Malaysia: Heavy rain from March 21 - Meteorological Department

ALIZA SHAH AND BALQIS NASIR New Straits Times 6 Mar 14;

EQUINOX EVENT: Inter-monsoon will cause huge change in weather patterns

KUALA LUMPUR: THE Meteorological Department forecasts heavy rain from March 21.

Its commercial and corporate services division director, Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, said the inter-monsoon season would cause immense change in weather patterns.

Weather patterns, he said, were highly influenced by the position of the sun, especially during the inter-monsoon, where the sun was closer to the equator.

He said this phenomena, known as the equinox, would cause the atmosphere to be unstable and active.

"Presently, the sun is located in the southern hemisphere, causing more weather changes and rain there," he said, adding that this biannual phenomena occurred in March and September.

The inter-monsoon season, which was expected to end in April, would produce between 200 and 300 millimetres of rain water per month.

Hisham said no heavy rain was expected until the end of this week and there would only be isolated showers nationwide.

He added that cloud seeding would be postponed till next week since the clouds as wind patterns were unsuitable.

"Strong winds up to 20 knots are expected to continue until the end of this week. This situation is not favourable for cloud seeding, in addition to the cloudless situation."

Drainage and Irrigation Department's Water Resources and Hydrology division director Datuk Hanapi Mohamad Noor confirmed that the amount of rainwater was sufficient to improve water levels at dams to normal.

He said as long as the amount of rainwater was above 200mm, it would enable the dams to supply sufficient water and resolve the water crisis.

Water rationing in Selangor following the dry spell started on Feb 27, affecting more than 60,000 people in 71 areas in Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang.

The disruption was said to be triggered by the closure of the Cheras Batu 11 and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants due to ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat since Jan 28.

The second phase of a month-long water rationing started on March 2 affected some 2.2 million users in the Klang Valley.

The rationing was to reduce the release of water to 200 million litres per day in Sungai Selangor dam, and 30 million litres per day from the dam in Klang Gates, which saw water supply cuts on two-day intervals in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor districts.

In Kluang, water scheduling was applied after the water level at the Sembrong Timur Water Treatment Plant plunged below average levels.

The water scheduling was introduced on Feb 18 and is expected to last until March 31.

Second cloud seeding fails to improve water levels in dams
New Straits Times 6 Mar 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: The second cloud seeding carried out on Tuesday did little to improve water levels at critical dams in the Klang Valley.

Drainage and Irrigation Department's Water Resources and Hydrology division director Datuk Hanapi Mohamad Noor said only Tasik Subang dam showed a slight increase of 0.02m while the other dams recorded a slight drop in their water levels.

"There was no major increase in water levels at the dams in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur since the cloud seeding focused only on the southern part of the peninsula," he said.

Hanapi said even though another five dams -- Klang Gates, Sungai Selangor, Semenyih, Batu and Langat -- recorded a slight drop in water levels, it was not as significant as what had happened during the critical dry spell in last month.

He said the decrease was primarily because of the demand for water had surpassed the amount of collected rainwater in the catchment areas.

The second round of cloud seeding was conducted in parts of Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Klang Gates in Hulu Klang.

The operation, which began at 3.40pm, took an hour covering Alor Gajah and Durian Tunggal in Malacca, which then concentrated on Tampin, Rembau, Seremban and Semenyih in Negri Sembilan, followed by the Klang Gates Dam in Hulu Kelang.

However, it was successful only in Seremban where the rain lasted for more than one hour.

Two-and-a-half tanks of salt solution were used in Malacca and Negri Sembilan while 11/2 tanks were used in Hulu Kelang.

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Malaysia: Surging appetite for wild fish

M. HAMZAH JAMALUDIN New Straits Times 6 Mar 14;

INDULGENCE: Food lovers willing to pay big money for exotic freshwater fish

KUANTAN: FOOD lovers are being cautioned that their demand for exotic freshwater fish dishes may encourage local fishermen and outsiders to catch prized species at prohibited areas, such as wildlife reserves or Taman Negara.

It has been reported that exotic food enthusiasts were willing to pay thousands of ringgit to enjoy several types of fish, such as kelah, temoleh and patin buah.

Although patin buah or silver catfish can be bought from fish breeders along Sungai Pahang, the wild ones are more sought after and can fetch RM60 per kg, while the cooked fare could sell between RM200 and RM300 per fish.

As for kelah and temoleh, each fish can reach up to RM1,000, depending on the size.

The two species are mostly found in Sungai Pahang tributaries in Jerantut with their sanctuaries being protected in Taman Negara and other streams that have been gazetted as red zones.

Apart from the upstream of Sungai Tembeling, the latest kelah red zones that have been gazetted by the Pahang Fisheries Department are Sungai Sepia and Sungai Gembir in Jerantut. Within the red zone, the public is only allowed to catch the species using a fishing rod, while other methods, such as casting a net, is forbidden.

However, those who want to catch the kelah in the red zone will have to pay a fee and be supervised by Fisheries Department staff.

A department spokesman said only temoleh (Probarbus jullieni) was under a special protection programme in Pahang and the public was not allowed to catch them from February to April.

Temoleh, known as tamalian in Pahang, is a highly prized fish served at a handful of restaurants in Temerloh and Jerantut.

Although kelah was not a protected species, the spokesman reminded the public that they were prohibited from catching them at Taman Negara and other kelah sanctuaries.

Read more: Surging appetite for wild fish - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/surging-appetite-for-wild-fish-1.499023#ixzz2v9GwaoPm

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Malaysia: Joint strategy to blow poachers away

ruben sario The Star 6 Mar 14;

KOTA KINABALU: State authorities are banding together to combat poaching amid evidence that illegal hunters are using explosives to kill wildlife in protected areas.

Describing the problem as a “scourge”, Sabah Wildlife Depart­ment director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said a five-year state-wide anti-poaching and trade strategy was being finalised to enable the authorities to pool resources in combating illegal hunting.

“We will be discussing this when we meet with the other custodians of protected areas and forest reserves, including the Forestry Department, Sabah Parks and Yayasan Sabah,” he said.

He said Sabah’s wildlife faced multiple threats, including habitat loss and overhunting, which resulted in a sharp decline in numbers across Borneo and a huge “shrinkage” in distribution.

“Wildlife is severely hunted, poisoned and now killed by explosives in our protected areas.

“Sabah should not be a place where such barbaric activities threaten its wildlife. We should act now if we want this to stop,” added Ambu.

The latest incident involved a female bearded wild boar found dead in a forest corridor of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on March 2, according to Danau Girang Field Centre director Dr Benoit Goossens.

“The animal had clearly been killed by an explosive device commonly used by poachers and referred to as boom babi,” he said.

The wild boar was found in the middle of the corridor, which is located less than 100m from an oil palm plantation and only 700m from the field centre.

“One of my students, working on wild boar landscape ecology, found it while surveying the area.

“The belacan-laced explosive device would have been planted inside a food substance and hidden in the soil in order to target and kill a feeding boar,” added Dr Goos­sens.

He said the incident was reported immediately to the Kinabatangan district wildlife officer.

Department senior officer Jimli Perijin said the use of explosives was not only a vicious way of killing an animal but would be hazardous to anyone consuming its meat.

“There might be residual toxic chemicals in the meat,” added Perijin.

