IUCN report says jury still out on biofuels, calls for more research on biodiversity impacts

IUCN 15 Nov 14;

Sydney, Australia, 15 November 2014 (IUCN) – Food security, land grabs and human rights abuses are just some of the harmful impacts identified with the production of biofuels at a global scale, according to a new IUCN report released today at the IUCN World Parks Congress.

The report, A Global Assessment of the Environmental and Social Impacts Caused by the Production and Use of Biofuel, synthesises the biodiversity and social impacts of bioenergy production, mainly drawing on the latest literature related to liquid biofuels. It concludes that, although the volume and quality of research evidence has grown significantly in the past years, gaps remain. Some of these gaps are geographical, while others relate to certain feedstocks.

Further, the report finds that current biofuels policies and practices run the risk of undermining food security, while degrading ecosystems through deforestation, agrochemical pollution and the introduction of invasive species and genetically modified feedstock.

“The jury is still out on biofuels and more evidence is needed to show how well-managed biofuels production can contribute to sustainable energy, landscapes and livelihoods,” said Doris Cellarius, Co-Chair of the IUCN Cross-Theme Biofuels Task Force.

“The impact of biofuels on protected areas is especially under-researched,” she added. “This is vital for understanding the effects on biodiversity.”

The report recognises that sustainable biofuels are a key component for climate mitigation strategies, particularly in the transport sector. However, it finds that there is limited information about the effectiveness and potential for such strategies.

“Given that the use of bioenergy is expected to increase in the coming years, more research and metrics are needed to better understand the impacts of biofuel production on biodiversity and society,” said Giulia Carbone, Deputy Director of IUCN’s Business and Biodiversity Programme. “Emerging models suggest that sustainable biofuel production could improve rural livelihoods, while safeguarding the environment, so it is important to investigate these efforts further.”

The available literature has provided little documentation of the positive impacts of biofuels production. More studies are needed as emerging models indicate how smallholders can benefit. The Global Assessment provides suggestions for additional action and research. It is hoped that activists and scientists will see them as opportunities to be more engaged in this issue.

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Best of our wild blogs: 16 Nov 14

Life History of the Full Stop Swift
from Butterflies of Singapore

Things that fly and slither at Pasir Ris Mangroves!
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Night Walk At Upper Seletar Reservoir
from Beetles@SG BLOG

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Malaysia: Cameron Highlands development plan ignored

New Straits Times 15 Nov 14;

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: AUTHORITIES believe there are no less than 6,000 hectares of illegally-cleared land here, three times more than stated under a comprehensive development plan for the highlands issued in 2003.

The plan had promised sustainable use of land, allowing agricultural activities to be carried out under a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL).

The huge extent of illegal clearing was blamed on licence holders who blatantly expand their farms beyond the permitted acreage. The authorities and environmentalists are talking about ravaged hills that had expanded beyond the size of Putrajaya. They include forest reserves.

“Imagine the football pitch in Bukit Jalil Stadium, then imagine 8.4 million of them put together. That is the size of the land encroached on by greedy farmers in the highlands. It is hard to imagine,” said an official involved in investigating the root causes of the environmental problems besieging the highlands.

He, like many others the New Straits Times had engaged in probing into the goings-on in the administration of the highlands, was not sure if the development plan, which was supposed to last until next year, had even been observed.

Malaysian Institute of Integrity president Datuk Dr Mohd Tap Salleh agreed with the NST that if there was going to be any seriousness in arresting the on-going encroachment problem in the highlands, a thorough audit of the highlands’ administration, including the issuance of farming permits, must be quickly carried out.

“Action must be taken against officers who issued TOLs on prohibited areas, regardless of whether they did so under duress or not. There is the 2003-2015 Cameron Highlands Local Plan, so those checking on what has been going on can refer to it to see how TOLs are given,” Tap said.

The NST yesterday front-paged an expose on interference in the administration of the highlands by influential figures, including those using the Pahang palace’s name to push recommendations for land development.

It revealed a highly-confidential document known in the highlands’ business circle as a surat kuning. The NST yesterday tried to get palace officials to comment but they refused.

However, in the evening, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, issued a statement to the NST. He agreed with the NST’s suggestion that the state should have an auditing system to cross-check the development of land against what was set in the highlands’ development plan.

“We have the local plans in every district council, in which areas of land categories used are identified and marked. All development programmes need to tally with these plans. Perhaps with the auditing system as suggested, we can improve further.”

