Singapore asks Indonesia for evidence on companies responsible for haze

Tan Qiuyi Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: Singapore has conveyed a diplomatic note to Indonesia to formally seek clarifications on statements by Indonesian ministers and officials on the issue of Singapore-linked companies said to be involved in illegal land-clearing practices in Indonesia.

Singapore is also officially asking Indonesia to assist by handing over relevant evidence.

Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong met with Indonesian Ambassador Andri Hadi in Singapore on Monday.

In a media statement, Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Mr Chee has asked Indonesia to clarify the contradictory statements from Indonesian ministers and officials on whether Singapore-linked companies were involved in illegal activities.

If there was credible evidence that Singapore-owned companies or companies operating in Singapore were involved, the ministry said Singapore intends to take steps against them.

Mr Chee stressed the primary responsibility for legal and enforcement actions lies with Indonesia.

He also described recent comments from Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik as "unhelpful".

Mr Jero had said Singapore was not a good neighbour, even though Singapore had benefited from the gas supply and tourist arrivals from Indonesia.

Mr Andri Hadi said he would convey Mr Chee's points to the government of Indonesia.

He added that it was important for both sides to keep the lines of communication open, and that dialogue and cooperation was the way forward.

- CNA/xq

MFA seeks to clarify mixed signals from Jakarta
It wants answers to conflicting views on whether Singapore firms caused haze
Leonard Lim Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) yesterday conveyed a diplomatic note to Indonesia's ambassador here on the haze issue, raising questions and concerns about the alleged involvement of Singapore-linked companies in the Sumatra fires.

The note to Mr Andri Hadi sought clarification on statements by Indonesian ministers and officials on Singapore-linked companies said to have a part in illegal land-clearing practices, and asked Indonesia to share evidence of involvement by any Singapore firms. Itwas signed by MFA Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong, and follows similar comments made by Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam at the weekend.

In a press statement, MFA noted that Mr Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the head of Indonesia's presidential working unit for development supervision and control, had reportedly said many hot spots were on land owned by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International Limited.

Both companies have offices in Singapore. However, Indonesia's Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan was quoted as saying that there was "no strong evidence" against these companies.

Mr Kuntoro's remarks, MFA added, also contradicted comments by Indonesia's Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya to his Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan at a meeting last Friday. He had informed Dr Balakrishnan that "no Singapore companies were involved in illegal land clearing practices".

MFA also said that if there was credible evidence that Singapore-owned companies or companies operating here were involved, the Government intended to take further steps against them. However, Mr Chee told the ambassador that the primary responsibility for legal and enforcement action lay with Indonesia, where the firms were allegedly conducting these illegal activities.

He also said it was important to focus on dealing with the haze rather than engaging in "megaphone diplomacy" that was "neither helpful nor constructive".

He took exception to comments from Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik who said that Singapore was not a good neighbour, and that Singapore had benefited from gas supply and tourist arrivals from Indonesia.

Mr Hadi said he would convey Mr Chee's points to his government. He added that it was important for both sides to keep the lines of communication open, and that dialogue and cooperation was the way forward.

Separately, Mr Shanmugam, responding to a media question on whether he knew if Sinar Mas or Golden Agri-Resources contributed to burning activities based on his past experience with them, said he could not speak for them as he left the boards of both firms over a decade ago.

Golden Agri and APP are the palm oil and paper and pulp arms of Sinar Mas, and all three are allegedly involved in slash-and- burn farming in Riau, though they have denied the charges.

Mr Shanmugam said: "I left the board more than 11 years ago. I can't speak for them. We will await the evidence and will act based on evidence, as advised by the Attorney-General's Chambers. My involvement with Sinar Mas started with a request from SGX and is a matter of public record."

A lawyer known for his expertise in securities laws, Mr Shanmugam's links with the firms started in 1996 when he was asked by the then Stock Exchange of Singapore to become a director of an insolvent firm, Amcol.

He handled its affairs together with a judicial manager, and arranged for the firm to be bought via a reverse takeover. The white knight was Sinar Mas, and Amcol was renamed Asia Food & Properties (AFP).

He continued as an independent director of AFP at the request of Sinar Mas, and was also appointed an independent director of Golden Agri - an AFP subsidiary - in 1999. He stepped down from both boards in 2001, and has never held any shares in the firms.

CASE criticises companies responsible for haze
Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has strongly criticised companies responsible for illegal land clearing activities in Indonesia.

In a media statement, CASE’s president, Lim Biow Chuan, said it is supporting the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF)'s call for decisive actions to be taken against these companies.

CASE said it is extremely concerned about the way consumers are suffering from the haze every year.

It said additional expenses from the purchase of face masks and air purifiers are also increasing the financial burden on poorer households.

"We do not think that we should take this lightly and allow these companies to continuously pollute our air every year," Mr Lim said.

In a statement, the SMF said it strongly disapproves of the irresponsible burning in Sumatra that has caused the severe haze in Singapore and the region.

It added that the ramification is not only on the manufacturing sector, but also on other industries in Singapore and regionally.

The SMF has also urged the Indonesian government to investigate and reveal the identity of the perpetrators "so that we can do our part to hold them responsible".

SMF’s president, George Huang, said: "At SMF, we will actively encourage and urge our members not to have business transactions with the culprit organisations and their subsidiaries and to encourage them to only purchase from organisations with proven effective ‘no burn’ policies.

