Indonesians Must Own Lead Role on Forest Issues: Norway

REDD Alert: Critics say Norway’s diplomats have soft-pedaled President Yudhoyono, who for years has strung along the Nordic nation, as well as UN monitors of its pay-for-promises partnership with Indonesia, in an ongoing hustle to cultivate credibility without results
Adelia Anjani Putri Jakarta Globe 19 Sep 14;

Jakarta. At the start of his second term in 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared ambitious targets for Indonesia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

It was a bold pledge, coming from the world’s third-largest emitter — an ignominious distinction owing largely to Indonesia’s rate of forest destruction, which has surpassed that of Brazil.

Yudhoyono later parlayed his commitments into an incentive-based partnership with the Kingdom of Norway.

Under the scheme, called REDD+, Indonesia would receive up to $1 billion for following through on its promises of institutional and policy changes and delivering real results.

Progress has been slow. To date, Indonesia has only achieved enough targets to draw down less than 5 percent of the substantial sum on offer.

Norway says it has good reason to be interested in Indonesia’s forests — due partly to its own experience with deforestation (some scientists say Norway was only saved from environmental disaster by emigration in the 19th century), as well as a sense of global stewardship.

“Indonesia has some of the most important and biggest forests in the world. What happens in Indonesia not only affects Indonesia, but also the rest of the world,” Norwegian Ambassador Stig Traavik told the Jakarta Globe.

“Among developing countries, Indonesia has made the biggest commitment to stop the deforestation. So, we said, ‘Yes, we want to help,’ and so far it’s been moving since 2010 — a little bit slower than we had hoped, but in the right direction.”

Four years after Yudhoyono signed the 2010 partnership agreement establishing REDD+ in 2010, Indonesia has only now begun moving on to the second phase of the agreement — transformation.

This phase was originally slated to start in 2011 and end in 2013.

It includes a two-year moratorium on new forest concessions, law enforcement against illegal logging, and establishing a database of degraded lands. The moratorium has been extended until 2015, and Indonesia has created a unified map to address land issues.

“Lately there’s been a lot of progress on some issues like the moratorium — no more licenses [and] the ‘one map’ initiatives to fight out all license issues,” Traavik said.

“I think it’s also important to work against forest fires. Last year Sumatra was covered in smoke; it was horrible for the people there. It’s still a problem, but it’s much less [severe] now.

“In terms of big companies, there is also lots of progress, as now many of the big, serious companies are saying, ‘No, we will not cut any more forest, we will support growth that is more green and friendly to people,’ ” Traavik said.

The ambassador added there had been some progress in defining the roles and rights of Indonesia’s peasants — who, while entitled to clear their land, are starting to put some effort into forest conservation.

In addition to Indonesia, Norway is also assisting Brazil, Guyana and Tanzania through the REDD+ scheme.

While progress with the latter two nations has gone badly “awry,” according to a report by Norway’s international development cooperation agency published in August, the ambassador in Jakarta prefers comparing Indonesia to its middle-income analogue, Brazil.

Still, in comparison to Brazil, Indonesia has shown slower progress.

“Brazil and Indonesia both have had a difficult situation politically, but Brazil came out of this problem a little bit earlier. Twenty years later, they’ve managed to achieve economic growth, and [Brazil is] starting to see it’s possible to protect the forest while continuing [to grow],” Traavik said.

“Indonesia is following exactly the same path. Not slower, I think, but maybe you start a bit later. The process with Brazil started 25 years ago. Although many people have been impatient with … Indonesia, if you compare the situation with 15 years ago, of course Indonesia had made an enormous progress.”

The ambassador did not clarify why he believed a 15- to 25-year baseline for comparison was relevant to Norway’s REDD+ activities, which began in 2007.

Hands-off approach

Norway’s “light touch” approach to its climate partnerships has drawn criticism from scientists, activists, and even Norway’s own auditors. According to the frameworks Oslo has inked, cash is only disbursed once its development partner delivers results — without any intervention or guidance.

Traavik said objections to this arrangement were acceptable, but off-base.

“I think it’s good that they’re impatient, but in a way I think that they’re wrong because we don’t know better than the Indonesians on how to fix things in Indonesia,” he said.

“Sometimes, if you’re an expert, it’s so easy to see what is the right way to do things. But often there’s a reason why it’s not easy to change from something wrong to something that theoretically is the right thing to do.

“There are rules that are already in place, ministries that need to be brought on board, and local people to bring together,” Traavik said, adding that only Indonesians could accomplish this in a way that would last.

If Norway did decide to intervene in implementing change, Indonesians would likely be resistant, Traavik said.

“It think it would be arrogant for us to come and say how to do it, and start spending money. If somebody tries to do it in Norway, we wouldn’t like it.

“We don’t like people coming from outside telling us how to run our country, and I think Indonesians are the same as well. So I think it’s about having respect and patience also.”

Traavik said he was confident about the incoming administration of President-elect Joko Widodo, whom he met hours before speaking with the Globe.

“I’m very confident that with Jokowi and the team he will bring, progress will be even faster. Once you get a more educated population and highly advanced industries, you don’t need to take so much land,” the ambassador said.

“We will try to adjust to the new government’s priorities, because our job is to assist Indonesia.”

Traavik suggested Joko’s impatience might be beneficial for the partnership. “He doesn’t like to spend much time planning; he likes to implement. There has been a lot of planning, so I think if the next government gives the right instructions, it’s ready to move. I’m quite optimistic.”

However, he qualified his enthusiasm with a characteristically Norwegian colloquy on the value of continuity and cautious prudence: “Being on time is important, but arriving at the right place is even more important.

“We should speed up, but not so much that we lose our way. To reach the goal is more important than the timing. Now, the new president, the increasing business, the people are aware so I guess the condition is coming to the right place. So I guess this also displays what we’re working on is about: The process of the people realizing the need for change. The change is never easy and its never comfortable.”

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World population to hit 11bn in 2100 – with 70% chance of continuous rise

New study overturns 20 years of consensus on peak projection of 9bn and gradual decline
Damian Carrington The Guardian 18 Sep 14;

The world’s population is now odds-on to swell ever-higher for the rest of the century, posing grave challenges for food supplies, healthcare and social cohesion. A ground-breaking analysis released on Thursday shows there is a 70% chance that the number of people on the planet will rise continuously from 7bn today to 11bn in 2100.

The work overturns 20 years of consensus that global population, and the stresses it brings, will peak by 2050 at about 9bn people. “The previous projections said this problem was going to go away so it took the focus off the population issue,” said Prof Adrian Raftery, at the University of Washington, who led the international research team. “There is now a strong argument that population should return to the top of the international agenda. Population is the driver of just about everything else and rapid population growth can exacerbate all kinds of challenges.” Lack of healthcare, poverty, pollution and rising unrest and crime are all problems linked to booming populations, he said.