He, however, denied that the surat kuning from palace officials was among the root causes of problems in Cameron Highlands.

“This is not true and it’s not fair to the officials. It’s normal for many applicants to get testimonials and recommendations from whom they think can lend support to their applications. The palace officials are merely doing their duty just like a state assemblyman or penghulu (village headmen).

“Testimonials and recommendations from all, including palace officials, are looked into but in the end, the state authorities will decide based on merit,” Adnan said, adding that as menteri besar, he would ensure that all decisions made were fair.

He blamed the influx of illegal foreign workers here as the root cause of destruction as illegal farming would become rampant with a massive presence of these workers.

“Illegal cultivation has become rampant due to the availability of cheap foreign labour. The state has no means to curb this widespread illegal cultivation as it lacks the manpower and facilities to do it,” he said, adding that he welcomed fair reporting, saying it was the state government’s policy to be open and transparent.

“I welcome constructive criticism that can help the state improve and enhance the efficiency of its government machinery.”

However, Adnan found it hard to believe claims that there were 30,000 illegal immigrants here, saying that the number had been “excessively bloated” as operations to nab them had so far only netted 190.

Based on Immigration Department records, he said there were 11,016 legal immigrants here.

The NST was told by enforcers that they believed many illegal immigrants had gone into hiding in the surrounding jungles, waiting for the crackdown against them to wind down.

Meanwhile, the cabinet yesterday agreed to form a joint committee to oversee the implementation of short- and long-term rehabilitation plans for Cameron Highlands.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the committee would be jointly chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Adnan.

“The committee will be responsible for preparing an action plan to rehabilitate the highlands,” said Najib after opening the 2014 Umno Johor Convention in Johor Baru.

The NST had, in its report, also quoted experts as saying that the highlands here was headed for a catastrophe “of an unimaginable scale” in five to 10 years time if illegal land clearing continues unabated.

Environmental group Permata Greenland said the Pahang government must act decisively in revoking TOLs issued to farmers who breached their licence conditions, including those going beyond the permitted acreage in cultivating their land.

“They don’t respect the government’s terms and conditions, and are ungrateful and greedy. The damage they cause will take years to reverse,” said its deputy president, Dr Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir.

She added that the land must then be swiftly rehabilitated and reforestation works be carried out.

The extensive environmental damage to the highlands had been blamed for the carnage seen in recent years. The latest, on Nov 5, claimed five lives and injured four others when mudslides ripped through Bertam Valley, Ringlet and Kuala Terla.

An audit by the Auditor-General carried out two years ago showed that 991.4ha of areas bordering TOL lands had been illegally encroached. This acreage audited involved just three areas — Ulu Tenom, Ringlet and Tanah Rata.

Auditors had also concluded then that the overall management of highland development activities and its impact to the environment were “less than satisfactory” due to the lack of proper preservation of hill slopes, which had led to serious siltation in Tasik Ringlet.

It also mentioned farms that encroached into forest reserves in the area. The size of Cameron Highlands is 77,100ha, of which 6,000ha of it had been cleared illegally. The economy here generates about RM2 billion per annum. Some 30,000 tourists visit the highlands in a week.

‘Floods caused RM8m damage’
New Straits Times 16 Nov 14;

KUCHING: The flash flood in Ringlet, Cameron Highlands on Nov 5 had damaged federal roads which resulted in losses totalling RM8 million, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

“We will look for funds to repair the damaged federal roads. The losses from the incident are estimated to be about RM8 million.

“The damaged roads have also been cleaned,” he said after visiting the Pan Borneo Highway project site at Batu 10 of Jalan Kuching-Serian yesterday.

Fadillah said although repairs were the responsibility of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and several other ministries, the Works Ministry would also render assistance.

“The Works Ministry will provide technical advice, through the Public Works Department and the Pahang Public Works Department, as well as taking on the task of repairing the affected federal roads.” Bernama

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Malaysia stops fish exports to Thailand, Singapore in anticipation of shortage

The Star 15 Nov 14;

SHAH ALAM: Malaysia has stopped fish exports to Thailand and Singapore from this month in anticipation of a shortage during the Monsoon season.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move involves several types of fish such as cencaru, selar, selayang and kembung.

Thailand and Singapore are the largest importers of fish from Malaysia.

"We have issued a directive that fish is not to be exported until the Monsoon season is over to ensure adequate supply.