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Indonesian Council of Ulema Issues Fatwa to Protect Wildlife

AFP and Jakarta Globe 5 Mar 14;

Jakarta. Indonesia’s top Islamic clerical body has issued a fatwa, or decree, against the illegal hunting and trade in endangered animals in the country, a move wildlife protection activists have hailed as a world first.

The fatwa by the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) declares poaching and wildlife trafficking “unethical, immoral and sinful,” Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, secretary of the council’s commission on fatwas, said as quoted by AFP.

“All activities resulting in wildlife extinction without justifiable religious grounds or legal provisions are haram [forbidden in Islam]. These include illegal hunting and trading of endangered animals,” he said. “Whoever takes away a life, kills a generation. This is not restricted to humans, but also includes God’s other living creatures, especially if they die in vain.”

The country of 250 million people has the world’s biggest Muslim population, but it remains unclear whether the fatwa — which is not legally binding and serves more as a guideline — would have any practical impact.

Indonesia’s vast and unique array of wildlife is under increasing pressure from development, logging and agricultural expansion.

The government does not typically react to fatwas by implementing specific policy changes.

However, a Forestry Ministry official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP the ministry and the religious council would make a joint announcement regarding the fatwa next Wednesday, without elaborating on its content.

The World Wide Fund for Nature called the fatwa the first of its kind in the world, and said the use of religion for wildlife protection “is a positive step forward.”

“It provides a spiritual aspect and raises moral awareness which will help us in our work to protect and save the remaining wildlife in the country such as the critically endangered tigers and rhinos,” WWF Indonesia communications director Nyoman Iswara Yoga said.

The fatwa was the result of months of dialogue between government officials, conservationists and other stakeholders, Asrorun said.

Acknowledging it was not legally binding, Asrorun said in English: “It’s a divine binding.”

He said the fatwa was effective from Jan. 22. It was only made public late on Tuesday.

The fatwa urges the government to effectively monitor ecological protection, review permits issued to companies accused of harming the environment, and bring illegal loggers and wildlife traffickers to justice.

The clearing, often illegally, of Indonesia’s once-rich forests for timber extraction or to make way for oil palm or other plantations poses a severe threat to critically endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger, orangutan and elephant. Poachers also target wild elephants for their tusks.

Under Indonesian law, trafficking in protected animals can result in a maximum of five years in jail and Rp 100 million ($8,700) in fines.

Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) wild animal protection coordinator Femke den Haas said the fatwa was unexpected, but she welcomed the positive impact it could bring in efforts to protect Indonesia’s wildlife.

“It can’t do any harm. People often ignored government regulations, but for religious beliefs they do listen, so it could work,” she told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

She said that in a deeply religious country like Indonesia, involving clergy in the campaign to protect the indigenous wildlife could prove significant.

However, she noted that religious reasons were also often cited as a justification for killing animals.

“Religion has a very strong influence here, but sometimes because of religion people feel like they have the right to kill the animals even though the government says it is prohibited,” Den Haas said. “No matter what your religion or background is, you should follow the national regulations. Killing endangered species is prohibited by the 1990 Natural Resources Conservation Law.”


Indonesian clerics issue fatwa to protect wildlife
(AFP) Google News 5 Mar 14;

Jakarta — Indonesia's top Islamic clerical body has issued a religious fatwa against the illegal hunting and trade in endangered animals in the country, which the WWF hailed on Wednesday as the world's first.

The fatwa by the Indonesian Ulema Council declares such activities "unethical, immoral and sinful", council official Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh told AFP.

"All activities resulting in wildlife extinction without justifiable religious grounds or legal provisions are haram (forbidden). These include illegal hunting and trading of endangered animals," said Sholeh, secretary of the council's commission on fatwas.

"Whoever takes away a life, kills a generation. This is not restricted to humans, but also includes God's other living creatures, especially if they die in vain."

The country of 250 million people is the world's most populous Muslim nation, but it remained unclear whether the fatwa would have any practical impact.

Indonesia's vast and unique array of wildlife is under increasing pressure from development, logging and agricultural expansion.

The government does not typically react to fatwas by implementing specific policy changes.

However, a Forestry Ministry official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP the ministry and the religious council would make a joint announcement regarding the fatwa on March 12, without elaborating on its content.

The WWF called the fatwa the first of its kind in the world, and said the use of religion for wildlife protection "is a positive step forward."

"It provides a spiritual aspect and raises moral awareness which will help us in our work to protect and save the remaining wildlife in the country such as the critically endangered tigers and rhinos," WWF Indonesia communications director Nyoman Iswara Yoga said.

The fatwa was the result of months of dialogue between government officials, conservationists and other stakeholders, said Sholeh, the fatwa commission official.

Acknowledging it was not legally binding, Sholeh said in English: "It's a divine binding."

He said the fatwa was effective from January 22. It was only made public late Tuesday.

The fatwa urges the government to effectively monitor ecological protection, review permits issued to companies accused of harming the environment, and bring illegal loggers and wildlife traffickers to justice.

The clearing, often illegally, of Indonesia's once-rich forests for timber extraction or to make way for oil palm or other plantations poses a severe threat to critically endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger, orangutan, and Sumatran elephant.

Poachers also target wild elephants for their ivory tusks, for use in traditional Chinese medicines.

Under Indonesian law, trafficking in protected animals can result in a maximum of five years in jail and 100 million rupiah ($8,700) fine.

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Haze Return Amid Drought Stokes Concern of Repeat Choking

Sharon Chen, Jasmine Ng and Chong Pooi Koon Bloomberg News 6 Mar 14;

Putra Mosque, left, and the Malaysian Prime Minister's office, right, are shrouded by... Read More

Forest fires brought on by drought in Malaysia and Indonesia fouled air quality to unhealthy levels in parts of Southeast Asia, stoking concerns of a repeat of the haze that engulfed the region in June.

Malaysia’s air pollutant index climbed as high as 137 in Port Klang on March 3, with parts of Kuala Lumpur and the states of Selangor and Negri Sembilan recording levels above 100, classified as unhealthy. In Singapore, which had the driest month in February since records began in 1869, the pollution index on March 4 reached 56, considered moderate. The reading in Indonesia’s Riau province city of Dumai topped 700 the same day, the Jakarta Post reported.

The region has been plagued for decades by periodic smog caused by ash drifting from Sumatra, with regular disputes over responsibility. Lawmakers in Singapore, which suffered its worst pollution on record in June, raised concerns in Parliament yesterday on the region’s progress in tackling the haze issue, while Malaysia started cloud-seeding to induce rain.

Southeast Asians “want their local governments or their central government to move ahead and start negotiating rather than after the fact,” said Vishnu Varathan, an economist at Mizuho Bank Ltd. in Singapore. “Their point being, we’ve watched this movie before, so spare me the car chase and let’s get to the punchline.”
Joint Efforts

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations approved a joint haze monitoring system in October to identify fires such as those in Indonesia that led to hazardous pollution levels in Singapore and Malaysia last year. The system involves sharing digitized land-use maps and concession maps of fire-prone areas that cause haze, according to a Singapore government statement at the time.

“Progress on this front has not been rapid,” Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said about the haze monitoring system accord in Parliament yesterday. “We have not yet been able to implement the HMS, even though the system is ready, because the other parties have yet to agree to do so.”

Parties representing almost two-thirds of Indonesia’s parliament have agreed to ratify a Southeast Asian treaty on haze pollution, Channel NewsAsia reported March 3. Two parties opposed it, citing concerns that allowing firefighters from other countries would violate Indonesia’s sovereignty, according to the report.

