Singapore in grip of record dry spell

Woo Sian Boon Today Online 25 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE — The Republic has experienced its longest ever dry spell of 27 days over these past two months, beating the previous record of 18 days set in 2008, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.

The dry weather will probably persist into the first half of next month.

Before showers fell in some parts of the island on the weekend of Feb 8 and 9, less than 1mm of rain had fallen on any day between Jan 13 and Feb 8.

For the first three weeks of this month, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) reported that about half its 64 rainfall stations islandwide recorded rainfall totals below 10mm, well below the long-term average rainfall total of 161mm for February.

Average wind speed recorded at the Changi climate station is also the highest for the month of February in more than 25 years, at an average of 12.8kmh, compared with the long-term average of 8.8kmh.

In an advisory posted on its website on Saturday, the NEA noted that there were localised showers, mainly in the western areas, on seven days this month. Jurong Island received the highest rainfall total of 87.8 mm. “However, many parts of Singapore remain dry, particularly in the south and east,” it added.

To maintain water levels in the reservoirs, national water agency PUB last week increased the amount of NEWater it injects into the reservoirs to 30 million gallons per day (mgd). The desalination and NEWater plants are also running at close to full capacity. NEWater and desalination can meet up to 30 per cent and 25 per cent of Singapore’s water needs, respectively.

PUB Director of 3P Network George Madhavan said: “While we continue to ensure that our water needs are met ... it is important for all of us to continue to practise good water-saving habits and avoid unnecessary consumption, especially during this dry spell.”

Some water-saving tips from the PUB include cutting shower times by one minute to save nine litres of water and watering plants in the early mornings and late evenings to minimise evaporation loss.

The dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon season, which Singapore and countries in the region are experiencing, had set in earlier this year, compared with previous years. Increased rainfall can be expected with the onset of the Inter-Monsoon in the second half of next month, the NEA said.

An MSS spokesperson said: “Dry spells are not uncommon during the dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon and occur in both El Nino and non-El Nino years. While climate change increases the risks of both wetter and drier extremes, the effects vary across the region. Further studies are needed to investigate these long-term effects in Singapore.”

The NEA yesterday said in an advisory that the dry weather conditions have caused “a number of vegetation fires in Singapore over the past weeks”. “These fires could possibly have contributed to the burning smell detected in some areas,” the agency added.

Schools that TODAY spoke to said they have been reminding students to drink more water, but that Physical Education (PE) lessons have been continuing as usual.

Montfort Junior School Principal Genevieve Chye said: “We have already been telling the children to remain hydrated, to have more water breaks.”

She added that teachers have also been told to ensure students have sufficient time to rest and take regular water breaks during periods of intense activities. Likewise, Crescent Girls’ School Principal Tan Chen Kee said the school has alerted teachers in charge of PE classes and Co-Curricular Activities to monitor students’ outdoor activities.

Meanwhile, fish farmers on both the East and West Johor Straits are still cautiously monitoring the situation after the mass fish deaths that occurred at the farms about two weeks ago. While the number of dead fish has gone down in the past week, San Lay Marine Culture owner Gary Zhang noted that the neap tide will be occurring this week. Factors such as the neap tide or hot weather can lead to a plankton bloom, which can drain seawater of oxygen.

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Northeasterly wind threatens to bring haze to Malaysia, Singapore

Devianti Faridz Channel NewsAsia 25 Feb 14;

JAKARTA: Indonesian weather forecasters in central Sumatra have predicted winds blowing in the northeast direction when the dry season officially returns to Southeast Asia.

It means, if preventive steps are not taken early on, haze could worsen and spread towards Malaysia and Singapore.

Around Riau in central Sumatra, more than 6,000 hectares of oil palm plantations, community-owned sago and rubber farms have been affected by fire.

Most of them are caused by illegal slash-and-burn operations to clear land.

Forecasters said seasonal rain is expected in the middle of next month, but the dry conditions are due again by the end of May.

And given the spate of fires already this year - they warn affected locals not to take drastic action.

Aristya Ardhitama, meteorologist and forecaster of Pekanbaru Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency, said: "Sometimes when we issue a weather forecast notifying of reduced rainfall, the public takes advantage of the information and misuses it. They would then clear land when a dry spell occurs."

