UK Flooding: five lessons we have learned

Damian Carrington The Observer The Guardian 2 Feb 14;

Concrete is no longer a solution

For centuries flood protection has meant building ever higher walls and radically straightening and clearing rivers, to rush water ever faster to the sea. But a more crowded island, rising sea levels and increasing extreme weather caused by climate change mean the hard engineering approach is hitting its limit.

Dredging is a prime example: experts say it would not have prevented flooding in the Somerset Levels, nor drained the water significantly quicker. A desire for immediate action is understandable, but a massive amount of rain has fallen on the Levels, far greater than the capacity of the river channels, and large parts of the Levels are below sea level – the water has to go uphill to the coast.

Instead, a "back to nature" approach is being successfully tested to return water systems to the sluggish, slow systems they once were, using fields as temporary ponds, blocking up drains and even allowing fallen trees to obstruct streams.

Soft flood defences mean hard choices

Good, fertile farmland has been prized since the dawn of agriculture and Britons have spent a millennium draining marshes and creating coastal land by holding back the sea in order to create new fields. But today our villages, towns and cities are prized even more.

If the soft "back to nature" approach is to be expanded on the scale required, a new settlement is needed with farmers that balances food against floods. Payments will need to be channelled to landowners in key areas who allow their fields to store water during wet periods.

In places like the Somerset Levels there will be hard choices for people, too. Many flood experts predict the Levels will have to be abandoned to the sea before the century's end, as the cost of keeping the water out spirals out of control.

Retreat is also under way on the coast, where sea walls are being smashedby Salt marshes will reappear, but often they sap the energy of the waves and therefore offer better protection to nearby homes.

Flood protection often works

Despite the thousands of homes that have been flooded during this sodden and stormy winter, about a million have been protected by the defences that held out. But, with the risk rising, experts warn it is impossible to stop all floods.

The focus needs to shift towards households being prepared for flooding, particularly as flash floods – which can strike anywhere – are expected to increase as rainfall intensifies in a warming world. Measures can be simple: from inflatable toilet bungs to stop sewage overflows to slot-in door protectors. Others reduce the cost of flood repairs, such as rewiring electrical circuits nearer ceiling level. On some flood plains, people are even building homes on stilts.

Cutting flood defence spending is a false economy

This winter's floods have already caused at least £1bn of damage to homes, businesses, roads and other infrastructure. That is almost twice the amount that will be spent on flood defences this year. In fact, in the longer term most flood defence schemes are expected to save £8 for every £1 invested. But annual government spending on flood defences will fall by 15% in real terms under the coalition, about £90m a year, and hundreds of projects across the country remain on hold. The government's official advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, calculate that these cuts will result in £3bn of future damage. Furthermore, because the risk of flooding is rising, the committee calculates that between 2011-2015 the coalition is spending £500m less than would be needed to keep flood risk at the same level.

Climate change appears to be hitting harder and faster than feared

A government study in 2012 – coincidentally England's wettest year on record – identified increased flooding as the greatest impact of climate change on the UK. It is already being felt. The extensive floods in England back in 2000 were made twice as likely by global warming, according to scientists.

Warmer temperatures lead to more moisture in the air but also more energy in weather systems: the result is more frequent severe downpours On the southern coasts, the sea has already risen 6cm in two decades, bringing storm surges nearer – or over - the top of sea walls. Sea levels could rise by almost a metre this century. Planning to cope with this rising flood risk began a decade ago, expecting it to be felt in the 2030s. But experts say it is hitting now.

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Guide dogs now welcome in HDB homes

Channel NewsAsia 1 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has asked the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to allow visually-impaired people to keep guide dogs in their HDB flats.

The HDB said that, currently, guide dogs are not on the "approved dog list", but it has made exceptions for families who appealed.

Writing on his blog, Mr Khaw said: "I told them to make it an open policy: Guide dogs are welcome in HDB homes of their masters."

To further simplify the process, HDB residents requiring guide dogs now need only approach the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) for licensing.

AVA will coordinate with HDB, thus there is no need for the resident to submit a separate application to the housing authority.

Mr Khaw added that the Building and Construction Authority has also included a design guide in its Code on Accessibility for the Built Environment to help architects and design professionals understand space requirements for a visually-handicapped person with a guide dog.

He said that to visually-handicapped people, a trained guide dog can be a "life saver".

He cited the story of how a black Labrador guide dog named Orlando made the news recently when he protected his visually-impaired master who had accidentally fallen onto a New York City subway track.

Mr Khaw noted that because guide dogs are "not common (yet) in Singapore, our society is not yet as guide dog-friendly as in many developed cities".

In New York, for example, such dogs are welcome in restaurants.

Mr Khaw said: "It is the Year of the Horse. But let's be kind to all beings, including guide dogs."

- CNA/nd

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Australia approves plan to dump dredge spoil in Barrier Reef

(AFP) Google News 31 Jan 14

Sydney — Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on Friday approved the dumping of up to three million cubic metres of dredge waste in park waters in a move blasted by environmentalists.

