Vivian joins call to keep biking trail open

Danson Cheong The Straits Times 12 Jun 15;

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan has urged NParks to reconsider closing one of its trails in the Central Catchment Area after a cyclist wrote to him concerning the closure.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has urged the National Parks Board (NParks) to reconsider closing a trail in the Central Catchment area.

He revealed this in an e-mail on Monday to concerned cyclist Lee Kee Tar, 45, who earlier wrote to him about the closure.

Called the Butterfly Trail, the 3.2km route popular with mountain bikers was closed by NParks in March as parts of it fell within the construction site of the upcoming Chestnut Nature Park.

Mr Lee posted the reply on a Facebook group page for mountain bikers. In his e-mail, Dr Balakrishnan called the trail, which had its beginnings decades ago as a kampung path, one of the "best secrets" in the mountain biking community. "I am very familiar with the Butterfly Trail as I used to cycle there personally many years ago," he wrote. "I have appealed for reconsideration by NParks. Will wait for their response."

With the opening of the Chestnut Nature Park, NParks is considering permanently closing the trail, known for its gnarled tree roots and views of Upper Peirce Reservoir. The Nature Society (Singapore) is lobbying for it to stay closed, noting recreational activities have damaged the century-old nature area off Chestnut Avenue.

NParks said it had received Dr Balakrishnan's request and was studying it.

There are only four other areas officially open to mountain bikers - in Bukit Timah, Mandai, Kent Ridge and Pulau Ubin.

Mr Lee told The Straits Times yesterday he was thankful Dr Balakrishnan had written to NParks.

"It was very nice of him," said the finance manager. "Being a cyclist himself, he would understand our concerns, and obviously he rode there before, so he knows how special the trail is."

Last week, the Nature Society (Singapore) met the Mountain Bike Association Singapore (MBASG) to exchange views on the trail's closure.

"This area is well known to be high-quality primary and regrowth forest hosting many nationally endangered species of flora and fauna throughout its extent," said Mr Tony O'Dempsey, chairman of the society's plant group. He noted the society stood firm that no recreational activity should be allowed in these areas.

Meanwhile, an MBASG petition started last week to save the trail has garnered more than 1,200 signatures. "We will be submitting it to the Government soon," said MBASG president Calvin Chin. "The Government has to take a stand and allow some recreation in nature areas. They've made it happen in areas like MacRitchie."

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5 ideas every city should steal from Singapore

Meera Senthilingam, for CNN 12 Jun 15;

(CNN)Singapore is small, hot and heavily populated -- the 5.5 million residents of the tropical city-state live in less than 750 square kilometres of land. And population is expected to reach 6.9 million by 2030.

Despite these challenges, Singapore continues to be amongst the most liveable and economically successful cities in the word, with a GDP equaling that of leading European countries.

With more than 50% of the world's population living in cities already (a figure projected to reach 70% by 2050), Singapore -- where everyone is a city dweller -- is setting trends for rapidly urbanizing countries worldwide.

But how have they done it?

1) Have a plan

Concept plans have been in place since 1971, with long-term visions and predictions for the design of Singapore's infrastructure. Such long-term planning was crucial as the population was growing much faster than originally anticipated.

"The top priorities for Singapore as a newly independent state were to provide housing for its people and to create jobs," says Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director of the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore.

With limited land and no natural resources, there was always a focus on greenery, the environment and intensive development of utilities and infrastructure including power plants, deep-underground sewerage and refuse incineration. "Planning for clean air, clean water and green cover was integral to Singapore's city planning," says Khoo.

Decentralization of commercial hubs was also key in the country's urban design to reduce congestion and commuting time -- improving liveability.

"High density does not necessarily mean low liveability," says Khoo.

2) Don't waste your waste

With high-density living comes high-density waste.

But Singapore has been organized with its refuse management systems, not only by collecting it efficiently but even employing it to make more land.

"They don't have the space to store waste," says Dirk Hebel, from the Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability.

Waste is managed instead through regular incineration and the resulting ashes are combined with marine sand to extend Singapore's land mass.

"They use ashes for landfill to extend the territory," says Hebel.

In addition, the country has set a precedent for water resources through its desalination plants and NEWater plants, where sewage is filtered to recycle it into drinking water.

But Hebel's group are now working on new avenues for using waste -- this time to construct buildings instead of land.

"In Singapore you have almost 80% high-value resource waste," says Hebel. This category of waste includes plastics and glass, which could be re-purposed for building materials.

Hebel's team recently exhibited the possibilities of waste recycling during the 2015 New York City Ideas Festival.

They built an arched canopy pavilion comprised of waterproof panels made from discarded beverage containers. The canopy was anchored to a base composed of stacked, wooden pallets.