“Population policy has been abandoned in recent decades. It is barely mentioned in discussions on sustainability or development such as the UN-led sustainable development goals,” said Simon Ross, chief executive of Population Matters, a thinktank supported by naturalist Sir David Attenborough and scientist James Lovelock. “The significance of the new work is that it provides greater certainty. Specifically, it is highly likely that, given current policies, the world population will be between 40-75% larger than today in the lifetime of many of today’s children and will still be growing at that point,” Ross said.

Many widely-accepted analyses of global problems, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessment of global warming, assume a population peak by 2050.

Sub-saharan Africa is set to be by far the fastest growing region, with population rocketing from 1bn today to between 3.5bn and 5bn in 2100. Previously, the fall in fertility rates that began in the 1980s in many African countries was expected to continue but the most recent data shows this has not happened. In countries like Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation, the decline has stalled completely with the average woman bearing six children. Nigeria’s population is expected to soar from 200m today to 900m by 2100.

The cause of the stalled fertility rate is two-fold, said Raftery: a failure to meet the need for contraception and a continued preference for large families. “The unmet need for contraception - at 25% of women - has not changed in for 20 years,” he said. The preference for large families is

Another key factor included for the first time was new data on the HIV/AIDS epidemic showing it is not claiming as many lives as once anticipated. “Twenty years ago the impact on population was absolutely gigantic,” Raftery said. “Now the accessibility of antiretroviral drugs is much greater and the epidemic appeared to have passed its peak and was not quite as bad as was feared.”

The research, conducted by an international team including UN experts, is published in the journal Science and for the first time uses advanced statistics to place convincing upper and lower limits on future population growth. Previous estimates were based on judgments of future trends made by researchers, a “somewhat vague and subjective” approach, said Raftery. This predicted the world’s population would range somewhere between 7bn and 16bn by 2100. “This interval was so huge to be essentially meaningless and therefore it was ignored,” he said.

But the new research narrows the future range to between 9.6bn and 12.3bn by 2100. This greatly increased certainty – 80% – allowed the researchers to be confident that global population would not peak any time during in the 21st century.

Another population concern is the ageing populations currently seen in Europe and Japan, which raises questions about how working populations will support large numbers of elderly people. But the new research shows the same issue will affect countries whose populations are very young today. Brazil, for example, currently has 8.6 people of working age for every person over 65, but that will fall to 1.5 by 2100, well below the current level in Japan. China and India will face the same issue as Brazil, said Raftery: “The problem of ageing societies will be on them, in population terms, before they know it and their governments should be making plans.”

In separate work, published on Monday, Wolfgang Lutz, director of the Vienna Institute of Demography, highlighted education as crucial in not only reducing birth rates but also enabling people to prosper even while populations are growing fast. In Ghana, for example, women without education have an average of 5.7 children, while women with secondary education have 3.2 and women with tertiary education only 1.5. But he said: “It is not primarily the number of people that’s important in population policy, it’s what they are capable of, their level of education, and their health.”

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No place to hide for Africa's pangolins amid China buying spree

Emma Farge and Gerauds Obangome PlanetArk 18 Sep 14;

Alongside dirt roads twisting through the dense tropical forests of Gabon, the scaly bodies of lifeless long-snouted pangolins dangle from sticks stuck in the ground by hunters.

The pangolin, a mammal that looks like an anteater but has the tough scales of a crocodile, has long been prized in central Africa as a bushmeat delicacy.

But growing demand for it from Asia, where pangolin scales are used in Chinese medicine to help women lactate and to cure skin disorders, now threatens to hasten its demise and rob African countries of a precious resource.

Conservationists say the demand boom is due to declining wild populations in Asia as well as high numbers of Chinese workers in Africa's resource and timber sectors, located in remote regions of the continent's interior.

The example of Africa's elephants, whose numbers have been slashed by demand from Asia for their ivory, have prompted conservations to mobilize to protect the pangolins.

"It's always been ivory but the new pressure is on the pangolin," said Lee White, the British-born head of Gabon's national parks agency, which runs the 13 national parks covering just over a tenth of the country's territory.

"We're looking out for workers here putting out orders for pangolin and we've had to train sniffer dogs at the ports."

EXPORTS BOOM

Shy and near-sighted, pangolins only venture out from the safety of their burrows or tree-top homes at night to scour for insects. When startled, they curl up into a ball - a technique that is futile against the cable snares set by local trackers.

All eight of the world's species of pangolin, which range from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in) length, are threatened with extinction.

Up until recently, African exports were thought to be done opportunistically and on a small scale. One parcel of scales was found nestled inside a tin of dog biscuits.

But so far this year, more than 6 tonnes of African pangolin scales have been seized before export to Asia - more than the combined total of all previous seizures.

Cameroon seized 1.5 tonnes at Yaounde airport in June, according to senior customs department official Etienne Tabi Mbang. Other shipments were intercepted from Kenya, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

"There is potential for it to become more industrial as people realize they can make money from pangolin scales, and we are starting to see this already with seizures of large volumes of scales," said Dan Challender, who is doing his PhD research at the University of Kent in England on the pangolin trade and co-chairs a pangolin specialist group.

Within Asia, around 10,000 animals are seized annually despite a defacto trade ban, but Challender says this could represent just 10 to 20 percent of the total trade.

POPULAR DISH

Following the arrest of a dozen Chinese workers with pangolin scales last year, Gabon is working with researchers on an investigation into the growing exports.

Francesca Baker, a post-graduate student at Imperial College London who is heading a Gabon research group, says villagers admit to selling carcasses to Asian workers.

One such worker approached a local bushmeat processor and sought to strike a deal to purchase the scales.

Neighboring Cameroon has also organized workshops for customs officials at air and sea ports to identify and seize pangolin shipments.

But while conservationists praise the work of some African governments, they say tougher local legislation is required to protect them. Gabon has three pangolin species but only one, the giant pangolin, is protected from hunters.

Even so, it is still served in local restaurants.

"Despite Gabon being one of the better students in terms of protecting the environment, the penalties for infringements are far from being dissuasive," said Eric Arnhem of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Gabon.

In the seaside capital Libreville, pangolin meat is popular with the local elite. The meat is boiled for hours to remove the scales in restaurants in the chic Montee de Louis district and then dished out with cassava or banana for up to XAF 10,000($19.74) a plate, expensive compared with other dishes.

"The pangolin is in great demand from our clients although it's rare to see it in the market," said Madeleine Sah, owner of one of the restaurants. "But when we have it, it is sold straight away."

(1 US dollar = 506.61 Central African CFA franc BEAC)

(Additional reporting by Tansa Musa in Yaoundel; Editing by Michael Roddy and Tom Heneghan)

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Delayed retreat of Indian monsoon rains to start this weekend

Ratnajyoti Dutta PlanetArk 18 Sep 14;

India's monsoon season is set to enter its withdrawal phase by this weekend after a late surge in rainfall delayed the retreat by a fortnight, a senior weather official said, boosting output prospects for summer crops.

