Pulau Ubin residents concerned with firefighting measures following blaze

A fire broke out on Pulau Ubin last week, and some residents are concerned with firefighting capabilities on the island.
Leong Wai Kit Channel NewsAsia 1 Jul 15;

SINGAPORE: Pulau Ubin residents have voiced concerns, following a blaze on the island last week which took three hours to extinguish.

On Wednesday (Jun 24), a fire broke out at a bike trail at around 9.15pm, but firefighters got to the island near midnight. The fire affected an area as big as two football fields. No one was hurt in the incident.

There are more than 30 elderly residents living on the island. They said that on weekends, about 1,000 people visit Pulau Ubin, with some staying overnight at campsites.

“Of course I worry about fires,” said Mr Ong Kim Cheng, a resident. “We'll just try to put them out with water or extinguishers. But if they can't be put out, there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to be careful not to let anything catch fire."

Another resident said they are too old to handle such emergencies, and have to depend on the police, who are on standby 24 hours a day.

The island is also home to Outward Bound Singapore, which organises training camps and other programmes. It conducts fire drills during each of its programmes on top of yearly drills with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

"I haven't seen any firefighting equipment around on the island before,” said one Pulau Ubin visitor, Mr Clarence Chng.

Mr Jonathan Yap, also a visitor, said: "I don't think anyone is prepared for a fire per se, but if there were really going to be a fire, I would probably just go to a beach."

Sometimes, workers living on Pulau Ubin come to the rescue. For instance, there are contractors that use a vehicle to water plants on the island. They would take water from the quarry to fill up about 5,000 litres in the vehicle’s tank. In times of emergencies - such as Wednesday - workers would bring water to fire sites.

"After dinner, I was in my room,” recount landscape maintenance worker, Mr Sivakumar. “Then I got a call asking for two people to go to the NPCC campsite and to bring our equipment to the fire."

Pulau Ubin residents added that there was another large bush fire last year.

According to the SCDF, for fires on Pulau Ubin, firefighters will be sent from Sengkang or Changi Fire Stations. For Sister's Island or St John's Island, they will be deployed from Marina Bay. If needed, vessels from Brani Marine can also be sent to the islands.

SCDF also said that under existing rules, buildings on Pulau Ubin must have fire alarms, fire extinguishers and hose reels. This also applies to Sisters’ Island and St John’s Island, where overnight stays are permitted. During an emergency, relevant agencies like the police and the National Parks Board will be roped in to help.

- CNA/hs

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Malaysia: Hazy air due to dry spell

DESIREE TRESA GASPER The Star 1 Jul 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The hazy conditions experienced in some areas in the country are due to the ongoing dry spell and lack of strong winds, said the Meteorological Department.

Department National Weather Centre senior meteorologist Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said that Malaysians need not worry too much as conditions should improve by Sunday.

“This is not a full blown haze and has nothing to do with forest fires or hot spots from neighbouring countries.

“The reason why you notice that the air isn’t so clean is because we are currently experiencing a stable atmospheric condition,” he said

This essentially means that the air is dry and there are no strong winds to move pollutants in the air.

“Due to this, you have elements such as factory smoke, vehicle smoke, dust and other pollutants clogging up the air,” he said.

Dr Hisham however said that stronger winds are expected to build up by the coming weekend.

“There should be some sort of improvement in the air quality by then.

“In the meantime, it is best to stay indoors to avoid breathing in too much of the unhealthy air,” he said.

On the possibility of a full blown haze hitting the country soon, Dr Hisham said that it was highly unlikely at the moment.

“We may experience haze nearer the end of the year,” he said.

Checks by The Star on the Air Pollutant Index (API) by the Department of Environment (DOE) revealed that most areas in the country were experiencing moderate levels of air pollutants.

As of 3pm yesterday, unhealthy API readings were recorded at Cheras and Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur. The readings were at 106 and 119 respectively.

When asked on the possibility of rain to clear the air and fill some of the dams which have recorded low water levels, Dr Hisham said that the rains were unlikely to make a significant difference this time.

“We expect some rain but not that much. The wet season will only begin in early September,” he said.

Syarikat Air Bekalan Selangor (Syabas) had previously warned that taps in the Klang Valley may run dry again due to the dry spell in July and August.

Its Corporate Communications and Public Affairs manager Priscilla Alfred said that while most dams in Selangor were above the 70% capacity, this would not guarantee that there will be no disruptions including during the Hari Raya period later this month.

The cause of the shortage was due to increased usage during the hot season and the dry spell itself.

Malaysian’s must brace for hot spell, haze
New Straits Times 1 Jul 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians must brace for hotter days ahead as the country is now experiencing the south west monsoon.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said the monsoon season will bring about hot and dry weather and the dry spell is forecast to last until September.

“There will be little rain, mostly only early in the morning at the coastal areas, as well as areas south of Selangor,” she told Bernama here, today adding that weather conditions can worsen and lead to haze if there was indiscriminate open burning.

A random observation here today saw weather conditions quite hazy but Che Gayah said it could be because there was no rain over the past few days.

She further said that the condition was not due to the volcanic activities of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra although volcanic ash was moving towards the central of Peninsular Malaysia and its altitude when passing the Peninsular was above 6,000 feet.

According to the latest satellite image on ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (AMSC), there no hotspots were detected in Peninsular Malaysia but two each in Sabah and Sarawak was detected.