The decision follows the government giving the green light to a major coal port expansion for India's Adani Group on the reef coast in December, under some of the strictest-ever environmental conditions.

It will see Adani dredge three million cubic metres of material from the seabed to allow freighters to dock at the port in Abbot Point, lifting the facility's capacity by 70 percent to make it one of the world's largest coal ports.

Conservationists warned it could hasten the demise of the World Heritage-listed reef, which is already considered to be in "poor" health, with dredging smothering corals and seagrasses and exposing them to poisons and elevated levels of nutrients.

The reef is already facing pressures from climate change, land-based pollution and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.

"This is a sad day for the reef and anyone who cares about its future," said WWF Great Barrier Reef campaigner Richard Leck.

"The World Heritage Committee will take a dim view of this decision, which is in direct contravention of one of its recommendations."

The reef is facing a World Heritage downgrade from UNESCO this year due to concerns about rampant coastal development proposed in the region, particularly port, gas and coal operations. UNESCO are due to meet in June, when they are expected to discuss the issue.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) chairman Russell Reichelt said he recognised there was intense community concern and debate about the application by North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation to dispose of dredge spoil in the park.

But he said allowing the project to proceed would help contain development to existing ports, and the reef itself and seagrass meadows would still be protected.

"This approval is in line with the agency's view that port development along the Great Barrier Reef coastline should be limited to existing ports," he said.

"It's important to note the sea floor of the approved disposal area consists of sand, silt and clay and does not contain coral reefs or seagrass beds."

The GBRMPA, whose board is currently under investigation for its links to the mining industry, added that the strict environmental conditions imposed on the project by the federal government would help protect the reef.

The conditions require that sediment entering the marine park be reduced by 150 percent over the long term -- a "net benefit" to water quality -- and that $81 million be contributed to reef conservation programmes and specific measures observed to protect marine flora and fauna.

WWF Australia has said the material dredged during the port expansion would be enough to fill 150,000 dump trucks that "lined up bumper-to-bumper would stretch from Brisbane to Melbourne", a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).

UPDATE 2-Australia permits dredge dumping near Great Barrier Reef for major coal port
Sonali Paul Reuters Google News 31 Jan 14;

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Australia's Great Barrier Reef watchdog gave the green light on Friday for millions of cubic metres of dredged mud to be dumped near the fragile reef to create the world's biggest coal port and possibly unlock $28 billion in coal projects.

The dumping permit clears the way for a major expansion of the port of Abbot Point for two Indian firms and Australian billionaire miner Gina Rinehart, who together have $16 billion worth of coal projects in the untapped, inland Galilee Basin.

"This is a significant milestone in developing our Galilee Basin coal projects, which represent the creation of over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs and over $40 billion in taxes and royalties," said Darren Yeates, chief executive of GVK-Hancock, a joint venture between India's GVK conglomerate and Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.

Environmentalists, scientists and tour operators had fought the plan to dump soil 25 km (15 miles) from the reef, which they fear will harm delicate corals and seagrasses and potentially double ship traffic through the World Heritage marine park.

"It's a really disappointing decision," said Selina Ward, a marine biologist at the University of Queensland who was among 240 international scientists who urged the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to refuse the permit.

"What we need to do is to stop putting pressure on the reef, certainly not to be adding further stress to it by dumping 3 million tonnes of sediment on it."

If all the dredged material were dumped on land, the pile would be bigger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The reef authority, an independent government agency charged with protecting the reef, said the permit was approved as one third of the marine park was designated high protection and two-thirds allows other uses, such as dredging disposal as ports have always been a part of the area.

Authority chairman Russell Reichelt said expanding Abbot Point would require much less dredging than other options along the reef, which covers an area larger than the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Switzerland combined.

"It's important to note the seafloor of the approved disposal area consists of sand, silt and clay and does not contain coral reefs or seagrass beds," Reichelt, said.

UNESCO CONCERNED OVER REEF

The permit to dump 3 million cubic metres of mud within the marine park could place at risk the World Heritage-listing of the Great Barrier Reef, one of Australia's top tourist attractions generating an estimated $5.7 billion.

UNESCO, which awarded the reef its heritage listing, last year postponed a decision to June 2014 on whether to put the Great Barrier Reef on its "in danger" list or even cancel its World Heritage listing. It is awaiting a report from the national government on steps taken to address its concerns.

The permit allows North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp to dump dredged material in the reef marine park to deepen Abbot Point for two terminals planned by Adani Enterprises and GVK-Hancock, which have long term plans to export 120 million tonnes a year of coal all together.

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp and Reichelt said the permit approval should not raise alarm at UNESCO, particularly as the reef authority on Friday urged the state and national governments and industry to come up with a new sustainable ports plan that would reduce the need for dredging along the reef.

"What I've called for today is exactly in line with what they (UNESCO) would like to see put in place," Reichelt said.

The reef authority imposed strict conditions on the dumping permit, including no environmental, cultural or heritage damage to areas beyond 20 km (12 miles) from the disposal site, and urged the ports corporation to consider other dump sites.