Large parts of Malaysia and Singapore were cloaked in haze from blazes in Sumatra last year, and environmental organisations said the Indonesian government must tackle the issue through legislative reform.

As a starting point, a bill on spatial planning, which has yet to be ratified in Parliament, would address the technical confusion of which government institution is responsible for the fires.

Muslim, a coordinator from Jikalahari, said: "For example, if it is a forest fire, authorities in the Agricultural Ministry cannot take action. Similarly when it occurs on plantations, the Forestry Ministry cannot step in. There's an SOP that gets in the way."

Given the weather conditions, deterrence is also a factor.

The Riau provincial administration has spoken directly with forestry and plantation companies to try and persuade them from practising slash-and-burn operations.

Local police have also spread leaflets to the public and spoken to village elders.

But very few individuals or companies are being punished due to lack of evidence.

Guntur Aryo Tejo, Riau Police spokesman, said: "The locations of the fires are remote and hard to access. In our investigations, we also face difficulties in collecting evidence and eyewitnesses' accounts."

Legal experts said different versions of maps and disputed lands between companies and the public also make it difficult to pinpoint who is ultimately responsible for starting the fires.

As the prospect of prolonged intense haze increases, the Home Ministry in the capital has instructed Riau's newly-inaugurated administration to take firm action.

But any decisions are still hamstrung by restrictive budgets, and issues with monitoring and law enforcement.

It means for now, the winds are bringing little change, just haze.

- CNA/de


Burning smell could be due to vegetation fires
Channel NewsAsia 24 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the current dry weather conditions have led to a number of vegetation fires in Singapore over the past few weeks.

And these fires could have contributed to the burning smell detected in some areas.

Meanwhile 18 hotspots were detected in Sumatra on Monday, and haze was visible in Riau province.

The NEA says prevailing north-easterly winds will keep the haze away from Singapore.

But it cautions that Singapore may experience the occasional slight haze due to the accumulation of particulate matter, especially in the morning.

As of 9pm, the 3-hour PSI stands at 36.


- CNA/ir

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Malaysia: Much-needed rain from mid-March

neville spykerman The Star 25 Feb 14;

PETALING JAYA: Inter-monsoon rains, which typically come after the middle of March, should bring Malaysians much-needed reprieve from the dry spell, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

“We should see a gradual increase in rainfall in the west coast of the peninsula from the third week of next month,” said department forecast director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah.

He said most states would have more showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evenings.

Muhammad Helmi stressed that the current dry spell caused by lesser rainfall was nothing abnormal and followed the end of the north-east monsoon in February.

“It’s not a heat wave or drought.

He added that higher temperatures due to less cloud cover was also normal for this time of the year.

Muhammad Helmi said the slight haze was also due to the absence of rainfall.

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Indonesia: Haze from Riau will not disperse to Singapore and Malaysia

Antara 24 Feb 14;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The haze from the Riau Province in Sumatra will not disperse to Singapore and Malaysia, although a total of 1,234 hotspots have been detected in the province, according to the local Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).

On Monday, BMKG Pekanbarus analyst, Ardhitama stated here that the smoke arising from the hotspots in the region will only pollute the air around the province.

He explained that the winds blowing in the current dry season in Riau originated from the north and the east directions and were drifting towards south, which is in the opposite direction of Singapore and Malaysia.

This morning, the Terra and Aqua satellite detected 1,234 hotspots in Riau. This number is lesser than the 1,526 hotspots detected on June 23, 2013. During that time, the smoke arising from the forest fires was dispersed by the winds to Singapore and Malaysia.

(A014/INE/H-YH)

EDITED BY INE.

Editor: Suryanto

Respiratory Illness and Flight Disruptions as Riau Haze Worsens
Jakarta Globe 24 Feb 14;

Jakarta. Some 20,000 people have reported respiratory illnesses in Riau as forest fires and the resulting haze continued to worsen on Monday, the local health agency reported.

“That is the data we’ve compiled from a number of districts and municipalities since late January to Sunday [Feb. 23],” Zainal Arifin, the head of the Riau Health Agency, said in Pekanbaru on Monday.

Last month, fewer than 5,000 people reported respiratory problems in Riau. Last week, however, the figure jumped to 15,000 before surpassing 20,000 on Sunday, the health authority reported.