A check with the Department of Environment showed that all 52 areas monitored nationwide for air quality today showed good to moderate Air Pollutant Index.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Ashok Philip said the current hot spell can cause dehydration if they sweat and do not drink enough water.

He said this can occur even if they stayed in the shade, but the condition will be severe when people are exposed to direct sunlight.

“As dehydration progresses, the affected person will start to feel weak, dizzy and disoriented or confused, as blood pressure starts to drop and body temperature rises.

“In order to stay cool and avoid heat related problems, drink enough water,” he told Bernama in an email reply today, adding that those who suffered from dehydration should move to a cool place and start sipping water.

“Please remember not to leave anyone unattended in a parked cars with the air-conditioner off and the windows up - temperatures can quickly rise to more than 50 degrees Celsius due to the greenhouse effect,” he said.

Dr Ashok also advised those who are fasting to drink regularly throughout the night and “top up” their fluid intake before starting the fast.

He said although such action may cause a little inconvenient, as it can lead to frequent visits to the toilet, that’s the price of staying cool and healthy. – BERNAMA

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Indonesia: Riau blanketed by haze from land, forest fires

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 30 Jun 15;

The light haze currently blanketing Dumai and several other cities in Riau, namely Bengkalis, Pelalawan, Pekanbaru and Rokan Hilir, was caused by land and forest fires both from areas within Riau and from other provinces, according to the head of the Riau Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Edwar Sanger.

“Land and forest fires have also occurred in Jambi and South Sumatra. Riau is receiving smoke from those two provinces, as winds are currently blowing from south to north,” said Edwar.

A land and forest fire post at Roesmin Nurjadin Airport in Pekanbaru, he said, had continued to extinguish fire spots through land operations and weather modification technology.

“While it is still in the medium category, the air quality in Riau has begun to worsen; therefore, our task force will strive to overcome fires in all areas, to avoid negative impacts on people’s health and activities,” said Edwar.

Based on Terra and Aqua satellite data collected by the Pekanbaru chapter of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), two hot spots were detected in Dumai on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, 15 hot spots were detected in Dumai’s neighboring regency, Bengkalis. Four hot spots were found in Siak while Rokan Hilir and Meranti Islands had three hot spots. One hot spot was found in Meranti Islands.

“In total, 45 hot spots have been detected in Riau, 17 of which are in Pelalawan regency. Three hot spots have been found in Indragiri Hulu,” said BMKG Pekanbaru’s data and information head, Slamet Riyadi.

“Meanwhile, 27 of the 45 hot spots have been indicated as fire spots with a reliability level of more than 70 percent. Pelalawan has 13 fire spots, followed by Bengkalis [11], Dumai [2] and Indragiri Hulu [1],” he said, adding that the high number of fires and hot spots in Riau was due to low rainfall and high temperatures in the province. (ebf)(+++)

Haze disrupts Pinang Kampai Airport’s activities
Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 30 Jun 15;

Reduced visibility caused by smoke haze currently blanketing Dumai, Riau, has disrupted flight schedules at Pinang Kampai Airport over the last three days.

Airport head Catur Hargowo said the limited visibility, which reached only two kilometers on Tuesday, had forced a Transnusa aircraft departing from Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in Jakarta to delay its landing for up to 30 minutes from its initial schedule of 8:30 a.m.

“It was fortunate that the scheduled departure of the same aircraft at 9:30 a.m. was not disrupted by haze. Limited visibility occurred only in the morning and after 9 a.m., the visibility returned to normal, reaching four kilometers, as the wind dispersed and moved the smoke out of the area,” Catur told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

On Monday, the arrival and departure of a Transnusa flight serving a similar route was also delayed for half an hour due to thick haze. On Sunday, haze delayed departure and arrival schedules of three flights by around 20-30 minutes. They were Transnusa and Pelita Air flights serving the Halim–Dumai–Halim route and Transnusa serving the Dumai–Batam–Dumai route.

“Aircraft pilots will take off and land only if visibility at Pinang Kampai Airport reaches four kilometers. This is the standard operating procedure,” said Catur.

He said aircraft could land at airports in Pekanbaru and other big cities with limited visibility of only around 700 meters due to the airports’ adequate supporting equipment, such as radars and runway lighting.

“Pinang Kampai Airport does not yet have runway lighting which can direct pilots. They can only depend on runway markings and guidance from the control tower when they land or take off. That’s why pilots are more careful and don’t want to take any risks over limited visibility,” said Catur.

He said that so far, haze had not reduced the number of Riau residents traveling via air.

“The occupancy rate of Transnusa, which serves general passengers, is still around 80 percent. Meanwhile, the Pelita Air aircraft was chartered by [state-owned oil and gas company] Pertamina,” said Catur.

He hoped the government could immediately extinguish land fires both in Dumai and neighboring regencies to prevent haze that disrupted airport activities. (ebf) (++++)

Riau authorities extinguish 10 bushfires
Antara 30 Jun 15;

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - The fire brigade and disaster mitigation office of Pekanbaru, Riau Province, has extinguished bushfires in at least 10 locations during the period between January and June 2015.

During the six-month period, the office received reports of 78 fire incidents including bushfires, Head of the Pekanbaru fire brigade and disaster mitigation office Burhan Gurning stated here, Tuesday.

"Of the total incidents, 10 were bushfires," he noted.

In the current dry season, wild fires were easily triggered by fires used for trash burning and land clearing activities, according to Gurning.

He has sent reminders to the heads of 12 sub-districts in Pekanbaru regarding the prohibition on using fires to clear land and burn trash during the dry season.

