Malaysia: MB refutes claim that uncontrolled logging caused floods

The Star 1 Jan 15;

KOTA BARU: The Kelantan government has refuted a statement by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that human negligence through uncontrolled logging may be a cause of the floods in Kuala Krai.

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the Prime Minister should have spoken to the state government before making such a statement.

“The logging system in Kelantan has complied with the quota of 5,960ha a year set by the National Land Council.

“And the forest management by the government adheres to (the terms of) the certification of MC&I SFM, an independent international body, while the land opened by any party must have an Environmental Impact Assessment report.

“The natural disaster that ravaged Kuala Krai may have been caused by unusual rainfall as reported by the Meteorological Department and by illegal land opening by loggers, and the government has stepped up the monitoring of such activities,” Ahmad said in a statement here.

Najib on Tuesday, during a visit to Kuala Krai, told reporters that human negligence, including illegal logging activities, might be a cause for the devastating floods in the district.

The Prime Minister said the rampant opening of land especially for logging had an effect on the environment because there was then no natural retention to stop water from flowing directly to the river swiftly.

He added that the numerous logs floating in the river also had an effect when they became stuck under the bridges blocking the water from flowing and thus spilling over to the surrounding areas resulting in major floods.

Floods cost Kelantan RM200mil in losses
The Star 2 Jan 14;

KOTA BARU: The unprecedented floods in Kelantan have caused an estimated RM200mil in losses, said state flood disaster management director Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

The floods damaged basic infrastructure in the towns of Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Tanah Merah, Tumpat, Pasir Mas and here.

“This is only a ballpark figure and we have yet to tabulate the losses of the victims. We are now compiling the full data on losses from them.

“At the same time, the victims need temporary shelter, especially for areas in Gua Musang and Kuala Krai, before school starts this year.

“A total of 516 houses were destroyed in Gua Musang and 38 houses were swept away in Kuala Krai.

“All the flood victims in the state have been placed in 92 schools and they will have to be moved to other places when school reopens on Jan 10.”

He also said they would have to rush to set up temporary tents for victims who had lost their houses.

“The tents will be equipped with water, electricity and toilets,” he said here yesterday.

Mustapa said the number of flood evacuees in Kelantan had dropped to 40,000. The figure was 158,476 victims on Wednesday.

He also hoped the three police personnel injured in a helicopter crash in Tanah Merah would recover from their injuries soon.

In the incident at 6.45pm on Wednesday, four police personnel, who were transporting food rations, were aboard the police helicopter when it crashed in Kampung Rambai Gobek, Tanah Merah.

Pilot ASP Adli Ahmad, 34, co-pilot ASP Hasli Hassan, 36, and Sjn/Major Mohd Hood Abdul Majis, 43, were hospitalised at Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian and Tanah Merah Hospital.

A fourth personnel, L/Kpl Arhafidah Zakaria, 27, received outpatient treatment.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 1 Jan 15

New Extension of SBWR
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

BESG 2014: The year in review
from Bird Ecology Study Group

My 12 Favourite Nature Images of 2014
from Bugs & Insects of Singapore

Starting with a Starling
from My Nature Experiences

Read more!

Malaysia Floods: Ulu Muar river overflows, more victims in Johor

BEN TAN New Straits Times 31 Dec 14;

JOHOR BARU: The flood situation saw a minor increase in Johor as of 12.30pm today in mainly in the Segamat and Batu Pahat districts.

The increase saw a total of 181 flood victims from 44 families in the seven temporary flood relief centres in the two districts in the state.

At present, Batu Pahat has maintained its two relief centres, while Segamat has five relief centres for the public.

Yesterday saw 148 victims from 41 families at 4.30pm as reported by the National Security Council (NSC).

Johor NSC principal assistant secretary Azura Muhammed Kifli said the slight increase in flood victims in Segamat was due to the overflowing Ulu Muar river.

"This is mainly due to the spillover effect from Gemencheh and Gemas in Negeri Sembilan where the excess water has flooded the Ulu Muar river," she said when contacted today.

However, Azura assured the public that the situation is under control as the spillover effect is only a temporary occurrence.

"We (NSC) are monitoring the situation closely. But rest assured that most of the other districts have not reported any rise in water levels due to the favourable weather in Johor," she said.

Read more!