"The frozen fish programme of the Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) and the National Fishermen's Association (Nekmat) will also be activated if necessary," he told reporters after launching the book 100 Birds of National Botanic Garden Shah Alam at Taman Botani Negara here, Saturday.

A total of 1,500 copies of the book were distributed free of charge to schools across the country.

Ismail also said the landslides in Cameron Highlands had not affected the supply and price of vegetables as it only supplied 15% of the country's needs.

"Moreover, the areas affected involved land cleared illegally while the operators were not registered with the Farmers Organisation Authority (LPP)," he added.

The incident in Kampung Raja, Ringlet and Bertam Valley in Cameron Highlands on Nov 5 claimed five lives and displaced 203 people from 47 families. – Bernama

Fish exports halted for monsoon season
New Straits Times 17 Nov 14;

SHAH ALAM: Exports of selected fish have been temporarily halted as a precautionary measure in preparation for the monsoon season.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ministry had issued instructions to temporarily halt exports of ikan kembung, ikan selayang, and ikan cencaru to ensure an adequate supply for local needs during the monsoon season. The decision will affect exports to Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

“Malaysia normally exports about 30 per cent of its catch of these selected fish. This ban will be in effect until the monsoon season is over.

“If the fish supply runs low, we are prepared to import from overseas,” he said after launching a book titled 100 Birds of National Botanic Gardens Shah Alam at Taman Botani Negara here yesterday.

On the supply of vegetables during the rainy season, Ismail said the public need not worry, as the stock of vegetables was enough to cater to local demand.

He said the mud floods in Cameron Highlands had not affected supply, as the farms that were inundated were illegal.

“Only some parts of Cameron Highlands are affected. These are not included in our considerations and calculations, so we do not have statistics of the amount of produce they yield.”

He said even if the amount of produce from these illegal farms was not considered, the country still had enough vegetables for local use.

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Malaysia: ‘Climate change can affect food security’

SUZANNA PILLAY New Straits Times 16 Nov 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: THE impact of climate change will make it more difficult to secure food security for all in time to come, said Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

“We will see much more impact of natural disasters, like floods and droughts, on food production and this will bring more stress to food markets.

“Due to the impact of climate change, there will be much more uncertainty in food and crop harvests, and also in food markets, where prices will be more volatile all the time, moving up and down.”

Da Silva, who was here recently on a working visit, said genetically-modified crops could be a very important consideration in the future due to climate change and growing population.

“We may need such technology to feed the additional two billion people expected by 2050.”

He said food security was an important issue because insecurity could lead to conflict, violence and stress.

He said lack of available land for farming also contributed towards food insecurity.

“We recommend that a country produce part of their food locally and not rely on imports alone, but it has to be noted that some countries cannot do it.”

He said it was encouraging that more and more countries in the Asia-Pacific region were committed to the goals set in the zero-hunger challenge, which was launched in the region last year, in response to the call made by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at the Rio+20 Sustainable Development Conference.

The goals include 100 per cent access to adequate food all year round and ensuring adequate nutrition for children under 5.

“An estimated 162 million children below the age of 5 are stunted, 51 million wasted or acutely malnourished. Today, more than 800 million people still suffer from undernourishment.

“Two-thirds of them live in Asia, including nearly 65 million in Southeast Asia. Hunger affects some 12 per cent of the world’s population, or nearly one in eight people.

“So, while we make a push to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition by 2015, as set out in FAO’s Millennium Development Goals, we also need to look ahead and be even bolder in our ambitions towards our real goal to end hunger in the world. ”

Da Silva said the other goals included achieving responsible consumption.

“Currently 30 to 50 per cent of what the world produces are lost or wasted, which puts a lot of pressure on the natural resources we use to produce food.”

A report by the FAO last year said 1.3 billion tonnes of food were wasted every year.

As hosts of the FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in 2016, da Silva said Malaysia had the opportunity to strongly contribute to food security and tackle food loss and waste at national level. Last year, Malaysia was recognised by the FAO as one of 15 developing countries that had held hunger rates below five per cent since 1990.

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Indonesia: Jakarta claims to be better prepared to tackle floods

Fardah Antara 15 Nov 14;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta is notorious for its traffic jams and floods during the rainy season, which usually begins late in the year and lasts until February or March.

In January 2014 alone, when the season reached its peak, floods claimed 23 lives, displaced tens of thousands of people and inflicted losses amounting to some one trillion rupiah in Jakarta.