Meanwhile, the Terra and Aqua satellites detected 207 hotspots indicating forest and plantation fires across Sumatra Island on Sunday (June 28).

"Of the 207 hotspots, 70 were detected in Riau Province," Pekanbaru Meteorological, Climatology, And Geophysics Station Head Sugarin stated.

Sugarin pointed out that in Riau, 24 hotspots were found in Pelalawan district, 18 in Rokan Hilir, nine in Bengkalis, six in Indragiri Hilir, five in Dumai, and three in Siak and Indragiri Hulu.

One hotspot each was found in Kuantansingigi, Meranti, and Kampar.
(Uu.INE/KR-BSR/F001)

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CIFOR Scientists begin research on Indonesia’s mangrove capacity

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post 30 Jun 15;

By having more than 2 million hectares of mangrove wetland area, Indonesia could play a major role in mitigating climate change.

The true potential of Indonesia’s massive mangrove area has never been properly measured and because of this, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), along with the Maritime and Fisheries Research and Development Center at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, have launched research in several wetland areas within the archipelago.

One of the selected areas for the research is the Pulau Dua wildlife reserve, some 90 kilometers from Jakarta in Serang, the provincial capital of Banten. Located in the northwestern region of the Java coastline, Pulau Dua is also one of the country’s natural mangrove ecosystems that has been facing continuous threats from the growth of residential and industrial areas.

“We want to see two things from this research,” CIFOR principal scientist Daniel Murdiyarso told The Jakarta Post.

“First of all, we want to see the amount of carbon stocked within the Pulau Dua conservation area, which covers only around 250 hectares of wetlands. Secondly, we want to measure the acceleration of sedimentation. By looking at these two things, we can estimate the Pulau Dua conservation’s capacity in stocking carbon and on how it can protect its backyards from sea erosion.

“Eventually, the significance of this research is to estimate the total potential that Indonesia has with its millions of hectares of wetlands just by looking at the final results of the research conducted in this small conservation area.”

Daniel said that the research, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), would take five years to complete.

To begin the research, CIFOR scientists and staff from the ministry had installed a sedimentation and carbon stock measurement tool called the Rod Surface Elevation Table Marker Horizon (RSET-MH) in various places near the Pulau Dua coastline.

To install the tool, the scientists need to insert several 1-meter rods, which are connected together, straight down into the ground.

“You must be sure that the rods are straight because even the slightest deviation would give you the wrong data when you try to measure sedimentation and elevation change,” one of CIFOR’s staff members, Sigit, said when he instructed a number of ministry employees and local guards on how to properly install the tool.

“Accuracy is very important for this research,” he added.

The depth of the rods inserted varies from one area to another. In Papua, according to Daniel, the scientists needed to insert at least 10 meters of connected rods while in Pulau Dua, they only needed 6 meters of them.

“If you can still push the rods downward, then you still need to add more rods, connect them and insert them further down,” Daniel said.

Once the insertion is completed, the scientists then needed to secure a handle on top of the rod. The handle contains nine holes in which measurement sticks would be inserted and these would be used as the instrument to measure elevation changes.

Other than measuring sedimentation and elevation changes, scientists are also tasked to compile data regarding medium-sized and small deadwood debris surrounding the area so that they could also learn about vegetation colonization within the area.

The measurement and data compilation are regularly conducted every six months by a team consisting of between two and four researchers until the research is complete.

“Six months later, when we return to this area and collect our first measurement, we might find that elevation changes only by some millimeters,” Daniel said.

“It might not seem much and some people might think collecting the data is boring because of the minute changes, but it is an important element for us to better understand about carbon stock potential in mangroves,” he added.

Mangroves are considered as one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet despite their ability to protect the world’s coastlines from storm surges, sea level rise and even tsunamis.

According to a report released in 2014 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), mangroves are being destroyed at a rate that is between three and five times greater than the average rates of forest loss.

The report, entitled “The Importance of Mangroves: A Call to Action”, says that the continuous destruction of mangroves has cost billions in economic damages and has denied millions of people the ecosystem services they need to survive.

The report also describes how emissions resulting from mangrove losses make up nearly one-fifth of global emissions from deforestation, resulting in economic damages of between US$6 billion and $42 billion annually.

In addition, mangroves are also threatened by climate change, which could result in the loss of a further 10 to 15 percent of mangroves by 2100.

For Southeast Asia, the report predicts that by 2050 countries in this region will potentially have lost 35 percent of the mangrove cover they had in 2000.

Ecosystem service losses in Southeast Asia from the destruction of mangroves has been estimated to be worth more than $2 billion annually over the period between 2000 and 2050, with Indonesia predicted to suffer the highest losses at $1.7 billion per year.

Daniel said that he hoped the results of the research conducted by CIFOR and the ministry would indirectly prompt all related policymakers in Indonesia regarding the importance of conserving mangroves for the future.

“If mangrove areas are continuously converted, then we will lose all of their capability to protect us,” he said.

— photos by JP/Hans David Tampubolon

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China climate change plan unveiled

Helen Briggs BBC 30 Jun 15;

China - the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases - has announced details of its climate action plan.

The office of Prime Minister Li Kegiang said that emissions "will peak by around 2030" and China would work hard to achieve the target even earlier.

The statement echoes China's declaration last November following a US-China summit.

China's pledge comes ahead of talks late this year in Paris to seek a new global deal on climate change.

The statement, released following a meeting in Paris between Li and French President Francois Hollande, said China aimed to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65% by 2030, from 2005 levels.