“We will also be holding discussions with our partners in Singapore and the region to address the perennial issue."

- CNA/ms

A call to boycott firms responsible for haze
Amanda Lee Today Online 25 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) will be urging its members against doing business with “culprit organisations” which are contributing to the haze situation, and called on the Indonesian government to investigate and reveal the identities of perpetrators of the haze. The federation — one of two local business associations to speak out about the haze yesterday — said it will encourage its members to purchase from organisations with “proven effective ‘no burn’ policies”.

“We strongly disapprove of the irresponsible burning in Sumatra that has caused the severe haze in Singapore and the region. The ramifications are not only on the manufacturing sector, but also on other industries in Singapore and regionally,” SMF President George Huang said.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) on its part called on companies to implement appropriate risk mitigation measures and put workers’ safety and welfare as the priority. It also urged companies to follow Ministry of Manpower guidelines on protecting employees against the effects of haze at the workplace.

It has also proposed a collaboration with its Indonesian counterpart to develop innovative solutions to the annual haze problem. SBF Chairman Tony Chew said the Indonesian association leader, Mr Suryo Sulisto, is supportive of the idea. The SBF has also sought the assistance of the association in a joint initiative to promote and institutionalise healthy and sustainable environmental practices in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. AMANDA LEE

Singapore business body urges counterpart to act
Aaron Low Assistant Money Editor Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE's leading business association has urged its Indonesian counterpart to promote more sustainable ways of farming among its members and to stop slash-and-burn land-clearing.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) also noted that negotiating an end to the perennial haze issue would be a potent sign that Asean as a group can progress on far-reaching trade treaties.

SBF chairman Tony Chew outlined federation concerns in a letter to Mr Suryo Sulisto, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

He said the haze could have catastrophic consequences on health and economy.

"The degradation of our atmosphere and environment is hitting the population and companies in our region. It is also putting the Asean community at risk. If we cannot work together on the haze, how can we progress towards the Asean Economic Community by 2015?"

The SBF, which represents over 18,000 companies, also asked Kadin to embark on a new joint initiative to raise corporate social responsibility among public agencies, plantation firms, farmers and their cooperatives to promote healthy, sustainable practices.

Mr Chew followed the letter up with a phone call and said Mr Sulisto was open to the ideas: "He looks forward to a meeting between Kadin and SBF to discuss the matter in more detail."

Meanwhile, one of the companies blamed for starting fires by activist groups has offered assistance in the form of helicopters, fire engines and firefighters to put out fires outside of its areas.

Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (April), which denies it is behind the fires, said Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Management had accepted its offer of help.

April said it was providing water trucks, excavators, firefighting equipment and human resources within a 5km to 10km radius of the group's concessions.

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Indonesia: Riau haze forces hundreds of people to evacuate

Antara 25 Jun 13;

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - Haze from forest fire in Riau province has forced around 276 households in Rokan Hilir district to evacuate, Riau police spokesman Senior Commissioner Sofyan said here on Tuesday.

He said they were forced to evacuate during the past few days because the haze has affected them and the fire has almost reached their residential areas.

"The 276 householders are being evacuated since last several days," Sofyan said.

The fire was triggered by a land owner along with four other persons who burned 60 hectares of the peat land in Rokan Hilir District that caused emergency condition as thick smog covers the area.

Police informed the land owner, named Hotman Burpa, has ordered four persons; Katiman, Suhadi, Riza and Bobi, to burn the 60 hectares land.

"We have detained the five arsonists and are currently being interrogated in Rokan Hilir Resort Police," said Sofyan.

Police said the fire started when the land owner burned the 60 hectares of land and spread to other land.

The fire spread quickly after wind blew heavily and burned more than 400 hectares of land.

Resident near the location forced to take evacuation effort as the fire come near to the residences and also generate thick smog.

According to National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) the peat land fire has occurred in Rokan Hilir District since last week.

"The fire has caused several people to evacuate and the total persons who conduct evacuation effort keep increasing," Sofyan said.

The incident has also interfered flight schedule in Sultan Kasim Airport of Pekanbaru, Riau Province as the thick smog decreasing visibility range.

Previously on Monday the visibility range in the airport at 06.00 am local time reached 2,000 meters and decreasing to 1,200 meters at 06.30 am.

The airport officer announced visibility range was not safe for the flight as smog covers the area and decreasing the visibility to 700 to 800 meters at 07.00 to 08.00 am local time.

(B019/O001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Take firm action against forest fire perpetrators
Antara 25 Jun 13;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) has asked the government to take the firmest possible action against forest and land fires perpetrators.

"Police and related ministries should be firm against the environmental crime perpetrators," said the forum`s National Manager of Policy and Legal Defense Executive Muhnur Satyahaprabu in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Munhur made the statement in responding the forest fire in Riau province since the beginning of June which has caused smog that travels to Singapore and part of Malaysia.

According to Munhur the forest arsonists must be brought to justice not only the individual but also the landowner corporations.

Based on Walhi`s data obtained from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) satellite show that in 2006 there were as many as 146 264 hotspots, 37,909 hotspots in 2007, 30,616 hotspots in 2008, 29.463 hotspots in 2009, 9.898 hotspots in 2010, and 11,379 hotspots in 2011.