Indonesia: Government to mend peatland ruling amid protests

Tama Salim, The Jakarta Post 31 Dec 14;

The government will revise the government’s newly issued regulation on the protection and management of peatland amid growing protests from the business community, which said that the new ruling hurt plantation activities.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has confirmed that the state will revise Government Regulation No. 71/2014 on the protection and management of peatland, which would be implemented in May 2015 to replace the outdated Law No. 31/2009 on environmental protection and conservation.

Siti said that the government would consider the demands of the business community, which heavily criticized the rule for being unaccommodating to most commercial interests.

The regulation stipulates that the minimum water level in peatland must be maintained at 40 centimeters. Water levels in the country’s 1.7 million peatlands are mostly below the required level to grow oil palm and eucalyptus trees. Therefore, most peatland areas accommodating oil palm plantations will have to be rehabilitated, according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Producer Association (Gapki) and Pulp and Paper Producers Association (APKI).

“Peatland is a definite source of water and it has already shrunk from 7 million hectares to 5 million ha. We just want to conserve what’s available, so let’s see if we can modify the provision,” she said, without elaborating on any possible solutions.

With regard to land use in peatland areas, Siti said that the government would guarantee the continuity of current commercial permits, but refused to issue any new ones. She said that priority would be given to companies that have fulfilled the necessary environmental sustainability requirements and have already been utilizing peatlands for plantations.

“We’re looking into this not only because it affects the wood-based industries but also because it affects the oil palm industry. We don’t want any of these companies to close because of the new regulation,” Siti explained.

When contacted separately, pulp and paper businessman Rusli Tan said that he welcomed the government’s decision to evaluate the Peatland Regulation, since the regulation brought more harm than good.

According to Rusli, who was also APKI’s deputy chairman, the regulation poses a threat to industrial forests owned by the pulp and paper industry.

“The government should be protecting local businesses, not shutting them down,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Rusli said that the government might experience the greatest impact, since these corporations not only invested heavily in capital but also provided employment for the surrounding community.

- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/31/govt-mend-peatland-ruling-amid-protests.html#sthash.KdGM16TX.dpuf

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 31 Dec 14

Bat End
from Go Wildlife Now!

Sungei Buloh extension, now nearer to mudskippers
from Sengkang Babies

Paradise Tree Snake
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Pasir Ris fun with families
from wild shores of singapore

Read more!

Malaysia floods: 220,000 at shelters

New Straits Times 31 Dec 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: THE number of evacuees nationwide yesterday hit 220,393 from 210,116 on Monday, with Kelantan and Pahang topping the list, followed by Terengganu and Perak.

Kelantan also had the most fatalities, with 14 deaths, while four were missing. In Terengganu, four were dead and five were missing, while Pahang had three dead and one missing.

The number of evacuees in Kelantan, the worst-hit state, stood at 144,015 people in 324 relief centres as of 9pm yesterday, a slight drop from 147,072 people on Monday. The decrease was due to the receding flood waters in several districts.

Kota Baru had the most evacuees with 29,531, followed by Tumpat (24,919), Pasir Mas (23,568), Kuala Krai (23,500), Tanah Merah (19,440), Gua Musang (13,327), Machang (9,538) and Pasir Putih (192).

In Pahang, despite the fine weather yesterday, the number of evacuees doubled from Monday’s 24,912, with 51,484 people from 12,588 families. Temerloh remained the worst-hit district with 21,284 evacuees, followed by Pekan (10,441), Jerantut (5,674), Maran (4,098), Kuantan (3,852), Lipis (3,090), Bera (2,879) and Rompin (166).

In Terengganu, the number of evacuees dropped to 17,169 at 53 relief centres, as nearly half of the 31,258 people recorded on Monday were allowed to return home after the situation improved. Several relief centres in the state have also been closed. Kemaman recorded the highest number evacuees with 9,023, followed by Dungun (7,923), Kuala Terengganu (208) and Hulu Terengganu (15).

In Perak, the number of people evacuated in Central Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Kerian stood at 7,577 yesterday. The state recorded 7,423 evacuees at 54 relief centres on Monday.

Central Perak remained the worst hit, with 4,717 people evacuated, followed by Kuala Kangsar (1,748), Hulu Perak (694) and Kerian (318).

Johor saw improved weather yesterday, with receding floodwaters and light rain reported in most districts. As of 4.30pm, 148 evacuees from 41 families were at four relief centres, a drop from 171 people on Monday.