The carbon intensity target builds on a previous plan to cut carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020.

China also aimed to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to about 20% by 2030, the statement added.

Beijing previously set a goal of getting around 15% of its energy from clean sources by 2020.

National plans

All countries involved in UN climate talks must submit national plans for cutting emissions ahead of the key Paris talks.

China joins several other countries, including the EU, US and Mexico, that have already committed their plans for tackling climate change, formally known by the UN as INDCs (intended nationally determined contribution).

With China's announcement, the world's biggest polluters - China, the US and the EU - have now all detailed their climate plans ahead of the global climate conference.

Commenting on the statement, Li Shuo, climate analyst for Greenpeace China, said for success in Paris, all players - including China and the EU - needed to up their game.

"Today's pledge must be seen as only the starting point for much more ambitious actions.

"It does not fully reflect the significant energy transition that is already taking place in China.

"Given the dramatic fall in coal consumption, robust renewable energy uptake, and the urgent need to address air pollution, we believe the country can go well beyond what it has proposed today."

Energy transition

China's new climate plan sends a strong message to other countries to do more on climate ahead of this year's negotiations for a new global climate deal, said WWF.

Samantha Smith, global climate leader at WWF, said China was the first major developing country emitter to set a total emissions peak target.

"In doing so, China has committed to both global climate security and to a transformational energy transition at home," she said.

"We emphasise the importance of the fact that China has made commitments beyond its responsibility as a developing country. But we hope that China will continue to find ways to reduce its emissions, which will in turn drive global markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency."

On Monday, at talks in Brussels with EU leaders, the Chinese Premier said the country was seeking a fair, global system to tackle climate change.

China will work with the international community to seek a "fair, reasonable, win-win" global climate governance system, Li said.

Analysis by the BBC's science editor, David Shukman

This is a significant moment in international climate negotiations. For years China argued that it was too poor and underdeveloped to even consider accepting any obligations to curb its greenhouse gases.

Now we're witnessing the world's largest emitter playing by the UN's rules and promising even deeper cuts that those suggested some months back. For diplomats and ministers hoping to see a meaningful deal at the climate summit in Paris at the end of the year, this will be a welcome step.

The size of cuts, and the timescale, will of course be judged by many as too little and too late. But for anyone who endured the collapse of talks at the Copenhagen summit six years ago, China is playing a very different and far more constructive game. Will it actually make any difference to global warming?

Scientists always say it does not matter to the atmosphere where the emissions come from and China's will continue to rise for the next 15 years or so, and on their already gargantuan scale.

And today's announcement does not mean that Chinese use of fossil fuels is coming to an end any time soon. On the same day that China has announced this climate plan it also began construction of a massive pipeline that will bring it a lot of gas from Russia.

China to cap rising emissions by 2030 in boost to Paris U.N. deal
* China will seek to peak emissions earlier than 2030
* Top greenhouse gas emitter outlines plans for Paris accord
* Beijing to cut carbon intensity of economy by 60-65 pct (Updates with reactions, Brazil plan, details)

Julien Ponthus Reuters 30 Jun 15;

PARIS, June 30 (Reuters) - China formally committed to halting the rise in its greenhouse gas emissions within the next 15 years on Tuesday, in a much anticipated strategy to help build a U.N. climate deal in 2015.

The world's top greenhouse gas emitter said it would invest more in clean energy and plant more carbon-absorbing forests as part of the plan.

The Chinese plan chimes with targets announced in November, when Beijing reached a key climate change deal with Washington to cap its emissions by 2030.

"China's carbon dioxide emission will peak by around 2030 and China will work hard to achieve the target at an even earlier date," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a statement after meeting French President Francois Hollande in Paris.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called China's plan an "excellent sign" for the United Nations summit in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, which intends to agree a global deal to combat climate change after past failures.

China did not, however, say at what level its emissions would peak. The cap is the first set by Beijing, which had argued that it needed to burn more fossil fuels to end poverty and that developed nations must lead in climate action.

In a new element beyond the U.S.-China deal, Beijing said it would cut its CO2 emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 60-65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. That would deepen a 40-45 percent cut already set by Beijing for 2020.

The world's second-largest economy also aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to about 20 percent by 2030, the statement said, as part of a strategy to limit more heatwaves, floods and rising sea levels.

CARBON PRICE UP

Benchmark EU carbon prices rose after the news and were last 1.4 percent higher at 7.47 euros a tonne.

China accounts for a quarter of world greenhouse gases and its plan, submitted to the United Nations on Tuesday, means governments accounting for more than half the global total have now outlined goals for climate action beyond 2020.

About 40 countries emitting just over 30 percent of world emissions have previously submitted their plans, including the United States and the European Union. National plans will be the building blocks of a Paris accord.

Separately, the United States and Brazil pledged to increase their share of renewable energy in electricity generation.

South Korea said it would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent below business-as-usual levels, deeper than its earlier intention.

"The United States and China can no longer use inaction by the other as an excuse for ignoring the risks we all face from climate change. Both countries are acting," said Bob Perciasepe, president of the U.S. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions think-tank.

Many experts outside China reckon it can peak its emissions before 2030, given signs such as a fall in coal consumption in 2014. Beijing is under strong pressure to shift to renewable energies, partly to curb air pollution.

""In our estimates the peak would be around 2025 or even earlier," Hanna Fekete of the independent New Climate Institute think tank in Germany, which tracks pledges, told Reuters.