Last year, Jakarta suffered material losses worth Rp20 trillion, or US$2 billion, as a result of floods.

Now, as the capital city is hit with the monsoons again, Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta, was reported to have been hit by floods over the last three days (November 11 to 14). Flood waters rose to heights between 30 centimeters and two meters.

However, the acting governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, earlier said that the metropolitan was ready to face floods. He was optimistic that Jakarta would be flooded for no longer than one day.

"We are better prepared now as compared to previous years. I have ordered the head of sub-districts in Jakarta province to dredge the river basin (to ease the flow of water into the sea)," Ahok noted recently.

Jakartas Public Works Office has reinforced the existing dams and also installed several water pumps, particularly in areas like North Jakarta that are prone to be the first to be struck by the floods.

The city administration conducted a variety of efforts to address the issue, including normalization of rivers, reservoirs and waterways, as well as the demolition of illegal buildings located along the banks of rivers and reservoirs.

"Water pumps have been repaired and installed as a precaution against rising water levels that can cause flooding. The pumps can be operated optimally," he assured.

Ahok further explained that they faced challenges in relocating the people who lived in the illegally constructed houses along the river banks. The government is trying to relocate the people by building low-cost apartments across various areas in Jakarta, but the construction work has yet to be completed.

He added that there were a number of areas in Jakarta that were difficult to protect against flooding. "These include areas such as South Jakarta and North Jakarta. The two regions are still not properly protected because the river is yet to be normalized optimally. There are still illegal buildings along the banks," he noted.

Despite the challenges, he was optimistic that future flooding could be tackled properly.

"I believe that the Jakarta city administration can handle flooding properly. The management of flooding is much better. So the floodwaters that hit Jakarta will recede fast and will not stay for longer than one day," Ahok said on November 12.

In October, Ahok blamed corruption for the flooding that hits Jakarta almost annually.

Corruption is the root problem behind the fact that all the available facilities were not being utilized effectively, he said.

"There are a lot of smart people, and a lot of money to spend," he remarked.

When first I came to the city hall (as the vice governor), the city had Rp41 trillion. This year, Jakarta has nearly Rp80 trillion. I am very confident the root problem is corruption and nothing else," he affirmed.

If corruption is eradicated, all problems can be resolved easily, including the issue of how to cope with flooding, he added.

Ahok pointed out that he suspected the involvement of a lot of cheating in the process of handing over a project to contractors to tackle Jakartas flooding issues, with officials in charge of the project more interested in illegal commissions.

He believes that they may have to stop allocating the job of preventing floods to the private sector.

"With the money that we have, why should we not buy all the equipment we need and do the job ourselves?" he questioned.

To prevent flooding in the city, Ahok stated that he would focus on strengthening the existing dykes by buying equipment used in river dredging.

Furthermore, the Head of the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), Bambang Musyawardana, confirmed that better preparations are in place to tackle the floods that might hit the capital city during the rainy season.

"So far, we have carried out various measures to fight flooding, including structural and non-structural mitigation efforts among others," he said on November 12.

Structural mitigation preparations included construction of infrastructure needed to deal with flooding, such as river normalization, dams, pump installation, and absorption wells, he affirmed.

"Most of them are now under construction," he added.

While Jakarta could not complete all dam constructions this year, as they were being developed in stages for several years, 80 percent of pump installation works have been completed.

As part of non-structural mitigation preparations, the Jakarta BPBD has organized various trainings for the public in anticipation of floods, he stated.

The training workshops were attended by teachers, students and volunteers, he said.

Musyawardana earlier noted that a disaster warning system would be installed soon at five flood-prone urban villages to anticipate flooding during the rainy season.

He pointed out that the devices would be installed in Rawa Buaya, Kampung Melayu, Bidara Cina, Petogogan, and Ulujambi.

"Technically, the devices will be installed at 15 locations in each urban village," he stated, adding that the devices, equipped with sirens and loudspeakers, were a grant received from the Japan Radio Company.

"We received the devices from Japan. They will be installed as soon as possible," Musyawardana added.

Moreover, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is preparing a map of areas in Jakarta that are prone to floods during the rainy season.

Basarnas needs such a map for assigning tasks, supervision, and flood victim evacuation, agency spokesman M Yusuf Latif said on November 14.

Based on this map, Basarnas will provide material assistance, such as rubber boats, life vests, and helicopters, needed in case of flooding, he affirmed.