“We’ve been focusing only on patients with respiratory problems because they are the focus of the Ministry of Health,” he told Indonesian news portal Bisnis Indonesia.

Zainal urged people in Riau to minimize their time outdoors, citing the poor air quality, especially in the town of Dumai and in the Pelalawan and Siak districts.

“Toddlers and people with asthma should avoid outdoor activities,” he said. “Workers should wear masks in anticipation of respiratory illnesses.”

Officials with Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru said at least 12 flights were delayed, canceled or rerouted because the haze had reduced visibility in the province.

“Between 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. [on Monday], the visibility was only 500 meters,” airport manager Baekuni said on Monday. “The minimum visibility for safe flights is at least 1,000 meters.”

Affected routes included those to and from Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Bandung, Batam, Jakarta and Medan, on flights operated by Aviastar, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Tigerair Mandala.

A Citilink flight from Jakarta, which was supposed to land at Pekanbaru airport at 7:20 a.m., was diverted to Batam.

Forests in Riau began burning again earlier this month, with officials blaming local farmers for using the slash-and-burn method to clear land.

On Monday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said 1,398 hotspots were detected across Sumatra, with most of them concentrated in Riau.

Ahmad Agus Widodo, an analyst with the Pekanbaru office of the BMKG, said Bangka-Belitung and Lampung each reported one hotspot. South Sumatra reported two, Aceh five, Jambi 24, Riau Islands 43 and North Sumatra 85.

“Most hotspots were recorded in Riau province,” Ahmad told liputan6.com. “[NASA's] Terra and Aqua satellites detected 1,234 fire hotspots across eight districts and municipalities in Riau.”

He added the figure marked a significant rise from the roughly 80 hotspots detected in Riau on Sunday.

Ahmad said that with the wind blowing toward the south, haze was spreading to the neighboring provinces of Jambi and West Sumatra.

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Costs of natural disasters in China surge to $69 billion

Kathy Chen and Stian Reklev PlanetArk 25 Feb 14;

Natural disasters including droughts, floods and earthquakes cost China 421 billion yuan ($69 bln) in 2013, official data showed on Monday, nearly double the total in the previous year.

China has always been prone to natural disasters but a changing climate is causing more extreme weather, which hits food production, threatens scarce water resources and damages energy security, according to the government.

Data released by the National Statistics Bureau showed flooding and mudslides cost China 188 billion yuan in 2013, 20 billion more than in the previous year.

Damage from droughts rose nearly fourfold to 90 billion yuan, while snowfall, freezes and ocean-related costs totalled more than 42 billion yuan.

Earthquakes, primarily one in Sichuan province in April that killed 186 people, added nearly 100 billion yuan to the costs.

"In recent years, China has seen a combination of floods and droughts simultaneously, with the rain belt moving north past the Yangtze River," Zhu Congwen, a researcher with the China Academy of Meteorological Sciences told Reuters, speaking in a personal capacity.

Northern China is seeing more droughts while typhoons are arriving earlier, wetlands drying up and sea levels rising, the government said in a report last year.

Some regions in China, such as the southern province of Yunnan, are in their third year of crippling droughts.

In August last year, an extended heatwave across six provinces in central China meant crops from 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) of farmland failed and 13 million people had no easy access to drinking water.

In the same month, record rain - in some areas the most heavy in more than 100 years - and storms killed more than 100 people and caused huge floods in the northeast and northwest.

Last year's disasters were not as bad as 2010, when record flooding killed more than 1,000 people and led to 15 million being forced from their homes.

But the trend is for an increasing impact from wild weather.

In December, the government said it was poorly prepared to tackle the impact of climate change and released a plan identifying main areas for improvement in a bid to limit damage.

Infrastructure, agriculture, water resources, coastal zones, forests and human health were listed as priorities.

China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say cause climate change, but has pledged to cut its emissions to 40-45 percent per unit of gross domestic product by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.

(Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Feb 14

Climate Change Adaptation: Aquatic Invasives and Coastal Restoration, 26-27 February 2014
from Psychedelic Nature

fish farm trash at SBWR @ 23Feb2014
from sgbeachbum

Mandai Forest Stream
from Dragonflies & Damselflies of Singapore

Dragonflies at Singapore’s Bishan Park
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Largehead Hairtail
from Monday Morgue

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LTA calls for tender to study environmental impact of Cross Island Line

Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 24 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be calling for a tender for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Cross Island Line on Monday.