Usually, the monsoon season enters its retreating phase from early September, and withdraws completely from the grain bowl belt of northwest India by the middle of the month.

"We expect the withdrawal of monsoon rains to start from Rajasthan and adjoining north-west India in the next three-to-four days," said the official, who did not wish to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The annual monsoon rains are vital because over half of India's farmlands lack irrigation, and the farm sector accounts for 14 percent of the national economy.

The monsoon is the main determinant of rural spending on consumer goods ranging from lipstick to cars as two-thirds of its 1.2 billion people live in villages. Its failure pushes up food prices.

In the first month of the season this year, the monsoon season registered the weakest rainfall this century, raising the prospect of the first widespread drought in five years after 2009 when the rains were 22 percent below average.

But the monsoon narrowed the shortfall during the key sowing month of July and revived in the second half, helping farmers plant crops late this summer season with the spread of monsoon.

Monsoon rainfall has been 11 percent below average since the start of the four-month season in June.

The late surge in the rains has led to flash floods in many states including Kashmir where hundreds of people were killed and tens of thousands were made homeless.

Experts ruled out a record harvest for the second straight year in the 2014/15 crop year that began from July, but hoped there would be comfortable harvest from the summer season.

"The late monsoon surge boosted prospects of winter sowing," said farm minister Radha Mohan Singh, speaking at an event to review the country's preparedness for the winter sowing season.

Singh's ministry is expected to release its first estimates for summer crops such as rice, corn, sugarcane, soybean and cotton on Friday, discounting damage due to drought and floods during this year's monsoon season.

Experts held the late surge and the delayed retreat of the monsoon would aid the growth process of the crops, minimizing the impact of this year's late sowing due to the poor start of the four-month long rain season.

(Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques)

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Sep 14

Pacific Reef Heron at Seletar Dam
from Francis' Random Yaks, Articles & Photos

Activists urge outgoing Indonesian president to protect key forest area before he steps down
from Mongabay.com news by Rhett Butler

Environment and Society: Where is the Disconnect?
from Worldwatch Institute

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Challenges remain even after Indonesia’s ratification of haze pact: legal experts

Eileen Poh Channel NewAsia 17 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE: Legal experts in Singapore say Indonesia's ratification of the haze pact is a step forward for both Indonesia and ASEAN, but it is the implementation on the ground that will determine if the agreement has teeth.

Indonesia's Parliament on Tuesday (16 Sep) voted to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. The agreement requires Indonesia to work closely with fellow ASEAN members to prevent forest fires. The move comes after a 12-year wait as Indonesia is the last of the 10 ASEAN countries to ratify the agreement.

Legal experts in Singapore whom Channel NewsAsia spoke to said it is a significant move, but challenges remain.

Associate Professor Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, commented: "Law, just on paper, is meaningless. It really has to be enforced on the ground. What we have to see now is whether officials are implementing and enforcing their own laws. (This is) especially because the ASEAN Agreement, at the regional level, has no particular penalties."

Added Mr Paul Tan, partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore: "The agreement does not spell out in great detail the specific obligations of each member state. It just provides a framework and the infrastructure with which to cooperate with one other. So this will be left to the initiative of member states to work out over time what they want to do and how they want to approach the problem."

Mr Tan, who specialises in international law and arbitration, also noted that the agreement does not spell out penalties for non-adherence. "The dispute resolution mechanism that is contemplated is that of amicable resolution. So for example, if there is an issue between one member and another over the implementation of the agreement, they have to go through negotiation and consultations," he said.

Under the agreement, Indonesia will also have to be more transparent in sharing information, and that will include providing satellite images that could point to which areas are burning and who owns them.

- CNA/ms

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3-hour PSI reading creeps into unhealthy range

Today Online 17 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE — The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) tipped into the unhealthy range at 102 at 8pm after staying in the moderate range for most of today (Sept 17).

The 24-hour PSI reading across Singapore was 62-66 as at 8pm, in the moderate range.

Hazy conditions are expected for tonight, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in its haze update.

Source: www.haze.gov.sg

It was “slightly hazy” over some parts of Singapore late this afternoon, likely due to smoke haze from the surrounding region, blown in by the prevailing winds.

A total of 23 hotspots were detected in Sumatra today, but the NEA said the low count was due to cloud cover over parts of the island. Smoke haze was visible over the southern half of Sumatra.

Hotspot activities in Kalimantan have also escalated in recent days, said the NEA, with 139 hotspots detected today. “Widespread thick smoke haze was observed in southern and western parts of Kalimantan. Some of the haze has spread to the southern parts of the South China Sea,” said the advisory.

3-hour PSI hits unhealthy level of 102
Channel NewsAsia 17 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE: The 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at 8pm on Wednesday (Sep 17) hit 102, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). This nudges the air quality into the unhealthy level, which means a PSI ranging from 101 to 200.

In an advisory, NEA said the haziness was likely due to smoke haze from the surrounding region, blown in by the prevailing winds. The total number of hotspots detected in Sumatra on Wednesday was 23, while 139 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan. "Smoke haze was visible over the southern half of Sumatra," stated the NEA advisory. "Widespread thick smoke haze was observed in southern and western parts of Kalimantan. Some of the haze has spread to the southern parts of the South China Sea."

Occasional slight haziness may be experienced during the day on Thursday, said the NEA, which added that "the overall air quality for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the high-end of the Moderate range but may creep into the low end of the Unhealthy range from time to time".

Tomorrow, there may be “occasional slight haziness” during the day. The overall air quality for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the high-end of the moderate range but may creep into the low end of the unhealthy range from time to time.

Prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the east or south-east, and thundery showers are forecast in the late morning and early afternoon.

- CNA/xy

Haze eases as wind direction changes
Audrey Tan and Chang May Choon The Straits Times AsiaOne 17 Sep 14;

KEEP an umbrella handy today, as rain is likely to hit Singapore in the afternoon. Unhealthy levels of haze, however, may not return for now.

Instead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said to expect moderate air quality today - an improvement from the unhealthy levels of smoke that blanketed western Singapore on Monday. Then, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) - a measure of air quality here - had exceeded 100 and crossed into the unhealthy range, the first time since April this year.

At the unhealthy range, prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activity should be reduced. At moderate levels of 51-100, normal activities can still be carried out.

The improved air quality was due to a change in the wind direction, said the NEA in its daily haze advisory. Only seven hot spots were detected in Sumatra yesterday, it added, although the low number spotted was also due to partial satellite coverage and cloud cover.

In the agency's weather outlook for the remainder of the month, the NEA warned that Singapore could experience occasional slight haze on a few days due to periods of consecutive dry weather in the region - characteristic of the south-west monsoon season Singapore is now experiencing.

If the winds continue to blow the smoke away from the Republic, the 2014 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix this weekend will go ahead.

But even though air quality has improved since yesterday, a contingency plan is in place in case the haze descends on the muchanticipated motor racing event this weekend.