Whereas up to August 2012 Walhi recorded that there are as many as 5,627 spots scattered in several provinces in Indonesia.

Hotspots distribution area are almost the similar every year which located in the province of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Borneo and several other provinces in Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Walhi also noted that forest fires in Indonesia cannot be separated from the pattern of land use and forest policy in Indonesia, since the Production Forest Concessions (HPH) regime started and shifted to plantation, industrial forest permits (HTI) and mining sector, Indonesia`s tropical rain forests are degraded into degraded land and secondary forest.

The regularly occurred forest fires in the last one decade was not only because of the changes in ecological chain, but is also influenced by the intentional large-scale plantation businesses in land clearing.

The rising hotspot number also occurred due to the negligence of Pulp and Paper industry in running their production and environmental management.

(A050/O001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

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Malaysia calls for regional haze meeting to be held earlier

Teo Cheng Wee Regional Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur
Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

WITH air pollution in parts of the region hitting alarming levels, Malaysia has proposed bringing forward to next week a five-nation ministerial meeting on the haze.

Singapore said it backed the call for an earlier meeting - formally known as the 15th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel said yesterday he was waiting for a formal response from Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

If they agree to an earlier meeting, it could be convened in Kuala Lumpur as early as Tuesday instead of Aug 20-21, he said.

In an e-mail response to The Straits Times, a spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said: "Singapore supports Malaysia's proposal to bring forward the MSC meeting.

"Our top-most concern is how member countries can address the current crisis effectively and expediently, and to decide on approaches and put in place measures to prevent a recurrence."

The haze - a phenomenon that affects the region annually - has caused record levels of pollution in Singapore and parts of Malaysia and Indonesia since it returned this month.

Mr Palanivel has been under public pressure to act on the haze affecting Malaysia. More than 40 per cent of the country now suffers from unhealthy air.

The minister, who is meeting Indonesian counterpart Balthasar Kambuaya in Jakarta tomorrow, also rejected calls for the Malaysian authorities to punish Malaysian companies allegedly responsible for causing the haze.

Indonesia last week fingered eight companies with Malaysian investors as being responsible for the current haze.

They include two linked to plantation giant and government-linked company Sime Darby, which rejects the claims.

Mr Palanivel said: "If they (Indonesia) want to prosecute the Malaysian companies, they should prosecute them in Indonesia. We can't go and prosecute companies that operate there."

He added that he would look at the evidence Indonesia provides, as well as meet representatives of the eight companies during his visit to Jakarta.

"They are saying that so many Malaysian companies are involved. I am sure Indonesian planters are also involved," he said.

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Singapore: More seeing doctors for haze-related illnesses

Kash Cheong Straits Times 25 jun 13;

DOCTORS in polyclinics are seeing more patients for haze-related ailments.

Polyclinics in Singapore attended to 3,853 such cases last week, an increase of 16.5 per cent from the 3,307 cases the week before.

SingHealth Polyclinics also told The Straits Times it saw 890 visits for asthma last week, up from 620 the previous week.

The number of conjuctivitis cases surged from 200 to 280 at SingHealth in the same period, while visits for other ailments like upper respiratory tract infection and bronchitis have also increased.

Said administrative assistant Rohana Mohamed Yusof, 35, who visited a polyclinic last week: "My cough usually goes away in two or three days with medicine, but it persisted due to the haze."

Dr Lyn James, director of the Health Ministry's epidemiology and disease control division, said polyclinics have been able to manage the spike in cases.

For now, emergency departments in public hospitals are seeing only a marginal increase in haze-related cases - from 555 cases two weeks ago to 559 last week.

The ministry said there are now over 400 private clinics that have signed up for the government scheme which offers subsidised treatment for haze-related illnesses. Under this scheme, those aged 18 and below, or 65 and above, or who are on public assistance, can see a general practitioner for haze-related conditions for just $10.

On the issue of face masks, the ministry has warned that smaller versions of the N95 on the market may not be effective for children.

Dr James said these were likely designed for smaller adults and were not certified for kids. "These (smaller) masks were not designed specifically for children... so they may not provide the effectiveness they are supposed to."

The Health Ministry has said that children should instead stay indoors as much as possible during hazy conditions.

Meanwhile, employers are continuing to hand out face masks to their workers just in case the haze worsens again.

Singapore Press Holdings yesterday supplied its staff, including news vendors and more than 2,500 delivery workers, with N95 masks. More masks will be ordered.

Said news vendor Veerapandian, 40: "I am glad to receive the mask. I was not able to buy one as it was sold out in many outlets."

Additional reporting by Feng Zengkun, Pearl Lee and Afdhal Rahman

More people seeing the doctor due to haze
Amanda Lee Today Online 24 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE — The daily attendances for haze-related conditions at the emergency department and polyclinics have increased over the past week, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) at a technical briefing this evening (June 24).

Last week (June 17 to 23), there were 559 daily attendances at the emergency departments — an increase of 0.9 per cent — from 555 cases between June 10 to 16.

At the polyclinics, there were 3,853 daily attendances last week, an increase of 16.5 per cent, from 3,307 cases between June 10 to 16.

The 24-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) tomorrow is expected to be in the moderate band of 51 to 100.