The tender will study the environmental impact of the Cross Island Line on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The consultant for the EIA is expected to start working on the project by the second half of this year.

LTA said the EIA team will include experts in hydrology and geology.

The EIA will be conducted in two phases for the various alignment options of the Cross Island Line in and around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

In phase 1, the consultant will do a baseline evaluation of the existing ecosystem and the physical conditions along the proposed corridors, and assessments of the potential impact to the environment.

The EIA consultant will also propose guidelines and recommend appropriate mitigating measures to carry out soil investigation works with minimal impact to the reserve.

In phase 2, the consultant will provide an assessment of the impact that may result from the construction and operation of the project.

LTA said it has worked with nature and environmental groups to finalise the scope of the EIA for the portion of the Line around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The groups are calling for the protection of the forest area and are concerned about the possibility of the Line being built through it.

The EIA report is targeted for completion in 2016 and it will assist the government in making a considered decision on the Cross Island Line alignment.

The 50-kilometre Cross Island Line was announced in January 2013 and is slated for completion in 2030.

- CNA/nd

LTA calls tender to evaluate Cross Island Line’s impact on nature
Study will help Govt decide CRL’s alignment; consultant to suggest suitable measures to reduce impact on reserve
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 25 Feb 14;

Two possible alignments of the Cross Island Line.

SINGAPORE — To assess the potential environmental impact of the Cross Island Line (CRL), a baseline evaluation on its two possible alignments, through or around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR), will first be conducted to determine the existing eco-system and physical conditions.

The evaluation will form the first phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), for which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) called a tender yesterday to assist the Government in making a considered decision on the alignment of the 50km line.

Connectivity, travel times, costs and land-use compatibility are other factors under consideration, said the LTA.

After the first phase is concluded, the consultant will be required to provide an assessment of the impact that may result from the construction and operation of the line.

It will also need to propose guidelines and recommend appropriate mitigating measures, so activities carried out will have minimal impact on the nature reserve.

The consultant’s report, which is slated to be completed in the second quarter of 2016, may be gazetted for public disclosure.

Noting that Singapore has a long-standing commitment to environment sustainability, Senior Minister of State (Transport) Josephine Teo said an EIA of this scale is a first for rail development here.

In a Facebook post, she said: “An EIA of this scale is new for rail development and is necessary because the CCNR is special. In land-scarce Singapore, its very existence is testament to the high value placed on preserving nature even as we develop.”

The announcement of the 50km-long CRL, which will connect Jurong to Changi when it is completed in 2030, drew much consternation from nature and environment groups when it was announced in January last year.

The groups have raised concern that the alignment of the CRL, as well as the work to construct it, will have a detrimental environmental impact on the CCNR — a gazetted reserve under the Parks and Trees Act.

Members of the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and the Cicada Tree Eco-Place submitted an ecological study of the reserve to call for the forest area to be protected.

However, their proposed alternative route, which goes around the southern part of the reserve, has raised concern from some residents in the Thomson area that their homes may be affected.

The area’s Member of Parliament Hri Kumar said the chairpersons of these private estates from Yew Lian Park to Windsor Park had a meeting with the LTA late last year to express concerns about land acquisition and disruptions due to construction work, if the CRL was to be diverted close to their estates.

Mrs Teo yesterday stressed that no soil survey or other physical work would be conducted within the reserve before the consultant provides its recommendations.

Addressing concern that the EIA might lead to a delay in the construction of the line, Mrs Teo added that the LTA would be calling a tender for a study on engineering feasibility of the line along stretches outside the nature reserve.

To commence in the second half of this year, the engineering study is expected to be completed in 2016.

Said Mrs Teo: “It will be a few years before we can finalise the CRL alignment and start construction. But the intent is clear — we must press forward to develop more rail lines because mass rapid transit is, in fact, the most environmentally sustainable way to achieve high-quality mobility for Singaporeans. Equally important is care for nature as we develop.”

Mr Tony O’Dempsey, the NSS spokesperson on the issue, said the group would provide input to the EIA as technical adviser and reviewer of the study.