"The possibility of haze is just one of the many potential issues that are covered in (the) contingency plan," said a Singapore GP spokesman, who did not give details of the plan.

"In the event that the haze causes visibility, public health or operational issues, Singapore GP would work closely with the relevant agencies before making any collective decisions regarding the event," she said.

Formula 1 commentator Steve Slater said that the event is unlikely to be cancelled, unless the haze severely affects drivers' visibility, or if organisers feel there is a safety risk.

"Organisers will be under very strong pressure not to cancel the race," said Mr Slater, pointing out that the Singapore Grand Prix is considered one of the two most prestigious Formula 1 events, the other being the Monaco Grand Prix.

Italian Dante Care, 49, a Bangkok-based managing director of an industrial automation firm, said the haze would not stop him from watching his third F1 race here.

He said he had booked a package on Monday to attend the motor racing event, without realising the haze had returned. However, he said he would be concerned only if flights are cancelled as a result of the haze.

"I'll stick to it till the last minute," he said, adding that he would cancel only if everyone else did. Meanwhile, organisations with haze contingency plans in place after last year's record pollution are monitoring the situation before rolling out measures such as running ventilation systems or distributing N95 masks.

Last year, many firms were caught flat-footed by the worst haze crisis in Singapore's history, with three-hour PSI readings soaring above 400 in June.

Dr Ow Chee Chung, chief executive of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, said the hospital's ventilation system will be fully operational when the PSI hits 150.

A spokesman for United Overseas Bank said it has issued a haze advisory to its employees and is distributing N95 masks as a precautionary measure. "We continue to monitor the filters in our air-conditioning systems at our buildings and all branches," he added.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/haze-eases-wind-direction-changes#sthash.uIWTGGs4.dpuf

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‘Forgotten’ reservoir discovered near Mount Faber

Jessica Yeo and Tan Shi Wei Channel NewsAsia 17 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE: The National Heritage Board (NHB) has uncovered a “forgotten” reservoir near Mount Faber that dates back to more than a century ago.

The size of three badminton courts, the water body which survived two World Wars is located on land zoned for park use, less than 400m away from Telok Blangah Road.

NHB chanced upon the oval-shaped reservoir while researching on the history about the island, cross-referencing modern and historical maps.

Further research showed that it was first mentioned as a private reservoir that was used as a water source for the Tanjong Pagar Dockyard and subsequently mentioned as a swimming pool during the Japanese Occupation. By the year 2000, the image of the water source completely disappeared from local maps.

A group of five NHB researchers made a total of five site visits starting this February, and found features of a reservoir including chute spillways of a dam, filter beds that supported their previous inferences.

Dr John Kwok, 36, assistant director of research at NHB’s impact assessment and mitigation division, who headed the research team, said that the water source was subsequently not marked on the maps as it was not a municipal reservoir.

"The reservoir was built sometime in 1905 and we know that because of the colonial bricks that we found on the reservoir wall. But once we advanced to another part of the reservoir, we found that the bricks were from a different time period. So it showed this reservoir was in constant use for a long period of time," he said. “It was forgotten because it was a private reservoir and through time, we think that it changed owners and subsequently abandoned as there was no use for it as a reservoir or a swimming pool.”

The reservoir was discovered by a group of NHB researchers who were looking at old maps of Singapore to trace the country's developments. Said Mr Alvin Tan, Group Director (Policy) for NHB: "Our research team was looking at maps from the early days all the way until Independence and they noticed a discrepancy, that there was a body of water in the older maps that actually disappeared when they looked at the maps in the 1980s. Because of that we actually came down on a few recce visits, bashed through the dense jungle vegetation and eventually located the reservoir."

In light of the new discovery, NHB has made a documentary on the forgotten reservoir and the almost eight minute long clip will be live on the NHB website on Thursday (Sep 18).



However, NHB would like to discourage the public, especially families with young children and elderly, from making their way to the reservoir on their own due to the “challenging terrain”.

Those with more information about this “forgotten” reservoir can send their feedback to NHB_feedback@nhb.gov.sg .

- CNA/TODAY/cy/xy


Abandoned reservoir near Telok Blangah Road found
Tan Shi Wei Today Online 17 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE — Once a reservoir that served the Tanjong Pagar Dock in 1905, it was later abandoned and vanished from contemporary maps of Singapore — until a group of National Heritage Board (NHB) researchers stumbled upon it while poring over old maps during a routine research on the island’s history in February.

“‘How did we not know about the reservoir’ was the first thing that came to our minds.” said Dr John Kwok, assistant director (research) of NHB’s impact assessment and mitigation division.

Their curiosity sparked, the five-member research team, headed by Dr Kwok, 36, began comparing maps from different periods to piece the picture together.

“It was a long and gruelling process, as most research are,” said Dr Kwok, during a media visit to the reservoir today (Sept 17). “We had to go through a lot of records and pretty much camped in the archive room to look at them over and over again.”

Through their research, the team found that the reservoir — which is at least 2m-deep — was a water source for Tanjong Pagar Dock back in 1905. Subsequently, maps dating to the Japanese Occupation marked the water body as a swimming pool, although a map and report from a British aerial inspection in 1944 called it a reservoir.

In the intervening years, one newspaper report in 1948 referred to it as Keppel Hill Reservoir, but in the first Urban Redevelopment Authority Masterplan in 1958, it was simply an outline, without a caption. In the 1980s, maps only showed an outline, and by around 2000, it had entirely disappeared from maps.

“It was forgotten because it was a private reservoir and through time, we think that it changed owners and was subsequently abandoned as there was no use for it as a reservoir or a swimming pool.” Dr Kwok said.

Responding to media queries, the PUB said it was recently informed of the existence of the reservoir, and also visited the site with the NHB. “PUB understands that the site may have started out as a private pond used to collect rain water under the then Singapore Harbour Board. Given its relatively small size, it is not viable for tapping on as a reliable water supply source,” a spokesperson said.

Calling the finding “the first of its kind”, Dr Kwok said it was luck that enabled them to locate it so quickly. “We were ecstatic when we had found the site and spent some time there, climbing around,” he said, adding that the team were shocked at how well-preserved it was. The rusted hinges of an old diving board alongside the mould-ridden chute spillway of the dam spotted on site supported their research findings. The team trekked down the overgrown terrain— 400m off Telok Blangah Road — four more times to document the place. The site is not fenced off, although an old and battered sign hanging from a tree cautioned visitors not to swim or fish in the reservoir.

The discovery and history of the reservoir has been made into a nearly eight-minute long documentary called Forgotten Reservoir, which can be viewed on the NHB website from tomorrow.

Asked about the future of the reservoir, NHB’s Group Director (Policy) Alvin Tan said the land has been zoned for park use and he did not foresee any developments. “We would advise members of the public with children, elderly and those with certain handicaps to avoid to coming to the site itself, because it is inaccessible due to the dense jungle grove and possibly slippery roads.” he said, adding that they might look into organising guided tours.