A draft bill on ratification will likely be tabled in parliament after the general election on April 9, the Jakarta Post reported on March 4.
Mask Stockpiles

This week’s haze prompted Yee Jenn Jong, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, to query Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, the Ministry of Health’s parliamentary secretary, about Singapore’s readiness to protect its people from the haze.

Ibrahim said retailers have about 280,000 N95 masks in their inventory and there’s a national stockpile of 16 million of the masks made by 3M Co. (MMM)

Mask stockpiles have increased after Singapore’s Pollutant Standards Index jumped to a record last year. The PSI reached 401 on June 21, a level deemed hazardous where outdoor activity should be avoided, according to the National Environment Agency.

The dry season started early on the island of Sumatra, and there was no rain in Riau in January and February, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said on March 4. Parts of the Riau province, Indonesia’s main palm-oil growing area, may get some relief with light showers today and tomorrow, the agency said yesterday. The dry season is expected to increase to cover more than a quarter of the archipelago by next month, with a weak El Nino effect to determine how long it will last, the agency said.
Water Rationing

Cloud-seeding in Malaysia will continue until mid-March, when “the weather pattern will change to inter-monsoon season and we should have natural rain in the country,” Azhar Ishak, director of the Meteorological Department’s atmospheric science and cloud-seeding division, said in an interview yesterday.

Areas around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, started water rationing last month. Singapore, which had a record 27 days without rain from Jan. 13, expects the dry weather to persist through the first half of March. In Riau, officials declared a state of emergency on Feb. 25 through March 12 because of smoke from the forest fires.

In Malaysia, the government is preparing funding to help Selangor state nationalize water assets in the region surrounding the capital. Water rationing, which began in parts of Selangor this week after the drought drained reservoirs, will extend to 431,617 households, the Star reported on its website, citing Malaysia’s water services commission.
Northeast Monsoon

Malaysia supplies water to Singapore, which consumes about 480 million U.S. gallons a day. The nation gets its water from the Malaysian state of Johor and draws on local reservoirs, its water-recycling and desalination plants, according to the national water agency.

Southeast Asia is under the influence of the Northeast Monsoon, which brings dry and stable air from the South China Sea and lessens the likelihood of rainfall, according to Winston Chow, an assistant professor of geography at the National University of Singapore.

The dry spell “should end within the next couple of weeks, and we will transition to the inter-monsoon period probably mid-to late March,” Chow said via e-mail.

The challenge for Malaysia and Indonesia is to enforce a ban on using fire to clear plantations. While a push to get the biggest plantation owners to implement no-burn policies has started to take effect, the efforts have been thwarted by owners of small plantations ignoring the law.
Firefighters

Sinar Mas Group, APRIL and First Resources Ltd. (FR) are among companies that are affiliated to or are buyers linked to plantation concessions with fires, according to a March 3 report by World Resources Institute, a non-governmental organization, citing fire NASA satellite data from the previous two weeks. Pulpwood plantations had the most number of fire alerts, while more than half of the fires were burning on land managed by oil palm, timber, and logging companies, it said.

APRIL pledged 600 firefighters, three helicopters and 30 water pumps to help the Indonesian government combat blazes, according to an e-mailed statement on March 4.

APRIL, which said it imposes a strict ban on burning to protect its plantations, also introduced an online service to track forest fires in its Sumatra plantations this week. The company said fires ignited in adjacent forests occasionally spread to APRIL land.
Harsh Punishments

Plantation companies are “no longer doing that, because the consequences are very harsh punishments,” Fadhil Hasan, executive director of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, told reporters at a conference in Kuala Lumpur on March 4, referring to burning. “Even if it happens with smallholders, it’s hard to tell where it’s originally started. It’s possible it started from outside the farm then spread into the plantation.”

Malaysia and Indonesia account for 86 percent of palm oil output, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Palm oil, the world’s most-used edible oil, posted its biggest monthly advance since October last month, gaining 10.7 percent. Futures rose 1.5 percent to 2,831 ringgit ($866) a metric ton yesterday, the highest since September 2012.

“The national sport then was PSI watching,” said Varathan, referring to the record haze levels in Singapore last year. “We’re more acutely conscious of the fact that air quality can deteriorate quite quickly and at one stage it was quite alarming.”

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San Francisco moves closer to banning plastic water bottles

Laila Kearney PlanetArk 6 Mar 14;

San Francisco moved to restrict the sale of plastic water bottles on city property on Tuesday, the first such action by a major U.S. municipality and the latest in a string of waste-reduction measures that included a ban on plastic grocery bags.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to begin phasing out the sale and distribution of water in single-use plastic bottles on city-owned or leased land next fall, and to ban future water bottle purchases with city funds.

"There are incredible, enormous environmental costs of plastic water bottles," said Supervisor David Chiu, who introduced the measure. "It takes 1,000 years for a typical plastic water bottle to biodegrade."

Numerous cities in California and other states, including Maui County and a number of Hawaiian municipalities, have made it illegal for grocery stores to pack consumer purchases in plastic bags, and a bill recently introduced in the state legislature would extend such bans statewide.

San Francisco appears to be the first to try to steer consumers away from using disposable water bottles, which environmentalists say fill landfills and wash out to sea as trash just as grocery bags do.

Chiu, who proposed the measure, said bottled water restrictions would fall in line with a string of actions, including the plastic bag ban in 2007 and aggressive citywide recycling campaigns.

Manufacturing, selling and transporting single-use water bottles also leads to excess reliance on fossil fuels, Chiu said.

"In San Francisco, we've been leading the way in fighting for our environment," Chiu said. The city accounts for tens of millions of water bottles that wind up in landfills, recycling centers or in the ocean each year, he said.

Some sellers of the water bottles have moved to reduce the amount of plastic used, but opponents of their use say that is not enough.

If the ordinance wins approval on a second reading next week and is signed by Mayor Ed Lee, then starting in October, city funds could not be used to purchase bottled water and the packaged beverage would be banned from all indoor events held on public property.

By October 2016, the ban would apply to most outdoor events as well as to food trucks and other mobile vendors selling beverages on city streets.

Non-profit sponsors of events that attract more than 250,000 attendees, including the city's famous gay pride parade, would be allowed to sell and distribute bottled water until January 2018. Afterwards, organizers could apply with the city to be granted an exception and sell bottled water at their functions.

Certain athletic events on city property and the San Francisco International Airport would also be excluded from the ban.

Critics of the measure, including the bottled water industry, say it would make it difficult for people to choose water as a healthy option if they are thirsty at a public event - particularly if sodas or other drinks are still being sold.

"If people are at an event and they don't have a reusable container in front of them, they're going to look for a packaged beverage," said Christopher Hogan, a spokesman for the International Bottled Water Association who said he knows of no other city to enact such a ban.

"It really reduces people's opportunity to choose the healthiest packaged beverage, which is bottled water," he said.

But Chiu said the city would counter that by making it easier for people refill bottles that they bring from home.

"In contrast, people could just take a refillable water bottle, put it under a tap and fill it up," Chiu said.

The measure will be sent to Lee's desk for final approval after a second procedural vote next week. Lee cannot veto an ordinance if it is twice approved unanimously, city officials said.

(Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Lisa Shumaker)

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Extreme weather is 'silver lining' for climate action: Christiana Figueres

UN climate chief says flooding and heatwaves have raised the issue of climate change to the highest political level
Adam Vaughan and John Vidal theguardian.com 5 Mar 14;

Devastating extreme weather including recent flooding in England, Australia's hottest year on record and the US being hit by a polar vortex have a "silver lining" of boosting climate change to the highest level of politics and reminding politicians that climate change is not a partisan issue, according to the UN's climate chief.

Christiana Figueres said that it was amoral for people to look at climate change from a politically partisan perspective, because of its impact on future generations.

The "very strange" weather experienced across the world over the last two years was a sign "we are [already] experiencing climate change," the executive secretary of the UN climate secretariat told the Guardian.

The flooding of thousands of homes in England because of the wettest winter on record has brought climate change to the forefront of political debate in the UK. The prime minister, David Cameron, when challenged by Labour leader, Ed Miliband, on his views on man-made climate change and having climate change sceptics in his cabinet, said last week: "I believe man-made climate change is one of the most serious threats that this country and this world faces."

Climate change was barely mentioned at all in the 2012 US election battle until superstorm Sandy struck New York, prompting the city's then mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to endorse Barack Obama's candidacy because he would "lead on climate change."

Figueres said: "There's no doubt that these events, that I call experiential evidence of climate change, does raise the issue to the highest political levels. It's unfortunate that we have to have these weather events, but there is a silver lining if you wish, that they remind us is solving climate change, addressing climate change in a timely way, is not a partisan issue."

She added: "We are reminded that climate change events are for everyone, they're affecting everyone, they have much, much longer effects than a political cycle. Frankly, they're intergenerational, so morally we cannot afford to look at climate change from a partisan perspective."

Figueres said that examples of recent extreme weather around the world were a sign climate change was here now. "If you take them individually you can say maybe it's a fluke. The problem is it's not a fluke and you can't take them individually. What it's doing is giving us a pattern of abnormality that's becoming the norm. These very strange extreme weather events are going to continue in their frequency and their severity … It's not that climate change is going to be here in the future, we are experiencing climate change."

Figueres was speaking in London before meeting businesses including Unilever, Lafarge and Royal Dutch Shell to urge them to put pressure on governments to take action on climate change, ahead of renewed international negotiations in Bonn next week to flesh out details of a draft climate treaty to be laid out in Lima this year and agreed in Paris at the end of 2015.

"2014 is a crucial year because of the timing of next year, [in 2015] there will be very little time work on the actual agreement. We have to frontload the work," she said.

Peru's foreign minister told the Guardian in January that the Lima meeting in December must produce a first draft of a deal to cut carbon emissions, which will be the first of its kind after efforts to get legally binding agreement for cuts from most of the world's countries failed at a blockbuster meeting in Copenhagen in 2009.

Asked if a bad deal was better than no deal next year, she said: "Paris has to reach a meaningful agreement because, frankly, we are running out of time."

But she dismissed parallels with the run-up to the Copenhagen summit, saying the frequency of extreme weather events, lower renewable energy costs and progress on climate legislation at a national level meant it was different this time round.

"I hope that we don't need too many more Sandys or Haiyans or fires in Australia or floods in the UK to wake us up. My sense is there is already much momentum. We have 66 governments that have climate legislation, we have a total of 500 laws around the world on climate, whereas before Copenhagen we only had 47."

But the grouping of the world's 47 "least developed" countries said this week that they would want far more money to adapt their economies to climate change than the $100bn a year that been so far proposed by rich countries.

"We will want more than the $100bn to agree to a new Paris protocol," said Quamrul Choudhury, a lead negotiator for the group which includes many African and Asian countries. "On top of that we will want a legal mechanism to compensate for 'loss and damage' [compensation for extreme climate change events]. There should definitely be some space in the [final] treaty for that," he said in London.

He called on rich countries to compromise. "The battle lines are drawn. Everyone wants to defend their country and nobody will give an inch, but everyone has to make some sacrifice or we won't have a deal. We need high-level political commitment to raise ambition."

Choudhury, who is also Bangladesh's climate envoy to the United Nations, met British climate negotiators ahead of the Bonn talks. "I am optimistic that the world can avoid another diplomatic disaster like Copenhagen in 2009. There have been major changes since then. In 2008-09 we knew it would be very expensive to reduce emissions. Now we know it does not cost very much. It's not expensive, not a Herculean task. Countries like the UK know they can reduce emissions by 65% without it costing very much at all.

"But even if we have an ambitious mitigation target [to cut emissions] adaptation must be the cornerstone of a new treaty. This is not a zero-sum game. If we treat it like that there will be no Paris protocol," he said.

Figueres later agreed that the $100m proposed in 2009 as compensation for poor countries would not be enough for them to build defences and adapt their economies. "It was a figure plucked from a hat … $100bn is not enough [to meet] the mitigation and not at all for the adaptation costs. The International Energy Agency has suggested it may cost $1 trillion over 25 years just for adaptation. $100bn is a freckle on the map of what needs to be invested."

A major UN climate science panel report to be published at the end of this month will spell out the impacts of climate change on humanity and the natural world. Leaked versions of the report say agricultural production will decline by up to 2% every decade for the rest of the 21st century.

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Sydney Opera House and Statue of Liberty 'will be lost to sea level rise'

Nearly one-fifth of world cultural heritage sites would be affected by global warming of a further 3C, scientists warn
Adam Vaughan theguardian.com 5 Mar 14;

Famous global landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Tower of London and Sydney Opera House will be lost to rising seas caused by climate change, scientists have warned.

Even with just a further 3C of warming – well within the range to which the UN climate science panel expects temperatures to rise by the end of the century – nearly one-fifth of the planet's 720 world heritage sites will affected as ice sheets melt and warming oceans expand.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, looked at how many Unesco sites would be threatened after 2000 years of rising sea levels, but the authors said the first impacts would "definitely" be felt much sooner without action on flood defences.

"It's relatively safe to say that we will see the first impacts at these sites in the 21st century," lead author Prof Ben Marzeion, of the University of Innsbruck in Austria, told the Guardian. "Typically when people talk about climate change it's about the economic or environmental consequences, how much it's going to cost. We wanted to take a look at the cultural implications."

Marzeion said that in Europe, particularly vulnerable sites included the leaning tower of Pisa, which is not directly on the coast but would be affected by sea level rises as a result of even a low temperature increase because it is very low-lying. He also cited Venice, which "in a sense you can say is being impacted right now" and Hanseatic League cities including Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen in Germany.

Other sites that would be affected by rising waters include Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace, as well as the city centres of Bruges in Belgium, Naples in Italy and St Petersburg in Russia, the study says. South-east Asia will have the highest number of people affected by sea level rises, partly because of low-lying, densely populated cities, but also because sea level rises will be the most extreme there.

The UN's climate science panel, the IPCC, said in a landmark report last September that it expects sea level rises of 26-82cm by 2100 although there is no scientific consensus on high rises. There are concerns among some scientists that the IPCC is underestimating sea level rises, with one recent study suggesting global sea levels could rise by as much as 0.7-1.2m by 2100, and 2-3m by 2300.

Marzeion said that by looking at sea level rises over such a long timespan – 2000 years – such short-term uncertainties would be smoothed out. His co-author, Anders Levermann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said: "After 2000 years, the oceans would have reached a new equilibrium state and we can compute the ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica from physical models. At the same time, we consider 2000 years a short enough time to be of relevance for the cultural heritage we cherish."