Batu Pahat had the highest number of evacuees with 104 people from 31 families, followed by Segamat (44), while two relief centres in Kluang were closed.

Number of evacuees in Pahang and Perak rises
The Star 31 Dec 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: More people are being evacuated due to the worsening floods in Pahang and Perak while the number of evacuees in Tereng­ganu continues to drop.

In Pahang, the number of flood victims at the 263 relief centres in eight districts continued to rise to 51,343 yesterday evening from 49,978 recorded in the afternoon.

A spokesman at the Pahang police contingent flood operations room said Temerloh still recorded the highest number of evacuees, with 21,284 at 62 relief centres.

The seven other flood-affected areas in Pahang are Pekan with 9,960 evacuees at 40 centres, Jerantut (6,025 evacuees at 59 centres), Maran (4,238 evacuees at 32 centres), Kuantan (3,797 evacuees at 17 centres), Lipis (3,090 evacuees at 28 centres), Bera (2,854 evacuees at 19 centres) and Rompin (186 evacuees at six centres).

In Perak, the number of people evacuated in central Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Kerian stood at 7,762 yesterday evening, compared with 7,664 recorded earlier in the day.

According to a Perak National Security Council spokesman, the number of flood victims recorded in central Perak was 4,628, Kuala Kangsar (2,017), Hulu Perak (799) and Kerian (318).

In Kelantan, no latest information on the number of flood evacuees was made available as at 5pm yesterday after the 158,476 victims recorded in the afternoon.

In Terengganu, the number of people taking shelter at relief centres dropped to 20,122 yesterday evening from 25,775.

According to the Terengganu National Security Council portal, Kemaman still had 10,318 evacuees, followed by Dungun (8,815), Hulu Terengganu (39) and Kuala Terengganu (213).

Several relief centres in the state have also been closed, leaving only 28 each in Dungun and Kemaman, three in Hulu Terengganu and two in Kuala Terengganu.

In Johor, 148 people from 41 families were still taking shelter at relief centres yesterday. — Bernama

Floods: Johor continues to improve, lower water levels reported
BEN TAN New Straits Times 30 Dec 14;

JOHOR BARU: The flood situation continues to improve in Johor as of 12pm today, following lower water levels reported in most districts since this morning.

A total of 154 flood victims from 43 families still remained in the temporary flood centres in the state.

This was an improvement over yesterday where 175 victims from 50 families were registered by the National Security Council (NSC).

Johor NSC spokesperson said Batu Pahat district registered the highest number of flood victims which was 100 people from 30 families.

“This is followed by Segamat which has only 44 victims from 10 families seeking shelter at the centres,” she said today.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said Kluang has been reported as the district with the lowest number of flood victims with only 10 remaining from three families.

“At present, there are only seven temporary flood shelters that are open in the state which are in Segamat (three), Batu Pahat (two) and also Kluang (two). The one in Muar has been closed as of today,” she said.

Freak storm wreaks havoc in Penang
ROYCE TAN AND The Star 31 Dec 14;

BALIK PULAU: Zinc roofs were blown away, trees uprooted and electric cables ripped off during a freak eight-hour storm that struck various places here.

The strong winds, which blew at an estimated 50kph starting from 8pm on Monday, damaged about 500 houses and shops, affecting some 1,500 people.

Among the worst affected areas were Kampung Sungai Rusa and Kampung Permatang Pasir. Other areas included Sungai Pinang, Jalan Baru, Kuala Jalan Baru, Pantai Acheh and Kuala Sungai Pinang.

More than 200 people had been temporarily evacuated to three relief centres – the Permatang Pasir mosque, Sungai Rusa Primary School and Teluk Bahang assemblyman Datuk Shah Headan Hussain Ayob Shah’s service centre in Sungai Rusa – following the storm.

The only injury reported was that of a motorist whose car was hit by a fallen tree along Jalan Tun Sardon on Monday night.

The man, in his 30s, was sent to the Balik Pulau hospital where he was reported to be in a stable condition.

Retiree Zainal Ariffin, from Kampung Permatang Pasir, said he was thankful that he told his family to take shelter in their relative’s house nearby after noticing the unusually high winds upon his return from the mosque.

“About 30 minutes later, the zinc roof of my patio came crashing down, hitting the cradle where my grandchild would usually take his nap in.