She said she did not think Beijing's plan would affect the group's estimates last year that global temperatures are set to rise by 3.1 degrees Celsius (5.6 Fahrenheit) by 2100, far above a U.N. ceiling of 2 degrees (3.6F). (Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas and Nina Chestney in London, Jeff Mason and Valerie Volcovici in Washington, Alister Doyle in Oslo, Meeyoung Cho in Seoul.; Writing by Michel Rose and Alister Doyle; Editing by Keith Weir and William Hardy)

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Best of our wild blogs: 30 Jun 15

Chek Jawa boardwalk partial closure until 24 Oct 2015
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Elusive Macro Wonders
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Nature walk at Gardens by The Bay
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URA calls for ideas to turn Kallang Park Connector into a commuter cycling route

Today Online 30 Jun 15;

SINGAPORE — The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is calling for ideas to see if the Kallang Park Connector, which links Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang Riverside Park, can be improved such that it can serve as a commuter cycling route.

The route, which was completed in 1992, has several crossings that require cyclists to dismount and push and carry their bicycles, such as overhead bridges.

For example, to cross the Pan Island Expressway, cyclists must dismount and push their bicycles 250m to cross the Kallang River along a narrow footpath alongside PIE, cross a high pedestrian overhead bridge, and cycle 300m on narrow sidewalks in a landed housing estate before they re-join the Kallang Park Connector.

The URA called for an Expression of Interest today (June 30), inviting consultants to undertake a planning study to propose design and technical solutions to improve the experience.

“Due to its alignment, this Park Connector has the potential to serve as a key commuter cycling route from central Singapore to the south,” said the URA in a media release.

The URA has identified seven locations along the 10km-long park connector where pedestrians and cyclists’ journeys are currently affected or interrupted by major roads and expressways.

Possible solutions include cycling-friendly ramps and bridges over roads and waterbodies in constrained sites, which would also meeting vehicular height clearances.

The construction process cannot adversely compromise drainage or vehicular capacity.

For proposed underpasses, studies must be conduced to ensure the stability of the existing Kallang River drain wall, existing vehicular bridge footings, or existing underground services are not compromised.

Interested teams can submit their proposals and other information by Aug 24. From this, the URA will shortlist up to five teams of consultants to participate in the second stage in October. The successful team that will undertake the planning study will be announced in the second quarter of next year.

The study is expected to take a year to complete. The URA also said that its an “exploratory study”, and the course of action thereafter will be determined based on the findings and the costs involved.

More information on the tender process is available at http://ura.sg/bishantocity

URA calls for ideas to turn Kallang connector into seamless cycling route
ASIAONE 30 Jun 15;

SINGAPORE - The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has called for ideas from the consultants on how the Kallang Park Connector can be enhanced for a better cycling experience.



The 10-km long route connects Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang Riverside Park. Due to the connector's alignment, it could potentially serve as a key commuter cycling route from central Singapore to the south, said URA.

Seven locations have been identified where pedestrians and cyclists' journeys are currently affected or interrupted by major roads and expressways.

Some ideas URA hopes to implement include innovative design and technical solutions for cycling-friendly ramps and bridges over roads and waterbodies, or conduct soil and structural investigations to ensure proposed underpasses to do not compromise existing structures.

URA said the exercise will be a two-stage tender process. Interested teams are required to submit their proposal and information, such as team composition and track record by Aug 24, 2015.

URA will evaluate the proposals and shortlist up to five teams of consultants to participate in the second stage in October.

The successful team that will undertake the planning study will be announced in 2nd quarter of 2016. The study is expected to take one year to complete.

Bishan to CBD on a bicycle?
Danson Cheong The Straits Times AsiaOne 1 Jul 15;

Cyclists may be able to ride from Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to Gardens by the Bay, and then into the Central Business District (CBD) in future - without having to get off their bicycles at all.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) plans to study whether the 10km-long Kallang Park Connector, which starts in Bishan and runs along the Kallang River, can become a seamless commuting route for cyclists.

Yesterday, it called for consultants to come forward to find solutions around the seven obstacles that now interrupt the route.

These include pedestrian crossings, an underpass with low head room and overhead pedestrian bridges, such as the 14m-high one spanning an eight-lane stretch of the Pan-Island Expressway.

In a statement, the URA said it would shortlist the external consultants by October and select a team to conduct the study by the second quarter of next year. The study will take a year to complete.

URA executive planner Joycelyn Yik said this could be the birth of Singapore's first seamless cycling route into the heart of the city - one that would pass through 11 housing estates and serve 400,000 people.

If completed, it could take a cyclist about 30 to 45 minutes to ride from Bishan to the heart of the city, compared with about one hour to 11/2 hours now. "We feel this will help improve quality of life by helping us move towards a car-light future for Singapore," said Ms Yik.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan first mooted the idea for a seamless connector in April on his Facebook page, saying that it would help achieve "a great social outcome".

Possible solutions to the obstacles include elevated cycling-friendly bridges with gentle ramps or underpasses, said Ms Yik, who noted that these have to be studied for feasibility.

There are challenging technical constraints, she added.

"Given that the Kallang Park Connector and Kallang River run through very built-up areas, there's really not much land for us to play with around here."

NParks assistant director of park planning Henry Hee said the biggest obstacle along the route is the bridge over the PIE, near St Andrew's Junior School.

Cyclists have to carry their bikes up and down eight flights of stairs to get to the other side.

The Kallang Park Connector, which was built in 1992 by the National Parks Board, is the oldest in Singapore.