According to the health advisory, people with chronic lung disease, heart disease or stroke should avoid all outdoor activity. If outdoor activity is unavoidable, they are advised to wear an N95 mask.

Upsurge in asthma cases as KL gets hit
Lester Kong Malaysia Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur
Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

PUBLIC relations consultant Claire Khoo feels frustrated as the haze worsens her six-month-old son's bronchiolitis, which causes asthmatic symptoms.

"I feel like we are so far down the value chain for the authorities to want to do anything about our plight," said the 33-year-old mother. A doctor had told her to use an inhaler to relieve her son's symptoms, she said.

There has been an upsurge in asthma cases in the past week, as thick haze envelops the nation's capital, forcing schools to cancel classes yesterday. Besides Kuala Lumpur, schools in Malacca, Selangor, Putrajaya and parts of Johor and Pahang also closed.

Except for Klang, all schools in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor will reopen today.

A change in wind direction is blowing the thick smoke north towards Kuala Lumpur and Selangor from Johor and Singapore.

The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in Port Klang and Banting, both in Selangor, crossed into "hazardous" and "very unhealthy" territory respectively at 5pm yesterday.

The overall haze situation across Malaysia also worsened, with 42 per cent of the country recording "unhealthy" levels at 5pm, up from 36 per cent yesterday morning.

The haze situation in Muar improved considerably yesterday, however, with the API reading falling to 148 from a record 746 on Sunday morning. But the Johor town and nearby Ledang town remain under an emergency status declared on Sunday.

Port Dickson had the highest API reading of 335 yesterday, but this dropped to 193 at 5pm.

API readings of between 200 and 300 are deemed "very unhealthy", while those above 300 are considered "hazardous".

Malaysia Airlines has warned of flight interruptions in the next few days, as it monitors air quality over airports in Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah.

With haze levels remaining in the unhealthy range, a mad scramble for face masks has also led to shortages, as manufacturers have been unable to cope with demand.

Mr Lim Hai Leong told The Straits Times that his company in Penang can only deliver a maximum of 100,000 masks a week.

Strong demand has also pushed up prices, he said.

A box of 50 masks now costs about RM8 (S$3.18) instead of the usual RM5.

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Haze: Birds wake later, dogs stay indoors

Rashvinjeet Singh Bedi The Star 25 Jun 13;

The birds are waking up much later to forage. The birds are waking up much later to forage.

PETALING JAYA: The birds are waking up much later to forage for food the past few days. The cats and dogs are also not too keen on going out.

It seems that humans are not the only ones affected by the haze.

Over the last week, consultant avian, exotic, wildlife and zoo veterinarian Dr S. Vellayan observed that the birds, especially the free-flying painted stock, are getting up about an hour later than usual to look for food.

“This could indicate interference in their vision due to the haze,” said Dr Vellayan who lives next to Zoo Negara in Ampang.

Dr Vellayan, who has worked in the national zoo for 28 years, added that birds had a good filtration system for their nostrils.

Kucing Terbiar Anjing Jalanan (KTAJ) volunteer Rina Zahid noticed that fewer birds were eating food that she puts out for them.

Bukit Beruntong, Selangor, where she lives has been badly hit by the haze in the last three days.

“I hear less birds chirping in the morning,” she lamented.

She, however, added that her cats did not seem to be affected as they stay indoors but she has seen a marked difference in her dog, which seemed to be more lethargic.

She added that lots of strays were missing from the neighbourhood, although she was unsure of the exact reason.

Veterinarian Dr M.Vijayndra believed there is a slight increase in respiratory problems and eye irritations in pets over the past few days.

“I believe there are cases due to the haze but most would be due to pre-existing conditions,” he said.

He suggested that pet owners continue to walk their pets, although the time could be shortened, especially those prone to problems.

Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) founder Wani Muthiah noticed that her dogs are refusing to go out of the house now.

“Usually, they love to be out in the porch but now they are just staying in the bedroom,” said Wani who lives in Port Klang where the Air Pollutant Index reading breached the hazardous level on Monday.

Zoo Negara deputy director Dr Muhammad Danial Felix, meanwhile, said the zoo's animals were not much affected now although there could be problems if the haze persisted.

“Pollutants can affect animals in the long run,” he said.

He said the zoo took precautionary measures such as giving more Vitamin C and water to the animals. He added that animals would be less active in bad weather conditions.

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New homes for seized illegal wildlife

Lim Yi Han Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

SOME may be repatriated, others will be released into the wild. And there are those which could get a new home in the zoo.

Careful consideration will be given to what happens to the more than 30 wild animals, which include three rare ball pythons, two Indian star tortoises and a slow loris, recently seized from a flat here.

Currently, the creatures are being kept in quarantine by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS).

Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, WRS chief life sciences officer, said: "It is important to consider whether an animal is able to survive in the wild particularly if it has lived in captivity for many years.

"Animals should also never be set free in non-native habitats because they can become invasive species and cause serious disruption to local ecosystems."

Earlier this month, the WRS, which runs four attractions including the Singapore Zoo and River Safari, received the animals, which also included black-tailed prairie dogs and ornate horned frogs, after a raid by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

This was the biggest seizure of illegal wildlife from a home in 11 years, said AVA. Last year it seized about 70 wild animals being kept illegally, a spike from 10 in 2011. The number of animals was 60 in 2010.

