Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam says Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman listened and understood Singapore’s position on the issue. Channel NewsAsia 4 Aug 15;
KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has met his Malaysian counterpart Anifah Aman to discuss an issue relating to water, he revealed to reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Minister's Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (Aug 4).
"I had some months ago raised with him an issue relating to water which is of importance to us and Prime Minister had also raised it with the Malaysian Prime Minister at the last retreat and I followed up today because it's quite important and he listened and he understood our position," said Mr Shanmugam.
He declined to go into details, but when asked if their discussion had anything to do with the price of water tariffs, he said: "It has something to do with that".
"It's not quite a breakthrough, but we had to say what our position was and we are hoping for certain actions," Mr Shanmugam stated.
His comments come a day after Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor, an important source of water for Singapore. During the visit, Dr Balakrishnan warned that water levels at Linggiu Reservoir are at "unprecedented" low levels.
Singapore currently imports water from Johor, under the terms of the 1962 Water Agreement which expires in 2061. This agreement is guaranteed by both Governments in the 1965 Separation Agreement, which was registered with the United Nations. Both countries have to honour the Water Agreement and the guarantee in the Separation Agreement. Any breach of the Water Agreement would also be a breach of the Separation Agreement and of international law. The Water Agreement provided the two countries with the right to jointly review the price of water after 25 years, in 1987.
However, Malaysia consciously chose not to review the price. Malaysia benefits greatly from the current pricing arrangement. Johor buys 16 million gallons per day of treated water back from Singapore at 50 sen per 1000 gallons. This is a fraction of the true cost to Singa¬pore of treating the water, which includes building and maintaining the water purification plants.
In March last year, Mr Shanmugam told Parliament that Malaysia has lost the right to review the price of water that it supplies to Singapore under the terms of the 1962 Water Agreement. Media reports then suggested that Johor officials wished to raise the price of raw water supplied to Singapore.
KOTA KINABALU: Eateries serving shark’s fin have been urged to remove the dish from their menus in view of the depleting number of the species.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia senior sustainable seafood officer Chitra Devi G said sharks were particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation because they were slow growing, mature at a late age, and had a relatively low reproductive rate.
“We urge eateries to stop serving shark’s fin in menus as their population is slow to recover once over-fished,” she said at a Sustainable Seafood Business seminar in conjunction with the Sustainable Seafood Festival 2015.
Restaurants, retailers and hotels should adopt a dining policy that did not include shark’s fin on the menu or substitute shark’s fin with an alternative ingredient, Chitra said.
She added that based on Traffic, a non-governmental organisation which aims to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature, Malaysia was one of the top 20 shark catchers in the world.
“According to Traffic’s statistics, Malaysia is also the seventh highest in terms of fin exports at 384 tonnes per year amounting to 2.9% of global trade.
“On top of that, Malaysia ranks as the second highest country in fin imports with 2,183 tonnes per year which makes up 13.5% of global trade.
“This is a major concern as many species of sharks are top predators and play an important role in balancing the marine ecosystems,” she added.
Chitra said the seminar was a great opportunity for better understanding of the “No Shark Fin” movement and in establishing a network among key players in the culinary industry, as well as opening doors for potential shark’s fin-free food business in Sabah.
Guest speakers included representatives from the Fisheries Department, Sabah Sharks Alliance, and Shangri-La Hotel that shared ideas on promoting “No Shark Fins” alternatives.
PETALING JAYA: The products range from antelope antlers to extract of porcupine to pills containing snake or bear gall bladder.
Much of the wildlife being killed for their parts are on the endangered species list or protected animals but many traditional Chinese medicine shops nationwide are stocking the products.
A check by The Star shows that the sale of such illegal products is rampant although very few shops actually display them.
Most keep them out of sight, until asked for by customers who believe that these medications can cure ailments from cancer to dengue.
All the 11 shops that were checked out in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Kuantan and Kuching sell saiga antlers, sourced from Russia. This antelope is a critically endangered species.
Most of the shops in the peninsula also sell porcupine bezoar in its raw form of stones or as powder.
And they didn’t come cheap – 0.375gm of bezoar costs RM450 to RM900 depending on the grade.
To get the bezoar, the animal is slaughtered.
