Malaysia: 'Sabah' turtle eggs flooding the peninsular markets

Daily Express 18 Dec 13;

Kota Kinabalu: Turtle eggs from Sabah continue to flood the Peninsular Malaysia market, particular Terengganu and Kelantan, which Sabah authorities said actually came from neighbouring Philippines.

Rantau Abang Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) Chief, Syed Abdullah Syed Abdul Kadir said about 50 per cent of the turtle eggs sold in the market in Terengganu and Kelantan were from Sabah.

Presenting his paper on the population of turtles in Peninsular Malaysia at the Seminar on Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Goal 5: Threatened Species Status Improving at Ming Garden here Tuesday, he said Terengganu and Kelantan were the only two states in the country where selling of turtle eggs is legal.

According to him, one of the retailers of turtle eggs told him that the turtle eggs could not be detected by the scanners in the airport, hence it was relatively easy to send them from Sabah to Semenanjung Malaysia and later to the two east coast states.

However, Sabah Parks Director, Paul Basintal who chaired the session responded that Sabah is actually a transit point for the turtle eggs that originated from the islands in the Philippines.

Basintal said near the three islands in the Turtle Parks in Malaysia waters are six other Philippine islands, which are also nesting sites for turtles.

These six islands produced around one million eggs annually and the Philippines government only gazetted one of them as protected.

But, he said it was difficult for the government's decree to be imposed in view of the unique situation in Mindanao, the southern Philippines, which is an autonomous governed region.

In this respect, Basintal said the eggs were then smuggled into Sabah and some ended in the market in Sandakan while the others went to the peninsula market.

He agreed that more efforts were needed, such as on the detection of turtle egg consignments.

Meanwhile, Syed Abdullah said some of the turtle eggs were also from Indonesia because he had been told that fishermen from Malaysia and Indonesia even conducted barter trade in the middle of the sea - fish for turtle eggs.

On the other hand, he said a total of 190 million turtle hatchlings have been released into the sea in the country since 1995.

In Malaysia, four species can be found namely Green Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Leatherback Turtle.

Egg harvesting hurting Coral Triangle turtle conservation
Ruben Sario The Star 19 Dec 13;

KOTA KINABALU: Turtle conservation efforts in the biodiversity rich Coral Triangle are being hampered by the harvesting of eggs for human consumption, especially in southern Philippines.

The Coral Triangle is the sea surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It has an abundance of marine life, including several species of turtles.

Other than egg harvesting, scores of turtles are also killed in waters off the state’s east coast partly due to collisions with tourist boats.

According to Sabah Parks director Paul Basintal, turtle eggs from the Philippines were smuggled to Peninsular Malaysia through Sabah.

He said there were three Philippine islands located near Sandakan’s Turtle Island Park, consisting of another three islands, that form a huge nesting ground for the turtles.

An estimated one million eggs are laid at these six islands yearly, but the Philippines had only designated one of its islands as a conservation area, which also lies in an area difficult to manage as it falls under an autonomous region.

Speaking at the Coral Triangle Initiative seminar here yesterday, Basintal said that there was a sharp drop in turtle eggs coming from southern Philippines during the Malaysian security forces’ offensive against the Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu and Semporna districts in February and March this year.

However, he said that intrepid smugglers could also be using courier services to send turtle eggs to the peninsula as these could not be easily detected by airport scanners.

Earlier at the seminar, Rantau Abang Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre chief Syed Abullah Syed Abdul Kadir said about half of turtle eggs sold in Terengganu and Kelantan were from Sabah as well as from Indonesia.

Malaysian fishermen could also have been trading their catch for the turtle eggs with their Indonesian counterpart at sea.

Meanwhile, Sabah Parks had recorded 225 turtle deaths over the past 12 years.

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Malaysia: Second wave of rains expected

The Star 19 Dec 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department has issued a warning that a second wave of monsoon rains that will cause floods is expected to occur from Friday to Monday.

