the two existing species of manta rays. Parties also voted to ban the international commercial trade in the Critically Endangered Freshwater Sawfish.

The rising demand for shark fins, shark meat, gill plates, and aquarium animals is seriously threatening the survival of these species, according to IUCN. Up to 1.2 million Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, which are fished for their large and distinctive fins, pass through the markets of Southeast Asia every year and over 4,000 manta rays are harpooned for their gills.

“This is a historic step towards better protection of these marine species,” says Nick Dulvy, Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group. “Now, after nearly two decades of slow and fragmentary progress, Parties agreed that CITES can complement existing national fisheries measures to ensure that global trade is sustainable and legal.”

To tackle rising levels of poaching of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and illegal ivory trade, Parties agreed on improved measures for the regulation of the global illegal ivory trade, including the development of country-specific actions. Support was also re-affirmed for the global monitoring systems that underpin decision-making under the Convention, as well as the African Elephant Action Plan.

Conservation of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) was also addressed, including greater recognition of the illegal trade in live elephants and advancing the development of an Asian Elephant Conservation Strategy with all Asian elephant range states by November 2013.

The conference identified significant range, transit and consumer states most affected by illegal rhino horn trade as well as a process of reporting back on specific urgent actions to be taken by those countries.

According to the IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group, poaching of African rhinos increased by 43% between 2011 and 2012 and illegal rhino horn trade continues to pose a serious threat to rhinos worldwide.

Delegates in Bangkok also agreed on tighter controls of international trade in timber species in Madagascar, such as rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) and ebony (Disopyros spp.) and adopted measures to reduce the impact of trade on some species of tortoise and freshwater turtles to increase their prospects for survival.

Other decisions taken at the meeting include actions relating to a number of crocodile and snake species, a renewed focus on monitoring of the trade in pangolins and continued commitment to sustainably manage the Humphead Wrasse fishery – an Endangered, coral-dwelling species that was one of the first commercially fished species to be addressed under CITES.

“Some of the decisions made in this meeting will be challenging to implement,” says Richard Jenkins, UK Manager of IUCN’s Global Species Programme. “However, there is real hope now that international trade in sharks and shark products, as well as the other species addressed here, will become more sustainable and their conservation status subsequently improved.”

Governments start to rein in ivory and rhino horn trade, give sharks and timbers better protection at wildlife trade meeting
WWF 14 Mar 13;

Bangkok, Thailand - A critical wildlife trade meeting closed Thursday with decisions from world governments to regulate the international trade in several species of sharks and timber, and to start taking action against countries doing little or nothing to stop the illegal ivory and rhino horn trades.

Countries, on the final day of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), capped the historic two-week meeting by deciding for the first time to initiate a process requiring countries most implicated in illicit ivory trade to clamp down on smuggling.

Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – the countries of highest concern in terms of their failure to clamp down on large-scale illegal ivory trade - to submit time-bound plans to deal with the problem in two months, and make progress before the next CITES meeting in summer of 2014.

Under CITES rules, failure by those countries to take action could lead to a compliance process potentially resulting in sanctions being initiated. The treaty allows CITES to issue a recommendation that governments taking part in the treaty stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from orchids to crocodile skins.

“After years of inaction, governments today put those countries failing to regulate the ivory trade on watch, a move that will help stem the unfettered slaughter of thousands of African elephants,” said Carlos Drews, WWF’s head of delegation at CITES. “The gains made to better protect species here in Bangkok are a major milestone.”

“But the fight to stop wildlife crime is not over,” Drews said. “These countries will now be held accountable to these pledges, and must step up the urgency in dealing with the global poaching crisis that is ravaging our wildlife.”

The decisions to better regulate the ivory trade this week came after Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the opening day of the meeting announced she would shut down her country’s ivory markets. The prime minister’s pledge came after more than 1.5 million people signed petitions by WWF, Avaaz, and actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio asking her to end the trading of ivory in Thailand.

Governments also extended better protection to threatened rhinos by pledging to work against organized crime syndicates that are smuggling rhino horn through the black market by increasing penalties. In addition, countries adopted a plan to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products like rhino horn, which is believed wrongly to be a miracle cure in Viet Nam.

Nearly 700 South African rhinos were killed by poachers last year, and nearly 150 have died thus far in 2013. Up to 30,000 elephants are lost to poaching every year.

Governments also reaffirmed the stronger protections for three species of hammerhead sharks, in addition to porbeagle sharks, oceanic whitetips, and two species of manta rays. The sharks and manta rays were listed on CITES Appendix II, seeking to regulate their international trade at sustainable levels.

“This is an historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans,” Drews said. “This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods.”

“These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level,” Drews said.

Negotiators also voted to ramp up trade regulations for several species of rosewood and ebony, which have been subjects of dangerous levels of illegal logging leading to deforestation, especially in Madagascar.

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