Hebel sees future possibilities in Singapore: "There are things surrounding us that can be used in a secondary life as a building structure," he says.

3) See green with A/C

Due to its close proximity to the equator, Singapore's climate is hot and humid, with temperatures averaging above 30 degrees Celsius and little variation throughout the year.

The built-up nature of the city increases temperatures further through the 'heat island' effect -- caused by buildings blocking air flow, transport emissions and long-wave radiation heating up the island nation.

As a result, a lot of the city's energy expenditure goes towards cooling people down.

"Up to 60% of Singapore's electricity is for buildings," says Arno Schlüter, Professor of Architecture and building systems, also with the Future Cities Laboratory. Most buildings use electricity to cool-down and dehumidify public and work spaces. "Singapore is a noisy city due to all the [cooling] units on the wall," says Schlüter.

To overcome this overconsumption of energy, Schlüter's team are now piloting a project with the United World College of South East Asia in which they are dehumidifying the air external to a building and flowing the resulting cool air over the façade of a building.

According to FCL, "the technology consists of passive chilled beams, distributed ventilation units combined with an underfloor air distribution network and new control systems," and removed the need for air conditioning systems. "It means we can save a lot of space -- up to 1/3 of a building," says Schlüter.

Designs for new buildings in Singapore now also regularly incorporate design for natural ventilation by capturing and promoting wind flow through a public space.

4) Go underground

When population increases and demand for land spikes accordingly, the tendency is to build upwards -- as is the case for most cities worldwide.

But with unique -- and more pressing -- land restrictions compared to the rest of the world, Singapore has now begun to build downwards and is taking workplaces underground.

And they're going deep underground -- first with ammunition facilities, then the Jurong rock caverns storing oil in caverns deep below the ground and soon other industries, such as science laboratories.

"[It's a] new way of using underground space on a larger scale," says Jian Zhao, Professor of Geomechanics at Monash University, Australia. Zhao was previously at Nanyang technical university in Singapore where he developed the first research proposals exploring the options to go underground.

The design involves digging caverns into rocks more than 100 meters below the ground.

"Underground, everything is much more stable," says Zhao referring to factors such as vibrations, temperature and humidity which are important for facilities such as power plants, water reservoirs and industrial settings in general. "The idea is to make the city more liveable by putting everything undesirable underground," he says.

5) Embrace technology

The technological development of Singapore cannot be forgotten as this aspect of city living has long been incorporated into the design of the city-state.

The Singapore mass rapid transit (MRT) is considered among the best public transport systems in the world -- needed due to restrictions on vehicle ownership -- and intelligent buildings have been in use for more than a decade aiding movement and entertainment through public and work spaces.

But increasing density is putting more pressure on the country's infrastructure. "Singapore needs to adapt and innovate," says Khoo, in order to meet needs for residence, recreation and lifestyle.

Innovation has been at the root of the country's development -- both for liveability and sustainability.

"Technology is a key feature of green buildings," says Yvonne Soh, General Manager of the Singapore Green Buildings Council. "[It can] respond to the environment quickly and to people," she says.

Responding to movements and uses of space in real-time can cut energy requirements dramatically. This emphasis on technology has helped Singapore become one of the Greenest cities in the world.

...and share your knowledge
Singapore is now exporting its expertise in urban planning to other cities in Asia where rapid urbanization is taking place -- including the Tianjin Eco city, China and the new capital city in Andhra Pradesh, India -- paving the way for cities around the world.

"Through greater collaboration among cities, mass urbanization -- the result of a rapidly growing global urban population -- will ultimately benefit the human race," says Khoo.

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Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum Celebrating Biodiversity

Marcella Segre Jakarta Post 15 Jun 15;

A new museum just opened in Singapore — unique among its kind and the biggest in the region.

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) is a permanent exhibition and an important educational institution that houses the world’s largest collection of specimens from Southeast Asia as well as significant fossils that illustrate the evolution of life on Earth such as three 150-million-year-old dinosaurs.

With over 500,000 catalogued and stored specimens, a minimalist design and an innovative use of light and sound, this permanent exhibition takes visitors through the history of biodiversity and of scientific research in Southeast Asia.

This valuable depositary of the region’s natural heritage consolidates Southeast Asia’s position in scientific research and offers opportunities to scientists and students worldwide.

Located within the campus of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the gallery covers an area of 2,500 square meters and completes the cultural hub of Alice Lee Plaza, which connects art, science and music in the same area of the university.

Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, a writer and curator who worked on the museum’s Heritage Gallery, explained that Singapore has long been a center for study of the natural world in Southeast Asia.

In fact, she said, the systematic study of the biodiversity of Southeast Asia began in the mid-19th century with European naturalists such as Alfred Russel Wallace, who classified specimens collected in the region according to Linnaean taxonomy.