The threat to cultural sites from the sea is likely to be underestimated, the study admits, as it does not take into account temporary rises in sea levels caused by storm surges such as those that battered the east coast of the UK last December. "Essentially those are uncertainties that we cannot quantify, so we made sure we are on the conservative side of the estimates," Marzeion said.

He said the impact on cultural sites brings "an additional dimension" to discussion on climate change, but he does not expect the paper to win over climate change sceptics. "I'm not overly optimistic that culture means more interest in the subject. It's hard to convince people it's a problem if they're not convinced. There appears to be a strong divide between people who feel it is a problem and people who don't."

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 5 Mar 14

Lady Yuen Peng McNeice Grad Fellowship for Biodiversity research in SE Asia from biodiversityconnections

Javan Mynas with yellow collars
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Singapore’s giant clams in the National Museum of Ireland!
from Neo Mei Lin

"Spiders of Brunei Darussalam" - a great book for Singaporeans too! from wild shores of singapore

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Clear game rules needed to stop hazy deals

Mallika Naguran Today Online 5 Mar 14;

Singapore is tackling the haze blame game by introducing a penalty card — fine or jail sentence for errant companies that have been found to be directly or indirectly responsible for causing haze in the country.

The proposed Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill is intended to mitigate the year-after-year haze issue that enshrouds Singapore, causing immense healthcare, environmental and business-related costs.

The Bill, while timely and well-intended, fulfils only one end of the goal-keeping. A game can be played fairly and without dispute only if there are clear governing rules in the first place. No such rules exist for agriculture-based firms profiteering from stripping forests bare or burning existing plantations to make way for new ones.

Forests are home to at least 70 per cent of all land-based plants and animals, providing essential ecological benefits for human health, agricultural productivity and climate buffers. Forests help maintain soil fertility, protect watersheds and reduce the risk of natural disasters, such as floods and landslides, by regulating water supply and reducing soil erosion.

Protecting such a valuable natural resource should thus be a requirement that is worked into business regulations of agriculture-related firms registered in Singapore. Such companies, be they producers, traders or lenders, should demonstrate compliance with an international standard for sustainability, with strict environmental protection.

PRESSURE VIA THE RIGHT CHANNELS

Knowing what rules to apply can come only with the understanding of the kind of players involved and their relationship dynamics. A resource trade cycle analysis model developed by Foundation Aidenvironment in the Netherlands sheds light on this community and links between the borderless demand, supply, production and consumption of natural-resource-based products. This includes the palm-oil industry, the main sector blamed for causing the haze.

Policy leverage is important arising from sustainability-driving forces such as governmental laws, non-governmental organisation (NGO) activism, the EU Renewable Energy Directive (which governs palm-oil sustainability in biofuel trade) and intergovernmental organisations such as the International Finance Corporation.

This sphere of influence towards sustainable palm-oil production should be extended to key players involved in capital flows (such as bankers and investors) as they grease the product flow particularly between traders, plantation owners, palm-oil producers and goods manufacturers.

Financial institutions, accountable for providing liquidity in upstream and downstream ventures of agriculture-based trade, can use their leverage to prevent deforestation and forest degradation. Banks can do this with strict engagement and investment policies for the agricultural sector (including forestry) and related trading companies, covering environmental impact, labour rights and human rights. The WWF’s Palm Oil Financing Handbook is a good reference for fund, investment and credit-risk managers.

Sustainability frameworks that are in place include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for forest management and tree-plantation operations, FSC Chain of Custody certification for entire wood product and processing chain, and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. However, RSPO, being a voluntary and non-binding scheme, has revealed loopholes and limitations and, as such, must not be accepted as the ultimate green certification.

Clear regulations must exist on not siting investments in protected areas, High Carbon Stock Forests and areas with high conservation value. Along with that, respecting (land) rights of local communities and indigenous peoples is crucial. Whatever certification is chosen, an initial independent assessment of socio-environmental impact should be done to include the macro-impact of new plantations located in regions with existing ones. The Singapore Government could request for yearly compliance audit reports.

The sphere of influence causes ripple effects too. NGO activism recently pressured Kelloggs to impose stricter requirements on its suppliers to protect forests and peatlands, as well as respect community rights. Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm-oil trader and RSPO-certified member, was pressured by its buyer Kelloggs and has tightened its sustainability policies within its supply chain, for example, for oil palm planters and producers in Indonesia.

PLAYING BY THE RULES

A Greenpeace study in the Netherlands in 1999 revealed that many plantation companies that were clients of Dutch commercial banks were involved in social and environmental issues in Indonesia. The study showed that financiers were able to influence their clients’ environmental policies, but lacked internal policies to do so. Under NGO pressure in 2002, all Dutch banks signed a simple statement of intent to declare that no financial services would be made available to errant plantation firms that were involved in illegal activities, deforestation, open burning or social conflicts.

A Friends of the Earth study in 2006, however, found that Dutch banks performed poorly in implementing such policies. Commercial banks then funded BankTrack, an independent NGO, to focus on banks’ compliance with Equator Principles — a risk management framework for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risks in projects.

The Singapore Government could likewise facilitate the setting up of a similar non-governmental watchdog here, with the support of the financial industry. Its role would be to support and monitor agri-businesses’ documentation of licences, land-concession maps, supply-chain partner lists, sustainability certifications and audits.

In tackling the haze issue, strengthening the law is one aspect of ensuring responsible behaviour by companies. A more critical element is to govern product and capital flows, so agriculture-related businesses will play according to the rules.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mallika Naguran is a university researcher on sustainability and the founder of Gaia Discovery

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The driest month since 1869 for Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: The prolonged dry weather affecting Singapore since mid-January 2014 has set a new record for the driest month since 1869.

At the Changi climate station, the rainfall total recorded in February 2014 was 0.2mm, breaking the previous record low of 6.3 mm in February 2010.

During the month, there were only seven days of short showers that occurred between February 7 and 19, mainly in the western parts of Singapore.

The total rainfall across 64 rainfall stations ranged from 45 per cent to 100 per cent below the long-term average of 161.0mm for February -- about half of the stations, mostly in the southern and eastern areas, recorded monthly rainfall totals below 10.0mm.

Besides being the driest month ever, February was also the most windy month in the last 30 years.

An average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/h was recorded in February.

At the Changi climate station, the average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/h recorded in February exceeded the previous high of 12.5 km/h in January 1985.

The prolonged dry conditions have also set a new record for the lowest average daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent. The previous record low for February and any month of the year was 76.9 per cent in February 1968, and 74.6 per cent in June 2013 respectively.

NEA said the last day of significant rainfall was on February 16, when between 0.2 and 29.0mm was recorded in various parts of the island.

Since then, there has been little or no rainfall, with Singapore entering another dry spell on February 17. This follows the 27-day long dry spell between January 13 and February 8, 2014.

The highest recorded rainfall total since February 17 was 19.2mm at Lim Chu Kang Road.

The brief showers in parts of western Singapore on Monday were not widespread enough to break the current dry spell.

The dry weather affecting Singapore and the surrounding region is expected to persist in the first half of March 2014. There may be localised showers in the afternoon on a few days, and rainfall is expected to be well below average.

Fair and warm conditions are forecast for Singapore. The prevailing northeasterly winds are also forecast to remain steady over this period.

NEA said with the expected onset of the Inter-Monsoon in the second half of March 2014, the winds in the region will turn light and variable in direction. Increased rainfall can be expected in the later part of the month.