He added: “We look forward to a report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the total biodiversity in the project areas, as well as a realistic assessment of the potential impact on the natural environment due to soil investigation and construction activity.”

LTA to suss out new MRT line's green impact
Adrian Lim MyPaper AsiaOne 25 Feb 14;

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) called for a tender yesterday to assess the environmental impact of a future MRT line on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The findings of the report, which is targeted to be completed in 2016, will help the Government decide on the route for the 50km Cross Island Line (CRL), of which a section will be located in the vicinity of the reserve.

Tender documents show two "indicative corridors" to be studied: one passing through the gazetted reserve; and the other skirting it, along the fringe of Bukit Brown and the nature reserve. Both are expected to run underground.

Announced in January last year, the CRL will connect Jurong and Changi, and is targeted for completion by 2030.

Besides the environmental assessment, the Government will consider factors including connectivity, travel times, costs and land-use compatibility in deciding the route, LTA said.

Physical activities within the nature reserve, such as soil investigation works, will be conducted only after the appointed consultant has provided guidelines and recommendations.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said yesterday that, while environmental assessments have been conducted for major maritime projects, a study of this scale is new for rail development.

Mrs Teo added that it will be a few years before the route can be finalised and construction can begin.

Included with the tender documents issued yesterday was a 125-page report put together by an environmental working group.

The report details the rich flora and fauna in the MacRitchie zone, collated from 20 years of surveys and studies. The area is home to over 400 species of plants, more than 200 species of birds and over 170 butterfly species, among others.

Mr Subaraj Rajathurai, one of the working group's members, hopes the group's involvement will continue and that the consultants will seek its expertise when necessary.

"(The area) is a very special thing. If you go around the world...you won't find any cities with a rainforest, with original forests, right in the middle," said the director of Strix Wildlife Consultancy.

Related links
Love our MacRitchie Forest: walks, talks and petition. Also on facebook.

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Increase in complaints related to high-rise littering

Ng Lian Cheong Channel NewsAsia 23 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: The number of complaints related to high-rise littering cases has increased by 50 percent over the past four years.

Some residents at Dover Crescent said the installation of surveillance cameras there have helped improve the problem.

The area was one of the top littering hotspots last year. Others include Sims Avenue and Toa Payoh Lorong 1.

But experts said the effectiveness of cameras remains to be seen, especially in cases where faces of offenders are not captured.

Technology may be the key to catching these litterbugs.

Liak Teng Lit, chairman of Public Hygiene Council, said: "The police have been using DNA technology for more serious crimes for a long time. You can use saliva samples, for example, to identity the DNA, and any other biological fluids you can get, you can (use it to) connect to them (offenders)."

Recalcitrant litterbugs can be fined up to S$10,000 under the amended Environmental Public Health Act.

For first-time offenders, the maximum penalty has been doubled - from S$1,000 to S$2,000.

The changes to the Act were passed in Parliament earlier last week.

- CNA/xq

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Bird spotted again at Sungei Buloh after 19 years

Longest record for Whimbrel ringed at Sungei Buloh wetland reserve
Today Online 23 Feb 14;

A Whimbrel. Photo: National Parks Board

SINGAPORE — Nineteen years after it was first ringed here, a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) — a large wading bird — was spotted at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on Jan 29, marking the longest record for the repeat sighting of an individual Whimbrel species in Singapore.

The Whimbrel is believed to be about 20 years old, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in a statement today (Feb 23).

Bird ringing is the process of catching wild birds and attaching a small ring with a unique serial number around its legs. It allows researchers to, for instance, study migration patterns and the longevity of different bird species.

“Repeat sightings of the same individual can be quite rare and we are very fortunate to be able do so,” said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, Director of Conservation at NParks.

“The Whimbrel and other migratory bird species can still be seen at Sungei Buloh and visitors will be able to observe them until around late March, which is usually the end of the migratory bird season,” he said.

The Whimbrel, which has a long down-curved bill about twice the length of its head, is commonly sighted on the mudflats of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Pulau Ubin.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve started the bird ringing process in 1990 and conducts bird ringing sessions at least once a month during the annual migratory bird season from September to March.

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Malaysia: Sabah turtle conservation - 3 landowners allow eggs collection

ruben sario The Star 23 Feb 14;

KOTA KINABALU: A private turtle conservation effort on an island off the east coast of Sandakan district is getting a boost with three landowners allowing the collection of the marine creatures’ eggs from their properties.