“Singapore was the transit point to less accessible places such as the dense rain forests of Borneo and what were known as the Spice Islands [now the Maluku Islands]. Many naturalists and explorers traveled through Singapore and shipped their specimens from Singapore to European museum and private collections.” she said

The museum’s natural history collection began in that period as part of the Raffles Museum; it later moved to NUS and became the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR), which gradually gained international recognition as one of the world’s most advanced marine research centers.

Over the years, scientists’ intense fieldwork and generous donations have contributed to increase the collection exponentially and, as officially stated by the museum’s website and by NUS publications, the new LCKNHM was named after the founder of the Lee Foundation, the support of which has helped to implement this project, which cost around US$46 million.

“The current museum houses the largest collection of Southeast Asian specimens in the world and the oldest in Southeast Asia and represents Southeast Asia’s growth in terms of cultural appropriation of contents and means.” Laura Miotto, design director of gsmprjct, said.

“Unlike traditional natural history museums, the LKCNHM does not bring visitors to exotic lands, but it offers a comprehensive look over the region’s natural wonders. In fact, it is very site-specific.”

The gsmprjct team worked in close collaboration with the museum’s curators and conservators, whose magic hands have revitalized and brought to visitors’ appreciation over 2,000 specimens; rock fossils, microscopic organisms, plants, fungi, mollusks, arthropods, cnidarian and echinoderms, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

“The collection is displayed combining a modern scientific approach to the study of biodiversity with a fresh look over interactions among living organisms and environmental issues faced by the region. Through this approach, Singapore establishes itself as the guardian of Southeast Asian natural heritage and as a well of resources for the advancement of scientific research.” explained Maude Desjardins, a museologist who developed the contents of the gallery.

Gsmprjct, the same firm that completed the galleries of the National Museum of Singapore in 2006, conceived the narrative and developed the exhibition design of the galleries at LKCNHM.

For this project, the team opted to arrange the rich collection following a stylish and user-friendly approach.

“The overall concept reflects the idea that Southeast Asia is a biodiversity hot spot and that Singapore provides the ideal position to observe and research it.” Laura Miotto pointed out.

“The story of the biodiversity gallery focuses on the importance of contemporary knowledge and offers insights on the Tree of Life, with the aim to develop appreciation and respect towards our living environment.”

Miotto gave a tour around the exhibition, where the space suggests an interpretative but open itinerary that allows visitors to explore the museum in different ways.

At the Biodiversity Gallery, visitors immediately embark on a kaleidoscopic adventure into the diversity of living forms.
The collection showcased in the Biodiversity Gallery on the ground floor is the entry point to the realm of living things; the minimalist design facilitates the introduction to taxonomy, the scientific classification of life and to amazing living strategies and cultural beliefs related to living things.

From birds’ courtship behavior to regional recipes featuring insects, visitors can contemplate the intricacy of living forms while learning about the surrounding environment and listening to the pulsing sounds of nature.

In this open space, four thematic zones highlight fundamental landmarks in the evolution of life on Earth and important natural cycles in rain forests and coral reefs.

“Through interactives, breath-taking displays and a dynamic use of light and sound, each zone is a distinct and immersive educational experience into the wonders of nature,” Miotto explained.

On the upper floor is the Heritage Gallery, dedicated to the history of zoology in Singapore and to Singapore’s ecological transformation.

Last but not least, three gigantic sauropods original fossils dominate the central hall and an ongoing light and sound-transforming scenario dramatizes their presence.

“The light design, evocative of time, follows a slow cycle of white light; it is synchronized with an original soundtrack and, every half an hour, light and sound build up a sensational climax that animates the display,” Miotto explained.

These majestic dinosaurs inspire a sense of awe that complement the wonder, curiosity and inquisitive approach elicited by the rest of the exhibition.

Conceived as a university museum and a research center, the LKCNHM is the result of the collaboration of different stakeholders and donors who took part in the making with their vision and expertise to integrate scientific knowledge with design strategies in order to create a museum that is engaging and relevant to the public.

The outcome has gone beyond expectations and, four years after the project kicked off, the LKCNHM is today a reality and a space for science, history and culture that caters to researchers and students as well as to casual visitors.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/15/lee-kong-chian-natural-history-museum-celebrating-biodiversity.html#sthash.yF4OHFHS.dpuf

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Change at local levels ‘possible through collective individual action’

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 15 Jun 15;

SINGAPORE — When calling for a change in society, individuals must be prepared to play a part and not underestimate what can be achieved at the local level, said Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday at a dialogue with youths.

“All of us collectively add up to what society is — who we are, what we believe in, what we do or what we don’t do. So, society, when you break it down, is about us,” he said at the closing dialogue of the Singapore Indian Development Association’s Youth Leaders Seminar, which was attended by about 130 Indian youth aged 16 to 20.