“I have lived here my entire life, but I have never encountered anything like this before. We are lucky to have left the house earlier,” Zainal said yesterday.

It was probably the most unforgettable birthday for Masriyah Harun who turned 64 on Monday as the wind blew the roof of her house in Kampung Sungai Rusa.

Masriyah said she was watching television when she heard a loud crash outside her house at about 10pm only to discover later that it was her roof which landed nearby.

“This is the first time I have encountered such strong winds since I moved here in 1986.”

Lorry driver Abdul Jalil Ishak, 54, carried his stroke-stricken wife Maliah Othman, 53, and ran out of their house when part of its zinc roof was blown off.

The strong gusts also destroyed the dome of the Sungai Rusa mosque, blowing off its steel panels.

The storm also dealt a big blow to agro-tourism and eco-tourism farm operator Sam Lim after it damaged a row of huts on his 1ha property in Sungai Rusa.

A similar freak wind, known as angin langkisau, has hit Penang in the past. This included the 60kmph one in June last year which toppled the lightning arrester of the Menara Umno building in Macalister Road.

Read more!

Malaysian $150bn mega-project riles Singapore

Gavin Bowring and Hafiz Noor Shams Financial Times 30 Dec 14;

Only a few hundred meters from Singapore, the sleepy fishing villages that flank the Malaysia-Singapore Second Bridge, to the west of Johor Bahru’s famous Iskandar development, feel a world away from skyscrapers and hustle.

But this is set to change. Country Garden, one of China’s largest real estate developers, has bought a huge 1,800 hectare area of land and sea, and has made progress on developing “Forest City”, a planned mega-project almost entirely built on four separate reclaimed islands.

When completed, it would be even larger than Singapore’s Sentosa Island and have a skyline reminiscent of Dubai or Shanghai’s Pudong district (see photo).

It would add to Country Garden’s existing project (under construction) in Johor Bahru’s Danga Bay which, although occupying a comparatively small 22 hectares of reclaimed land, is already Johor state’s largest standalone condominium project, delivering over 9,000 housing units upon completion by 2017-2018.

Forest City takes it to another level, however. Official blueprints envision scattered assortments of residential-commercial-retail districts, a new football stadium, and sports centers, with a potential gross investment value of up to $150bn. The photo below shows the area in its current state.

As a 66/34 per cent joint venture between Country Garden and the sultan of Johor, it is reportedly lobbying the federal government for lower corporate income tax to entice investment from foreign multinationals. According to local representatives of Country Garden, the company’s CEO, Yang Guoqiang, has “always dreamed” of undertaking a project such as this.

Opposition from Singapore
The sheer scale of the project has led to some degree of opposition. Most notable are the concerns of Singapore. While Forest City does not cross the water boundaries between Malaysia and Singapore, large-scale dredging would nevertheless impact water flows and silting through the channel.

Earlier this year, the Singaporean government demanded a thorough environmental impact assessment (EIA) and in late November renewed its complaints to the Malaysian federal government, calling for all reclamation work to be further suspended.

Malaysia’s Department of Environment deferred a decision that had been due last week on whether and in what form the project could be carried out. The deferral followed recommendations by a panel of experts on ways to minimise the environmental mpact on the Straits of Johor.

There is growing local opposition to the project, too. Fishing communities are upset about potential detriments to their livelihood, while the project effectively impedes the future development of the adjacent Port Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia’s second largest port, which was previously planned for future expansion along the coastline.

The lack of public consultation has raised some eyebrows. While the land acquisition process itself has been smooth – owners of coastal land have happily sold most of their holdings for a hefty premium –land usage is heavily influenced by the sultan of Johor, who effectively is selling mostly “reclaimed sea”, despite Johor state’s abundance of unused land.

In addition to Country Garden, other major Chinese developers such as Greenland Group and R&F Properties are also developing large mixed use projects entirely on reclaimed land – and directly overlooking Singapore.

The biggest fear is that Forest City may tip the balance in Johor’s already-distorted real estate market. The recent entrance of condominium developers has led to a near quadrupling in land prices along the coast, with ramifications throughout the Johor area. R&F Properties, for example, recently paid MYR900 per sq ft for a stretch of sea close to the Malaysia-Singapore borderline. Just three years ago, prices were barely at MYR250 per sq ft in this area, industry experts said.