With the dry weather expected to continue, national water agency PUB has started a public campaign to urge everyone to conserve water.

PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers -- including the town councils, Management Corporation Strata Title (MCSTs), commercial and industrial buildings, government buildings and schools -- to advise them to make adjustments and embark on water-saving measures.

Measures like cutting down the washing of cars and irrigation of plants, as well as switching off water features and fountains will help reduce water usage.

The public is also advised to save water by taking showers under five minutes, washing clothes on a full load and reusing water for non-potable uses.

NEA said the amount of water saved will help stretch Singapore's limited water resources longer.

The NEA and PUB will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.

- CNA/ac


Singapore endures driest month since 1869
Today Online 4 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE — The prolonged dry weather affecting Singapore since mid-January has set a new record for the driest month since 1869, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement today (March 4).

At the Changi climate station, the rainfall total recorded last month was 0.2mm, breaking the previous record of 6.3 mm in February 2010.

During the month, there were only seven days of short duration showers between Feb 7 and 19, mainly in the western parts of Singapore. The rainfall totals across 64 rainfall stations range from 45 per cent to 100 per cent below the long-term average of 161.0mm for February. About half the stations, mostly in the southern and eastern areas, recorded monthly rainfall totals below 10.0mm.

Apart from being the driest month ever, last month was also the windiest month in the last 30 years.

At the Changi climate station, the average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/hr recorded last month exceeds the previous high of 12.5 km/hr in January 1985. The prolonged dry conditions have also set a new record for the lowest average daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent. The previous record low for February and any month of the year was 76.9 per cent (Feb 1968) and 74.6 per cent (June 2013) respectively.

The last day of significant rainfall was on Feb 16, when between 0.2 and 29.0 mm was recorded in various parts of the island. Since then, there has been little or no rainfall, with Singapore entering another period of dry spell on Feb 17. This follows the 27-day long dry spell between Jan 13 and Feb 8. The highest recorded rainfall total since Feb 17 was 19.2mm at Lim Chu Kang Road. The brief showers in parts of western Singapore yesterday were not widespread enough to break the current dry spell.

The dry weather affecting Singapore and the surrounding region is expected to persist in the first half of March 2014. There may be localised showers in the afternoon on a few days, and rainfall is expected to be well below average. Fair and warm conditions are forecast for Singapore. The prevailing northeasterly winds are also forecast to remain steady over this period. With the expected onset of the Inter-Monsoon in the second half of March 2014, the winds in the region will turn light and variable in direction. Increased rainfall can be expected in the later part of the month.

With the dry weather expected to continue, the national water agency (PUB) has started a public campaign to urge everyone to conserve water.

PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers — including the town councils, Management Corporation Strata Title, commercial and industrial buildings, government buildings and schools — to advise them to make adjustments and embark on water-saving measures.

PSI inches into moderate range
Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) on Tuesday inched above 50 into the 'moderate' range for the first time in more than two months.

As of 6pm, the 3-hour PSI reading was 55.

The 3-hour PSI reading first hit 51 past 11am before going down again before 2pm.

The 24-hour PSI, which reflects PSI readings over a 24-hour period, was between 42 and 50 at 6pm.

Singapore saw its PSI reading hit a record 401, which is in the 'hazardous' range, last June.

Separately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) assured the public that there are sufficient N95 masks, if the haze returns.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim gave the assurance in Parliament on Tuesday.

He said N95 masks are currently available at major retail outlets.

"If you look at the inventory of the major retailers, we have about 280,000 N95 masks...Nevertheless, for the national stockpile, we have 16 million N95 masks," said Dr Faishal.

The MOH has also worked with the People's Association on plans to distribute the N95 masks to the needy through grassroots organisations.

Dr Faishal also said the criteria for the distribution of masks will be reviewed together with the relevant ministries.

He was responding to a question by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, Yee Jenn Jong, on the stock of N95 masks.

Dr Faishal also urged the public to follow the recommendations in health advisories issued by the Ministry of Health during a haze situation.

N95 masks are generally not needed for short exposure, such as commuting from home to school or work.

They are also not needed in an indoor environment.

- CNA/ir

Dry spells trouble
Callie Kwong The New Paper AsiaOne 5 Mar 14;

The prolonged dry spell is creating a dwindling supply situation for vegetable sellers here.

Their supplies are costing more and most sellers have absorbed the additional cost, but they are warning that they cannot do it much longer and will have to increase their prices.

Mr Law Song Nam, the vice-chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association, said he expects the prices of vegetables "like bok choy, kai lan and watercress to go up for us by 10 per cent" this week.

The dry spell has hit Kota Tinggi hard. This is where most of the vegetables imported from Johor are grown, said the 66-year-old.

The authorities in Malaysia have also begun rationing water in Selangor, Malaysia's most populous state, as the dry spell continues to deplete reservoirs.

The situation is affecting sellers on both sides of the Causeway.

"There are no red chillies, bitter gourds and long beans... there's just no stock," said Mr Ng Poh Xiong, 24, a vegetable stallholder in Johor Baru.

In Singapore, vegetable sellers at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market last week said they have also been affected.

Said a vegetable seller in his 60s who did not want to be named: "Supplies actually started decreasing one to two weeks ago, but it only became quite serious since Wednesday."

He said supply has gone down "by 20 to 30 per cent and prices have gone up".

Losses

He has not passed on the increase to customers, but said it will be hard to sustain the losses.

Another seller, who has 30 years of experience, said she imports all her vegetables from Malaysia and that prices have gone up by 10 cents to 40 cents, depending on the type of vegetable.

The seller, who did not want to be named, said the prices of those items running low in stock in Malaysia, such as red chilli, have gone up the most.

"The price of red chillies have gone up 40 cents because there is not enough water," she told The New Paper in Mandarin.

"I cannot raise the prices, customers won't buy if they (the vegetables) are too expensive. They would rather buy from supermarkets.

"I have been in the business for many years...it (the wholesale centre) used to be bustling with people, now there are few customers."

Prices in supermarket chains like FairPrice and Sheng Siong have remained constant over the week, said their respective spokesmen.

But Sheng Siong's spokesman added that it saw a 12 per cent increase in the prices of bitter gourds and long beans from Malaysia.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said it is monitoring the situation in Malaysia closely.

Farms

Local farmers are also feeling the effects.

"Some of my vegetables are not growing well due to the dry weather... in a month they may be problematic, and I won't be able to sell them," said Mr Wong Kok Fah, 52, the owner of Kok Fah Technology Farm.

At his farm, large amounts of soil are dug up from the ground to create rainwater catchments. Rainwater collected is used to water vegetables.

Mr Wong, who has more than 30 years of experience in the sector, said he has seen his share of dry spells, but this is the worst by far.

This is the first time his rainwater catchment levels have gone below the halfway mark, which he said is "very dangerous" as he relies solely on rainwater.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), just 75.4mm of rain in January and 0.2mm last month (to Feb 25) was recorded at NEA's Changi climate station, compared to the long-term averages of 242.4mm and 161mm, respectively.

Mr Wong said the remaining rainwater will last him another two weeks to one month.

"I hope the rain comes soon," he said.

Firms reel as Feb declared driest month on record
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 5 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE — With February being the driest month in Singapore since 1869, some businesses have moved to cut their water use by deferring non-essential cleaning operations, while the PUB has temporarily closed off the water play areas at Marina Barrage, Alexandra Canal and Lower Seletar Reservoir to conserve water.