Even with the permit, it's unclear how soon the dredging will go ahead, as Adani and GVK-Hancock's projects have been delayed amid funding challenges in the face of sliding coal prices and China's efforts to cut coal use to battle smog.

New report: government failures put Reef World Heritage Status “on the line”
WWF 30 Jan 14;

A new report shows the Australian and Queensland Governments are failing to act on the World Heritage Committee’s major concerns about the Great Barrier Reef.

UNESCO’S World Heritage Committee has made a series of recommendations on improving management of the Reef and asked the Australian Government to report on progress by 1 February 2014. The Committee meets in Doha, Qatar this June and without substantial progress it could list the Great Barrier Reef as World Heritage in Danger.

WWF-Australia and the Australian Marine Conservation Society today released the 72 page report, which assesses progress on the recommendations, and an accompanying scorecard which lists the government failures.

Of the seven detailed recommendations from the World Heritage Committee the Australian and Queensland Governments have failed to make “good progress or completed” any of them.

Some of the major concerns detailed in the report are:

• Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt recently approved four major developments within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. This includes the dumping of dredge spoil in Reef waters in direct contravention of one of the World Heritage Committee’s recommendations
• The Federal Government is handing over environmental approval powers to the Queensland Government just as the Queensland Government is watering down state legislation in ways that “actively impede” protection of the Reef.
• The health of the Reef continues to decline and “If pollution impacts are not properly addressed through greatly increased investment and on-ground action, it is highly unlikely that the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef will be conserved.”
• Halting and reversing the overall declining condition of the Reef won’t be possible using current management approaches

“We’re going backwards on the Reef – that’s the sad truth,” said WWF Reef Campaign Director Richard Leck.

“What we get from the Australian and Queensland governments is lots of talk but very little action.

“The reality on the ground is that major destructive industrial projects that involve outdated practices like dumping dredge spoil in Reef waters continue to be approved.

“Our World Heritage Status for the Reef is on the line. Do we really want to join the list of shame and have the Reef declared World Heritage in Danger? Imagine the impact that would have on our tourism industry?” he said.

AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaign Director, Felicity Wishart, said governments had dropped the ball.

“It seems the Federal and Queensland governments either don’t understand what’s at stake or worse they’re deliberately ignoring the World Heritage Committee,” she said.

“This is serious – our governments have botched or defied the World Heritage Committee's key recommendations about the Reef.

“With plans by the Federal Government to hand over its environmental approvals to the Queensland Government, which is busy stripping away environmental protection, it is a recipe for disaster for the Reef.”

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Shark fin demand down in Singapore amid extinction threat

Melissa Chong Channel NewsAsia 30 Jan 14;

SNGAPORE: The demand for shark fin soup has been declining in recent years, according to restaurants, hotels and suppliers in Singapore.

But observers say that sharks could still face extinction in the next 10 years, and traders have already begun stockpiling fins.

To the Chinese, serving shark fins is a sign of prestige and wealth.

Once a rare delicacy only affordable to the elite, rising affluence among Chinese communities has placed shark fins within reach for hundreds of millions across Asia.

The dish's popularity has led to global shark populations falling by up to 98 per cent in the last 15 years, with many species hunted close to extinction.

“Currently, all our shark fins… are a bit smaller. The larger ones are also very hard to find,” said Tam Su Yi, sales manager at Tam Kah Shark’s Fin Trading, one of Singapore’s largest shark fin suppliers.

“Because of government regulations in other countries, they (shark catchers)… stop. If it is too big, then they don't want to capture it."

Jonn Lu, director of Shark Savers Asia Pacific, said: “A lot of case studies have told us from around the world that when sharks disappear, it's not just sharks but also a lot of other marine species. The loss of marine biodiversity, fish biomass is a big problem in the ocean.

“When sharks stop playing a role as top predators within the system, then we see a tropic cascade, and that's something scientists refer to as the ‘cascading effect of top predator loss.’

“In many places around the world where sharks used to thrive, we've seen declines of anywhere from 80-100 per cent. There used to be a lot of Singaporean sharks, and Malaysian sharks and Thai sharks. And now in a couple of decades, they're just completely wiped out."

Sharks play a key role in the marine ecosystem as the top predator, keeping other species in check. Reducing their numbers drastically can throw the marine environment out of balance.

But there are signs that shark fins are fast losing popularity.

In October 2011, Cold Storage removed shark fins and other shark products from all its outlets nationwide. A few months later in January 2012, NTUC Fairprice followed suit.

By 2013, 11 hotels have removed shark fin soup from their banquet menus. The latest to join the movement is Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, which made an announcement in May 2013. The other hotels include Shangri-La, Swissotel The Stamford, The Westin and The Fullerton.

More hotels around the world are expected to join their ranks, but the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says it is not yet ready to make a public announcement. The WWF hopes to get five new hotels or restaurants to join in the movement every year.

Official data in Singapore from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), also shows that consumption levels are falling steadily.

Restaurants still serving shark fin say their orders are smaller this year as more corporate diners and wedding couples opt for other delicacies like abalone and fish maw soup instead.