Can the surging prices continue?
The question is whether the astronomical price growth can continue, and whether these developers can successfully turn profits. For example, valuations would require condominium prices to increase at least another 30 to 40 per cent for R&F’s investment to breakeven.

For sure, developers have mainly viewed Iskandar and Johor through the prism of a Singapore proxy, and as a test case for future overseas expansion in other markets. Although average condominium prices are already in line with Kuala Lumpur (which has a higher average income), prices are still at a fraction of those in the city-state next door.

Growing connectivity across the straits – including the planned Malaysia-Singapore high speed rail and a proposed extension of Singapore’s MRT – lend support to the notion that this price gap will narrow over time, particularly given Malaysia’s practice of granting permanent residency to some foreign buyers.

The recent weakening of the Malaysian ringgit could also help promote this investment thesis. Nevertheless, increasingly out of reach of most local buyers, these projects may not be able to rely on foreigners alone.

By law, foreign property buyers are required to take out mortgages from Malaysia-domiciled banks. However, mortgage lending is facing growing caps, while buyers from mainland China are reportedly facing new restrictions due to banks’ inability to verify documents.

Buyers from Singapore are also increasingly worried about issues such as building management, landscaping, and other “soft” elements of real estate. With fears that the growing supply glut – including at least 10,000 new condo units in Iskandar’s Medini area from mostly local developers – could result in price wars between competitors, many existing players are pulling back new launches.

Already, average local house price indices (subject to revision) in Johor have seen moderate dips in the last few months. Given this environment, whether Forest City will proceed – at least according to its current blueprint – remains unclear.

Land reclamation has already begun near the Second Malaysia-Singapore Link, while huge parcels of land and forest have already been cleared by Teng Yue Construction, the main contractor for Country Garden.

A bilateral issue?
According to officials at Teng Yue, all further reclamation will be delayed at least until the first quarter of 2015, both due to Singaporean objections and the impending monsoon season. Singapore’s complaints, however have been directed towards the federal government in Putrajaya, not to the sultan of Johor.

The two governments have had a history of disputes over reclaimed land in the past, including Malaysia’s objections to Singaporean reclamation works around Tekong Island on the east side of their channel, which in 2003 resulted in a modification of Singapore’s original plans.

In theory, the federal government has the power to block or stall mega-projects such as Forest City. However, the political dissonance that has been created as a result of falling public support for Umno – the leading party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition – has effectively granted greater individual powers to state sultans. It is unclear, therefore, to what extent Putrajaya would be willing to embarrass Johor’s royals in order to do Singapore’s bidding.

In the meantime, Country Garden is trying its best to shore up its image amongst local Johoreans. It is now the lead sponsor of the local football team, in one of Malaysia’s most football-mad states.

Gavin Bowring and Hafiz Noor Shams are staff at Asean Confidential, a research service at the Financial Times.

Read more!

#TheYearThatWas: Distressing environmental issues in Malaysia in 2014

TAN CHENG LI The Star 30 Dec 14;

It has been a year marked by widespread deforestation, unpredictable weather, wildlife poaching and potentially destructive development schemes.

Rife with species

Half of Gunung Kanthan in Ipoh, Perak, has been quarried by Lafarge Malaysia but the untouched part is still a treasure-trove of endemic and new-to-science species. Recent discoveries include two species of plants, a tree, a gecko and a tiny snail. Nature lovers and scientists want what’s left of the limestone hill to be preserved instead of blasted.

Wise up about water

In late January, taps went dry in Hulu Langat and Kuala Langat in Selangor because of high ammonia levels – possibly from sewage pollution or fertiliser runoffs – in a river tapped for water supply. In March, millions in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur had running taps only every two days as reservoirs were drying up.

Lessons from the crisis? We have to use water prudently and stop fouling our rivers. It is also time to consider other water sources, such as recycled wastewater and rainwater.

Not-so-delectable caviar

The controversial sturgeon fish farming project just outside of Taman Negara in Pahang was put on hold as it had proceed without a detailed environmental impact assessment. Fearing that the introduction of an exotic species will harm native fish life and affect their income from ecotourism, the locals have objected to the project by Felda Investment Corp and MMC Hassed Co Ltd of South Korea.

Imports of live sturgeons are prohibited by Fisheries Departments.