The board would also like to encourage those who have more information about the reservoir to email them at nhb_feedback@nhb.gov.sg.

Forgotten reservoir found by Heritage Board
Melody Zaccheus My Paper AsiaOne 18 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE - An abandoned reservoir that dates back to 1905 has been uncovered by the National Heritage Board (NHB).

Located off Telok Blangah Road and near Mount Faber, it was part of the Tanjong Pagar Dock but is not demarcated in the modern maps of Singapore.

However, while doing a study on the topographical changes in Singapore over the past 100 years, a team from the board discovered the reservoir, nestled in a densely-forested area.

"We were poring over old maps of the area and saw a body of water marked out on them," said John Kwok, 36, assistant director of research at NHB.

Following the discovery in February, Dr Kwok and four researchers spent another four months going through old maps and documents to piece together the story of the forgotten reservoir, which is about one-third of the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Based on a 1924 map by the former Singapore Harbour Board, the researchers found it was one of three small reservoirs that used to be in the area.

It most likely served residents of a nearby settlement.

Later, it was used as a swimming pool, based on pre-war and post-war maps. Remnants of a diving board and a bathing area still stand today.

The place, which used to be referred to as Keppel Hill reservoir, made the news in 1936 and 1948 when two soldiers and a boy drowned in two separate incidents after taking a dip.

An oasis of calm amid one of the world's busiest ports, a busy bus interchange and dense residential estates, the site still has a functioning water filtration system which uses different rock types to remove sediment. There are a total of six filter beds. It also has a dam on its southern end.

The board said the land the reservoir sits on is zoned as park land.

Singapore has 17 reservoirs which are managed by the PUB.

Meanwhile, the NHB said the discovery is historically significant because of the building materials and methods used.

The bricks used to build the reservoir showed that the body of water was constantly in use, said Alvin Tan, 42, its group director of policy. Some were handmade and date back to the colonial period.

Mr Tan advised people to be careful about exploring the place as the terrain is slippery and overgrown with heavy foliage. He said guided tours may be organised if there is demand.

Nature Society's (Singapore) president Shawn Lum said the reservoir, together with its surrounding mature secondary forest, is worth documenting for a closer look at the biodiversity.

"It's a nice, isolated habitat with a lot of vegetation and sufficient shade - pre-requisites for small wildlife such as birds, frogs and aquatic insects to thrive."

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Malaysia: Put out forest fires, Indonesia urged

HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN AND MANGALARUPINI MUNIANDY New Straits Times 18 Sep 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA has written to Indonesia expressing its concern over the rising number of hotspots in southern Sumatera and Kalimantan, which has caused parts of the country to be blanketed in haze.

The letter was sent by the Department of Environment director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan to her Indonesian counterpart two days ago. She urged Indonesia to take action over forest fires in west and central parts of the country.

According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, 226 hotspots were detected in Indonesia yesterday based on satellite imagery from the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The number was a slight decrease from the previous day’s of 232.

In a statement yesterday, Halimah said smoke from the fires in the west and central Kalimantan, and the movement of wind from the southeast had led to trans- boundary pollution in Sarawak, which borders the western part of Kalimantan.

As at 10am yesterday, Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) reading was at 99, Samarahan, 125, and Sri Aman, 106.

However at 5pm, Sri Aman’s API reading decreased to 96 while Kuching and Samarahan’s API stood at an unhealthy level of 110 and 113, respectively.

These areas had shown unhealthy readings in the last two days.

Following this, AFP reported that Indonesia’s parliament on Tuesday had voted to ratify a regional agreement on cross-border haze as fires ripped through forests in the west of the country.

“Under the agreement, Indonesia is obliged to strengthen its policies on forest fires and haze, actively participate in regional decision making on the issue and to dedicate more resources to the problem regionally and domestically,” the report said.

Haze set to disappear with wind pattern changes in South China Sea
hanis zainal, christopher tan, AND yu ji The Star 18 Sep 14;

Dreaded haze: A ferry crossing the South Channel with Penang island barely visible in the background at 4.15pm yesterday.

Dreaded haze: A ferry crossing the South Channel with Penang island barely visible in the background at 4.15pm yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: The country will see a brief respite from the present haze situation starting today.

This is a result of a change in wind pattern, brought about by the dissipation of Typhoon Kalmaegi over southern China.

“We will see the haze gradually disappearing as the wind pattern changes to bring in wind from the South China Sea instead (of Sumatra and Kalimantan),” said Malaysian Meteorological Department spokesman Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip.

He said winds from the South China Sea would bring in more moisture in the air, resulting in more rain over all parts of the country today.

Dr Hisham said Malaysians could expect a longer respite from the haze once the inter-monsoon season, expected to start by the end of next week, arrived.

The country has recently been hit with haze, as evidenced by the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index (API) readings which recorded “Moderate” at most areas in the country.

Sarawak was the most affected as two areas in the state recorded unhealthy API readings at 5pm yesterday.

The two areas were Samarahan and Kuching, which saw an API reading of 113 and 110 respectively.

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.

In George Town, the air quality deteriorated with the API readings nearing the “unhealthy” level.

The readings recorded at the Prai station at 6am was 32, and 37 at 11am before shooting up to 73 at 2pm.

In Seberang Jaya 2 in Prai, it was 48 at 6am and 53 at 11am. The index then rose to 71 at 2pm.

In Kuching, the API was around 80 on Tuesday, but by yesterday noon, it was 119.

State authorities are blaming the smog on the 219 hotspots detected in southern Kalimantan.

However, there were also five hotspots detected within Sarawak yesterday.

Assistant Environment Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said two hotspots were identified in Samarahan, two in Sarikei and one in Sri Aman.

“We have absolutely not issued any open burning permits. Our officers have been dispatched to carry out on-the-ground assessments at the hotspots,” Talif said.

Sarawak has been experiencing lower rainfall this year, leading to dry taps in several villages about 100km from Kuching in July.

Kuching API levels reach unhealthy levels
yu ji The Star 17 Sep 14;

A view of Kuching through the haze from the south to north banks of Sarawak River. This photo was taken at noon on Wednesday.

A view of Kuching through the haze from the south to north banks of Sarawak River. This photo was taken at noon on Wednesday.
KUCHING: The haze across southern Sarawak worsen overnight mid this week. On Malaysia Day, the air pollution index (API) here was around 80, but by Wednesday noon, it reached 119.

State authorities are blaming the smog on the 219 hotspots detected in southern Kalimantan. However, there were also five hotspots detected within Sarawak.

Assistant Environment Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said two hotspots were identified in Samarahan, two in Sarikei and one in Sri Aman.

“We have absolutely not issued any open burning permits. Our officers have been dispatched to carry out on-the-ground assessments at the hotspots,” Talif told The Star. Asked about the possibility of large scale commercial burning, he said these hotspots were unlikely to be from oil palm plantations.