These creatures tend to be injured and in distress due to human contact.

Dr Cheng added: "Wild animals have special dietary needs which require specialised training, and many kept illegally are unable to access the proper food and care they require."

The WRS said that since 2006, it has received an average of 300 to 400 animals yearly through animal rescues, confiscations by AVA and police, as well as public donations.

Meanwhile, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) has rescued more than 100 animals from the illegal wildlife trade since September 2009.

The first animal it saved was a vervet monkey, a native of Africa, in 2004. It was illegally imported into Singapore and chained up in a factory. Acres later repatriated the animal to Zambia.

Acres executive director Louis Ng has called for stricter enforcement for those who import or keep wildlife illegally. He said: "What we are doing now is picking up the pieces. We need to take preventive measures and target these sellers and stop them from even bringing these animals in."

It is an offence to import or export any animal without a permit from AVA, and to possess, sell or advertise any illegal wildlife. The penalty for the offence is a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to $50,000 per animal, or both.

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Experts formulate pangolin conservation plan

TRAFFIC 24 Jun 13;

Pangolins, or scaly anteaters are found in Africa and Asia, and are in high demand both for their meat and for their scales, used in traditional medicine.

All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

No international trade in the four pangolin species found in Asia is permitted through their zero quota allocation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Collectively, pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in Asia and increasingly, in Africa. Globally, thousands are illegally traded each year, primarily to China and Viet Nam.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC) Pangolin Specialist Group has teamed up with Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) to organize this first ever global conference on pangolin conservation.

Representatives from TRAFFIC will address delegates to the meeting about the pangolin trade.

Professor Jonathan Baillie, Conservation Programmes Director at the Zoological Society of London and Co-Chair of the IUCN-SSC Pangolin Specialist Group said:

“This is a landmark event in pangolin conservation, we will have 50 researchers from around the world gathered to set a road-map for conserving pangolins over the next decade. Especially important here is formulating ways to reduce demand for pangolins in Asia.”

Themed “Scaling up pangolin conservation” the four-day event runs until 27th June and is co-organised, hosted and sponsored by Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund (WRSCF).

A free public seminar on pangolin conservation will be held on 28th June from 12.30pm – 4pm at the Forest Lodge in Singapore Zoo. Speakers will include Dr Chris Shepherd, Acting Regional Director for TRAFFIC in South-East Asia, Professor Jonathan Baillie, Dan Challender, Co-Chair of the IUCN-SSC Pangolin Specialist Group and Razak Jaffar, Assistant Curator, Night Safari, Wildlife Reserves Singapore. For more information please contact Yap Xinli at xinli.yap@wrs.com.sg

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Vietnam: Rising sea levels put Mekong Delta at risk

VietNamNet Bridge 25 Jun 13;

The Mekong Delta, the country's biggest agricultural hub, might experience a sea level rise of 30cm sooner rather than expected - as early as 2040.

This is revealed in a World Bank report titled Turn down the heat: Climate extremes, regional impacts and the case for resilience, which was released globally last week.

The report said the rapid rise would mean a loss of about 12 per cent of crop production due to inundation and salinity intrusion. It was projected that rice production could drop by about 2.6 million tonnes per year.

The report said the Mekong Delta and two other Asian river deltas in Asia were particularly at risk because they were less than two metres above sea level.

It said that rising sea levels, more intense tropical cyclones and land subsidence caused by human activities, would disrupt the main economic activities of the delta - agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and tourism.

The Washington-based development bank estimated the cost of adapting shrimp and catfish aquaculture in the Mekong Delta would range from US$130-190 million per year.

HCM City was also declared to be among coastal cities in Southeast Asia hardest hit by rising seas and increased storm surges. The report claimed that up to 60 per cent of the built-up area could expect rises of up to one metre.

Ajali Acharya, the World Bank Viet Nam's environment cluster leader, said the report provided scientific evidences on which Viet Nam and development partners could help the country move along the low-carbon, climate-resilient, sustainable-development path.

Tran Thuc, director of Viet Nam's Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, agreed with the World Bank's recommendation that Southeast Asian countries intensify actions to address the impacts of climate change.

He said Viet Nam had made remarkable efforts, with short-term priority going to climate adaptation.

He said much needed to be done in disaster mitigation, flood management and building climate resilience, especially among those poor.

"The core of climate change adaptation is becoming more and more about poverty reduction," he said.

The World Bank is working with Viet Nam on a series of policy actions to mitigate climate change impacts and is discussing programmes in HCM City and in the Mekong Delta to address some of these threats.

Source: VNS

Global warming puts Vietnam livelihoods under threat, World Bank warns
thanhniennews.com 24 Jun 13;

Vietnamese farmers harvest rice. A recent World Bank report says livelihoods in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, are being threatened by climate change. Photo by Ngoc Thang

Livelihoods in Vietnam, which is part of “vulnerable” Southeast Asia, are facing threats from sea-level rise, ocean warming, and more severe storms and floods caused by an increasing possibility of the temperature rising by four degrees Celsius, the World Bank warns in a report.

The report titled “Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience” and released last week said Southeast Asia, parts of which were archipelagoes and whose large populations live in low-lying deltaic and coastal regions, was “particularly vulnerable” to the impacts of rising sea levels.