Camerons in calamity

Devastating floods and a mudslide swept away homes, killing five and displacing hundreds in Bertam Valley and Ringlet in Cameron Highlands on Nov 5, in the latest disaster to hit the mountainous region. Accusations of corruption, said to cause widespread illegal land-clearing and land mismanagement, prompted state authorities to promise action.

Accusations of corruption, said to cause widespread illegal land-clearing and land mismanagement, prompted state authorities to promise action.

From forest to farm

Rubber trees, planted for both latex and timber, are replacing forests. In September, it was highlighted that 30,000ha of Lesong Forest Reserve in Kuala Rompin, Pahang, have been cleared for planting latex timber clones. The reason? It was degraded forest, stated Pahang Forestry Department.

From forest to farm

Rubber trees, planted for both latex and timber, are replacing forests. In September, it was highlighted that 30,000ha of Lesong Forest Reserve in Kuala Rompin, Pahang, have been cleared for planting latex timber clones. The reason? It was degraded forest, stated Pahang Forestry Department.

The changing climate

The World Meteorological Organisation says the world is getting warmer and the higher temperatures are already exacting a toll this year, with heavy rainfall and flooding in some countries, and extreme drought in others.

Locally, the four mini-twisters which tore through rural Kedah and the one which ripped up roofs in Klang, Selangor, might well portend the weather extremities to come.

Smothered by sandLand reclamation for the 2,000ha mixed development Forest City project off Gelang Patah, Johor, has buried portions of the seagrass meadows of Merambong Shoal, which is home to threatened animals such as dugongs, turtles and seahorses. Construction work has stopped for now as no detailed environmental impact assessment was conducted.

Smothered by sand

Land reclamation for the 2,000ha mixed development Forest City project off Gelang Patah, Johor, has buried portions of the seagrass meadows of Merambong Shoal, which is home to threatened animals such as dugongs, turtles and seahorses.

Construction work has stopped for now as no detailed environmental impact assessment was conducted.

Feasting on the wild

Poaching of wildlife remains rampant and people’s taste for wild meat, insatiable. In June, over 1,000 Asian box tortoises bound for restaurants in Thailand were seized. Last month, a former police constable was caught trying to smuggle 43 pangolins into Thailand. He had previously spent a year in jail for smuggling 18 pangolins in 2012. The most worrisome seizure was that of a sun bear, four barn owls and a common palm civet from a car at the Air Hitam toll plaza on the SKVE highway in October. Subsequently, a check of the driver’s house in Seremban unveiled a stash of a leopard cat, 20 barn owls, two flying lemurs and a porcupine.
Feasting on the wild

Poaching of wildlife remains rampant and people’s taste for wild meat, insatiable. In June, over 1,000 Asian box tortoises bound for restaurants in Thailand were seized. Last month, a former police constable was caught trying to smuggle 43 pangolins into Thailand. He had previously spent a year in jail for smuggling 18 pangolins in 2012.

The most worrisome seizure was that of a sun bear, four barn owls and a common palm civet from a car at the Air Hitam toll plaza on the SKVE highway in October. Subsequently, a check of the driver’s house in Seremban unveiled a stash of a leopard cat, 20 barn owls, two flying lemurs and a porcupine.

Read more!

Rogue Palm Oil Companies Continue to Destroy Indonesia's Forests

Grace Chua Vice News 31 Dec 14;

Widespread corruption and the absence of adequate law enforcement continue to enable deforestation in Indonesia, despite recent pledges from the world's largest agricultural corporations to halt forest clearing and a national moratorium on the issuance of new logging permits, according to a report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Palm oil firms in the province of Central Kalimantan, EIA found, were clearing forests to make way for their plantations without proper permits and were passing off the logs as legally harvested wood. Central Kalimantan is located on the island of Borneo, which Indonesia shares with Malaysia, and is where some of the highest rates of deforestation in the world have occurred.

EIA estimates some 52 million cubic meters of wood were cut down to make way for oil palm plantations in the province between 2000 and 2010, yet official Forestry Ministry figures were only 39 million cubic meters. The difference, says EIA, is illegal timber.

"Illegal logging in oil palm concessions is out of control and Indonesia's revamped timber laws have completely failed to rein it in," said EIA's Tomasz Johnson.

Agricultural commodities giants such as Unilever and Cargill, as well as large palm oil suppliers like Wilmar, have announced zero-deforestation policies that cover at least 75 percent of the global trade in palm oil, which is an ingredient in everything from ice cream to lipstick. However, EIA's report suggests illegal clearing remains widespread among small and medium-sized firms.