A National Security Council statement said the areas that are expected to be affected are Terengganu (Dungun dan Kemaman), Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Segamat and Mersing).

“People living in low-lying areas should adhere to instructions given by the authorities. They can go online at http://portalbencana.mkn.gov.my/Portal/ to get the latest information on floods nationwide,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, flood victims whose MyKad had been lost or damaged in the recent floods here can apply for a replacement at the National Registration Department (NRD) without having to lodge a police report, said its director-general Datuk Jariah Mohd Said.

She added that they also need not have to pay for the replacement.

“However, they will have to answer several questions posed by NRD officials to verify that they are flood victims,” she said in Kuantan yesterday.

Jariah said that the process to replace the identity cards would take a week.

In Kota Baru, Kelantan Disaster Relief Committee deputy chairman Datuk Makhtar Mustapha said government departments and agencies are gearing up for the possibility of the next wave of floods.

He said 729 evacuation centres had been identified while essential supplies were being stockpiled.

In Kuala Terengganu, families affected by the floods in Terengganu will receive up to RM1,500 aid from the state government, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

The maximum RM1,500 aid will be given to victims whose houses were totally inundated by the flood while other flood victims will get RM500, he added.

“The state government is expected to spend RM15mil for the aid. The state’s annual aid for families with schoolgoing children affected by the floods will be increased,” he said after chairing the weekly state exco meeting at Wisma Darul Iman here yesterday.

Ahmad also said the state departments and agencies are fully prepared for the next wave of floods which is predicted to hit the state again this weekend.

Meanwhile, the state Agriculture Department director Md Yusof Maidin said the floods in Terengganu had damaged about 700ha of crops and had caused 856 farmers to lose about RM4.7mil.

He said the crops affected were padi, vegetables, fruit trees and cash crops such as corn, tapioca, mushroom and sweet potatoes as well as nurseries.

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Malaysia: Sun bear trapped in snare freed

New Straits Times 19 Dec 13;

GRIK: Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) officers rescued a sun bear, trapped in a snare near a hilly area at Km52 of the East-West Highway in Banding near here on Monday.

State Perhilitan director Fakhrul Hatta Musa said the adult bear, weighing 50kg, was spotted 250m from the road by villagers who informed the authorities.

He said Perhilitan personnel from Grik and Jeli (Kelantan), including four armed personnel, were involved in the rescue operation that started at 5pm.

"The personnel used a sedative before cutting the trap to set the bear free.

"The operation ended at 6.45pm and the bear was brought to our office in Grik for inspection."
Fakhrul said the bear was in good shape and had been sent to a wildlife protection centre in Sungkai.

"Sun bear is a protected species and action can be taken against those responsible under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010."

"They can be fined up to RM100,000 or jailed up to three years, or both, if found guilty."

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Indian capital blanketed in thick smog, transport disrupted

Sruthi Gottipati PlanetArk 19 Dec 13;

Indian capital blanketed in thick smog, transport disrupted Photo: Anindito Mukherjee
People cross railway tracks on a foggy winter morning in New Delhi December 18, 2013.
Photo: Anindito Mukherjee

Residents of the Indian capital woke on Wednesday to a third day of thick gray smog in one of the worst episodes this year, which disrupted dozens of flights and train services and caused a rash of health complaints.

New Delhi is among several Asian cities, including Beijing, that are suffering from toxic levels of pollution fuelled by industrial growth and a surge in the numbers of vehicles crowding their roads.

The cloak of fog draping much of north India forced dozens of flights to be diverted or canceled, disrupted train schedules and led to a doubling in the number of medical emergencies caused by breathing difficulty, officials said.

Runway visibility has been dropping to as low as 50 m. (164 ft) in Delhi over the past few days.

"Both departures and arrivals were stalled," said airport spokesman Kapil Sabarwal, as planes hovered in holding patterns, waiting for conditions to clear.