“Never underestimate the changes that you can make at the very local level ... Imagine if everyone in this room begins to actually do something about the things you believe in, and reach out and change. How many people would you be affecting? And then, collectively, similar groups elsewhere. And that’s where I think society begins to change.”

Held at the National University of Singapore’s Prince George’s Park Residences, the event was part of a camp for students from junior colleges, polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education to explore the role of youths in social change.

Mr Tan urged the participants to look at what they could do, such as spending time mentoring younger children or paying regular visits to citizens with limited mobility to help clean up their homes.

“It’s not wrong to be critical, it’s not wrong to have ideas but it’s always easy, isn’t it, to offer suggestions on things we don’t really have to execute. So, I put to you, what are the things you can do? ... Big ideas need to be deconstructed to bite-sized chunks, things that I can do,” he said.

Asked about his goals as Minister for Social and Family Development, Mr Tan spoke of the importance of mobilising the community and upstream measures to help groups such as single mothers.

A Member of Parliament of Marine Parade GRC, he said he is constantly trying to recruit volunteers while on house visits. Some tasks do not need to be performed by social workers and “it’s a very different society when we begin to be invested”, he added.

Help is available for single mothers, but he wondered if preventive measures could also be taken through schools and youth outreach programmes.

Mr Tan said he became more involved in helping the less-privileged over the years. In 2009, while he was still in the army and involved in organising National Day celebrations, Mr Tan’s team had soldiers and the military police doing drills at Assisi Hospice as part of efforts to reach different segments of society.

Asked by a participant if equal help and resources could be devoted to the elderly and transient workers, Mr Tan said the Government is addressing issues on both fronts but noted that there are many other causes including special-needs children, the environment, and heritage. Not all issues are addressed by the Government, as contributions are also made by voluntary welfare organisations and citizens, he added.

“I’d suggest not to look at it as, ‘Why are we not treating every sector equally?’, but (whether we are) dealing with the issues at hand: What more can we do, how do we improve it? I think that’s fair. That’s where we’ve got to keep on pushing boundaries.”

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Pop down to pop-up beach

The Straits Times 13 Jun 15;

Singapore's first pop-up urban beach appeared in the heart of Marina Bay yesterday, complete with a pool, palm trees and a beach bar.

The pool at the 50m-by-50m beach will have activities such as stand-up paddling, and the beach can hold up to about 250 people.

The initiative by DBS Bank aims to transform Singapore's new financial district and to draw more people to the bay to watch the 28th SEA Games boat and sailing races.

It said creating a man-made beach was "no mean feat" - 28,000kg of sand was used and the work took 300 hours.

In addition to SEA Games events, the DBS Marina Regatta - an annual water sports festival - will also see an estimated 2,500 paddlers competing across nine categories.

The beach will be at The Promontory@Marina Bay this weekend.

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Malaysia: Shark's fin soup ban in Penang state functions

INTAN AMALINA MOHD ALI The Star 15 Jun 15;

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government has banned shark’s fin soup at official functions with immediate effect.

The state exco has passed a resolution on ‘No shark’s fin soup for all official functions’ and notices will be sent to all state government agencies not to include the delicacy in the menu at any state hosted events.

The move, however, will not affect events held by the private sector.

State Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the private companies would, however be encouraged not to serve the dish if possible.

He said the resolution was made in support of the World Wildlife Federation’s (WWF) Save Our Seafood campaign.

“Malaysia is listed in the top 20 shark catching countries by the WWF from 2002 to 2011,” said Phee after his speech during the prize giving ceremony for the Green Idol public speaking contest that was held in conjunction with the Penang Green Carnival 2015 at 1st Avenue Mall yesterday.

Phee, who is also the vice-pre­sident of the Penang Green Council, said since 2013, the state had made it a practice not to serve shark’s fin soup at state functions.

“Last year, the state exco had signed a pledge in support of a resolution to ban the dish at official functions, and it was officially passed this year,” he added.

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Indonesia: Forest moratorium fails to meet target

Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 13 Jun 15;

After being heavily criticized for failing to improve on the moratorium on new concession permits for primary forests and peat lands, the government is set to remedy the weaknesses of the current moratorium, which was extended by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last month.

The Environment and Forestry Ministry acknowledged that the current moratorium still had many flaws that prevented it from slowing the ongoing deforestation in the country,

“Because it is just an extension, [we] could not insert new articles. If we included new articles, then the name [of the moratorium] would change, it would not be an extension,” Ruandha Agung Sugardiman, the ministry’s director general of forestry planning and environmental governance, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Ruandha added that the ministry did not have much time to produce a new draft of the current moratorium as it would involve talking to ministries.