The agencys officials reminded residents of Jakarta, as well as those of other parts of the country that are prone to floods and landslides, to be even more alert now that the rainy season has begun.

Furthermore, the National Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted that the season will be at its peak in December, January and February.

Indonesia began to experience its rainy season this November.

Floods were also reported in Aceh, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Riau, and West Java.

In Silaut sub-district, South Pesisir district, West Sumatra province, one villager was killed and at least 841 houses were flooded on November 12, following the incessant rains that lashed the area.

In Aceh Darussalam province, seven districts were hit by floods. These included Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya, West Aceh, Southwest Aceh, Nagan Raya, South Aceh, and Aceh Singkil.
(T.F001/KR-BSR/A014)

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Best of our wild blogs: 15 Nov 14

Bats in my porch: 21. Hanging CDs
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Public engagement on ways to reduce carbon emission to take place in 2015

Sara Grosse Channel NewsAsia 14 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE: The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) plans to engage key stakeholders and members of the public in early 2015 to solicit feedback on existing and possible measures by Singapore to reduce its carbon emissions.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change, announced this at the opening of a new climate change exhibition at the Science Centre Singapore on Friday (Nov 14).

Mr Teo said: "Ahead of the new international agreement in 2015, countries will be expected to put forth new commitments to reduce emissions from year 2020 and beyond. Singapore has started preparations on our contributions for the post-2020 agreement.

"Even though we are a small island state with limited access to renewable energy sources, Singapore will do our part as a responsible member of the international community to manage our carbon emissions."

Yuen Sai Kuan, Director, 3P Network, National Climate Change Secretariat, added that the public engagement will include consultations on ways to improve energy efficiency in areas such transport and housing.

Singapore has pledged to cut emissions by 7 per cent to 11 per cent below 2020 business-as-usual (BAU) levels, and in case of a binding international agreement, by 16 per cent below BAU.

S$3 MILLION CLIMATE CHANGE EXHIBITION LAUNCHED

Mr Teo on Friday launched the Climate Change Climate Challenge Exhibition, built at a cost of S$3 million. The interactive exhibition replaces the previous display built in 2008.
The centrepiece of the new exhibition is the Climate Machine, which allows visitors to understand how their daily actions, such as choosing to drive a car instead of using public transport, contribute to the release of greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere and cause climate change. The giant balls represent carbon dioxide entering and leaving the Earth's atmosphere.

Visitors can also learn more about Singapore's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday.

- CNA/kk

Public to share its ideas on creating greener Singapore: Teo
LAURA ELIZABETH PHILOMIN Today Online 15 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE — As the Government prepares to commit to a global pact on climate change next year, it will be asking for public feedback on how the nation can reduce its carbon emissions and promote green growth, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at the launch of a new climate change exhibition at the Science Centre Singapore yesterday.

The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) will lead the feedback exercise, which will start next year.

International efforts to reach a global agreement on reducing emissions beyond 2020 are scheduled to take place at a United Nations meeting in Paris next year. Ahead of that, Mr Teo, who also chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change, said countries will be expected to put forth new commitments to reduce emissions from year 2020.

“Even though we are a small island state with limited access to renewable energy sources, Singapore will do our part as a responsible member of the international community to manage our carbon emissions,” he said.

Since this could entail changes in industry practices and individual lifestyle habits, Mr Yuen Sai Kuan, director of the 3P Network Division in NCCS, said the public consultation aims to seek views from stakeholders who might be affected by emission reduction measures early on.

Noting that Singapore has already pledged to cut emissions by 7 per cent to 11 per cent below 2020 business-as-usual (BAU) levels — and, in the case of a binding international agreement, by 16 per cent — Mr Yuen said Singapore would still have to review its post-2020 targets.

“A key thrust of our emission-reduction efforts will be energy efficiency, so we’ll be looking at existing measures to improve our energy efficiency, as well as new measures,” he said.

In addition to getting more people to use less energy or use energy wisely, the public consultation will also seek feedback on possible new measures, such as lowering the threshold of the existing Energy Conservation Act, to encourage more companies to improve their energy management practices.

The Government may also look into sectors such as households and transport, he added.

Even while countries struggle to meet their 2020 targets set in the Kyoto Protocol, negotiations for the new 2015 international agreement are already under way.