Others, such as vegetable farmers, have fewer mitigation options at their disposal — their prospects of delivering a harvest next month are withering as their water supplies dwindle, and they expect to be hit hard in the pocket from higher water bills and low crop yield.

Yesterday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said there were only seven days of short showers last month, which occurred between Feb 7 and 19, mainly in the country’s western areas, providing a brief respite from the record 27-day dry spell between Jan 13 and Feb 8.

A dry spell occurs when less than 1mm of rainfall is registered daily over an extended period of at least 15 consecutive days.

Half of Singapore’s 64 rainfall stations recorded under 10mm of rainfall, compared to the long-term average of 161mm for February. At the Changi climate station, only 0.2mm of rain was recorded last month, breaking the previous record of 6.3mm registered in February 2010.

Singapore is in the grip of another dry spell that began on Feb 17, which was not relieved by the brief showers on Monday. The PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers urging them to carry out water-saving measures. Developer City Developments (CDL) is among those that have taken extra steps to manage water usage, such as by deferring scheduled external facade cleaning and turning off or shortening the operating period of some water features at its buildings.

Vegetable farmers TODAY spoke to said there was little they could do beyond turning on the tap to water their crops — a costlier move — as their irrigation ponds dry up.

Managing Director of Yili Vegetation and Trading Alan Toh, 50, said he expects his monthly water bill to double next month from the usual S$500. He estimates that the water supply from his pond will last for another three days and is putting off planting more seedlings until the situation improves. “Right now, I’m topping up my pond with tap water and recycling water by using what we use to wash our vegetables to water my crops. We are also cutting down on the amount of water we use when watering the crops,” he said.

Mr Tan Koon Hua, 45, owner of Farm 85 Trading, said the dry spell has already led to his yield dropping by “20 to 30 per cent” at his 12ha farm in Lim Chu Kang. “There’s nothing we can do except hope and pray that it will rain,” he said.

Pointing out that the farmers had faced a similar situation during a dry spell in 2008, Kranji Countryside Association President Ivy Singh-Lim said the authorities should look into long-term solutions to help them cope.

She said: “Five years ago, a similar situation happened and the authorities came in to say that they will be digging more ponds to help the farmers with their irrigation problems. But then it rained and nobody followed up after. They should be looking at long-term solutions — don’t wait for another drought to happen.”

Mrs Singh-Lim said the association members had met the PUB last Friday to discuss solutions and it had offered to sell the farmers non-potable water at S$0.25 per cubic metre. The farmers, however, will have to fork out money for trucks to transport the water.

Said Mrs Singh-Lim: “The water is very cheap ... but the trucking will cost more than S$300 (to carry about 13 cubic metres). Potable water costs, if you add all the taxes and tariffs, if worst comes to worst, costs S$2 per cubic metre. So we might as well use tap water.”

As an interim measure, she suggested the authorities partially waive the affected farmers’ water bills to help tide them over this period, such as by charging them the price of raw water instead of potable water. “The farmers will have to bite the bullet and pay, but I hope that PUB can seriously consider giving them a discount.”

The NEA reiterated that the dry weather affecting the region is expected to persist into the first half of this month, with increased rainfall only expected in the later part of March.

Health Ministry has 16 million N95 masks in national stockpile
Zhe Ying Today Online 5 Mar 14;

The Ministry of Health has 16 million N95 masks stowed away and this national stockpile will be released to retailers and grassroots organisations to meet public demand if the haze situation escalates.

This is in addition to 280,000 masks already in the inventories of major retailers here, said Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who shared this in Parliament yesterday in response to a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Yee Jenn Jong.

Singapore’s air quality crept into the “moderate” range for the first time since August, as the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings climbed to 51 at 11am yesterday.

The 24-hour PSI reading was 44 to 51 as at 9pm, while the three-hour reading was 53. In a statement yesterday, the National Environment Agency said the slightly elevated readings were probably due to local wind convergence over land areas, contributing to the accumulation of particulate matter. Forty-eight hot spots were detected in Sumatra yesterday.

“For the next few days, the prevailing north-easterly winds will keep any transboundary haze from Sumatra away from Singapore. However, we may experience occasional slight haze due to the accumulation of particulate matter under stable atmospheric conditions,” an NEA spokesperson said.

Last year, when the Republic experienced its worst-ever haze episode, N95 masks were sold out at some retail outlets, sparking off panic and frustration. Singapore had a stockpile of nine million masks last June, of which 4.15 million were distributed in the same month.

Yesterday, Associate Professor Faishal assured that sufficient masks are available, noting that 1.7 million masks were “forward-positioned” to retailers and the community centres and clubs in January due to heightened volcanic activity in Indonesia.

Asked by Mr Yee about N95 masks for children, Assoc Prof Faishal said there is currently no such model in the market, adding that N95 masks are generally not needed for periods of short exposure such as commuting.

“Nevertheless we are very mindful about our workers, especially those doing essential services. We have worked with organisations to look at how we can facilitate the distribution and usage of N95 masks when the haze situation comes to a very unhealthy situation,” he said.

Few drops if rain not a reason to splash away
Feng Zengkun and Audrey Tan The Straits Times 6 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE - Despite the brief but welcome return of rain to Singapore on Monday, heavy water users such as town councils and petrol station car wash operators vowed to press on with conservation measures.

Shell even took the precaution of watering the dry grass patches around its petrol stations to prevent potential fire hazards.

At least five of Singapore's 16 town councils have reduced their neighbourhood cleaning or implemented water-saving plans after the dry spell from Jan 13 to Feb 8 - one of the longest on record.

Shell and Exxon Mobil have also told their service attendants, such as car wash operators, to conserve water. A manual car wash attendant at an SPC petrol station in Braddell said part of its washing process used to involve splashing buckets of water on the cars.

He and his colleagues now use a hose that sprays less water.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council (TC) chairman Lam Pin Min said its water-saving measures - which include telling contractors to use rain and drainage water for plants and shrubs - will remain for now.

"It's great news that it rained," he told The Straits Times on Monday after the brief drizzle in western Singapore. "Hopefully this is not transient and there will be more rain in the coming weeks.

"But meanwhile we will still advise the contractors to exercise due care when using water."

Holland-Bukit Panjang TC will wash its multi-storey carparks "as and when required" instead of monthly, while Moulmein-Kallang TC will mop common areas "where feasible" instead of washing them, among other measures.

Tampines TC has stopped washing its common corridors and staircases. Its chairman, Mr Baey Yam Keng, urged residents to help keep the areas clean. "Due to the prolonged dry weather, Tampines Town Council is doing its part to conserve water," he said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Pasir Ris-Punggol TC chairman Zainal Sapari called for the suspension of monthly block washing, although it will still wash blocks selectively when needed.

He told The Straits Times this reduced cleaning will continue, adding: "Some slight rain doesn't mean the dry spell is over."

The National Environment Agency previously estimated that the dry spell would "persist into the first half of March". It stuck to this forecast on Monday after the showers, but added that while "mainly fair and warm" weather is expected for the next few days, rain may fall in western Singapore in the late afternoon on Tuesday.

National water agency PUB said it will continue to encourage businesses and people to conserve water. It has sent advice to nearly 400 home owners with high water usage, offering tips such as taking showers within five minutes, putting thimbles on taps and washing vegetables in a filled sink rather than under a running tap.

In the past two weeks, it has also started giving out 25,000 advisories to heavy water users such as shopping malls, hotels, wafer fabrication plants and landscaping firms.