"Companies like Wilmar may be able to produce deforestation-free palm oil for sensitive markets," Johnson told VICE News, "but the net gains will be totally undermined by rogue firms producing for less sensitive markets."

Among those firms, says EIA, are Anglo Eastern Plantations, based in London, and Malaysia's CB Industrial Product.

There may be more than 1,000 such small to mid-sized firms operating under the radar of international environmental groups, Johnson said.

For several years, environmental groups, like EIA, Greenpeace, and the Rainforest Action Network, have pressured companies through often-sensational direct action protests to adopt zero-deforestation commitments.

But supply chains in the palm oil sector are among the murkiest and difficult to monitor of any agricultural commodity. Corporations can pledge to halt their own environmentally destructive practices but they sometimes end up sourcing palm oil from companies that slash and burn forests. The key to ending this practice, says environmentalists, is to trace the palm oil back to the particular mill or refinery where it is produced. Once the refinery is identified, watchdog groups can more easily audit plantations around the site and determine whether or not they are properly permitted and policed for government authorities.

Some companies have taken responsibility for their supply chains. Cargill, for example, helped a 45-member smallholder cooperative in South Sumatra obtain certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Under the RSPO program, farmers pledge not to clear forests and learn how to boost yields by using efficient fertilizer and improved farming techniques. In exchange, Cargill buys their crops at a price that is about a third more than what the cooperative earned before.

Indonesia accounts for over half of the world's palm oil production. But the crop is also Indonesia's single biggest driver of deforestation. Between 2009 and 2011, some 300,000 hectares - an area roughly the size of Yosemite National Park - were cleared for palm oil plantations, according to a 2013 report by Greenpeace.

But Indonesian president Joko Widodo says his government is committed to addressing deforestation.

"If they are indeed destroying the ecosystem because of their monoculture plantations, they will have to be terminated," he said on a visit to Sumatra in November, two months after taking office. "It must be stopped, we mustn't allow our tropical rainforest to disappear because of monoculture plantations like oil palm."

Read more!

Warning of Marshall Islands coral bleaching

Radio New Zealand 30 Dec 14;

An environmentalist in the Marshall Islands says some coral reefs in the north Pacific are struggling to survive as coral bleaching becomes more widespread in the region.

Bleaching has been linked to greenhouse gas emissions that are causing ocean temperatures to rise.

The University of Hawaii's coral reef manager in Majuro, Karl Fellenius, says coral reefs in the Marshall Islands had not been vulnerable to significant bleaching until this year.

Dr Fellenuis says it could get worse if gas emissions aren't brought under control.

"This is the first large-scale bleaching event that the Marshall Islands has seen and in fact it is associated with a much larger event in the region that has seen bleaching since the summer from northern Marianas through to Kiribati and up to Hawaii."

Karl Fellenius says coral bleaches in response to extreme temperatures.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 30 Dec 14

Registration for Feb public walks at Sisters Island opens 1 Jan
from Sisters' Island Marine Park

New species and rediscoveries in Singapore this year featured in Straits Times
from lahiruwijedasa

Paddyfield Pipit preening
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Read more!

Malaysia: Situation worsens, more than 200,000 displaced by flood

New Straits Times 29 Dec 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of evacuees nationwide has swelled to 232,912, with Kelantan topping the list with 160,000 as it rained heavily in many parts of the East Coast.

The situation in Terengganu and Pahang also showed no let up with both having more than 60,000 at relief centres.

In Kemaman, Dungun and east Pahang, heavy rain is reported since morning.

However, in certain parts of Kelantan flood water has dried up. Our photographer Bazuki Muhammad who was in Kampung Wakaf Sena saw many cars stranded on the road as villagers cleaned up their houses.

Access to east coast cut off
RAZAK AHMAD, RAHIMY RAHIM, SYED AZHAR, SIMON KHOO, ONG HAN SEAN, JOSEPH KAOS JR, HANIS ZAINAL, AND RAHMAH GHAZALI
The Star 29 Dec 14;

PETALING JAYA: Access to the country’s flood-hit east coast states is now almost totally cut off after waters submerged many of the main roads to the affected areas.

The number of evacuees also rose by nearly 40,000 overnight as the Meteorological Department warned of a new round of heavy rains lasting until Wednesday.