Two passenger trains were canceled on Wednesday, while 60 trains were running late and 25 had been rescheduled on the third straight day of disruptions, said railways spokesman Neeraj Sharma.

The fine particles suspended in the fog ranged as much as seven times beyond the concentration that India considers safe, to reach a level the United States Environmental Protection Agency calls "hazardous".

At that point, the agency urges that all outdoor physical activity be avoided and that victims of heart or respiratory ailments stay indoors, along with children and the elderly.

The fog mingled with high pollution was an extreme event "when the air quality goes from very poor to dangerous," said Gufran Beig, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Calm wind conditions and a smaller gap between extreme temperatures helped trap pollutants in the air, Beig said. The frequency and duration of such events have been rising every year since government records started in 2010, he added.

The only time this year that Delhi has choked in such severe air pollution was during traditional fireworks celebrations of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in November, which coincided with a foggy cold snap.

The number of patients seeking treatment for respiratory and cardiac diseases has risen by about a quarter since the fog descended on Monday, said Dr. Randeep Guleria, head of the pulmonary department at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, a leading hospital in the city.

Particle pollution is linked to many health problems, ranging from breathing difficulties to heart attacks, strokes and early death.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Clarence Fernandez)

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Saving Fiji's Coral Reefs Linked to Forest Conservation Upstream

Science Daily 17 Dec 13;

The health of coral reefs offshore depend on the protection of forests near the sea, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society that outlines the importance of terrestrial protected areas to coastal biodiversity.

In a study conducted by WCS and the University of Queensland evaluating the effects of terrestrial protected area designs on Fiji's coral reefs, it turns out that what's best for land ecosystems is also best for coastal corals.

The study appears in the online edition of Marine Policy. The authors are: Carissa Klein of the University of Queensland; Stacy Jupiter of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Matthew Watts and Hugh Possingham of the University of Queensland.

"When designing terrestrial protected areas, the key is to consider not only how much they benefit terrestrial biodiversity but also how much they benefit coral reef ecosystems," said lead author Dr. Carissa Klein. "Thinking about the connections between the land and sea is rarely done when designing protected areas -- Fiji is leading the way globally."

Most managers realize how downstream ecosystems such as coral reefs can be negatively affected by land-based activities that cause increases in runoff and associated sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. Yet, there have been very few on-the-ground cases where protected area networks have been designed using truly integrated planning to minimize such external threats.

This matters in small island developing states like Fiji, where selection of the locations of terrestrial protected areas have been mostly ad hoc, and based more on the cultural or timber value of forests than on any desire to protect biodiversity. Fiji's current terrestrial protected areas, which cover less than 3 percent of land area in the country, neither adequately protect Fiji's sensitive island habitats and species nor contribute much to minimize runoff to adjacent coral reefs.

In 2008, a national Protected Area Committee was created by the Fiji government, in part to achieve the goals of protecting 20 percent of the country's land and 30 percent of its coastal waters by the year 2020. Looking to support the committee's efforts to land-sea planning initiative, the study authors systematically analyzed six scenarios for expanding Fiji's network of terrestrial protected area networks, with the aim to uncover how well each approach did to protect different forest types and minimize land-based runoff to downstream coral reefs. One scenario evaluated included all of the priority forests for conservation identified by the committee based on field data and rules of thumb.

"We're pleased that the results of our study confirm that the forests that the committee was considering for protection can offer significant downstream benefits to coral reefs," said Dr. Stacy Jupiter, Fiji Country Program Director and co-author on the study. "However, we were surprised to find that these priority places for management actually did not include a lot of the key threatened forest vegetation types. We therefore recommended to the committee to add some additional forests to their national register of priority places for protection."

This advice was taken by the committee, and additional forest areas were added to the final register of priority places for management endorsed by the Fiji government National Environment Council in October 2013.