Although not all species of porcupine in Malaysia are protected, the origin of the bezoars sold in these shops is not made known to the buyers, who may or may not even care about that.
Then there are the pills and capsules with snake or bear gall bladder, which are brought in from Hong Kong or the Chinese mainland, and illegal in this country.
Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Association of Malaysia secretary-general Steven Kow said it was encouraging the shop owners to find alternatives to the wildlife products.
“There needs to be an awareness programme and more research to see if herbs can be a substitute,” he said.
The association has warned its 4,000-plus members not to stock illegal items, adding that they faced severe criminal penalties if they were caught.
Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, reported earlier this year that these medications continue to be popular and the shops selling them are thriving.
One medicine shop owner in Kuala Lumpur claimed that bezoars could remove toxins from the body while the antlers help reduce “heatiness”.
In Kuching, the products for sale include dried snake and lizard, as well as deer tendon, used to make medicinal wines.
Most of the shop owners admit that it is illegal to sell the products but said that they had to make a living.
“My customers want them. If I don’t sell, others will,” said a shop owner in Kuching.
There is concern among wildlife protectors that the illegal sale of these products will lead to species going extinct, even those that are not on the endangered list.
Take porcupines in Malaysia, for example. Only one species is protected, but that does not make it all right to sell porcupine bezoars.
Traffic South-East Asia senior communications officer Elizabeth John warned that porcupines could end up like the tokay gecko, which was at one time believed to be a cure for AIDS.
She said that there were no statistics to show that Malaysia’s porcupine numbers were dwindling, “but it might escalate to become a serious problem”.
According to her, there has been a ban on the hunting of saiga since 2001, so unless the shops are selling antlers collected previously or by special circumstances, these would be illegal.
Medicine shops claim wildlife products a ‘cure-all’ The Star 5 Aug 15;
PETALING JAYA: Many Chinese medicine shop owners are claiming that their wildlife products can cure any sort of ailment.
“It really works, you might not believe it but my clients have been coming back for more,” said one who identified himself only as Chow.
He has a full-time job as an insurance agent but started selling porcupine bezoars six years ago.
“It is good money but it is not an easy job. I have to go into the jungle to get it from the orang asli,” said the 45-year-old.
Thinking that the price of bezoars could soar with increasing demand, Chow has stocked enough to last him the next few years.
“There’s no expiry date for this stuff,” he said.
Many medicine shop owners said their bezoar stocks came from Borneo and Indonesia.
Sellers like Chow buy the bezoar stones in bulk and grind it into powder form to sell to customers. A bezoar stone can cost upwards of RM50,000, depending on its size.
Most of the shop owners say it is legal to sell porcupine bezoars but never display it openly.
“Customers have to ask and then we bring it out. It’s expensive stuff,” said a shop owner in Petaling Jaya.
Another, who wanted to be known only as Ng, claimed that porcupines were bred in Sabah and the bezoars from these animals were cheaper.
“The most expensive ones are from porcupines in the wild, that is another grade,” he said.
It takes a professional to be able to tell if a bezoar stone is real or fake, according to Ng who has a shop in Subang.
He said some people had tried to sell him fakes.
Tan, another seller who wanted anonymity, said bezoar stones were formed when injured porcupines eat herbs to heal themselves.
“That’s why there are different grades and sizes,” he explained.
Toxic algae blooms in a warmer Pacific, endangering marine life and forcing seafood bans
Phuong Le, Associated Press Yahoo News 5 Aug 15;
SEATTLE (AP) -- A vast bloom of toxic algae off the West Coast is denser, more widespread and deeper than scientists feared even weeks ago, according to surveyors aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel.
This coastal ribbon of microscopic algae, up to 40 miles wide and 650 feet deep in places, is flourishing amid unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures. It now stretches from at least California to Alaska and has shut down lucrative fisheries. Shellfish managers on Tuesday doubled the area off Washington's coast that is closed to Dungeness crab fishing, after finding elevated levels of marine toxins in tested crab meat.
So-called "red tides" are cyclical and have happened many times before, but ocean researchers say this one is much larger and persisting much longer, with higher levels of neurotoxins bringing severe consequences for the Pacific seafood industry, coastal tourism and marine ecosystems.
Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the area now closed to crab fishing includes more than half the state's 157-mile-long coast, and likely will bring a premature end to this year's crab season.
"We think it's just sitting and lingering out there," said Anthony Odell, a University of Washington research analyst who is part of a NOAA-led team surveying the harmful algae bloom, which was first detected in May. "It's farther offshore, but it's still there."
The survey data should provide a clearer picture of what is causing the bloom which is brownish in color, unlike the blue and green algae found in polluted freshwater lakes. Marine detectives already have a suspect: a large patch of water running as much as 3 degrees centigrade warmer than normal in the northeast Pacific Ocean, nicknamed "the blob."
"The question on everyone's mind is whether this is related to global climate change. The simple answer is that it could be, but at this point it's hard to separate the variations in these cycles," said Donald Boesch, professor of marine science at the University of Maryland who is not involved in the survey. "Maybe the cycles are more extreme in the changing climate."
"There's no question that we're seeing more algal blooms more often, in more places, when they do occur, they're lasting longer and often over greater geographical areas. We're seeing more events than documented decades ago," said Pat Glibert, professor at Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Odell recently completed the first leg of the survey, mostly in California waters. On Wednesday, researchers plan to continue monitoring the sea between Newport, Oregon, and Seattle. The vessel will then go to Vancouver Island, wrapping up in early September. Another research ship is taking samples off Alaska.
The brownish bloom was particularly thick off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and Odell said it was unusually dominated by one type of algae called Pseudo-nitzschia, which can produce the neurotoxin domoic acid.
"It's an indication of an imbalance," said Vera Trainer, a research oceanographer with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "Too much of any one thing is not healthy for anybody to eat."
Trainer said this bloom is the worst she's seen in 20 years of studying them. Harmful algal blooms have usually been limited to one area of the ocean or another, and have disappeared after a few weeks. This one has grown for months, waxing and waning but never going away.
"It's been incredibly thick, almost all the same organism. Looks like a layer of hay," said Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at University of California, Santa Cruz.
The current bloom also involves some of the highest concentrations of domoic acid yet observed in Monterey Bay and other areas of the West Coast.
"It's really working its way into the food web and we're definitely seeing the impacts of that," Kudela said, noting that sea lions are getting sick and pelicans are being exposed. And now that the Pacific is experiencing its periodic ocean warming known as El Nino, it may come back even stronger next year, he said.
Domoic acid is harmful to people, fish and marine life. It accumulates in anchovies, sardines and other small fish as well as shellfish that eat the algae. Marine mammals and fish-eating birds in turn can get sick from eating the contaminated fish. In people, it can trigger amnesic shellfish poisoning, which can cause permanent loss of short-term memory in severe cases.
State health officials stress that seafood bought in stores is still safe to eat because it is regularly tested. While there have been no reports of human illnesses linked to this year's bloom, authorities aren't taking chances in fisheries with dangerous toxin levels.
California public health officials have warned against eating recreationally harvested mussels and claims, or any anchovy, sardines or crabs caught in waters off Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties. Other shellfish harvests are shut down along Oregon's coast.
The most recent samples showed the highest-ever recorded concentrations of domoic acid in the internal organs of Dungeness crab, Ayres said.
"This is really unprecedented territory for us," said Ayres.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam says it will "do Singapore good" if there are more debate and peer review within civil society itself.
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia 3 Aug 15;
SINGAPORE: Public debate in Singapore should advance with civil society playing a greater role in discussions, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (Aug 3).
Mr Tharman made the point as he launched a book, titled Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Icons and Beyond, which addresses the future of Singapore's economy and environmental landscape today.
"We have more ideas and views coming from scholars, public intellectuals, and a broader range of commentators today compared to even a decade ago. There is more active scrutiny of Government policies, and more active listening by Government," he said.
"But it will do Singapore good if we also have more debate and peer review within civil society itself, with participants evaluating each other’s analyses and proposals, and pointing to the trade-offs, thoroughly and dispassionately. This debate, which does not depend on only the Government responding to arguments being put forward, will help us mature as a society," he added.
The book had roped in ministers, prominent economists, veteran diplomats as well as business leaders, and these include Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, Ambassador-at-large Professor Tommy Koh as well as CEO of Banyan Tree Ho Kwon Ping.