“We see a tremendous drop in corporate or MNC companies who are entertaining their clients or staff during the Chinese New Year period; they prefer menus without shark fin,” said Patrick Ng, manager at Man Fu Yuan.

“We will definitely need to find a substitute ingredient which is similar in pricing or higher in pricing, to substitute the shark fin. Easily… 50 per cent or even more people would opt without sharks fin."

But suppliers say demand is still strong from restaurants.

Mr Tam said: “Even though the hotel sales decrease, the restaurants have increased… significantly. They order in very large quantities. Our factory is having difficulty pushing out our stocks as well --a few hundred kilogrammes per hotel."

Conservationists say traders have revealed in undercover interviews that they believe only 10 years are left to save the sharks before they go extinct.

Singapore remains the second highest consumer of shark fins per capita and this Lunar New Year, a new campaign is being launched to change this.

The largest celebrity-led campaign in the region aims to save sharks before it is too late and Singaporean stars are also joining hands in this single cause.

The "Nian Nian You Yu" campaign started on social media in 2012, but this marks the first year the campaign is going on mainstream media. In a few weeks, the public messages will air on MioTV, National Geographic and possibly on MediaCorp's free-to-air channels.

WWF also says it plans to organise the first-ever Sustainable Seafood Festival in 2014, to raise awareness about the pressing need to protect sharks and other marine life that is vulnerable to overfishing and unsustainable trade.

After years of lobbying, the Hong Kong government made the decision in September last year to ban shark fin soup at all state banquets. A year before, China made a similar announcement. WWF says it wants to see the Singapore government take the same proactive step to declare that Singapore too, is finished with fins.

In May 2013, Singapore registered a negative vote during an international discussion in Bangkok to add new species of sharks to a protection list.

Currently, only the basking shark, whale shark and great white shark are protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). But the extended list received majority votes from 178 member countries.

From 14 September 2014, new species of sharks will be protected under CITES -- the Oceanic White-tip Shark, three species of Hammerhead sharks and the Porbeagle shark.

This means that the import and export of these sharks will require permits by authorities from CITES. The AVA says that traders which circumvent this law will be fined up to S$50,000 and jailed for up to two years.

- CNA/ec

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UN Security Council targets poaching and wildlife trade with DRC sanctions

WWF 30 Jan 14;

The UN Security Council votes to target illicit wildlife trade in a resolution on the Central African Republic. © UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras30 January 2014 – The United Nations Security Council took a critical step today in tackling elephant poaching and illicit ivory trade by addressing the link between instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and wildlife trafficking.

In renewing the DRC sanctions regime, the resolution targets individuals and entities illegally supporting armed groups through the illicit trade of natural resources, including wildlife and wildlife products, such as elephant ivory.

Over 20,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks, with much of the killing occurring in conflict zones in Central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

"Individuals involved in poaching and trafficking of wildlife are now singled out for sanctions where the proceeds of their activities have been used to finance conflict," said Wendy Elliott, species programme manager at WWF.

"This is a huge step forward for reducing human suffering, improving peace and security and strengthening wildlife conservation."

On Tuesday, the council further underscored the link between wildlife crime and conflict through the adoption of a separate sanctions regime for the Central African Republic. That resolution also targets individuals involved in the illicit exploitation of wildlife and wildlife products.

"The DRC and CAR resolutions are critical. They illustrate the high priority that the Security Council places on ending the human pain and regional instability that accompany these environmental crimes," said Elliott.

With mounting evidence that the proceeds of wildlife poaching and trafficking are being used to finance armed groups, the resolutions on DRC and CAR designate wildlife trade as a factor to be considered when targeting future sanctions.

The resolutions come in advance of other global efforts to end illicit wildlife trafficking, including a high-level meeting to be hosted by the British government in February.

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Container ship and barge collide, no injuries reported

Channel NewsAsia 30 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: A Panama-flagged container ship, NYK Themis, has collided into a barge AZ Fuzhou, at East Keppel Fairway at about 4km south of Marina South.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said it was informed at about 4am on Thursday.

Prior to the incident, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre had informed NYK Themis of the presence of AZ Fuzhou in the fairway.

NYK Themis said one of its bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel.

MPA said it dispatched four of its craft to deal with the spill. Oil spill response companies were also activated to support the clean up efforts.

The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored and in stable condition.

MPA said no injuries were reported, and port operations remain unaffected. It is investigating the cause of the collision.

- CNA/ac

Two vessels collide near Jurong Island
Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: A Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker, Lime Galaxy, has collided with China-flagged container ship, Feihe, at about 2.7 kilometres south of Jurong Island.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was informed about the incident at about 6.30pm on Wednesday.

One of Feihe's bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel.

MPA said it dispatched three patrol craft to deal with the spill.

It added that the two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored.

No injuries were reported and MPA said traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remains unaffected.

MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.

- CNA/ms

Oil spillage contained after vessel collision near Jurong Island
Channel NewsAsia 30 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said good progress has been made in containing and cleaning up the oil spillage resulting from Wednesday's collision between Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker Lime Galaxy and the China-flagged container ship Feihe at about 2.7km south of Jurong Island.