A rise of 30 centimeters, which could occur as early as 2040, could cause a loss of around 12 percent in agricultural production in the Mekong Delta region due to flooding and seawater intrusion.

The region contributes around half of Vietnam’s total agricultural output, especially rice.

Climate change's consequences like tropical storms, salinity intrusion, and coastal floods, would also threaten aquaculture, a rapidly growing industry that is important to the economy and food security in Southeast Asia, it said.

Rising temperatures could exceed the tolerance limits of farmed aquatic species.

In Vietnam, the aquaculture sector contributes around 5 percent of GDP.

Fisheries, especially coral reef fisheries, were likely to be impacted by the rise, warming, and acidification of oceans, causing considerable reductions in maximum catch potential in the region, including 16 percent in Vietnamese waters.

The sea-level rise and tropical storms could increase the intrusion of seawater, thereby contaminating freshwater sources and causing increased health problems such as miscarriages, skin and respiratory diseases, and diarrhea.

Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok, are expected to see sea levels rise by 50 centimeters by about 2060 and 100 centimeters by 2090.

The report, by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, looks at the risks that the three “most vulnerable” regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa are likely to encounter if the temperature increases by two degrees in 20-30 years or even four degrees by the end of this century.

“It is not too late to hold warming near two degrees Celsius, and build resilience to temperatures and other climate impacts that are expected to still pose significant risks to agriculture, water resources, coastal infrastructure, and human health," it said.

“The window for holding warming below two degrees Celsius and avoiding a four degrees Celsius rise is closing rapidly, and the time to act is now.”

Axel van Trotsenburg, the World Bank's vice president for East Asia and Pacific, said: “Many Southeast Asian countries are already taking concerted actions to address the impacts of climate change, but this report tells us that we need to do much more [to reduce the ever-increasing vulnerability of populations to climate risk].”

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Jun 13

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [17 - 23 Jun 2013]
from Green Business Times

Celebrating Singapore's shores!
from wild shores of singapore

Ecological musings
from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Nature in Bukit Brown
from Rojak Librarian

Toddycats at “Chained to Our Roots” – reroute the Cross Island Line to protect our oldest forests! from Toddycats!

Save MacRitchie's Forest: 8. Sanctuary for Spiders
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Lots of masked burrowing crabs at Changi
from wonderful creation and Psychedelic Nature and Peiyan.Photography and wild shores of singapore

Random Gallery - Malayan Eggfly
from Butterflies of Singapore

Flashback: wildlife news in 1960s Singapore
from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Banded Bullfrog
from Monday Morgue

Solving 'wicked problems': ten principles for improved environmental management from Mongabay.com news by Jeremy Hance

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Indonesian forest fires a "wake up" call

Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 13;

JAKARTA: Plantation companies and environmental activists say the forest fires in Indonesia’s Riau province are a "wake up" call for the Indonesian government, and that more must be done to prevent this from happening every year.

They say the problems are deep rooted; fires have caused haze at unprecedented levels in certain parts of the region.

The Indonesian government has begun taking more concrete steps on the ground to put out the fires, including cloud seeding and water bombing operations.

However, some plantation companies say they began water bombing fires on their own as early as this month.

Now, stakeholders urge the government to go beyond reacting to the problems.

Aida Greenbury, managing director of Sustainability & Stakeholder Engagement at Asia Pulp & Paper, said: "We also need to understand this is a wake up call for everybody… We have to come up with a stronger strategy to deal with these problems… Forest fires can be seen as the tip of the iceberg."

Plantation companies have been monitoring the hotspots in their concessions. Some have seen forest fires happening in their own supplier's area. They say that it's an obligation to report these cases to the authorities.

The Indonesian government has also begun naming those responsible for the fires.

Environmental activists welcome the move, but say authorities have to show greater commitment and prosecute the culprits.

Yuyun Indradi, a political forest campaigner with Greenpeace Indonesia, said: "Naming and shaming is not enough… Since 1997 the biggest forest fires even in Indonesia, none of them got prosecuted, none of them went to jail, none of them got their permits revoked."

Greenpeace Indonesia further suggests that the forest fire issue can be better tackled when governments in the region, companies and NGOs collaborate together.

- CNA/jc

Malaysia: Palanivel to meet reps of Malaysian-owned firms in Indonesia suspected of contributing to haze
The Star 24 Jun 13;

PETALING JAYA: Environment and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel will meet representatives of Malaysian-owned plantations in Indonesia suspected of contributing to the haze.

He will also be meeting his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said he would first need to determine whether all eight plantation firms identified were indeed owned by Malaysian companies.

He was commenting on a report quoting Indonesia's Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya as saying the companies were being probed for open burning in Riau and Jambi.

Balthasar said fires were discovered at the plantations owned by the firms and that they would be taken to court if there was enough evidence.

The eight companies named were PT Langgam Inti Hiberida, PT Bumi Rakksa Sejati, PT Tunggal Mitra Plantation, PT Udaya Loh Dinawi, PT Adei Plantation, PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, PT Multi Gambut Industri and PT Mustika Agro Lestari.

Palanivel said Malaysian-owned plantations in Indonesia should answer to authorities there if they were proven to have conducted slash-and-burn activities.