"Fiji is to be commended for their constructive response to the findings of this important scientific research," said Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of the WCS Marine Program. "Their decision to take action and link land to sea conservation helps to ensure the long term security of their globally important coral reef ecosystems while supporting the livelihoods and resilience of coastal communities."

Journal Reference:
Carissa J. Klein, Stacy D. Jupiter, Matthew Watts, Hugh P. Possingham. Evaluating the influence of candidate terrestrial protected areas on coral reef condition in Fiji. Marine Policy, 2014; 44: 360 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2013.10.001

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Dec 13

21 – 25 Dec Guided Walks @ Bukit Brown
from a.t.Bukit Brown. Heritage. Habitat. History.

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November Was the Hottest on Earth Since 1880

Tia Ghose LiveScience.com Yahoo News 17 Dec 13;

It's confirmed: November 2013 was the hottest November on Earth since at least 1880.

This past November was the hottest on record, with land and ocean temperatures a toasty 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.78 degrees Celsius) above the average 20th century global temperature of 55.2 degrees Fahrenheit (12.9 degrees Celsius), according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When only land temperatures are taken into account, this November was the second hottest on record.

Almost every region was warmer than usual, with a few exceptions: The central and eastern portions of North America, the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, northern Australia and southwestern Greenland were cooler than average. Meanwhile, Russia had its warmest November since 1880, with some areas seeing temperatures 14 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) above average, according to NOAA. [8 Hottest Places on Earth]

And don't expect a break from the heat, either: 2014 may be even hotter than 2013. That's because climate models are raising the odds of 2014 El Niño conditions, which warm sea water in the tropical Pacific and often raise global temperatures, according to data from the Climate Prediction Center and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. If El Niño conditions prevail, they would be the first since the hottest year on record — 2010. El Niño conditions could make Southeast Asia and Australia drier and lessen rains in the Indian monsoon. The coast of California could also be battered by stronger storms in winter 2014, Quartz reported

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Emerging nations overtake West in dumping electronic trash

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 16 Dec 13;

China and other emerging economies have overtaken Western nations in dumping old electronic goods, from TVs to cellphones, and will lead a projected 33 percent surge in the amount of waste from 2012 to 2017, a U.N.-backed alliance said on Sunday.

The report, the first to map electronic waste by country to promote recycling and safer disposal of often toxic parts, shows how the economic rise of developing nations is transforming the world economy even in terms of pollution.

"The e-waste problem requires attention globally," Ruediger Kuehr of the U.N. University and executive secretary of the Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) initiative, told Reuters. StEP is run by U.N. agencies, governments, NGOs and scientists.

The weight of electronic goods discarded every year worldwide would rise to 65.4 million tonnes from 2012 to 2017 from 48.9 million in 2012, with most of the growth in developing nations, StEP said.

By 2017, it would make the annual piles of old washing machines, computers, fridges, electronic toys and other goods with an electric cord or battery the weight equivalent of 200 Empire State Buildings or 11 Great Pyramids of Giza, it said.

Some waste from rich countries ends up in developing nations, where many people work in hazardous conditions for low wages dismantling it.

Waste from emerging countries, as well as Russia and other former Soviet bloc nations, overtook totals from Western nations such as the United States, the European Union, Japan and Australia around 2012, StEP data showed.

In that year, the West produced 23.5 million tonnes of waste and all others 25.4 million, a shift from the previous estimates for 2007 when the West accounted for most, StEP said.

MOUNTAINS OF TRASH

By 2017, trash from the West would rise to 28.6 million tonnes, far less than the 36.7 million from other countries, a side-effect of the economic rise of emerging nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa.

"Although there is ample information about the negative environmental and health impacts of primitive e-waste recycling methods, the lack of comprehensive data has made it hard to grasp the full magnitude of the problem," Kuehr said in the report.

Consumers could help with better recycling, especially at Christmas, he said.

Waste can be valuable if recycled. One study estimated that a million cellphones can yield 24 kg (53 lb) of gold, 250 kg of silver, 9 kg of palladium and more than 9 tonnes of copper.