It said there has been no further spillage of bunker fuel from Feihe.

However as a precautionary measure, oil booms and an oil spill response craft have been deployed around the vessel.

In total, 10 craft from MPA and oil spill response companies have been deployed as part of the containment and clean up efforts.

- CNA/ac

"Good progress" made in containing oil spillage after recent collisions
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 30 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: Two incidents of ship collisions within 24 hours have resulted in oil spills around Singapore waters, but the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said "good progress" has been made in coordinating containment and clean-up efforts.

The first incident occurred on Wednesday evening, between a Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker and a China-flagged container ship.

Lime Galaxy collided with Feihe about 2.7 kilometres south of Jurong Island at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

The Chinese vessel sustained damage to a bunker tank, resulting in some spillage of its bunker fuel. MPA said there has been no further spillage of bunker fuel from Feihe.

Another oil spill occurred early Thursday morning when Panama-flagged container ship NYK Themis collided into a barge, AZ Fuzhou, at the East Keppel Fairway, about 4 kilometres away from Marina South.

MPA said it was informed of the collision at about 4am on Thursday.

The NYK Themis said one of its bunker tanks was damaged, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel.

MPA said it has deployed 20 craft and sent oil spill response companies to deal with the spill.

Containment booms were used to contain and prevent oil patches from hitting the coastlines.

MPA has advised the public not to be alarmed if patches of oil are spotted around the Southern Islands.

Meanwhile, the four vessels involved in the collisions have been safely anchored.

No injuries have been reported.

- CNA/ms

Collision between Lime Galaxy and Feihe
MPA 29 Jan 14

On 29 January 2014, at about 1830hrs (Singapore Time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that the departing Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker, "Lime Galaxy" had collided with the arriving China-flagged containership, "Feihe" at about 2.7 km, south of Jurong Island.

Feihe reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel. Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched three patrol craft to deal with the spill. Oil spill response companies were also activated to support the clean up efforts.

The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored and in stable condition. MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to ships to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the incident site. There is no report of injury, and traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remain unaffected.

MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.

Collision between Lime Galaxy and Feihe - Update 1
MPA 30 Jan 14;

On 29 January 2014, at about 1830hrs (Singapore Time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker, "Lime Galaxy" had collided with the arriving China-flagged containership, "Feihe" at about 2.7 km, south of Jurong Island. Prior to the incident, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre attempted to alert the two vessels of their converging courses.

Good progress has been made in containing and cleaning up the oil spillage resulting from the collision. There has been no further spillage of bunker fuel from Feihe. As a precautionary measure, oil booms and an oil spill response craft have been deployed around the vessel. In total, 10 craft from MPA and oil spill response companies have been deployed as part of the containment and clean up efforts.

Vessel traffic in the Strait of Singapore and port waters remain unaffected. Port operations are also not affected.

Members of the public can contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9 to report any sighting of oil slick in our waters or coastlines.

Contact between vessels NYK Themis and AZ Fuzhou
MPA 30 Jan 14

At about 0410hrs on 30 January 2014 (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a Panama-flagged containership, "NYK Themis", had collided into a barge "AZ Fuzhou" , at East Keppel Fairway at about 4 km south of Marina South. The barge was being towed by tug "AZ Carnation" at the time. Prior to the incident, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre informed NYK Themis of the presence of AZ Fuzhou in the fairway.

NYK Themis reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel. Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched four MPA craft to deal with the spill. Oil spill response companies were also activated to support the clean up efforts.

The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored and in stable condition. There is no report of injury, and port operations remain unaffected.

MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.

Oil spillage clean-up and containment efforts continue
MPA 30 Jan 14;

Following the oil spillage from two collisions south of Jurong Island and off Marina South on 29 and 30 January 2014 respectively, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been co-ordinating the containment and clean-up efforts. Good progress has been made since the start of the operations.

A total of 20 craft from MPA and oil spill response companies have been deployed for the clean-up efforts. Containment booms were used to contain and prevent the oil patches from hitting the coastlines and approved oil dispersants are being used to break up the oil patches into smaller globules.

Patches of oil may be spotted in the vicinity of the Southern Islands but the public is advised not to be alarmed. Members of the public who spot any oil patches in our waters or coastlines can also contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9.

The four vessels involved in the collisions are currently safely anchored and in stable condition. There is no report of injury, and port operations remain unaffected.

Investigations are currently on-going.

Oil spillage clean-up and containment efforts continue - Update 2
MPA 31 Jan 14;

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) continued to coordinate the containment and clean-up of the oil spillage in Singapore's waters following two collisions south of Jurong Island and off Marina South on 29 and 30 January 2014 respectively.

A total of 24 craft and 120 personnel from MPA and oil spill response companies were involved in the effort. Most of the affected areas have been cleaned up, except for minor oil patches in the vicinity of the Southern Islands.