Both URA and NParks said they would study the route before turning their attention to other park connectors in the future.

Singapore's cycling-path network will expand to 700km in 2030, with more than 300km of paths built so far. It is part of a shift towards getting more people on bicycles and away from cars.

Mr Pierre Chew, an engineer who cycles from his home in Bishan to the CBD to attend upgrading courses, felt the bridges are the main hindrance. "If you are not strong enough, by the time you carry your bike to the top, you will already feel the strain," said Mr Chew, 42.

He added that although the overhead bridge at Braddell Road had a "bicycle gutter" for cyclists to push their bikes up, this could still be hard work for old folk.

"If they could get around these obstacles, it would be a very pleasant, scenic route to ride," he said.

Experts agreed. Associate Professor Wong Yiik Diew, director of the Centre for Infrastructure Systems at Nanyang Technological University, said the initiative would set up an important "trunk route" for commuting cyclists.

Dr Alexander Erath, a transport researcher at the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, noted it would be important to see how individual towns can be best connected to the upgraded Kallang route.

"Intra- and inter-town cycling depend upon each other. Only if people consider the entire trip to be safe and convenient for cycling, will they start considering it as a relevant travel option," he said.

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New energy labels for lamps from July: NEA

Today Online 30 Jun 15;

Singapore — From tomorrow (July 1), a new energy label illustrating different levels of energy efficiency on lamps can be found on its packaging.

The label will carry useful energy information on the different types of energy saving lamps in the market to help consumers make informed decisions that will best suit their needs, the National Environment Agency said in a media advisory today (June 30).

The new energy rating system for lamps will have three efficiency bands (one to three ticks). The highest efficiency level is denoted by three ticks and the lowest by a single tick.

In a household energy consumption survey conducted by NEA, lighting accounts for 4.3 per cent of total household consumption and it is also among the top five types of energy-consuming household appliances and devices.

NEA also revealed that the three commonly used lamps in homes are the incandescent lamps (tungsten filament and tungsten halogen), compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts (CFLi) and non-directional light emitting diode (LED) lamps. And from tomorrow, these lamps must meet the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and comply with Mandatory Energy Labelling (MELS) requirements.

Incandescent lamps need at least one-tick while CFLi and LED lamps need two-tick efficiency to meet the MEPS requirements.

To allow lamp importers, manufacturers and retailers to clear existing stock, products that have been supplied to the market before July 1 are exempted from the MELS and MEPS requirements for a year. ILI NADHIRAH MANSOR

Lamps to have new energy labels from July
The rating system will have three energy bands: The highest efficiency level is denoted by three ticks and the lowest by a single tick. This is to help buyers make more informed decisions when purchasing lamps, says NEA.
Channel NewsAsia 30 Jun 15;

SINGAPORE: From Wednesday (Jul 1), new energy labels will be placed on lamps to help buyers make a more informed decision on the different types of energy-saving lamps in the market.

Based on a survey conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA), lighting was among the top five types of energy-consuming household appliances and devices, the press release said.



The following types of lamps, commonly used in households, must meet Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and comply with Mandatory Energy Labelling (MELS) requirements from Wednesday, said NEA.

Incandescent lamps (tungsten filament and tungsten halogen)
Compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts (CFLi) and
Non-directional light emitting diode (LED) lamps.

Under the new energy rating system for lamps, it will have three energy bands. The highest efficiency level is denoted by three ticks and the lowest by a single tick.



“Based on currently achievable efficiency and life cycle cost consideration, incandescent lamps will have to be at least rated one-tick efficiency, while CFLi and LED lamps have to be at least rated two-tick efficiency in order to meet the MEPS requirements,” said NEA.

To allow lamp importers, manufacturers and retailers time to clear their existing stocks of lamps, products that were supplied to the market before Jul 1, 2015, will be exempted from the MELS and MEPS requirements for one year.

- CNA/ek

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Malaysia: Sabah to restore 200,000ha of degraded forests

The Star 30 Jun 15;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is targeting to restore some 200,000ha of degraded forests – an area almost seven times the size of Penang island – within a decade.

Describing the target as a modest one, state Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said about a quarter of it had been achieved at the Ulu Segama-Malua forest reserve in Sabah’s east coast.

He said about 60,000ha of degraded jungles had been replanted with native tree species, making Ulu Segama-Malua the world’s largest rehabilitated dipterocarp forest in the world.

It was recovered from the ravages of uncontrolled logging, forest fires and encroachment.

Mannan added that determination and political will were needed to achieve the target.

The Sabah government phased out logging activities in 2007 and seven years later, nearly 243,000ha of forests were classified as totally protected areas.

Restoration of Ulu Segama-Malua began earlier in March 2006 with the primary aim of protecting the vital habitat for orang utan.

The restoration was also aimed at protecting the buffer zones for the pristine Danum Valley conservation area.

The Ulu Segama-Malua area is home to some 3,500 to 4,000 orang utan, which make up 30% of the state’s orang utan population.

The restoration efforts appeared to have borne fruit, based on frequent sighting of orang utan nesting areas in previously degraded forests at Bukit Piton, in northern Ulu Segama, Mannan said.

He said work to restore another 10,000ha of degraded forests would begin soon, thanks to RM50mil funding from the palm oil sector.