Sunday's report also showed that the average person on the planet produces 7 kg of electronic waste every year. Americans were among the highest with 29.8 kg each.

Separately, U.S.-based experts trying to track the fate of waste said that about two-thirds of U.S. electronics waste is collected for re-use or recycling and that only 8.5 percent of the collected units are exported.

Bigger electronic items, especially TVs and computer monitors, were exported to nations including Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay and China, it said. Smaller items often went to Asia.

Jeremy Gregory, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a co-author of the report, told Reuters it was hard to track trade because the waste is often merely described as "mixed metals" on import documents.

StEP urged nations to adopt clearer trade descriptions.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Dec 13

Sex and the Birds: 9. Polygyny and Baya Weavers
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Giant Honeybee
from Monday Morgue

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Malaysia: Crackdown on sale of wildlife meat

Ruben Sario The Star 17 Dec 13;

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department is stepping up its crackdown against those dealing in wildlife meat amid criticisms that such action was adversely affecting some indigenous communities here.

The Wildlife Rangers would be conducting more surprise checks at tamu or weekly farmers markets and other places where wildlife meat was being sold, said Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu.

Some of the meat sold there were of totally protected species, he added, in noting that the meat of endangered animals such as the binturong (bearcat) had been found in such markets.

He said under the law, all wildlife belonged to the Government and special permits were required for the hunting, trading or possession of wildlife meat.

He added that three individuals were detained after Wildlife Rangers seized some 160kg of Sambar and barking deer meat at the tamu in the remote town of Nabawan on Nov 11.

Following the crackdown, Uni­ted Murut Community Organ­isation president Datuk Alizulfakar Alexius said the action ran contrary to the tradition of the indigenous community who had been hunting wildlife for protein which they had done for centuries.

He added that indigenous communities would usually hunt wildlife that had wandered into their farms or orchards and destroyed their crops.

He said the villagers selling their wildlife meat in the tamu should thus not be considered as committing a crime.

Wildlife officer Benedict Jani said Nabawan had become a hotspot for the sale of illegal bushmeat in recent years due to the vast road networks all the way to Tawau and they were not surprised if the bushmeat was illegally hunted in Maliau Basin or as far as some protected Forest Reserves in Tawau and Lahad Datu.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the war on illegal wildlife trade and poaching had just begun.

He said there would no compromise and offenders should be prepared to go to jail as well.

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Malaysia: Residents advised to brace for third wave of heavy rain

The Star 17 Dec 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents in Terengganu, Pahang and Johor have been advised to be prepared for the third wave of heavy rain expected to begin between tomorrow and Friday.

The Meteorological Department’s weather forecast centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the rain was expected to be followed by high tide and strong winds in the South China Sea. The heavy rain could cause floods in low-lying areas, he said yesterday.

Among the areas involved in the states are Dungun and Kemaman in Tereng­ganu, Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Segamat and Mersing).

On floods in the three states and in Kelantan recently, Muhammad Helmi said among the factors were short spells of heavy downpour.

He said the 300ml of rainfall recorded in Kuantan on Dec 2 was among the highest ever recorded in a day. — Bernama

Floods: Third wave of heavy rain to hit Terengganu, Pahang, Johor
The Star 16 Dec 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents in Terengganu, Pahang and Johor have been advised to be prepared for the third wave of heavy rain expected between Wednesday and Friday.

The Meteorological Department's weather forecast centre director, Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the rain was expected to be followed by high tide and strong winds in the South China Sea.

The heavy rain could cause floods in low-lying areas, he told Bernama.

Among the areas involved are Dungun and Kemaman in Terengganu, Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Segamat and Mersing).

On floods in the three states, and in Kelantan recently, Muhammad Helmi said among the factors were short spells of heavy downpour.

He said the 300ml of rainfall recorded in Kuantan on Dec 2, was among the highest ever recorded in a day.