“We are not sure yet but based on the coordinates, one of the hotspots is near a plantation in Samarahan, but not within it. Another hotspot in Sarikei is near a longhouse. The haze you see now is from the wind blown from south east Kalimantan. We know this clearly because at Tebedu (a border town between Sarawak and Indonesia) the API reading is about 150.”

The highest API readings nationwide yesterday were all in Sarawak.

At Samarahan, a suburb near Kuching, the reading was 123, in Sri Aman it was 104. Readings between 101 and 200 fall within the “unhealthy” range, while readings between 51 and 100 are considerate “moderate”. The air quality in Sibu, which is in the middle of the state, was 66.

Less affected areas in Sarawak were all in the north. In Miri, where Malaysia Day celebrations were held, the API was only 49, at Limbang it was 26.

Since mid this year, open burning permits from the Natural Resources and Environment Board have stopped being issued. Sarawak has been experiencing less rainfall this year, leading to dry taps in several villages about 100km from Kuching in July.

According to the latest monthly weather bulletin available, most areas received 20% below the average of rainfall in June.

“Malaysia in generally still experiencing phase of Southwest Monsoon, which is characterized by surface winds that blow regularly from the west, and also relatively drier condition than the other seasons,” said the bulletin from the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

“This situation will result in most areas across the country will have more days without rain compare to rainy day, and in turn will lead to drier weather conditions,” it added.

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Indonesia: Riau hot spots dog Sumatra Island

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 17 Sep 14;

Haze has been reported to cover a number of regions in Riau province over the past few days as more hot spots have been detected, adding to the haze coming from the neighboring provinces of South Sumatra and Jambi.

Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) data shows that the Terra and Aqua satellites detected 267 hot spots across Sumatra on Tuesday morning. Riau dominated the figure with 114 hot spots, or twice as many as the 51 hot spots detected on Monday.

Other provinces in Sumatra suffering from haze include South Sumatra with 70 hot spots and Jambi with 66. The agency also detected hot spots in Lampung, Bangka Belitung and Bengkulu.

In Riau, hot spots were spread through nine regencies, mostly in Pelalawan with 38 hot spots. Other hot spots were detected in Indragiri Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, Kuantan Singingi, Kampar, Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir, Siak and Meranti Islands.

“Based on the analysis, 45 of the hot spots are fire spots with a reliability level of 70 percent,” National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (BNPB) data and information section head Agus Wibowo said on Tuesday.

He said the number of hot spots in Riau could continue to increase, considering that the province had hot weather and only experienced rain of light intensity, usually at night or very early in the morning.

“The rain is predicted to fall only in the northern and western parts of Riau,” Agus said.

The increase in the number of hot spots, he said, had caused haze in a number of regions in the province and limited visibility in the mornings.

In Pekanbaru, visibility was only 1 kilometer on Tuesday morning. Poor visibility also occurred in Pelalawan and Rengat while visibility in Dumai was 5 kilometer the same day.

Dense haze resulted in delays in a number of flights from Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru.

The airport duty manager, Baiquni, said that by Tuesday afternoon the arrival of four flights had been delayed due to limited visibility of only 1,500 meters. Of the flights, one belonged to Garuda Indonesia, two to Lion Air and one to Batik Air. All had departed from Jakarta.

“Visibility actually is considered safe, but the airlines took the side of caution for passenger safety,” Baiquni said.

Separately, the head of the Riau Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Said Saqlul Amri, said the agency had maintained an emergency status for forest and land fires in the province.

“The coordinating post that handles forest and peatland fires at Roesmin Nurjadin Airport in Pekanbaru will continue to operate until Nov. 31,” he said.

He said the Riau governor had sent letters to all mayors and regents in the province to remind their respective people and companies to actively participate in preventive measures and to quickly respond when a fire was found, no matter how small it was.

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Malaysia's 'Smart Villages' and 9 other proven ideas for sustainable development

EurekAlert 17 Sep 14;

As nations zero in on the UN's post-2015 global Sustainable Development Goals, innovations being successfully pioneered and demonstrated in Malaysia offer several proven tactical ideas for improving the world, says an influential international sustainable development networking organization.

The UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), through its Malaysian chapter, cites ways in which the country is "rising to the challenge," including the construction of ingenious, self-sustaining "smart" villages -- each lifting about 100 families out of poverty and into affordable homes and employment.

Meanwhile, guides for minimizing the carbon footprint of cities while promoting healthy lifestyles, and using science to extract new wealth from palm biomass waste are among other creative initiatives underway in Malaysia that help light a path for emerging economy countries.

Malaysia's achievements in sustainable development will be highlighted at the 2nd Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development Practice (Columbia University, New York, Sept. 17-18, http://bit.ly/1xbOBjA).

At the event, experts will share proven, evidence-based approaches to sustainability with the goal of informing negotiations underway on the world's post-2015 development agenda. A special conference session, "Sustainable Development: Experiences from Malaysia," is detailed below). The Conference immediately precedes the 5th SDSN Leadership Council meeting (Sept. 19-20, Colombia University).

The achievements also reflect the success of the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council, comprised of leading international experts in education, economics, business, science and technology advising Malaysia's drive to achieve an environmentally-sustainable, high-income economy based on knowledge and innovation.

On Sept. 24, at the New York Academy of Sciences, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Razak, will chair GSIAC's 4th annual meeting.

Says Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to Malaysia's Prime Minister and co-chair of MIGHT: "This review of Malaysia's achievements in sustainable development is in part a tribute to the international expertise, perspectives and advice provided by our country's unique GSIAC. Malaysia continues progressing towards high-income status -- $20,000 per capita annually -- but recognizes inter-generational obligations and is determined to achieve our goal without compromising the future of our successors on this planet."

Successful sustainable development innovations: 10 examples from Malaysia

1) Smart villages: a global model for poverty relief

High-tech "smart villages" under construction in Malaysia are lifting incomes for scores of rural families while promoting environmental sustainability.

Each community consists of about 100 affordable homes, high-tech educational, training and recreational facilities, with an integrated, sustainable farm system providing villagers with food and employment -- on average tripling monthly income to about US $475.

Three villages are completed, four more are in progress and 11 more are planned in rural Malaysia for completion next year. Nine of the villages are in areas settled under Malaysia's Federal Land Development Authority -- a government agency founded to help resettle poor families in newly-developed areas with smallholder farms growing cash crops.

The smart villages -- designed, built (on about 50 acres each) and initially managed by Malaysia's IRIS corporation -- feature 1,000 square-foot homes built largely from post-consumer materials, each home constructed in just 10 days at a cost of under $20,000 (see http://bit.ly/1lYejDu).

The innovative farming operations include a cascading series of fish tanks. Aquafarmed at the top of the water ladder are fish species sensitive to water quality, next tilapia, then guppies and finally algae, the latter two used to feed the larger fish.