MPA is still monitoring the situation in case there are undetected patches of oil. Response craft and personnel will remain on site in the interim.

Members of the public who spot any oil patches in our waters or coastlines can also contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9.

Vessel traffic in the Strait of Singapore and port waters remain unaffected. Port operations are also not affected.



Photos of craft from MPA and oil spill response companies carrying out clean-up operations in affected areas, such as the waters off Pulau Seringat.

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Dry and breezy weather expected to continue for next 1-2 weeks

Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: The current dry and occasionally breezy weather is expected to continue for the next one to two weeks.

In a statement on Wednesday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said slight haze may occur under light wind conditions on a few mornings.

The cool daily minimum temperature is expected to increase slightly to around 23.5 degrees Celsius, which is the long-term average for January and February.

NEA said Singapore is currently in the dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon season, typically characterised by drier and cooler weather and generally windy conditions.

This dry phase has set in earlier than usual this year, leading to fewer rain days and significantly lower rainfall this month.

The last few weeks have also been marked by a spell of cooler-than-normal minimum temperatures.

Since January 14 this year, daily minimum temperatures of between 21 and 22 degrees Celsius were recorded in various parts of the island.

The cooler-than-normal temperatures are due to a surge of cold winds from a high pressure system over China, blowing towards Singapore and the region.

Singapore last experienced a similar spell of cool minimum temperatures during the Northeast Monsoon in early 2009.

The rainfall total for this month so far has ranged from 40 to 125 millimetres across the island, which is 45 to 80 per cent below the long-term average.

At the Changi climate station, 75.4 millimetres of rainfall and five rain days were recorded over this period, compared to the long-term average rainfall of 242.3 millimetres and 15 rain days for January.

For the Lunar New Year holiday period, the weather is expected to be fair and occasionally windy, with the daily temperature ranging between 23 and 31 degrees Celsius.

- CNA/ms

Malaysia: It will be a cool CNY
The Star 31 Jan 14;

PETALING JAYA: There will be no rain in most parts of the country, making it a cooler than usual Chi­nese New Year, according to the Meteorological Department.

Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said he expected the weather to persist until early March.

The north-easterly winds from China is contributing to this cooler than usual weather.

This weather is apparently normal during this time of the year.

Che Gayah said that the haze was making the days drier – pollutants from factories and cars are trapped in the air, particularly true in urban areas, creating localised haze.

“There will be no rain for at least five days. Only when it rains will these pollutants be washed away,” said Che Gayah.

The department has issued warnings of strong winds and rough seas for Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Sarawak, Labuan, and Sabah.

Frost on Mount Kinabalu
Ruben Sario The Star 30 Jan 14;

KOTA KINABALU: The unusually low temperatures in Sabah has sprinkled a layer of frost on the plants on Mount Kinabalu, especially near Panar Laban and Laban Rata at an altitude of just over 3,000m.

In addition, the cold has frozen the water droplets in the mist shrouding the mountain.

“It’s like tiny ice crystals in the air that melt when they touch your skin. It’s magical,” said seasoned tour guide Tham Yau Kong.

Trekkers and staff of the Laban Rata rest house have noticed the frost and ice crystals for the past three to four days.

Tham, who reckons he has trekked up the mountain about 500 times, said he has noticed frost at the peak about 20 times.

“It’s not a new phenomena.

“‘’I am sure the frost is due to the cooler than normal temperatures that we have been experiencing in Sabah for the past two weeks or so,” he said on Thursday.

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Malaysia: Sun bear carcass and snares found

Isabelle Lai The Star 30 Jan 14;

PETALING JAYA: A Malayan sun bear carcass and several snares were found near the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC).

Experts have described the find as clear proof that poaching there continues unabated.

The discovery was made last Thursday by a WWF-Malaysia researcher, who stumbled upon the carcass and snares after checking the jungle trail close to the Gerik-Jeli Highway.

In a joint statement, WWF-Malaysia and Traffic South-East Asia said the carcass was found with a limb still caught in a snare and the animal died “a slow and agonising death”.

Traffic South-East Asia regional director Dr Chris R. Shepherd said poaching for trade was the most chronic threat to Malaysia’s wildlife and questioned the effectiveness of the Belum-Temengor Joint Enforcement Task Force set up in 2010.

The wildlife-rich forest complex has long posed an enforcement challenge as it is a magnet for poachers and wildlife traffickers.

“The rising incidences close to the highway should be warning enough that poachers enjoy easy access to the animals,” he said.

Dr Shepherd called for more frequent joint enforcement patrols which alone could have an impact on the poaching rate.

He called upon the Perak Mentri Besar and state officials to address the problem.

The latest discovery is the third involving sun bears in recent years.

WWF-Malaysia executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said snares do not discriminate the choice of victim.

“This time it was a sun bear. Next, it could be a tiger.

“This does not bode well for the BTFC, which is one of three priority sites for tigers in Malaysia,” he said.

Dr Sharma said this was why WWF-Malaysia was strongly advocating a National Tiger Task Force that would ensure better coordinated enforcement.