"However, it is difficult for us to link the heavy rain to climate change. Nevertheless, scientists have admitted the situation caused extreme weather," he added.

'Second wave of floods likely to be more severe'
New Straits Times 17 Dec 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: The second wave of floods predicted to hit the east coast tomorrow will likely hit more areas.

The Meteorological Department, however, said more areas would be affected because of the combined factors of high tides, strong winds and heavy rains.

Its central forecast division director, Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, said the effects were likely to be "severe".

"The heavy rains, predicted to begin from Wednesday to Sunday, will coincide with the presence of the full moon.

"This will result in unusually high tides that may cause flooding.

"With the presence of strong winds, the situation could worsen."

He said intermittent rain was expected and this might cause floods in low-lying areas.

On Monday, the department issued a yellow alert (heavy rain) for Terengganu (Dungun and Kemaman), Pahang (Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin) and Johor (Segamat and Mersing).
He said more areas could be affected this time.

"Although three states are expected to be hit, there is a high chance that other areas will be affected, too, because of the tidal surge and strong winds."

Helmi urged the public to be alert and keep abreast with the latest developments through the department's website and Facebook page.

National Security Council secretary Datuk Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said the council was prepared for the second wave.

"All personnel from various agencies are on standby. As soon as the water level rises, we will initiate evacuation. To ensure sufficient food supply, the Social Welfare Department has replenished its stocks, including basic necessities, at its depot and forward bases."

He said evacuation centres that were previously inundated would not be used.

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Pollination and land degradation: top priorities for new intergovernmental body

First work plan and budget for the intergovernmental platform for biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES) approved
FAO 14 Dec 13;

Antalya, Turkey, December 14, 2013 - The groundbreaking Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) today agreed to develop a set of assessments on pollination and food production, land degradation and invasive species aimed at providing policymakers with the tools to tackle pressing environmental challenges.

Around 400 delegates from over 100 governments, scientific organizations, civil society and the private sector, attended the second meeting of the Platform in Antalya, Turkey. IPBES Member Governments present at the meeting adopted a very ambitious initial work programme for the Platform for the next five years, and demonstrated strong commitment to its implementation by already pledging more than half (US$ 25.4 million) of the total US$ 43.5 million required, in what will be remembered as the "Antalya consensus".

IPBES was established to assist governments and the public to better understand the trends and challenges facing the natural world and humanity in the 21st century, and thus promote human wellbeing and sustainable development through the sustainable use of biodiversity.

The first assessment, to be available as early as December 2015, will look at pollination and food production. Studies show that some three quarters of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees and other pollinators for optimum production. However, more information is needed in order to fully understand how pollination underpins food production and assess the effectiveness of current policies.

A second assessment will focus on the status of land degradation and restoration worldwide, as well as the effect this has on biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, land degradation over the next 25 years may reduce global food production by up to 12 percent, resulting in an increase of as much as 30 percent in global food prices.

Over the next five years, the sub-regional, regional and global scale assessment and capacity building activities undertaken by IPBES will strengthen the science-policy interface at all levels.

In doing so, IPBES will contribute to the objectives of the strategic plans of the biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements.

The Platform will also support work on the integration of indigenous and local knowledge in scientific processes, and on valuation and accounting of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Overall, this work will require contributions from thousands of scientists from around the globe in the fields of natural and social sciences, and indigenous and local knowledge. They will work together to synthesize cutting-edge scientific information and produce tools in order to support the creation of the best possible policies.

Malaysian Zakri Abdul Hamid, the first Chair of IPBES, noted that, in addition to its recognition of indigenous knowledge, a distinguishing characteristic of the IPBES is its mandate to build the capacity of developing countries to conduct biodiversity science.

"There's an old saying: We measure what we treasure," said Dr. Zakri. "Though we profess to treasure biodiversity, most nations have yet to devote or acquire the resources needed to properly measure and assess it along with the value of ecosystem services. Correcting that is a priority assignment from the world community to IPBES."