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Malaysia: Follow Sabah and Sarawak and ban turtle egg sales nationwide - WWF

The Star 29 Jun 15;

PETALING JAYA: There should be a nationwide ban on the trade of sea turtle eggs of any kind, and not just in Sabah and Sarawak, said the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

In a statement, WWF said all states in Malaysia should emulate Sarawak and Sabah's ban on the trade of endangered animal's eggs.

"As states are left to make laws relating to turtles under the Federal Constitution, this has resulted in varying standards being applied in each state," it said.

"For instance, it is not explicitly prohibited in Terengganu with the exception of Leatherback Turtle eggs. The absence of a national ban is permitting the sale of eggs that are purportedly sourced from another state or any country," it said.

The WWF noted it was practically impossible to distinguish where the turtle eggs came from, making enforcement difficult.

The statement was issued following news of the Marine Police foiling an attempted smuggling of 2,100 turtle eggs into Sandakan, as reported by The Star last week.

WWF-Malaysia chief executive Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said if left undisturbed on a nesting beach, about 70% to 80% of the eggs would have hatched.

"We have now lost approximately 1,500 hatchlings," he said.

"Malaysia is fortunate to host four species of marine turtles. Sadly, the number of turtle nestings have reduced and some populations are on the brink of extinction. Leatherback turtles have not been sighted in Terengganu in the last five years," he said.

He added that earlier this year, 19 turtle carcasses were found in Sabah waters as a result of illegal activity. From January to May this year, at least 60 male and female turtles were found dead in Terengganu, trapped in fishing nets.

"If a turtle manages to beat all odds and matures to return to the same beach it was born to nest, it may face poachers who take its eggs and end the turtle's cycle of life," WWF-Malaysia marine head Robecca Jumin said.

"The issue goes beyond that of turtle egg smuggling. Where there is demand, there is supply," she said.

Concerns that a ban would affect livelihoods should not arise as a survey conducted by WWF-Malaysia in Terengganu in November 2013 indicated that the sale of turtle eggs were not a significant source of income to villagers involved in the trade, she added.

WWF: Ban selling and eating of turtle eggs
The Star 30 Jun 15;

KOTA KINABALU: Selling or eating turtle eggs should be banned nationwide, not just in Sabah and Sarawak, said the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The conservation body made this call once again following the rampant smuggling of turtle eggs in several states.

These activities were causing a reduction in the nesting areas and taking some turtle populations to the brink of extinction, said WWF Malaysia executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.

He said that a recent survey in Terengganu led to the discovery of hundreds of turtle eggs up for sale.

The eggs were believed to have come from another state, possibly Sabah, or from another country, such as the Philippines, he said in a statement yesterday .

WWF Malaysia believes that the challenges of stopping turtle egg smuggling did not rest with Sabah alone and it was a threat to Malaysia’s biodiversity and national security, he said.

He said Malaysia has had little success with turtle conservation because the states were left to make the laws relating to turtles, resulting in varying standards.

“While the sale of turtle eggs is prohibited in Sabah and Sarawak, this is not explicitly forbidden in Terengganu, with the exception of leatherback turtle eggs,” he said, citing an example.

He said the situation was worsened by the fact that the lack of a national ban meant the sale of turtle eggs claimed to come from another state or internationally was permitted.

Since it was difficult to differentiate turtle eggs by place of origin, enforcement was challenging, he added.

Dr Sharma commended the Sabah marine police for seizing more than 2,000 turtle eggs in Sandakan recently.

But he said it would have been better if the smuggling did not happen at all.

“If left undisturbed on the nesting beach, 70% to 80% of those eggs would have hatched.

“We have lost about 1,500 hatchlings now,” he said.

Malaysia is fortunate to host four species of marine turtles – leatherback, green, hawksbill and Olive Ridley.

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Indonesia: Haze begins to envelop parts of Riau

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 30 Jun 15;

A number of regions in Riau have been covered in haze over the past few days as hotspots — which can trigger forest and land fires — continued to surround the province as a result of the prolonged dry season.

In Dumai municipality, haze started to emerge on Sunday evening and had grown thicker by Monday morning, leading to poor visibility in the city, which was recorded at only 2 kilometers.

Head of Dumai Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (BPBD) prevention and control section, Tengku Ismed, said the thick haze was coming from both local forest and land fires as well as those in neighboring regions.

“A joint team has been working to extinguish the fires while at the same time coordinating with the provincial administration to anticipate the emergence of new fire locations,” Ismed said on Monday.

Thin but acrid smelling haze also covered a number of regions in Pelalawan regency for the last two days due to land fires. Data at the Pelawan Firefighter and Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBPKD) showed that serious land fires were visible in Kemang subdistrict, Pangkalan Kuras district, burning some 30 hectares of farmland and bush.

Based on the data collected by the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) Pekanbaru station, from the Terra and Aqua satellites, 59 hotspots were detected on Monday in 10 regions across Riau.

According to the data, Pelalawan and Rokan Hilir shared the greatest number of hotspots, with 16, followed by Bengkalis with six, Kuantan Singingi and Indragiri Hulu, with five, Kampar, four, Dumai, three, Indragiri Hilir, two and Siak and Rokan Hulu, with one.

Responding to the situation, Rokan Hilir Regent Suyatno expressed his concern and called on the provincial administration and the central government to focus on extinguishing the fires.

He did not dismiss the possibility that traditional land clearing measure through burning could have caused the fires.

“After conducting air monitoring, I promptly coordinated with Rokan Hilir police chief for law enforcement support,” he said.