A common point raised by writers is that measures of Singapore's economic success are changing. Apart from GDP growth, there is the need to consider other aspects such as the overall quality of life, the magnitude of carbon emissions and extent of income inequality.
Some writers also looked at possibilities that could happen in 2065 and beyond. Dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Professor Kishore Mahbubani for example, postulated that Singapore may finally abolish private ownership of cars in 2065.
Mr Tharman said the book will make a valuable contribution to a healthy debate on the choices Singapore will make as the country goes forward together.
- CNA/kk
'More debate within civil society good for S'pore'
Chia Yan Min, Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Aug 15;
Singapore will benefit from having more debate between groups in society as it enters its next 50 years, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday.
That debate is already under way, he noted, citing how more ideas and views are coming from scholars, public intellectuals and a broader range of commentators compared to even a decade ago.
This is also bringing with it a "more active scrutiny of government policies, and more active listening by Government," said Mr Tharman, who was speaking at a book launch.
He continued: "But it will do Singapore good if we also have more debate and peer review within civil society itself, with participants evaluating each other's analyses and proposals, and pointing to the trade-offs, thoroughly and dispassionately. This debate, which does not depend on only the Government responding to arguments being put forward, will help us mature as a society."
The book - Singapore 2065: Leading Insights On Economy And Environment From 50 Singapore Icons And Beyond - invites readers to imagine a future where Singapore exports water, foreign workers are bionic and people live in 400-storey apartments.
Prominent economists, Straits Times journalists, Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament were among the contributors to the book, which was edited by Nanyang Technological University economist Euston Quah.
Mr Tharman, who is also Finance Minister, wrote the foreword. He said Singapore's future will depend on its ability to develop new skills and technologies, original business solutions and a spirit of experimentation in society.
"We are making an even better Singapore, both more innovative and more inclusive," Mr Tharman said, adding that this must be done through a "blend of imagination and practicality that got us to where we are today, and always with a sense of fairness".
Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the audience at the Singapore Art Museum, where the book was launched, that he is optimistic about Singapore's future. "I have no doubt that we will remain a sovereign country, but we will be sovereign and independent in a very different world (that is highly integrated)," said Prof Koh, who cited economic integration efforts in ASEAN and on a larger scale, in the Asia-Pacific.
To remain competitive, Singapore must continue to embrace change and technology, as well as rejig its educational and employment landscape towards cultivating craftsmanship and deep skills, added Prof Koh, who is among the book's contributors.
"One of the reasons for our success over the last 50 years is our capacity to constantly reinvent ourselves and our positive attitude towards change and technology."
While there are new faultlines emerging which might threaten social stability, Singapore has been successful at maintaining a harmonious multicultural society, and there is no reason why this will not continue, he added.
"We should grow a culture of tolerance. We can have different attitudes towards issues, without seeing each other as enemies."
KOTA KINABALU: Protected animals such as clouded leopards and sun bears are being offered on sale through private groups on Facebook and WhatsApp.
These online tamu (market) are trading a wide range of protected animals, birds, leopard cats, slow lorises, turtles and even dolphins.
“So far, we have charged one person in court for trading in the protected clouded leopard,” Sabah Wildlife Department director William Baya said yesterday. (On July 30, a Malaysian was charged in a magistrate’ court for possessing a clouded leopard.)
Declining to comment more on the case as it was now pending in the court, he said that various birds and reptiles were offered on such online groups.
One group even claimed to have about 27,000 members.
“It was initially an open group but it is closed now,” he said, adding that they had been operating for more than six months.
The department, he said, was monitoring members of the groups.
A clouded leopard could cost RM6,000 to RM8,000, while pangolins, if sold for the meat, cost about RM80 to RM100 per kilo. Pangolin scales fetch up to RM400 per kilo in the illegal wildlife market.
“We believe that it is for the local market. Some are buying them as pets. It has not yet gone international,” he said.
He urged those in possession of any protected species to surrender them to the department immediately and no action would be taken against them.
Those who fail to get proper permits or surrender such protected animals could face up to five years in jail, RM50,000 fine or both under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment.
“This (online trade) is a new trend. It is unlike wildlife poaching for bush meat, which is also a threat, but online wildlife trade has become more dangerous and extensive than ever before,” he said.