The conservation effort initiated by the Trekkers Lodge on Pulau Libaran would see staff collecting the turtle eggs laid within the properties of islanders Amiril Sayuti, Rashid Saburi and Mohammad Ghazali.

The lodge signed a memorandum of understanding with the three landowners in Sandakan on Saturday.

Trekkers Lodge managing director Alexander Yee said their turtle conservation programme began in 2011 under the guidance of the Sabah Wildlife Department.

He said that apart from egg collection for hatching purposes, the programme on the island located about 40 minutes by speedboat from Sandakan included awareness activities for islanders and visitors alike.

Another aspect of the conservation programme was an ongoing research effort to better understand the lifecycle of turtles.

Yee said, initially, his staff could only collect the turtle eggs within the confines of the lodge’s compound.

“Many of the islanders wanted the turtle eggs for themselves for food or to make some income,” he explained.

“However, we persisted in making the 450 islanders, many of whom are fishermen, aware about the importance of conserving the turtles,” Yee added.

Landowners boost conservation efforts
The Star 24 Feb 14;

KOTA KINABALU: A private turtle conservation effort off the Sandakan coast got a much needed boost with three landowners allowing the collection of the highly sought-after eggs for conservation.

The effort was initiated by the Trekkers Lodge on Pulau Libaran, and would see staff collecting eggs laid by the green turtle as well as the hawksbill turtle on land owned by Amiril Sayuti, Rashid Saburi and Mohammad Ghazali.

The lodge signed a memorandum of understanding with the three landowners in Sandakan on Saturday.

Trekkers Lodge managing director Alexander Yee said their turtle conservation programme began in 2011 under the guidance of the Sabah Wildlife Department.

He said apart from egg collection for hatching under a protected environment, the programme on the island – located about 40 minutes by speedboat from Sandakan – included activities to instil awareness for islanders and visitors.

Another aspect of the conservation programme was ongoing research to better understand the life-cycle of turtles.

Yee said initially his staff could only collect turtle eggs within the lodge’s compound.

“Many islanders want the eggs for food or to sell them,” he explained.

“However, we persisted in making the 450 islanders, many of whom are fishermen, aware of the importance of conserving the turtles,” Yee added.

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Malaysia: 'Waiting for suitable clouds'

Balqis Nasir and Ili Liyana Mokhtar New Straits Times 24 Feb 14;

CLOUD SEEDING: Meteorological Dept will inform National Security Council when time is right

KUALA LUMPUR : INTERMITTENT rainfall over the Klang Valley is predicted to continue until next week.

Meteorological Department deputy director-general (strategy and technical) Dr Rosaidi Che Abas said the brief rainfall over certain parts of the Klang Valley on Saturday night did little to alleviate the hot and dry weather.

He said the weather was still not conducive for the cloud seeding exercise to be carried out.

"The weather is quite unpredictable, but based on what we see, there will be no suitable clouds that could be used for the cloud seeding exercise until Wednesday.

"That is why we are monitoring the situation closely to find suitable large clouds that could allow a 80 per cent success rate for the seeding exercise."

Rosaidi said the clouds which were most suitable for seeding were cumulus clouds, alternately known as the towering cumulus clouds.

These clouds, which are known as fair weather clouds, resemble puffy cotton balls or cauliflowers.

He said seeding exercises could not be conducted on clouds that naturally produced rainfall.

Dr Rosaidi said there were two types of cloud seeding -- wet and dry seeding.

In wet seeding, about 150kg of salt is mixed with 1,000 litres of water, and the containers of salt solution are carried aboard a specific aircraft. Four containers could be carried at one time.

When the plane reaches an altitude of 1,200m to 2,100m, the solution is sprayed onto the clouds.

In dry seeding, hygroscopic flares are fixed onto racks on an aircraft's wings.

When the aircraft enters the base of the clouds, the flares are lit, causing salt particles to disperse into the clouds, thus creating a chemical reaction.

Rainfall is expected within five to ten minutes of cloud-seeding, Dr Rosaidi said.

The success rate for cloud seeding in Malaysia since 1974, stood between 57 and 65 per cent where in most cases, it would rain after the exercise was carried out.