The current moratorium, like the previous two moratoriums enacted during the administration of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, takes the form of a presidential instruction (Inpres), which means it is only binding on the current administration.

The ministry is mulling a change to the legal basis of the moratorium to a government regulation (PP) after it concludes revising the moratorium map for the ninth time in November this year, according to Ruandha.

The moratorium map underwent its eighth revision recently by including an additional 926,030 hectares, bringing the total area covered by the current moratorium to 65.02 million hectares.

“One of the reasons why the covered area is growing in size is because there were some uncovered areas where the permits already expired and after we analyzed them we found they were primary forest,” Ruandha said.

The covered area could also decrease in size after the ministry crosschecks the map with data from regional governments, during which they will find out whether covered areas should be removed. Although the ministry has revised the map eight times, it has only increased the size of covered area twice.

Based on the previous moratorium map, at least 48.5 million hectares of forest — over three times the area of Java — remains under threat.

This includes 16.5 million hectares of primary forest and peat land that are excluded from the moratorium map or located inside the moratorium area, but which are already covered by existing undeveloped concessions and therefore not protected by the moratorium rules.

The remaining 32 million hectares are under threat because, despite consisting of areas considered as natural forest, they have been subject to commercial use, for example through selective logging, and are now classified as “secondary forest” and so not covered by the current moratorium.

Conservationists have long argued that the moratorium should also cover secondary forest.

“Secondary forest should have been included in the moratorium. The analogy is like forcing sick people to work, with secondary forest being ‘sick’. In the moratorium, ailing areas are forced to produce,” Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) forest campaigner Zenzi Suhadi told the Post on Friday.

Ruandha said the ministry was well aware of the fact that one of the reasons why deforestation was still ongoing in the country was because companies simply shifted their operation from primary forest and peat land to secondary forest.

“We are studying [the feasibility of including secondary forest in the moratorium]. If secondary forest is also covered in the moratorium, it means that there will be no more production area while at the same time there is a demand for us to increase production,” he said.

“The priority of the moratorium should be to return to the primary functions of forest. We do that by revoking permits [of firms] that cause environmental destruction,” he said.

Furthermore, the government should have prioritized giving forest permits to local people, as Jokowi’s campaign pledge, known as the Nawacita program, promised 12.7 million hectares of forest for local people, currently, the moratorium mainly benefitted private companies, said Zenzi.

Sugarcane plantations for instance are exempt from the moratorium.

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Best of our wild blogs: 13 Jun 15

Mangrove Action Squad on Ubin Day 2015
Mangrove Action Squad

Creatures of the night
Hantu Blog

10 rare resident bird species in Singapore and where to best find them
Singapore Bird Group

Red-whiskered Bulbul: 5. Nest
Bird Ecology Study Group

Ten Questions with Suhardi, our Converted Shark Fisherman
kathydaneathedorsaleffect

Article Alert! – Inquirer.net: Destroyed reefs, vanishing giant clams
Neo Mei Lin

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City mayors pledge to promote liveable, sustainable urban environments

Mayors and leaders from 64 cities commit to policies including providing affordable homes and building accessible transport networks.
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 11 Jun 15;

NEW YORK: Mayors and leaders from 64 cities ‎have pledged to promote equitable, liveable and sustainable urban environments.

They issued a declaration at the end of the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum on Wednesday (Jun 10), held this year in New York. It is the first time they have done so in the history of the event, which is now into its sixth edition.

The policies that mayors and city leaders have committed to under the declaration included providing affordable homes and building accessible transport networks.

“Things like looking at planning for the long term, having integrity in governance, providing affordable housing, making sure transport is good, these are all things that we have done, and we see this declaration, in a way, as an affirmation of what we’ve been doing in Singapore, and the fact that it’s being endorsed by these other mayors does show this is the way to go for cities around the world,” said Mr Desmond Lee, Singapore’s Minister of State for National Development.

The declaration will also be submitted to the United Nations (UN). It will help shape the UN’s agenda for its conference on sustainable urban development, to be held next year.

Summing up the takeaways from the three-day forum, Mr Lee pointed out some issues that need to be addressed. These include rapid demographic changes, such as an ageing population, and ensuring inclusive growth.

To address the challenges that cities face, Mr Lee said it is important to think out of the box and make use of advancements in technology. For instance, there could be more partnerships between governments and schools, and more crowd-sourcing initiatives for ground-up solutions.

He cited a case study from the mayor of Bandung. “The mayor of Bandung also shared about his command centre idea. He is very hot about technology and smart cities and really using technology to improve the lives of his people, just as we are looking at technology to improve the lives of Singaporeans,” said Mr Lee.