A total of 200,023 evacuees are currently seeking shelter at more than 500 relief centres in five states, up from 160,921 on Saturday.

The East Coast Expressway was the latest major road to be flooded yesterday when water from Sungai Pahang spilled over at the 126km stretch of the highway at Temerloh, cutting off access to most parts of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.

The Works Ministry in a Twitter message issued information on an alternative route that is still open for travellers to the east coast states, starting from Karak via the coastal road through Cherating and then on to Kuala Terengganu and Kota Baru.

As at 6.30pm yesterday, Kelantan remained the worst-hit state with the number of victims rising to 124,966 from 81,925 the day before.

Terengganu had 36,410 evacuees, Pahang (33,601), Perak (4,581) and Johor (465).

The Meteorological Department issued a three-day “yellow” stage alert from today for Perlis, Kedah, north Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor.

The alert, which warns of the possibility of monsoon rains and heavy winds, also covers Kudat and Sandakan in Sabah as well as Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah and Betong in Sarawak.

In Alor Setar, the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) announced that it had opened tide gates at three irrigation canals over the past two weeks to prevent the floods in Kedah and Perlis from worsening.

Its chairman Datuk Othman Aziz said the measure was necessary to prevent water from Sungai Pendang, Sungai Anak Bukit, Sungai Padang Sanai, Sungai Bata and Sungai Arau from spilling over.

There were no plans yet to release water from the Pedu, Ahning and Muda dams in Kedah, Othman said.

In KUANTAN, Temerloh has been effectively cut off to land vehicles after a section of the East Coast Expressway became severely flooded.

According to the Pahang Public Works Department, several trunk roads leading to and from the district were also inaccessible to all vehicles.

Main roads from Temerloh to Bera and Jerantut have also been closed after the water level rose to more than a metre high.

A spokesman from the Pahang police contingent headquarters flood operations room said the Seremban- Kuala Pilah-Serting-Muadzam Shah-Kuantan route could be used as an alternative for travel between Kuantan and Kuala Lumpur.

Disaster first response impeded
The Star 30 Dec 14;

PETALING JAYA: The National Security Council (NSC) disaster management was hampered when its staff at the district level were themselves victims of the flood.

The NSC cited a “complete collapse” of its disaster management team at the district levels in the East Coast as the cause of delays in rescue and relief efforts.

Getting individuals and companies to donate food and other supplies was the “easiest” part – the trouble in finding and rescuing the displaced and working out which area was the worst affected magnified when communications systems were down.

The NSC secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said their national disaster management team functioned by communicating from federal to state, and state to district level.

This time, however, the team at the district level had been hit themselves.

He said the massive floods which hit Kelantan and Terengganu in 1967 and then in 2004, were “nothing compared to the floods this year”.

“In the districts, the frontliners of our disaster management machinery include the village headman and district officers.

“But due to the magnitude of the floods, most districts were completely inundated.

“Our entire district machinery collapsed as they had become victims themselves.

“At this point electricity supply had to be cut to ensure victims do not get electrocuted.

“This made communications even more challenging, with downed lines handphones with drained batteries and no power.

“For us to know where help was needed and how bad each district was hit became the biggest problem,” he said yesterday.

“To make things worse, accessing these districts became impossible during the peak of the flooding between Dec 23 to Dec 27.”

“We could not use heavy vehicles, the currents were too strong to use boats and the winds were too turbulent to go by air,” he said.

Now, he said, the peak was over and things were getting “slightly better” as it was possible to deliver aid by air and on the ground.

He said 15 helicopters had been deployed in Kelantan alone. But there were still areas in the flood stricken states where helicopters had no landing ground and it was either government agencies, NGOs, or ad hoc leaders on the ground taking charge of distributing aid.

While the NSC coordinated the rescue and relief efforts, the agencies conducting the actual rescue efforts include the Fire and Rescue Department, army, police and Civil Defence Department.

The Meteorological Department yesterday issued its highest “Red Stage” warning for heavy rains in Dungun and Kemaman in Terengganu, Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin in Pahang and Mersing in Johor.

It said intermittent and occasional rain is expected to continue until Wednesday.

According to Bernama, the number of flood victims evacuated were 147,072, in Kelantan, 35,501 in Pahang, 32,210 in Terengganu, 7.407 in Perak and 175 in Johor.

Read more!