“Malaysia is unable to take action on Malaysian companies operating in Indonesia as they are governed by Indonesian laws.

“Indonesia must take action against these companies if the allegations are true,” Palanivel said.

Malaysian firms suspected to have sent haze home
Antara 23 Jun 13;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Tens of companies have allegedly practiced slash-and-burns to open plantations in Sumatra`s Riau, causing forest fires that send blankets of smoke not only to the province itself but also to neighboring countries, Singapore and Malaysia.

It was reported on Saturday (June 22) that a joint team from the ministry of environment and other relevant ministries had found at least 20 domestic and foreign companies which were suspected to have caused land and forest fires.

Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya in Riau on Saturday made statements twice when he earlier announced that there were 14 companies (one believed to belong to Malaysian firm), allegedly involved in the burning of land and bushes.

He stated later, based on field checks, there were 8 Malaysian companies which were strongly believed to have contributed to the forest fires which caused Riau province, Singapore and Malaysia to be shrouded with haze. The eight Malaysian firms are not included in the 14 reported earlier.

"There are eight Malaysian oil palm companies which are strongly suspected to be behind the forest fires. We are still collecting data in the field to ascertain the suspicion," Balthasar told a press conference on Saturday.

The minister named the eight Malaysian companies as PT Langgam Inti Hiberida, PT Bumi Rakksa Sejati, PT Tunggal Mitra Plantation, PT Udaya Loh Dinawi, PT Adei Plantation, PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, PT Multi Gambut Industri and PT Mustika Agro Lestari.

"The eight companies excluded the 14 companies mentioned earlier to be involved in the land and bush fires," the minister said.

He said that the number of suspected companies could increase further in the field. We will continue to investigate other companies whether they came from Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore.

The section head of Forest Fire Handling and Forest Protection of Riau`s Forest Service, Rahidi said on Sunday that hotspots detected by the US NOAA satellite were found in the areas belonging to tens of local and foreign companies in Riau.

The hotspots were detected in the areas of PT Siak Seraya, PT Kimia Tirta Utama, PT Inti Indo Sawit Subur, Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD) Dayus Mas, PT Padasa Enam Utama, PT Kartayatam Bhakti Mulia, PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo, PT Riau Sakti Trans, PT Raja Garuda Masa Sejati PT Sabira Negeri Utama, PT Guntung Hasrat Makmur, PT Panca Surya Agrindo, PT Bumi Reksa Nusa Sejati, PT Surya Bratasena Plantation, PT Adei Crumb Rubber, PT Rokan Adi Raya, Cooperatives 13 Anak Suku Bonai, PT Karyatama Bhakti Muli and PT Agroraya Gematrans.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the government would not tolerate companies burning land and bushes that caused haze to shroud Raiu and its surrounding.

"Companies which are proved to have practiced slash-and-burn activities and caused land and forest fires will be acted upon firmly. There will be no compromise," the minister said when attending a function to see off a land and forest fire extinguisher team in Dumai, Riau, on Saturday.

He said that the government was now concentrating on putting out land and forest fires under the coordination of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The agency team is composed of members from relevant ministries.

He said that the government had assigned the National Police to handle the legal process and take sanctions against firms behind forest fires. "Firms burning land will be dealt with by the police and the government will not hesitate to punish even those who already have business permits," the forestry minister said.

The office of the environment minister is now collecting proof in the field. If the team already has enough proof, it will hand it to the police or to the prosecutor to be taken to the court.

"The fire sources are found within the areas of the companies. If the proof is enough we will take it to the court. Therefore, we will continue to coordinate with the Riau Regional Police and Prosecutor Office," Environment Minister Balthasar said.

Deputy III for Damaged Environment Control and Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment Arief Yuwono said that forest fire perpetrators would be charged based on Law No.32/2009 on Protection and Management of the Environment.

"The law has a clause with regard to forest fires which carries a crime sanction," Arief said.

Deputy V of the Ministry of Environment Sudariyono said that based on Law 32/2009, everyone had the obligation to preserve the environment, including land owners.

He said that the law did not say `deliberately or not deliberately`. It suggested that forest fires should not take place. "Owners have the obligation to protect it from fires. They have to be responsible for a fire that takes place, deliberately burned or not," he said.

Article 98, point (I) of Law 32/2009 stipulated that a land fire perpetrator is punishable by a minimal three years or maximal 10 years in jail or a minimum fine of Rp3 billion or maximum fine of Rp10 billion.

If the fire causes the fall of a victim the perpetrator is punishable by a minimum four years or maximum 12 years in jail with a fine of Rp4 billion to Rp12 billion. If it claims a live the punishment will be between 5 and 15 years in jail and a fine of between Rp5 to Rp15 billion.

Yet, Deputy III Arief of the environment ministry said his side was collecting proof, including whether the fires took place due to deliberate burning.

He said that the forest fires could be analyzed whether it had happened due to deliberate burning. "With soil analysis, we can see proof such as the fire has taken place after the perpetrators used kerosene in burning the bushes," said Arief.

Arief said that his side would see two things with regard to the forest fires in Riau, namely whether they were caused by negligence of deliberate acts. "It will be analyzed by our investigators. So, it would be proved whether the forest got fire or deliberately burned," he said.