“He set up a command centre that feeds in data from utility companies, from people who monitor the flood levels, and with that kind of central knowledge and data planning, they’re able to react more quickly to difficulties that occur in any part of his city, and that is something for us - a good takeaway, using data, using technology to improve the lives of our people through faster response in government.”

Mr Lee also encouraged citizens to play a part as their cities evolve, to drive positive change and a greater sense of ownership.

- CNA/xq

New ideas and new ways to run cities
Jeremy Au Yong The Straits Times 13 Jun 15;

In the city of Ahmedabad in India, city officials have been able to tackle some of their transportation issues with a well-run bus rapid transit system, using GPS-enabled buses and dedicated lanes in the middle of the road to replicate the functions of an MRT.

In Kiev, Ukraine, the government is trying to put in place a Wi-Fi network to give Internet access to commuters across all 67.5km of its subway.

Meanwhile in Bandung, Indonesia, officials say a new command centre that includes monitoring social media for municipal problems has sped up their response times.

Innovative solutions to urban planning and municipal problems were a highlight of the World Cities Cities Summit Mayors Forum in New York that wrapped up on Wednesday. The theme of the forum was "Innovative Cities of Opportunity" and there was a clear emphasis on being able to think out of the box to try and find solutions.

But while he lauded the many ground-breaking efforts, Singapore Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee - who chaired the forum - also reminded mayors that innovative thinking did not stop at just trying to harness technology.

Speaking at the close of the summit, he said: "I am heartened to hear that there are more partnerships between city governments and academic institutions to look for new ideas, in tandem with more crowdsourcing of ground-up solutions.

"But in the hot pursuit for new ideas and suggestions, there is also value in pausing and reflecting on how existing systems can be improved or better made use of."

He told reporters later about a discussion mayors had about solving transportation issues where the need to take a step back from the problem came into focus.

During a discussion on increasing the capacity of mass rapid transit, providing cycling paths and improving walkability, the mayor of Medellin, Colombia, asked whether they should also try and make people travel less.

"He just sat there and said, can we look at it from the other angle instead? Let's think about travelling less. For instance, can people telecommute - you work from home instead of travelling to work? Can you change the peak period by shifting the working hours of companies and businesses so you attenuate the peak period crush?

"These are things that Singapore has been looking at as well so that is an affirmation of our approach to look at various angles," he said.

He added that interactions like that were part of the value of the summit to Singapore.

"In as much as Singapore profiles ourselves by sharing our experience with these cities, we are also taking the opportunity to learn from other cities because we must never stop learning from the good points and bad points from other cities."

The summit, which is jointly organised by Singapore's Centre for Livable Cities and Urban Redevelopment Authority, is being held outside Singapore for only the second time.

The New York meeting concluded with a first for the forum, as all the mayors endorsed a declaration outlining principles for building better cities. These include increasing communication between governments and the private sector as well as focusing on long-term plans.

Though the document does not set any binding targets for the leaders, Mr Lee said he hopes it will help guide the conversation on the issue at the United Nations.

He said: "The declaration will be submitted to the United Nations as part of the UN discussion on sustainable development for cities next year and we hope that Singapore can play a role, through this forum, to help shape the international agenda and discussion on sustainable cities."

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Indonesia to adopt greener model for development

Otniel Tamindael Antara 11 Jun 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Government of Indonesia, in cooperation with various businesses, is committed to shifting development planning to a greener model in order to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The country is now welcoming the opportunity to shift to infrastructure projects that are cleaner, more sustainable, and inclusive.

"Locking in green infrastructure today can bring benefits for many decades to come. In this endeavor, the developing countries can take the lead in leapfrogging from brown to green growth," Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated during his opening address at the Indonesia Green Infrastructure Summit 2015 held at Fairmont Hotel here on Tuesday.

Hosted by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and supported by the World Bank Group, the summit also seeks to strengthen partnership between the government and the private sector in implementing green initiatives.

The event also showcases Indonesias efforts to implement a range of green development initiatives across all core growth sectors as part of the medium term development plan from now until 2019.

Kalla noted that Indonesia has enjoyed significant growth, with its GDP doubling in the last decade and poverty reducing to half, down to 11.3 percent in 2014.

However, he added that not all are benefiting from these achievements, and they come at a high price of environmental degradation.

The vice president pointed out that China has shown double-digit growth for decades but has lost a staggering 9 percent of its expected GDP to "brown growth."

In response, he affirmed that China is adopting green policies and shifting its economic activities to innovation and higher value-added production and is currently seeking to be an early mover in the race to implement green production processes.

"Maintaining the growth can reverse the gains to economic growth, as it quickly depletes the natural resources, which leads to greater vulnerability to climate change or associated with health risks," Kalla pointed out.