“The US-China agreement announced a few days ago is certainly a positive step because (they are) the largest carbon emitters in the world. So, if both of them agree to commit and do their part to reduce carbon emissions, I think it sets the pace or open the doors for more agreement,” said Mr Yuen.

CLIMATE CHANGE EXHIBITION

Amid growing concerns over climate change and its impacts, Mr Teo officially launched the new S$3 million Climate Change Climate Challenge Exhibition at the Science Centre yesterday.

The exhibition, a revamp of a previous exhibit that opened in 2008, will be a permanent feature and is a collaboration between the Science Centre, NCCS and Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).

“One of the things we tried to do in this exhibit is, as far as possible, we wanted to base the facts (people get) on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report,” said Dr Chris Gordon, director of the Centre for Climate Research Singapore under the MSS.

“So we’ve tried to make that part of it up-to-date, but (we’ve) also tried to make it very engaging for people.”

Visitors will be able to explore eight different zones with interactive exhibits that will take them through the causes of climate change, its impact on Singapore and the region, and how individuals have a role to play in reducing Singapore’s carbon footprint by adopting climate-friendly habits.

They will also have a chance to role-play as meteorologists and experience first-hand how the MSS uses technology to understand complex weather systems.

“Not forgetting the (nurturing of) future generations of scientists who can help tackle climate change, we hope this exhibition can pique our students’ interest and set them on course to become experts in the area,” added Mr Yuen.

Public study on cutting S'pore's carbon output
Feng Zengkun The Straits Times AsiaOne 15 Nov 14;

Singapore will begin public consultations early next year to work on plans and targets to reduce carbon emissions after 2020, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday.

This will include a review of ongoing efforts and a study of possible measures to, say, improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions from power consumption.

The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), which co-ordinates the country's domestic and international policies on climate change, will seek the public's views on the measures and how they can contribute.

"Even though we are a small island state with limited access to renewable energy sources, Singapore will do its part as a responsible member of the international community to manage its carbon emissions," said Mr Teo at an annual competition to raise awareness about climate change.

If nothing was done to reduce emissions after 2005, Singapore would reach some 77 million tonnes of emissions in 2020.

The Government has pledged to reduce emissions by 7 to 11 per cent below this projection, and to boost its commitment to 16 per cent if there is a global, legally binding deal to reduce emissions.

DPM Teo added that Singapore is playing "an active part" in ongoing talks for a new international agreement on climate change.

Such an accord is widely expected at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting next year, especially after China and the United States announced a historic climate change agreement between them on Wednesday.

China and the US are the world's No. 1 and No. 2 carbon polluters. Their accord included China's first commitment to stop emissions from growing by 2030.

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Extra spark for electric car project

Feng Zengkun The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Nov 14;

SOMEDAY in the near future, you might be able to find an electric car in your neighbourhood car park, drive it to your destination and then park it for someone else to use.

Last weekend, the authorities said in a new sustainable Singapore blueprint that they are planning to lead an electric car project to make car-sharing more convenient and environmentally-friendly.

When asked, the Economic Development Board and Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a joint reply that they are still at the planning stage and could not provide more details.

But The Straits Times understands that the Government had, as recently as about two years ago, considered introducing 900 to 1,000 electric cars under such a scheme.

Industry players and transportation experts said that a project of this nature was long overdue, and that implementing it would help Singapore meet its goal of being a "car-lite" nation, as set out in the blueprint. The LTA has said "car sharing can help those who need to use a car for a few hours or over a weekend, and allow convenient access to it without having to own or maintain one".

Unlike conventional cars fuelled by petrol, electric cars do not have tailpipes that emit pollution.

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng said: "By having an electric car-sharing scheme we can kill two birds with one stone.

"People do not need to buy cars and they can use an even more environmentally-friendly way of sharing cars."

Mr Tom Lokenvitz, founder of hybrid car-sharing outfit Smove, said the Republic's relatively short driving distances and stable power supply make electric cars a good option.

But experts noted that Singapore still does not have enough charging stations for the cars, or parking spaces set aside for them. As of early July, there were just 68 charging stations and three quick charge stations for the whole island.
Most are on semi-public premises, which means access may be restricted.

When asked, the Housing Board (HDB) said it has about 300 car-sharing parking spaces at 105 HDB car parks.

It said the car parks are primarily for HDB residents, so their needs have to be met first before car-sharing spaces can be set aside. "(But) we will set aside car-sharing spaces in every town, so that residents in all towns can have this option," it said.