Filtered fish tank wastewater then irrigates trees, grain fields, and high-value plants grown in "Autopots" - a three piece container featuring a smart valve that detects soil moisture levels and releases water precisely as required, reducing the need for fertilizer and pesticides. Worms from plants compost are fed to free-range chickens.

This system optimizes nutrient absorption, minimizes waste and enables crops to be grown in previously non-arable land. Premium produce sold at market include Golden Melon, Butterhead Lettuce, Misai Kuching (herbal tea), Jade Perch fish and the free-range chickens.

The village's solar-generated power is complemented by biomass energy and mini-hydro electricity. A community hall, resource centre, places of worship, playgrounds and educational facilities equipped with 4G Internet service support both e-learning and e-health services.

2) Low-carbon "smart cities"

Malaysia's population grew 53% in 20 years - from 18 million in 1990 to 28 million in 2010 with over 33 million predicted by the end of this decade. In 2020, some 75% will live in cities (almost tripling Peninsular Malaysia's urban demographic from the 27% proportion recorded in 1960).

With urban developments contributing 50% of world greenhouse gas emissions, striving to achieve low-carbon cities is essential to mitigating the planet's warming trend.

The Low-Carbon Cities Framework and Assessment System, created by Malaysia's Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water and partners, offers a guide to planning low-carbon cities and their management.

And it includes an assessment system enabling the calculation of a carbon footprint baseline and the measurement of changes in emissions from a particular development.

Two pilot sites:

Tasik (lake) Kenyir resort area, northeast Malaysia: CO2 emissions are being reduced this year from 95.39 to 62.35 tonnes (confirm) from 2011 baseline levels by 2014
Cyberjaya, the national capital area high-tech corridor: CO2 emissions are being reduced from 1.4 million to 1.1 million tonnes from 2011 levels

Among hallmarks of low-carbon urban areas:

Compact development within a defined carbon budget
Open green space and trees
Bicycling, walking and public transportation are easy, attractive alternatives to driving while policies promote car-pooling, lower driving speeds and better traffic flow
Water and energy efficiency is promoted in initial construction designs and retrofitting, along with fostering the use of renewable energy
Infrastructure enables district cooling, effective storm water management and flood mitigation

Meanwhile, Iskandar Malaysia under development in the south of the country, is the first "smart metropolis" of Southeast Asia founded on principles of social integration and ambitions of being a low carbon emitting city thanks to a green economy and green technologies. The development offers a potential template for urban development in emerging economy countries with burgeoning populations.

Located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula opposite Singapore, Iskandar covers 2,217 square km -- an area the size of Luxembourg - and is made up of skyscrapers and high rises as well as low-carbon, self-contained cities, townships, villages and neighbourhoods.

Its population of 1.3 million people in 2010 expected to roughly triple by 2025

Livability and sustainability are cornerstones of Iskandar development, as is the goal of greenhouse gas emissions no greater than the volume that nature absorbs.

3) Biomass waste to wealth

Having determined that the oil palm industry's waste biomass can be refined into high value "green chemicals," Malaysia has in sight a major potential economic windfall from massive plantations covering almost 15% of the nation.

Introduced to the country as an ornamental plant in 1870, oil palms today cover roughly 5 million hectares (19,000 sq mi) of Malaysia. The reddish pulp of the plant's fruit is used to make a vegetable oil widely used worldwide in cooking, as well as in an enormous range of consumer products from toothpaste to lipstick.

Typically today, some 40% of the fibers and shells of empty fresh fruit bunches is unused. Now available, thanks to new technologies, is a potential national economic bonus amounting to billions of dollars each year, creating thousands of jobs in the bargain.

International experts estimate that the potential from processing 20% of Malaysia's 80 million metric tonnes of annual oil palm biomass could generate an economic windfall in green chemicals and products valued at $30 billion per year by 2025.

Prime Minister Najib created MYBiomass -- a special-purpose organization dedicated to making the nation as a market leader in high value green chemicals, in 2011 on the advice of the GSIAC.

And an agreement signed last year between MYBiomass's shareholders -- MIGHT, Sime Darby Berhad and Felda Global Ventures Holdings Berhad -- confirms the commitment of Malaysia's largest plantation companies in this initiative.

The green chemical industry today worldwide is estimated at $2.8 billion, seen rising to about $100 billion in 2020.

MYBiomass has done extensive feasibility studies, factoring in fertilizer replacement costs and evaluating alternative potential uses of the biomass as energy feedstock.

The cost of constructing a bio-refinery to produce green chemicals in Malaysia ranges between US $80 million and $300 million, depending on such factors the size, technology and location.

4) The Kondo Rakyat Community

Started in 2010 in a predominantly low-income neighbourhood with about 15,840 residents in five apartment blocks, the Kondo Rakyat Community Project strives to be a model of sustainable urban practices.

The project's initial activities: collect used cooking oil (sold to the biofuel industry), create gardens (herbs, vegetables and fruits) in kitchens throughout the complex, convert garden waste into compost aided by an on-site shredder and anaerobic digester (the compost recycled through the kitchen gardens), and a "green bazaar" (in which the sale of reusable items provides an assistance fund for the community's neediest individuals).

The program helps community members to help themselves with fresh, self-grown produce and income generating activities while reducing the release of oils into surrounding waters.

5) Greening higher-education campuses

Some 2,500 bicycles purchased by Universiti Putra Malaysia form part of a major new drive to make cycling and walking the main modes of transportation for students and staff. The program not only fosters healthier, active lifestyles, it will cut campus bus rentals by 65% (saving about US $940,000), and lower carbon dioxide emissions by more than one-third.

A holistic "Zero Campus Waste" management model at Universiti Malaya, meanwhile, is diverting 80% of the campus' annual 11 tonnes of food and plant waste away from landfills and converting it into biofuels and compost for organic farming operations. The proceeds from the food harvests, served in the campus' Green Cafe, help fund the programme. In addition to its teaching value as an exemplary practice, annual savings amount about 10 tonnes of carbon emissions.

6) Langkawi Geopark: raising local incomes through eco-tourism

The first comprehensive initiative of its kind in SouthEast Asia, creation of the Langkawi Geopark has significantly raised the income of fishing boat operators by transforming them into eco-tourism boat guides.

Not only has the effort aided research and conservation of Langkawi's 550 million year-old rock formations, it has created a tourism hot-spot -- the number of visitors rising from 1.8 million in 2005 (estimated spending: US $2.8 million) to 3 million (spending US $6.8 million) in 2012. The successful approach has set the model for three new geo-heritage parks.

7) Drying agricultural and marine produce with solar energy

Using a rural cottage industry business model, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and a private firm, Solartif, have create a job-creating, eco-friendly enterprise manufacturing solar panels to dry an extensive variety agricultural and marine products. The products include tapioca, groundnuts, noodles, coffee beans, mussels, anchovies, bananas and other tropical fruits, fish, seaweed, chilies, medical herbs and palm oil fronds.