He stated that environmental degradation affects everyone and hits the poor the hardest, as they are more vulnerable to violent weather and floods, and their livelihood are more fragile.

Further, he stated that the poverty rate in Indonesia is the highest among the families living in environmentally degraded areas.

"So, if there is one major lesson that development experts, policy makers, and institutions - such as the World Bank - have learnt over the last decades is that: If we want to succeed in ending poverty, we cannot rely on growth alone unless it is inclusive and environmentally sustainable," he affirmed.

On the occasion, Kalla also highlighted three areas that are critical to ensuring that future growth is both green and inclusive.

According to Kalla, the first area is that the energy produced by Indonesia must be clean and used efficiently; second, the natural resources must be managed in a responsible manner; and the third is that the country needs good policies, good governance, and leadership that is not afraid to tackle the status quo.

"There are many who fear that green growth is too expensive, could slow output, or should concern only high-income countries, but this fear is short-sighted," Kalla said, adding that sustainable growth is neither unaffordable nor is it technically out of reach.

In the meantime, World Bank Group Managing Director Sri Mulyani Indrawati explained that development with a short-term outlook will be counterproductive and will impact Indonesias growth potential.

"If we want to succeed in ending poverty, we cannot alone rely on growth unless it is inclusive and environmentally sustainable. In simple terms, success will depend on how a country will grow and not just by how much," Mulyani emphasized.

She noted that without changes in near-term priorities, Indonesia risks treading on a path of unsustainable growth and will be constrained by limited opportunities and could face economic stagnation.

According to Mulyani, Indonesia will certainly face challenges to walk on the path of green growth, including the need for huge financing and implementing the right policies.

There is also a pressing need for good governance, which is among the biggest challenges faced by several developing countries.

However, as proven by countries such as South Korea, which has successfully transitioned to a greener economy, the opportunities to succeed still exist.

"This can be an opportunity for green and inclusive growth by addressing the energy needs in sustainable ways, by handling resources responsibly, and by putting governance mechanisms in place that will benefit all Indonesians, including the future generations," Mulyani remarked.

In addition, Kadin Chairman Suryo Bambang Sulisto noted that Kadin is committed to working with the government to achieve "green" and sustainable development goals.

"We in the private sector fully support the development goals for green infrastructure," Suryo pointed out.

He remarked that the challenge to meet the governments infrastructure goals is enormous and will require full partnership and investments from the private sector, domestic and international, as well as the participation of multilateral organizations.

The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board estimates that the potential for "green" infrastructure for foreign and domestic investors will increase by about 20 percent until the year 2019.

Hence, incentives for "green" development are essential to ensure that the anticipated investment growth will take place.

Policymakers from President Joko Widodos government took part in the conference alongside key industry players from Indonesia and overseas.

The topics discussed included: spatial planning and land use, efforts for 35 thousand megawatts of sustainable power generation, promotion of a "blue" economy and support for Indonesia as a global maritime powerhouse, sustainable infrastructure financing, green public transport options, and the role of state-owned enterprises in implementing green development plans.

According to Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel, the governments infrastructure program will require more than Rp5 trillion, or Rp1.1 trillion a year.

"The partnership between the government and the private sector will encourage foreign investors to invest in Indonesia," he pointed out.

The annual national meeting for Kadins Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainable Development division also took place on the sidelines of the summit, where provincial chapters contributed their views on programs related to infrastructure and environment in the provinces.
(T.O001/INE/KR-BSR/F001)

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In Tampa Bay, rare environmental win measured in seagrass

Letitia Stein PlanetArk 10 Jun 15;

When Tampa Bay was grappling with repeated fish kills and murky waters two decades ago, the scientists who set out to restore its health by bringing back once-bountiful underwater grasses were doubtful it could be done in their lifetimes.

Yet that mission has now been accomplished. New data show Tampa Bay's seagrasses at levels not seen since the 1950s, before urban development exploded along Florida's west coast and nitrogen pollution of its waters soared.

The rejuvenation of Tampa Bay is hailed as a model for the bays and sounds in other U.S. communities seeking to restore critical coastal habitat under the Clean Water Act, from the Chesapeake Bay in the mid-Atlantic region to San Francisco Bay.

These estuaries, where freshwater from rivers mixes with the salty sea, provide a home or nursery for a wide swath of marine life, including most commercially sold fish.

Experts say the sweeping recovery in Tampa Bay is made more impressive because it appears so far unmatched.

"It shows that you can actually do it," said Rich Batiuk, associate director for science with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program. "Kudos to them for really seeing it through and providing a great shining example."

The clean-up of Florida's largest open-water estuary has been less politically fraught than in the Chesapeake watershed, which has a dense coastal population that spans a half dozen states as well as a deep-rooted farming industry.