It is working with LTA and car-sharing operators to identify suitable locations.

Last year, the LTA and Energy Market Authority concluded the first phase of the Government's electric car test-bed, which started in 2011, and involved 89 cars.

Only cars registered by companies, institutes of higher learning and government agencies took part in the test-bed, but the new car-sharing scheme will be more widely available to the public, according to the blueprint.

Smove's Mr Lokenvitz said the authorities could encourage the use and sharing of electric cars through other means, such as by excluding electric vehicles' batteries - which are costly - from tax computations.

"That would make electric cars more cost-competitive, and the market would adapt. People who are early adopters can buy the cars, and companies can also get more of them to roll out their own electric car-sharing plans," he said.

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Chinese Developers' Projects in Malaysia Run into Series of Snags

The MH370 episode, changes in government polices and environmental concerns have clouded the plans of property companies like Country Garden
Chen Lixiong and Li Huiling Caixin Online 13 Nov 14;

(Johor Bahru, Malaysia) – Chinese property developers had big plans for their projects in the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru, which lies across a thin strip of water from Singapore.

Developers like Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd., Shanghai Greenland Group and Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. Ltd. have planned projects worth US$ 6 billion in a large development area Malaysia started planning in 2006.

The government of the Southeast Asian country has predicted the development would transform Johor Bahru into an world-class metropolis by 2025. Some of these hopes were underpinned by the city's proximity to Singapore, which lies to the south across the Straits of Johor.

The high hopes have boosted Johor Bahru's property market in recent years, sending the average price for an apartment up 45 percent since 2009.

But lately the optimism has turned to frustration for the Chinese developers working in the area. Plans for home sales to Chinese buyers were complicated following the disappearance of a Malaysian Airlines flight, then complicated again another as the Malaysian government changed home buying and tax policies that cooled the market.

One developer has also run into public opposition involving a project to build islands for residential buildings in the Straits of Johor, prompting the government to suspend work.

Disaster Strikes

Country Garden, which is based in the southern province of Guangdong, spent 1.56 billion yuan on a 22 hectare waterfront plot in Johor Bahru in 2012. Then in August last year homes in the project, called Danga Bay, went on sale.

Some 6,000 homes were sold the first day they hit the market, netting Country Garden some 9 billion yuan. The Danga Bay homes sold for 14,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan per square meter.

Country Garden's success did not go unnoticed back home. In February, Shanghai Greenland bought two parcels of land in Johor Bahru and by the middle of the next month it had unveiled its development plans.

But just before Shanghai Greenland announced those plans, disaster struck. On March 8, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board – about two-thirds of them from mainland China. Many in China criticized Malaysian authorities for their handling of the incident and remain angry the plane has not been found.

The MH370 episode hurt the prospects of the developers in Johor Bahru, especially because foreigners were being counted on to be the biggest buyers. Country Garden planned to sell 30 percent of the Danga Bay homes to buyers from China, but a company salesman says the figure stands at only about 20 percent.

Greenland said the disappearance of MH370 had little impact on its projects in Malaysia, but it has postponed projects in the country several times in recent months.

Even before the Malaysian Airlines flight was lost, the Malaysian government had put in place home purchase and tax policies that alarmed developers. In a bid to slow increases in home prices, at the end of last year it put restrictions on foreign buyers.

The government said foreigners could only buy homes costing more than 1.85 million yuan, and if the properties were sold within five years, a 30 percent tax would be levied. The tax rate from the sixth year onward was 5 percent.

Banks also made it harder to get mortgages. The Country Garden salesman said prospective buyers in the Danga Bay project dropped their plans because they could not get loans.

Country Garden saw tough times coming and announced a planned to return land it had bought to the government, but Johor Bahru officials rejected the idea, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

An Island Appears

Some of the Chinese developers' projects involve reclaiming land from the sea. Area residents complained this caused a slew of problems, including flooding.

"Such flooding has never happened before at this time of year," said Cheo Yee How, a state legislator, after a road near the Danga Bay project went under water during a rainstorm on September 11.

He said residents worried that the city's sewer system would have problems and more flooding would occur.

In January, Cheo got a phone call from a fisherman who told him about an island that had appeared in the sea. The islet turned out to be one of four that Country Garden was building for a development called Forest City.

The developer neither told residents about the project, nor submitted an environmental impact assessment report to the government. Country Garden said the government only requires the reports when the reclamation area exceeds 50 hectares, but the Forest City project is smaller than that.