National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said cloud seeding depended on the availability of suitable clouds.

"The Meteorological Department will inform us when there are clouds that can sustain seeding operations. It is now closely monitoring the situation.

"Once the conditions are favourable, we will go ahead with the exercise as planned."

The dry spell in the country has led to water levels dipping closer to critical levels in reservoirs nationwide and the authorities have been urged to carry out cloud seeding to induce rainfall.

DRY SPELL: Supplies water
New Straits Times 24 Feb 14;

DRY TAPS: Military water tankers provide relief to thousands of residents

IT has been two weeks that the 30,000 residents of Taman Impian Ehsan, here, have been enduring dry taps.

With no fast solution to their woes in sight, hundreds of them took to the streets yesterday hoping to get some reprieve.

As they were sharing their plight with the media, three Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) water tankers were making their way to the neighbourhood to provide them with the much needed relief.

The tankers, each carrying 10,000 litres of water will be making trips there everyday until the problem is resolved.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the ATM tankers were deployed to assist Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) meet the water demand.

Syabas had since Saturday set up 12 static tanks there, each with a capacity of 1,200 litres.

Resident Paul Wong, 38, who has been residing in that area for ten years said the locals there were disappointed with the authorities which they said were not committed in addressing the problem.

"We have complained many times to so many parties but none of them were bothered.

Terpili Salim, 37, who was seen doing her laundry at one of the static tanks said the water supplied through the static tanks was not enough in meeting demand of the people in the area.

Syabas corporate communications and public affairs department assistant general manager Priscilla Alfred said the company had been sending many water tankers to the residents for their daily use since the beginning of the crisis.

"The current problem is that the supply cannot meet the demand as there are too many affected residents and the problem has stretched for so many days," she said.

Hishammuddin said ATM was giving priority to the people.

Serdang parliament rukun tertangga officer cooredinating Serdang Major (B) Abdul Rahim Mohd Amin said that Taman Impian Ehsan had been experiencing water shortage for more than 14 days, while Bandar Tun Hussein Onn was still facing water rationing.

"Yesterday, Syabas sent 12 water tanks with the capacity of 1,200 litres here, but was not enough as this neighbourhood comprises of 20 residential areas with more than 30,000 residents," Abdul Rahim said. The closure of the water treatment plants in Cheras Batu 11 and Bukit Tampoi due to the ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat was the main cause for the dry taps.

Rahim said he had earlier sought help from the National Security Council (NSC) but was told by the NSC that it could only step in if the state government declared a state of emergency.

In George Town, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said there had been no shortage in water supply and the current capacity of the three dams in the state would last until the end of March.

He said the water level at the Air Itam, Teluk Bahang and Mengkuang dams stood at 74, 90 and 50 per cent respectively and was adequate.

Lim said the supply would only be considered critical if water at the dams dropped to 40 per cent.

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Malaysia: Tests conducted on 800 wild animals reveal shocking results

zora chan The Star 24 Feb 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven new viruses have been discovered in about 800 animals sampled in Malaysian forests last year.

EcoHealth Alliance Malaysia project coordinator Tom Hughes said the viruses were found in many animals tested in the peninsula.

However, he declined to name the animal species that carried these viruses until further tests were carried out to determine whether they could be dangerous to others.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. We started our work with Malaysian authorities since 2005 with labs located at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan), Cheras and the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh.”

“The lab in Sabah started operations in Penampang in October last year,” he said.

He said the research findings would be made public once they are ready.

The alliance in Malaysia would be working closely with its global counterparts to see whether these viruses existed in other animals elsewhere, he said.

On Friday, Hughes gave a talk about research on zoonoses (infectious diseases that are transmitted between species including from animals to human).

US ambassador to Malaysia, Joseph Yun hosted the talk at his residence. The talk was aimed at raising awareness on Sabah’s conservation efforts.

Sabah Wildlife Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said researchers recently found that the altering landscape in Sabah had also changed wildlife behaviour such as those of the orang utan.

“Orang utans are arboreal animals but now they are spending more time on the ground. If they spend more time on the ground, they are at more risks of being hunted by human beings and clouded leopards.

“Orang utans are also susceptible to soil-borne diseases and their immune system are not ready to deal with organisms that are found in the ground,” he said.

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