In the meantime Rahidi of the Riau Environment Service said most of the hotspots detected by the NOAA satellite in the areas of the plantation companies in Riau had been put out. "Most of them have been put out," Rahidi said on Sunday.

Yet, the number of hotspots can just increase any time. After all, winds are still blowing from southwest to North West that could blow haze to Singapore and Malaysia, according to Riau`s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Saturday.

"Geographically, Singapore and Malaysia are located in the western direction of Riau Province. So, if the winds are blowing from southwest to northwest, the movement of haze has the potential to shroud the two neighboring countries," Riau`s BMKG analysts Tri Puryanti said on Saturday. (*)

(T.SYS/A/A014/S012) 23-06-2013 14:00:13

Editor: Priyambodo RH

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How we can cool Singapore down - naturally

Straits Times Forum 24 Jun 13;

WHILE Singaporeans suffer the worst haze in years, it might be opportune to draw attention to another environmental problem we face - rising temperatures.

Though the haze may be blamed for higher temperatures in the last few days, other factors have contributed to the warming trend.

One factor is the proportion of built-up space in housing estates.

The urban heat island effect (the observation that cities are warmer than surrounding areas) is well documented, and man-made building materials absorb and radiate more heat than natural surfaces. Yet over the years, more and more green areas and open spaces have been paved or tiled over, while mature trees have often been replaced by young ones.

These paved spaces are much better than natural surfaces at storing heat during the day and radiating it in the evenings.

New suburban shopping malls worsen the problem by venting multiple storeys' worth of air-conditioning heat out into the surroundings.

Besides the discomfort they cause us, rising temperatures also speed up the life cycle of insects, facilitating the spread of diseases like dengue.

We risk negating all our efforts in building a liveable city if we do not take positive steps to cool it down.

Green spaces in housing estates have to be protected and the amount of built-up space per resident kept down.

Agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the National Environment Agency should monitor these trends.

Rayner Teo Yunwei

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'Putting a dollar value on haze' can help Singapore

Cost can be used to press Indonesia, says economics prof Euston Quah
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 24 Jun 13;

ADD up the cost of the haze in terms of medical bills, tourism losses, businesses hit and face-masks bought.

Armed with this bill, Singapore could then go to a third-party country and ask it to exert pressure on Indonesia to reduce the smog-causing forest fires there.

That is the advice of Professor Euston Quah, who pioneered cost-benefit analysis courses at two universities here, and who put the bill of the 1997 haze here at almost US$300 million (S$383 million).

"There is nothing much Singapore can do about cross-border pollution because of sovereignty issues," he said. "But if Singapore has leverage over a third country which has leverage over Indonesia, the (intervention) model will work."

Even if help does not materialise, calculating the haze's cost would help Singapore better decide how much aid to offer Indonesia, and how best to assist sectors here hurt by the haze, he said.

Head of the Department of Economics at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Prof Quah has been putting a dollar sign to the intangible for several decades, to help businesses and organisations make more informed decisions.

He was involved in the Environment Ministry's air pollution studies here, for example, to guide its investments to improve air quality. He has also published ground-breaking studies on smoking costs here, the cost of dengue-related sickness to the economy, as well as the first study on transboundary haze pollution in 2002.

His first major focus, however, was on housewives. "Production that takes place outside - the normal economy - gets counted in the Gross National Product but there is production at home, such as cooking, cleaning and childcare, done by housewives."

Prof Quah went on: "People get the wrong impression that economics is the study of only money, banking, finance. It covers so many areas." For example, all environmental issues are economic issues, he explained.

"Take a piece of forest land. You can leave it as is, convert it to a park or landfill or use it for commercial development. You have to know all of the trade-offs and opportunity costs of each option to make a better decision," he said.

Prof Quah cited a case in Australia in the 1980s. A farmer was trying to sell his land and was offered a price by a commercial developer. "But the Nature Society there found that it was a habitat for a prized creature called the wombat." Instead of the usual collection of signatures, the society asked concerned citizens to put their money where their mouth is.

"It got people and companies all over Australia to pledge money to a trust fund to keep the land as it is. And they managed to collect pledges far exceeding the commercial developer's value," he said.

Such a method may have helped to save local landmarks such as the Bukit Brown Cemetary, reckons Prof Quah.

"The logical choice is that the Environment Ministry sets up an agency or unit to solicit values of people and firms' willingness to pay. I don't see why we can't do it here, since we have an affluent, educated society," he said.

The father of two also applies the rational method at home, for example when he and his wife decided to have children. "Children are a very time-intensive good and they are not cheap goods as well," he said with a laugh.

"I always tell my students, if you sharpen your mind on cost-benefit analysis, you can apply it to everyday life. For example, should I do this course, who should I date and marry, or even if I should get a divorce, buy a car, travel or stay at home."

Even though he has built up cost-benefit analysis courses at both NTU and the National University of Singapore from scratch, Prof Quah does not see himself leaving academia. He has chaired NTU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and held other appointments at both universities.

His free time is devoted to his various positions such as president of the Economic Society of Singapore and Singapore Economic Review editor, and advising various government ministries.

And wine. "I love my wines," he said, chuckling. But even there, he cannot resist: "I do study the health benefits, and one of my favourite hobbies is to distribute medical health articles to non-believers. I live and breathe cost-benefit analysis."

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