The project will harm the livelihoods of about 200 fishermen, said Cheo, who has also questioned whether the project is outside an approved building area.

He called on the government to halt the project and for the developer to tell the public about it plans. Malaysia's environmental ministry suspended work in June.

Country Garden held a meeting with area residents to discuss the issues on September 21, but the locals were unimpressed. When Country Garden produced survey results that showed residents approved of the project, they got angry.

The residents demanded to know how the Forest City project would affect the environment and how they would benefit. The project's director, Dato Zamani Bin Kasim, had to promise them his company would submit an environmental report to authorities in September.

The development has also gotten the attention of Singapore. On September 20, its prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, expressed concern over Forest City's impact on the Straits of Johor, which is as narrow as 1.2 kilometers in some areas. Lee demanded an environmental appraisal and said Singapore wanted to be assured the development would not cause problems for it.
(Rewritten by Guo Kai)

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Sustainable tourism in protected areas can be critical for their survival, says new IUCN report

IUCN 14 Nov 14;

Sydney, Australia, 14 November 2014 (IUCN) – Increasing the number of visitors to protected areas can be an effective tool for conservation and community development, provided well-functioning management systems are in place, according to a new report unveiled today at the IUCN World Parks Congress taking place in Sydney, Australia.

Highlighting a global collection of case studies from Machu Picchu in Peru to the Damaraland Camp in Namibia, the IUCN report, Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Sustainability, includes contributions from more than 50 experts from 23 countries and territories, and examples from over 45 countries around the world.

“Unlike other industries and human-driven activities, tourism in protected areas can be a strong positive force – increasing a sense of stewardship and revenues that are vital for the long-term protection of these important conservation areas,” said Dr Yu-Fai Leung, the chief editor of the report and member of the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group. “By contrast, reduced visitor numbers to protected areas can signal a lack of political interest or public support. The guidelines provided in this report are intended to strengthen current visitor management systems, including measures on how best to protect these key natural and cultural assets.”

International tourism is a trillion-dollar business, accounting for up to 9% of global GDP. The World Tourism Organization estimates that tourism is expected to continue to grow by 3.3% annually through 2030, generating one in twelve jobs globally. Protected areas, including National Parks and World Heritage Sites, are consistently the primary attraction for tourists interested in exploring natural areas and its wildlife across the world.

Governments, protected area agencies, tour operators, retailers and members of the local community can all benefit from tourism revenues and in some cases tourism enterprises directly support the protection or rehabilitation of key habitat areas.

For example, payments made by Wilderness Safaris – a private sector ecotourism company – for annual concession fees for ecotourism camps in Africa in 2014 totalled over USD 4.4 million, a substantial contribution to financing protected areas through tourism.

In contrast, the report finds that where visits to protected areas have dropped, such as in Canada, Japan and the United States, the parks have suffered from reduced political support and funding. For example, between 1994 and 2012, there was a 28.7% decrease in the number of visitors to national parks in Canada, which may have contributed to the government’s 2012 decision to cut budget and staff to national parks.

The report recognizes that protected area managers are grappling with a number of challenges, including climate change, illegal wildlife trade, inadequate infrastructure and competing interests for natural resources. However, with proper management systems in place, an increase in visitors can generate much needed revenues from entrance fees, guided tours, accommodation and concessions, which in turn can be invested in conservation activities.

The report highlights the need to identify and evaluate the true costs and impacts of tourism in protected areas, in order to have a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges related to the development of tourism in these areas.

“With international travel expected to rise, protected areas managers need to mitigate any negative impacts as a result of increased visits, but also identify new opportunities stemming from this potential demand that can provide revenue for conservation and the local economies. Innovative approaches and partnerships with the local communities, private enterprises and government are needed to help strike the balance in securing long-term support for these critical areas,” concluded Anna Spenceley, co-editor of the report and Chair of the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group.

About the report

Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Sustainability was coordinated by Yu-Fai Leung, Anna Spenceley, Glen Hvenegaard and Ralf Buckley of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas’ Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group. The report includes contributions from 54 experts from 23 countries and territories, and examples from 44 countries around the world. The report builds on existing literature, incorporating new research, theoretical frameworks, planning management strategies, case studies and recommendations. Project site: http://iucn.oscar.ncsu.edu

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Best of our wild blogs: 14 Nov 14

Creature of the Month – Green Crested Lizard
from Bugs & Insects of Singapore

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