Tampa Bay Watch, a nonprofit focused on conservation, highlights the time and money dedicated here to returning the sparkle to the bay's 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers).

On a recent outing in Tampa Bay, where dolphins playfully leaped, a team of the group's researchers inspected several seagrass beds that were replanted to repair damage by boats.

The water was so clear, small fish could be seen swimming through blades of seagrass.

"Pretty sweet," shouted environmental scientist Eric Plage from the water, where he was measuring the seagrasses. "There's a lot of everything."

CLEAR WATER, BETTER FISHING

A putrid dumping ground by the 1970s, conditions in Tampa Bay inspired residents to petition for a clean up. They asked for clearer water, better fishing and to swim without algae.

Seagrass was seen as the answer. It requires sunlight streaming through the water to grow and thus is an indicator of clarity. Underwater grasses provide a nursery for game fish and creates habitat that anchors their food chain.

"The seagrass has been such a primary focus because it brings in so many aspects," said Holly Greening, executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, federally created in 1990 to coordinate the restoration, then in its early phases.

The group set a goal of restoring 38,000 acres of seagrass (15,400 hectares), the quantity observed in aerial photos of Tampa Bay from the 1950s, about half of which had died. That required tackling the nitrogen pollutants chiefly responsible for clouding Tampa Bay's waters to allow the grasses to naturally rebound. Some small areas of seagrass were also replanted.

Ultimately, local governments, utility companies and other industries using the bay invested $500 million in projects that reduced nitrogen pollution, from upgrading sewage treatment plants to generating cleaner electricity.

"Until you really have everybody participating and pulling in the same direction, it's hard to achieve a lot of the accomplishments like they have in Tampa Bay," said Jeff Benoit, president and chief executive of Restore America's Estuaries, an alliance of conservation groups.

In Chesapeake Bay by contrast, pollution caps have been challenged in court by the U.S. farm lobby, and as the legal battle drags on it is not clear if the region will meet the pollution reduction targets set for a 2017 deadline, local experts said.

"If we can't restore the Chesapeake Bay, it doesn't bode well for this country's ability to achieve clean water in the Great Lakes, in the Gulf of Mexico, in San Francisco Bay," said William C. Baker, president of the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

"We may have to admit that Tampa Bay is the only one that did it," he added.

At the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Greening is not yet ready to stand down. She noted the region's population has swelled by more than 1 million people during years in which the grasses were rebounding, and more development is coming.

"It will be a significant challenge moving ahead just to maintain where we are right now," she said.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Richard Chang)

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Worldwide study finds high concern about fixing climate change

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 11 Jun 15;

Worldwide study finds high concern about fixing climate change Photo: Jitendra Prakash
A boy catches fish in a dried-up pond near the banks of the Ganges river Allahabad, India, June 4, 2015.
Photo: Jitendra Prakash

Almost 80 percent of people worldwide are perturbed about global warming and most want tough action to fix the problem, according to a new study that the United Nations touted as a spur to an international climate deal later this year.

The report, based on consultations with 10,000 people in 75 nations from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, also showed that 66 percent viewed measures to tackle warming, such as more wind or solar energy, as a chance to improve their quality of life.

Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said the findings were "important proof" of public support in both rich and poor nations for a U.N. deal to limit climate change due to be agreed in Paris in December.


"Action now is necessary," she told a news conference on Wednesday at talks among almost 200 nations in Bonn, Germany, that began on June 1 and will run until Thursday to lay groundwork for a Paris agreement to limit global warming.

She said public opinion was often overlooked by government negotiators immersed in technical details. "It brings some light into what is otherwise a very dark box," Figueres said.

Organisers from the World Wide Views Alliance, partly funded by the French government, said the study amounted to the largest public consultation ever on climate change. It was conducted on June 6, starting in Fiji and ending in the United States.

The results showed 79 percent of people were "very concerned" by climate change, 19 percent were "moderately concerned" and two percent were unconcerned or had no opinion.

More than 90 percent wanted the upcoming Paris meeting to set some form of legally binding goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2100 to help avert natural disruptions such as more downpours, heat waves and rising sea levels.

On Monday, leaders of the world's major industrial democracies resolved to wean their energy-hungry economies off carbon fuels and set a goal of global decarbonisation by 2100.

Wednesday's report was based on meetings of 100 people, chosen as a cross-section of society in each nation with checks to ensure that that they did not include, for instance, unrepresentative numbers of climate activists or deniers.

Citizens answered questions after discussing global warming in the consultations run by the World Wide Views Alliance.

"It is not a campaign, it is not about telling people what to think," said Bjorn Bedsted, the group's global coordinator.

The U.N. panel of climate scientists says it is at least 95 percent probable that most global warming since 1950 is caused by human activities, led by burning fossil fuels.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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