The advisories urge them to reduce water use with measures such as switching off water features like fountains, and re-using water for non-drinking purposes.

When seven hotels including Marina Bay Sands and The Westin Singapore were asked whether they would roll out additional water- saving measures in the light of the dry weather, they pointed only to existing ones, such as installing low-flow tap and shower fittings, that had been implemented before the dry spell.

Two of the hotels, Hotel Fort Canning and Parkroyal On Pickering, said however that they have started reminding guests of the dry weather when explaining their water-saving policies. These include changing bed sheets and linen only on alternate days unless instructed otherwise.

Surprise showers all too brief

Unexpected light showers fell across western Singapore late Monday afternoon, in the first significant rainfall since early last month.

Drizzle fell briefly from 4.45pm to 5.30pm, bringing relief in Jurong, Tuas and Choa Chu Kang.

The Meteorological Service Singapore said the 0.2mm to 15.2mm of rain that fell was caused by local winds in the area converging.

But "dry weather conditions are expected to persist in the first half of March", it reiterated.

Residents found their joy as short-lived as the rain.

"I was so happy," said Jurong West resident Madam Rasidah Mohd Nor, 54. "But after only 20 minutes it stopped. Now it's hot again and the roads have already dried up."

February sets record as driest month since 1869
David Ee The Straits Times AsiaOne 7 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE - Bone-dry February has entered the record books as the country's driest month in nearly 150 years, and the windiest in three decades, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

A paltry 0.2mm of rain was recorded last month at Changi climate station.

This is the least that has fallen since 1869, and is well below the previous record of 6.3mm recorded in February 2010 and the mean February rainfall of 161mm.

Rain fell on just seven days, with about half of the NEA's 64 rainfall stations recording under 10mm of rain. Average wind speeds, meanwhile, gusted at 13.3kmh, versus the February average of 8.8kmh.

The second month of the year typically has cool, windy and drier weather, owing to the dry phase of the north-east monsoon.

Indeed, last month was also one of the least humid, the NEA said yesterday. The mean daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent was the lowest ever, shaving the previous record of 74.6 per cent measured last June.

Humidity in Singapore usually averages between 82 and 87 per cent. But mean daily maximum temperatures edged up nearly a degree to 31.9 deg C.

National University of Singapore weather researcher Winston Chow said the extent of dryness last month was "worrying", but without more research cannot be seen as a sign of things to come.

At Changi Sailing Club, the winds were a boon for sailors but caused havoc at the Coachman Inn Restaurant. Manager Steven Lim said: "We had tablecloths blowing away, glasses breaking."

Yet diners made the most of the breeze so business went up by 30 per cent, he said.

The dry spell lasted 27 days from Jan 13 to Feb 8, making it one of the longest on record.

The NEA said the country is in a second dry spell now, defined as a period of more than 14 days with less than 1mm of rain, taking into account readings at all of its rainfall stations.

The brief showers on Monday "were not widespread enough" to break the dry spell, it said, without explaining fully.

National water agency PUB has sent 25,000 circulars asking organisations to save water.

The lack of rain has affected fruit harvests in Malaysia, and some sellers in Singapore have raised the prices of watermelons and papayas by as much as 25 per cent.

More of the same fair, warm and windy conditions are expected till mid-March, with rain predicted towards the month's end.

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Govt not profiteering from higher granite stockpile price, says Khaw

Today Online 5 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE — The Government is not profiteering from its recent move to raise the granite stockpile price from S$30 to S$50 a tonne, as it did not set up the national stockpile as a business.

Rather, the move is to incentivise importers to buy from other sources and to ensure that construction projects here can continue without a hitch, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a blog post yesterday.

Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah had, during yesterday’s debate on the Budget Statement, pointed to profiteering by coffee shops as they raised beer prices well above the increased excise duty — “a fair point”, wrote Mr Khaw.

“However, she wandered off by asking if the Government was also profiteering when it raised the granite stockpile price from $30 to $50 per tonne. Of course, not!” he wrote.

“The Government did not set up the granite stockpile as a business. The issue of profit is not a relevant consideration because the motive in setting up such a stockpile is to help the industry cope with sudden shortages in granite.”

The Government had released granite from the national stockpile last month to help ease a temporary shortage that has led to delays in some construction projects here.

In January, the Indonesian government imposed a global ban on a wide range of mineral exports.

At about the same time, the country stopped shipping granite aggregate here — a sudden, but “hopefully temporary”, disruption in supply, Mr Khaw said.

As it is not clear if the disruption was temporary or permanent, Mr Khaw said the Government had urged the industry to ramp up supply from sources further afield.

“As these sources would be more costly, we served notice to the industry in early February by indicating that the stockpile price would be raised after one month,” he added.

“In this way, we ensured continuous operation for the industry for one month with pricing stability at S$30 per tonne, while they start to make arrangements to ramp up supply from other sources.”

Mr Khaw said the consideration in setting the stockpile price was not about profit margins, but about ensuring the industry is incentivised to actively source for alternative supply sources.

“If the stockpile price is set too low, there will be no reason for importers to go for other (more costly) sources.

“And if they do not do so, we will rapidly deplete our stockpile and there will be no buffer to help the industry should a similar disruption of another supply source occur,” he added.

Mr Khaw said the release of the stockpile is a contingency measure to help the industry cope, while it contracts and imports from alternative sources of supply.

“The stockpile cannot be a convenient permanent alternative source of supply for the industry,” the minister said.

“The new stockpile price is not (meant for) profiteering, but to incentivise importers to procure and buy from distant sources, to ensure our construction industry can continue seamlessly despite the Indonesian disruption.”

Granite prices raised to incentivise industry to look for alternative sources: Khaw
Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: The government raised the granite stockpile price from S$30 to S$50 per tonne in March because it wanted to incentivise the construction industry to actively look for alternative supply sources.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan made this point in a blog post, after Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah asked in Parliament on Tuesday if the government was profiteering by raising granite stockpile price.

Mr Khaw said the government set up the granite stockpile to help the industry cope with sudden shortages in granite.

The release of the stockpile is a contingency measure to help the industry cope while they contract and import from alternative sources of supply.

He said the stockpile cannot be a convenient permanent alternative source of supply for the industry.

Singapore imports granite mainly from its immediate neighbouring countries, as well as from other regional sources.

Recently, there was a sudden disruption in granite supply from Indonesia. The government then decided to release the stockpile at S$30 per tonne to help industry tide over the disruption.

Mr Khaw said it was not clear if the disruption was temporary or permanent, so the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) urged the industry to ramp up supply from other sources.

As these sources would be more costly, the BCA notified the industry in early February that the stockpile price would be raised in March.

Mr Khaw said this way, there will be continuous operation for the industry for one month with pricing stability at S$30 per tonne, while they start making arrangements to ramp up supply from other sources.

He said in setting the stockpile price, the consideration is not about profit margins but about ensuring the industry is incentivised to actively buy granite from distant sources.

He explained that if the stockpile price is set too low, there will be no reason for importers to go for other more costly sources. And if they do not source for an alternative supply of granite, Singapore will rapidly deplete its stockpile and there will be no buffer to help the industry should a similar disruption of another supply source occur.

Mr Khaw said the industry should fully understand this as the government has made it clear from the outset when the granite stockpile was released to help them in the transition to ramp up supply from distant sources.

- CNA/ac

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