"The UN's 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, now under consideration, are expected to include biodiversity-related targets for achievement by 2030, together with indicators of progress," added Dr. Zakri, also recently appointed to the UN Secretary-General's new 26-member Scientific Advisory Board. To be effective, obviously, it is vital that nations have the tools and personnel to establish authoritative scientific baselines and collect ongoing data to know whether headway is being made or not."

The second session of the Plenary of IPBES also adopted a collaborative partnership arrangement with the

United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme. The arrangement is intended to provide a framework for collaboration between the four UN bodies and IPBES, recognizing the anticipated roles of each of them in providing specific support to IPBES.

The partnership agreement and the full participation of the UN bodies in IPBES will improve the dialogue between policy-makers and the scientific community on the critical role of biodiversity and ecosystem services. By representing the environment, the sciences, education, food and agriculture, development, and capacity-building, they will bring a range of expertise to support decision and policy-making.

The meeting announced that a French national, Anne Larigauderie, formerly Executive Director of DIVERSITAS and Head of Science in Society at the International Council for Science (ICSU) has been appointed as the Head of the IPBES Secretariat in Bonn, Germany.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP):

"The decisions taken at this meeting represent a milestone in our efforts to counter the degradation and loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. A firm understanding of the complex processes at play is essential to conserve these services for future generations, and IPBES will help ensure that countries have direct access to sound scientific knowledge for development planning and for the full integration of ecosystem services in our accounting systems."

Ms. Maria-Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Coordinator Natural Resources of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO):

"As biodiversity is key for food security, FAO is pleased to be a partner of IPBES. The collaboration between FAO and IPBES will contribute to our joint efforts to safeguard the environment, while adjusting and increasing food and agriculture production for global food security in a sustainable way."

Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):

"More precise knowledge of the status of biodiversity and of the services it provides is an indispensable precondition in order to change our attitudes and behavior. UNESCO is pleased to be part of IPBES and will continue to provide its expertise in the sciences as well as in education, culture and communication in order to improve our knowledge of biodiversity and stem its decline, thus ensuring sustainable development and improving well-being for all peoples in all cultures."

Mr. Magdy Martínez-Solimán, Director, a.i., Bureau for Development Policy, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

"UNDP is encouraged by progress in the IPBES meeting this week since this will help provide countries with the sound scientific information to make progress towards the next generation of development goals. We know that ecosystems provide invaluable services that underpin development, particularly for the billions of people worldwide who depend directly on biodiversity for their livelihoods and we welcome IPBES' focus on building capacity to protect and manage this natural capital."

NOTES TO EDITORS

About IPBES

IPBES was established in April 2012 in Panama City, Panama, and currently has 115 Member States. The Platform is an independent intergovernmental body, open to all member countries of the United Nations. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides the Secretariat for the Platform, which operates from Bonn in Germany.

Biodiversity from terrestrial, marine, coastal, and inland water ecosystems provides the basis for ecosystems and the services they provide that underpin human wellbeing. However, biodiversity and ecosystem services are declining at an unprecedented rate and the world failed to reach the Convention on Biological Diversity target of a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

In order to address this challenge, adequate local, national and international policies need to be adopted and implemented. To achieve this, decision makers need scientifically credible and independent information that takes into account the complex relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services, and people. They also need effective methods to interpret this scientific information in order to make informed decisions. The scientific community also needs to understand the needs of decision makers better in order to provide them with relevant information.

IPBES was established to this end. It provides a mechanism recognized by both the scientific and policy communities to synthesize, review, assess and critically evaluate relevant information and knowledge generated worldwide by governments, academia, scientific organizations, non-governmental organizations and indigenous communities.

More information on IPBES, including Frequently Asked Questions and key facts and figures on biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as opening and closing remarks made at the meeting is available at www.ipbes.net

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