The solar panel systems produce an estimated 1 megawatt of energy per year and replace conventional diesel-fired dryers, with savings that repay the capital investment required in less than two years, while creating job opportunities in rural areas with large growth opportunities seen ahead. World seaweed production alone in 2012 was an estimated 700,000 tonnes. The solar drying systems, now in use in Malaysia and Cambodia are designed to process 5 tonnes per year.

8) Affordable medical diagnostics

Lymphatic filaiasis is a disfiguring disease transmitted by mosquito bites. Parasites lodge in the lymphatic system causing elephantiasis - a thickening of the skin and underlying tissues. Worldwide, the number of life years lost to disability due to the disease is 5.8 million.

Early, accurate diagnosis is critical and the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine at the Universiti Sains Malaysia's has spearheaded development of rapid test kits as part of the answer to this health scourge.

It is an affordable, mass-produced kit providing results in just 15-20 minutes. It has been commercialized in 18 countries, benefiting 2 million patients while creating 500 jobs so far.

Meanwhile, an initiative called "Endevour Mobile" created the world's first mobile radiology collaboration platform. Combining medical imaging and cellular communications technologies, the platform lets medical professionals provide real-time advice to patients in remote parts of Malaysia, improve healthcare nationwide by extending the reach of medical expertise and enabling savings for patients who otherwise require transportation and lodging.

9) Inspiring the next generation of taxonomic scientists

The Consortium of Southeast Asian Seaweed Taxonomy is building expertise in taxonomic science while helping to preserve biodiversity and document commercially valuable species used in a variety of industrial products as well as in drugs and cosmetics.

Led in Malaysia by the University of Malaya and supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and national marine research institutes, students collect samples, identify them with the help of laboratory mentors, and co-author papers and monographs.

10) The Borneo turtle census

Every year on May 23, world turtle day helps increase knowledge and respect for turtles and tortoises. Around the island of Mabul, the Universit Malaysia Sabah's Borneo Marine Research Institute and several partners, including popular diving resorts, conduct an annual underwater census of local turtles during which the animals are measured, tagged and photographed. The most recent census found 46 animals, helping create public awareness of turtles' declining numbers (down 95% worldwide) while enhancing research and conservation.

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Background

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2012, the SDSN mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem-solving at local, national, and global scales.

The SDSN promotes integrated approaches to the world's interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges, working closely with UN agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society. The SDSN Secretariat is hosted by Columbia University with staff in Paris, New York, and New Delhi.

National SDSNs mobilize universities, research centers, civil society organizations, business, and other knowledge centers around practical problem solving for sustainable development.

Brazil - Hosted by Conservation International-Brazil, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Instituto Pereira Passos

Ethiopia - Hosted by Wollega University

Germany - Hosted by German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Indonesia - Hosted by the University of Indonesia

Malaysia - Hosted by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology

Nigeria - Hosted jointly by the Universities of Ibadan and Nnamdi Azikiwe University

Russia - Hosted by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

South Korea - Hosted by the Korea Development Institute

Turkey - Hosted by Boğaziçi University

Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology

The Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee under the purview of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. MIGHT is an organization built on the strength of public-private partnership with more than 100 members, both local and international, from industry, government and academia. As an organization MIGHT is dedicated to providing a platform for industry-government consensus building in the drive to advance high technology competency in Malaysia.

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Red tide off northwest Florida could hit economy

JASON DEAREN Associated Press Yahoo News 17 Sep 14;

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — It's like Florida's version of The Blob. Slow moving glops of toxic algae in the northeast Gulf of Mexico are killing sea turtles, sharks and fish, and threatening the waters and beaches that fuel the region's economy.

Known as "red tide," this particular strain called Karenia brevis is present nearly every year off Florida, but large blooms can be particularly devastating. Right now, the algae is collecting in an area about 60 miles wide and 100 miles long, about 5 to 15 miles off St. Petersburg in the south and stretching north to Florida's Big Bend, where the peninsula ends and the Panhandle begins.

Fishermen who make a living off the state's northwest coast are reporting fish kills and reddish water.

"It boils up in the propeller wash like boiled red Georgia clay. It's spooky," said Clearwater fisherman Brad Gorst as he steered the charter fishing boat Gulfstream 2 in waters near Honeymoon Island, where dead fish recently washed ashore.

Red tide kills fish, manatees and other marine life by releasing a toxin that paralyzes their central nervous system. The algae also foul beaches and can be harmful to people who inhale the algae's toxins when winds blow onshore or by crashing waves, particularly those with asthma and other respiratory ailments.

In 2005, a strong red tide killed reefs, made beaches stinky and caused millions in economic damage. A weaker red tide in 2013 killed 276 manatees, state records show, after infecting the grasses eaten by the endangered creatures.

"This red tide ... will likely cause considerable damage to our local fisheries and our tourist economy over the next few months," said Heyward Mathews, an emeritus professor of oceanography at St. Petersburg College who has studied the issue for decades.

Despite years of study, there is nothing anyone has been able to do about it. In the 1950s, wildlife officials tried killing the red tide algae by dumping copper sulfate on it, which made the problem worse in some ways. But some researchers are working to change that.

Predicting when red tides are going to be especially bad can help fishermen and beach businesses prepare.

Right now, much of the information comes from satellite images, which are often obscured by clouds.

"In this particular red tide, we got a good image on July 23 — then we went weeks without another image," said University of South Florida ocean scientist Robert Weisberg.

Weisberg is one among a team of researchers developing a prediction model based on ocean currents data, rather than satellite images.

The prediction model tracks the currents that bring natural nutrients like phytoplankton the red tide needs to gain a foothold. Unlike other red tide species, Karenia brevis is not believed to be caused by man-made pollution such as agricultural runoff, and historical accounts of what is believed to be the same red tide date back to the 1700s.

Using his method, Weisberg in March predicted the current late summer bloom that is now causing so much worry. It allowed state officials to issue a warning July 25.

While the project recently received "rapid response" money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to send a data-collecting robotic glider into the bloom, future funding for this work is in doubt.

Weisberg said the team is still trying to develop a model that can look further into the future.

But the tides often start far offshore, where gathering data and images can be a time-consuming, expensive undertaking. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has tried to stem this data gap by giving fishermen sampling jars to take out to sea with them.

While a good stopgap, Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who represents St. Petersburg, has called for more NOAA funding to help prepare for future events.

"Using fishermen to collect samples clearly shows we have a research gap," Jolly said. "The more we learn about it, the more we can prevent a spread and protect our shoreline."

NOAA spokesman Ben Sherman said the president's 2015 budget does ask for a $6 million increase for research related to red tide forecasting, including the Gulf of Mexico, but Congress still has to approve it.

Fishermen say a better warning system could help save time and money.

"If we had more of a head's up we could plan out where we would go fish," said Mike Colby, captain of the Double Hook fishing vessel in Clearwater.

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