Separately Riau BPBD head Edwar Sanger said that starting on Monday the agency’s water bombing operation moved from Rokan Hilir to Pelalawan to prevent the haze from covering the provincial capital of Pekanbaru.

Edwar also admitted that the weather modification technology (TMC) to create artificial rains had not yet provided satisfying results due to strong winds and lack of clouds. “We’ve seeded 12 tons of salt over Riau but only rain of light intensity has fallen in a number of areas including in Koto Kampar and Meranti Islands,” he said.

Last month, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned that the dry season this year could last longer than that of previous years due to the weather phenomenon known as El Nino.

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UN climate talks moving at snail's pace, says Ban Ki-moon

Pace of negotiations for a climate deal in Paris later this year is too slow, says UN secretary general, as China says it will shortly submit its carbon pledge
Suzanne Goldenberg The Guardian 29 Jun 15;

Negotiations for a deal to fight climate change were moving at a “snail’s pace”, the United Nations chief, Ban Ki-Moon, told a high-level meeting on Monday.

A promise from China – the world’s biggest carbon polluter – for ambitious cuts to greenhouse gas emissions “very soon” could inject some much-needed optimism into the talks.

But the UN and other leaders warned that time was running out to reach a strong climate change deal in Paris at the end of the year.

The gloomy assessment from Ban contrasts with sense of building momentum following the G7 commitment to phase out fossil fuels, the Pope’s call for radical climate action, and a flurry of recent climate announcements from Barack Obama.

Five months before the critical gathering, Ban said talks were bogged down, and that negotiators faced many challenges and controversies. “The negotiation pace is too slow, far too slow,” Ban told reporters. “It is moving at a snail’s pace.”

He noted there were only 10 formal days of negotiation left before Paris.

The countries of the European Union and 10 other countries have already made public their pledges for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades.

The EU has committed to a 40% drop in bloc emissions by 2030 and, speaking after a bilateral summit in Brussels, the bloc’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker called on China to match its resolve.

“I would strongly welcome China taking on its shoulders, commitments that have the same ambition, if not in numbers then at least in targets,” he told a Brussels press conference.

Beijing though is increasingly measuring its climate pledges against those made by the US - and not Europe, according to analysts at the ChinaDialogue think tank. Trade spats, incoherent policy priorities, and mutual suspicions over climate agendas have all strained ties.

Responding to Juncker, the Chinese premier Li Keqiang said that China and the EU could jointly combat climate change, within existing frameworks that oblige deeper emissions cuts by more developed countries first.

“We are willing to work together with the EU to jointly tackle the challenges caused by climate change, observe common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and our respective capabilities to implement climate change solutions,” he said.

An agreement signed by both sides called for an ambitious and legally-binding agreement to be sealed in Paris, and for links between their respective carbon markets to be expanded.

After the last round of talks, in Bonn earlier this month, the 193 countries at the table were left far apart on the contours of the deal.

Meanwhile, there was growing frustration with rich countries for failing to deliver on a promise to mobilise $100bn a year from 2020 to help poor and developing countries deal with climate change.

In a much-needed positive note, China, which is responsible for 24% of global carbon emissions, said it would make an official commitment to make ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions “very soon”.

“We are making great efforts to bring about a revolution in energy production and consumption,” Xie Zhenhua, China’s climate change envoy, told the meeting.

He said China would step up those efforts in its post-2020 climate change plan, and would set lay out a detailed plan for cutting carbon pollution and protecting its people from sea-level rise, extreme weather and other consequences of climate change.

“These targets are quite ambitious and will require arduous effort for implementation,” Xie said. “We have a determination and a confidence to reach these goals so they replace fossil fuel energy.”

The countries of the European Union and 10 other countries have already made public their pledges for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades.

China and the US – the world’s two biggest carbon polluters – took an historic first step to reining in emissions in the coming decades last November.

The US unveiled a plan to cut its emissions by 26% to 28% on 2005 levels by 2025, and China for the first time agreed to peak its emissions and get 20% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030.

China said in the past it would deliver its pledge by the end of June, and there was growing anticipation that it may raise its ambitions.

India, the third biggest carbon polluter, has said it will deliver its pledge by the end of September.

But there was growing acknowledgement on Monday of the challenges to reaching a deal to avoid dangerous climate change. Ban told the meeting that the commitments made ahead of the Paris meeting would fail to limit warming to 2C, the internationally-agreed limit.

One of the big sticking points is cash – with rich countries so far failing to live up to promise to mobilise $100bn a year by 2020 for climate finance.

The funds were first promised at the Copenhagen climate conference six years ago to help poor countries cut carbon pollution and protect their peoples from climate change.

Ban called on presidents and prime ministers to provide clear guidance, saying “creditable climate finance is essential”. He went on: “It is imperative that developed countries provide greater clarity on the public finance component of the $100bn before Paris.”

Rachel Kyte, the World Bank climate envoy, said there was a disconnect between UN and negotiators’ view of climate funding, and those of finance ministers and financial institutions.

“You can definitely feel that there is something moving,” Kyte said. But she added: “There is a disconnection between financial world and negotiation world, and just as urgently as we have to mobilise finance so we urgently need to fix that disconnect.

She added. “Maybe it’s not a complete disconnect but it’s a weak connection.”

For the small islands of the Pacific, it may already be too late. Anote Tong, the president of the tiny island of Kiribati, told the meeting king tides were already forcing villages to relocate.

“We may be in the world’s last hour in which our planet can be saved,” Tony de Brum, the foreign minister of the Marshall Islands, told the meeting.

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