Between 2008 and 2010, 142 snares were discovered and deactivated in the BTFC by a WWF-Malaysia monitoring unit working with the authorities.

In the same period, Traffic South-East Asia recorded the loss of over 400 animals, including tigers.

Sun Bear carcass and snare find point to relentless poaching in Belum-Temengor Forest Complex.
WWF 28 Jan 14;

28 January 2014, Gerik: The carcass of a Malayan Sun Bear and several snares have been found in jungles near the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC) underscoring poaching’s incessant pressure on endangered species in the area.

On Thursday a WWF-Malaysia researcher in the area stumbled upon the Sun Bear carcass and snares after checking the jungle trail close to the Gerik-Jeli Highway, from which several men on motorcycles had been seen emerging earlier.

The rotting Sun Bear carcass was found with a limb still caught in a snare (see photo), where it would have died a slow and agonising death. Four other snares were also found nearby.

WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia reported the matter to authorities for further investigation and action.

This is the third discovery involving Sun Bears in recent years. Four weeks ago, researchers found another Sun Bear in a snare just 250 meters off the Gerik-Jeli highway and it was freed in a two-hour operation by Perhilitan. In 2011, a camera trap in the area captured the image of a Sun Bear without a forelimb, likely lost to a snare.

The wildlife rich forest complex has long been a magnet for poachers and wildlife traffickers and a challenge for enforcement authorities.

From 2008 to 2010, 142 snares were discovered and de-activated in the BTFC by a WWF-Malaysia wildlife monitoring unit working with authorities. In the same period TRAFFIC recorded the loss of over 400 animals including tigers; one of which was famously rescued after several days in a snare in 2009, but later died from its injuries. WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC have continued to make such finds in the area including one case in August 2011 involving a dozen snares targeted at large mammals.

The most recent discovery is clear proof that the poaching and illegal wildlife trade in the BTFC has not abated and demands a stronger, more consistent and better co-ordinated response from all authorities in the area.

“A snare does not discriminate in its choice of victim. This time it was a sun bear. Next, it could be a tiger. This does not bode well for BTFC which is one of three priority sites for tigers in Malaysia. It is why we strongly advocate for a National Tiger Task Force that will ensure better coordinated enforcement nationwide. If no urgency is shown in this matter, we will soon have empty forests,” said WWF-Malaysia's Executive Director/CEO, Dato' Dr Dionysius Sharma.

“Poaching for trade is clearly the most chronic threat to Malaysia’s wildlife. The rising incidences close to the highway should be warning enough that poachers enjoy easy access to the animals,” said Regional Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia, Dr Chris R. Shepherd.

“The effectiveness of the Belum-Temengor Joint Enforcement Task Force, set-up in 2010 to tackle poaching and trafficking here, has been questionable. More frequent joint enforcement patrols alone could have an impact on the poaching rate, yet this has not been put in place. We urge the Perak Menteri Besar and other state officials to address the problem,” Shepherd said.

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Indonesia: Environmental Groups Question April Promises of Sustainable Pulp Practices

Ethan Harfenist Jakarta Globe 29 Jan 14;

Jakarta. Indonesia’s second-largest pulp and paper producer Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd. (April) announced a renewed pledge to sustainable practices this week, promising to stop expanding its plantation holdings by the end of this year and halt forest clearing entirely by 2019 in a move greeted with both cautious optimism and disbelief by environmental groups.

“This policy means that within five years April’s mill will be running entirely on renewable, sustainable plantation fiber,” April president Praveen Singhavi said at a press briefing in Jakarta. “We will reach the goal progressively over the next five years — and hopefully before the deadline.”

The Singapore-based April — which runs the region’s largest pulp mill under its Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) subsidiary — announced the move on Tuesday, detailing an ambitious sustainability plan after more than a decade of criticism from environmental and animal rights groups over the company’s activities in the heavily deforested province of Riau, Sumatra.

Under the sustainability plan, April has committed to halting any efforts to establish new plantations by the end of 2014. During this time the company will also double its forest restoration program to 40,000 hectares. Five years later, April has committed to only using plantation wood in its mill, putting to an end more than a decade of relying predominately on mixed tropical hardwood harvested from the province’s existing forests.

The pulp and paper company and its affiliates currently own some 817,000 hectares of land throughout the country, 51 percent of which is suitable for planting. Nearly half of the company’s concession areas lie in Sumatra’s Riau province, an area that witnessed one of fastest rates of deforestation in the world. More than 4 million hectares of forest have vanished in Riau since 1982 — laying waste to vast tracts of forest, destroying valuable carbon-rich peatland and pushing several indigenous species to the brink of extinction.

Much of the blame has been placed on Royal Golden Eagle Group (RGE) and Sinar Mas — two companies with deep ties to the Suharto regime and a host of affiliated companies operating in the pulp and paper and palm oil industry in Indonesia and abroad. Sinar Mas owns one of the largest pulp companies in the world, Asia Pacific Pulp and Paper, and has made a similar pledge to sustainable practices last year. The company’s announcement began with the immediate suspension of all land clearing activities and a promise to only expand on open land and scrubland in future operations.

April was criticized at the time for sticking to its existing policies which, despite corporate claims that they are in the “tree planting” business, resulted in annual clearing of existing forests. In 2012, the company planned to clear some 60,000 hectares of rainforest, according to confidential reports leaked to Greenpeace. RAPP’s massive 1,750 hectare manufacturing complex in Kerinci, Riau, produces some 2.8 million tons of pulp and 820,000 tons of paper per year. Historically more than half of the wood used came from existing forests, not acacia plantations, according to reports by the Center on International Forestry Research (Cifor).

Now, a little over a year later, April has made a similar pledge to ending destructive practices in Indonesia. The move was met with “cautious” optimism by the Wold Wildlife Fund, which applauded the company’s plan to establish an independent advisory board to oversee the progress of the sustainability pledge.

“Given WWF’s longstanding calls for an end to the environmental abuses associated with the pulp and paper industry, April’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy would seem to be demonstrating willingness on the part of the company to transforming its operations,” said Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia. “If April truly fulfills the entire commitment in the policy, it will lead to a positive contribution to Indonesia’s forests, biodiversity, emission reductions and people.”

But the details of the plan, and the reticence to immediately suspend all land clearing activities in Indonesia, left some wondering what the coming year holds for Riau’s forests. The privately held company declined to detail the status of the nearly 417,000 hectares of plantable land it owns. Environmental groups like Greenpeace worry that April will rapidly expand its land holdings in the coming year only to spend the next five years chewing through wood harvested from existing forests in an ironic preparation for its sustainability goals.

“April’s carefully orchestrated policy announcement is essentially a license to continue forest clearance,” Zulfahmi, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner, said in a press release. “A glaring weakness is that it would allow its current suppliers to continue to destroy forest and peatlands for nearly a year, and give it another six more years until it would stop using rainforest fiber at its mill.”

The company’s announcement also left out any mention of RGE-owned subsidiaries like Asian Agri and Toba Pulp Lestari — two companies also implicated in destructive practices like the kind of slash-and-burn land clearing that left Singapore choking on haze last year. Under the Ministry of Forestry’s regulations, companies that own both palm oil and pulp divisions can use wood cleared from new palm plantations to feed their pulp mills in an effort to reduce pulp deficits at the nation’s mills. Environmental groups have called for similar sustainability promises to be made by April’s sister companies.

Greenpeace called the move an eleventh-hour effort to retain its membership in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The company’s membership was on the line unless it demonstrated a serious commitment to ending deforestation following a complaint by Greenpeace. But the environmental group criticized April’s response for not going far enough, explaining that a serious commitment to ending deforestation would be the immediate suspension of forest clearing.

“If April were serious about cutting forest destruction from their supply chains then it would look to more progressive players in the forestry sector that have put an immediate moratorium on all forest clearance and peatland development,” Zulfahmi said.

The Pekanbaru-based Forest Rescue Network Riau (Jikalahari) said the company had made and broken similar promises in the past.

“I don’t buy the pledge,” Muslim Rasyid, of Jikalahari, said on Wednesday. “They commit to ceasing using raw materials from nature by 2019 and lower their production so it can match the normal capacity, but I think they’ll break their promise again. They made similar pledges back in 2009 and 2012, but still, nothing’s changed. The pledge is only an act of green washing. The company just wants to create a good image of themselves and save their place in the network of sustainable companies.”

Previous efforts to establish a “greener” image by April have been met with similar criticism. Environmental groups accused the company of using a $17 million peatland restoration project in Riau’s heavily degraded Kampar Peninsula to “greenwash” the continued cutting of old-growth forests. The project, which aimed to restore more than 20,000 hectares of damaged peatland, was drafted in association with Fauna & Flora International (FFI). But April’s continued cutting of forests at the time, as well as the company’s seemingly cozy relationship with the forest ministry, left environmental groups doubting the true impact of the project.

The Ministry of Forestry claims that demand for Indonesian pulp remains strong. The success of April’s sustainability pledge depends on its ability meet demand, ministry spokesman Sumarto explained.

“The market demand for wood is still huge, so Indonesia has the potential to improve,” he said.

The ministry announced plans in 2012 to significantly expand the nation’s pulp capacity in the next decade. The expansion would include the construction of seven new pulp mills and the awarding of concessions in previously untouched forests in eastern Indonesia, according to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). When asked about the status of this plan, Sumarto instead spoke on the importance of involving local residents in the cultivation of pulp plantations.

Some 70 percent of the nation’s pulp production comes from small farmers, not multinational companies, Sumarto said.

“The forest [ministry] will establish a wood industry with a focus on planted forests,” he said. “This included forests planted by the people. The conditions now show that forests planted by the people have a role [in the nation's pulp industry].”

Nationwide some 40 percent of Indonesia’s forest cover has been converted into plantations that feed a $26 billion a year industry. On average, 6.2 million acres — an area roughly the size of Vermont — of tropical forests disappear annually.

— Additional reporting by Muhamad Al Azhari and Josua Gantan

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