Government officials are concerned rice production will be hampered by the drought. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)
Solo/Bogor/Jakarta. The Central Java government has earmarked funds in anticipation of a clean-water crisis during this year’s dry season, which is expected to be unusually long due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Officials have expressed concerns that such a severe drought throughout the province could threaten food security across Java, as the area’s rice paddies are one of the country’s main sources.
“We have decided to allocate Rp 20 billion [$1.4 million] to lessen drought and water deficiency in impacted villages by distributing clean water,” Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said in Solo over the weekend
However, Ganjar said one remaining problem is that water sources used for irrigation continue to deplete and eventually crops will fail. The government, he said, was seeking solutions by providing ground water for farming.
“The most plausible way is installing deep wells in farm field areas. Otherwise the farmer will harvest nothing,” he said.
In February, President Joko Widodo visited Sukoharjo and urged farmers in Central Java to increase paddy crops by two million tons to reach almost 12 million tons this year. Joko targeted rice production to support his goal of achieving a national rice surplus by 2017 so that the government can end rice imports.
With around 1.8 million hectares of farm field, Central Java produced 10 million tons rice in 2013, which slightly dropped to 9.6 million tons in 2014. Despite the drought, Ganjar was still optimistic paddy production in Central Java would meet the target.
The Central Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has spotted around 500 villages in the province that are experiencing water crises, mainly in the south and northern parts of the province, including in Wonogiri, Sukoharjo, Klaten, Sragen, Boyolali, Purworejo, Kebumen, Cilacap, Purbalingga, Brebes, Tegal, Pemalang, Jepara, Demak, Rembang, Pati, Grobogan and Blora.
BPBD head Sarwa Pramana said that drought would be worse this year as the dry season was predicted to end in or even after November. The Indonesian dry season rarely lasts beyond October.
Five of the 39 dam lakes in the province have already dried up — three in Sragen and one each in Pati and Grobogan – while water levels in more than 15 other dam lakes continue to diminish.
In Klaten, the local government has announced a drought emergency response. The Klaten BPBD has allocated Rp 500 million ($37,000) as it anticipates low water levels in around 34 villages. The agency has already distributed 500,000 liters of clean water to residents.
Meanwhile, around 7,000 hectares of rain-irrigated paddy fields in north Boyolali have been left unplanted as no rain has fallen during the dry season. The area now consists of completely dry terrain with insufficient ground water for irrigation.
“The farmers wait for rain to plant paddy as there are no other water sources,” said Bambang Purwadi, a Boyolali agriculture official.
102 Indonesian districts suffer from drought: Mitigation Agency Antara 1 Aug 15;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesia National Disaster Mitigation Agency has said that at least 102 districts in Indonesia are experiencing drought due to the lack of natural water supplies and the ongoing dry season.
The Head of Public Relation of the agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said there is currently a reduction of some 20 billion cubic meters of water in some areas.
"To date, droughts have occurred in 721 sub-districts in 102 districts or cities of 16 provinces in Indonesia," Sutopo said here on Saturday.
Several provinces that are suffering from droughts include Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bengkulu, Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara.
Sutopo added that West Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, South Sulawesi, Lampung, Riau, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, as well as Bali, have also experienced drought.
The government noted that provinces that are suffering from droughts have been located in Central Java, West Java, East Java, Lampung, South Sumatra and Bali.
The droughts also affect 111,000 hectares of agricultural fields, which are now parched lands. The agency predicted the condition will expand to other areas.
The drought in Indonesia has been occurring for more than ten years.
"According to the National Development Planning Board's research in 2003, there were 92 districts in Java Island which suffered from a lack of water from one to eight months of the year," Sutopo said.
Further, at least 38 areas out of 92 districts have water shortages more than eight months each year.
Additionally, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the construction of water reservoirs in several areas in Indonesia have become part of an important effort to handle drought. Thus, Kalla supports the accelerated construction of water reservoirs.
(Uu.B019/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Ministry prepares Rp 880b to anticipate drought thejakartapost.com 3 Aug 15;
The Agriculture Ministry says it has specially allocated Rp 880 billion (US$65.12 million) to anticipate the impacts of drought on the agriculture sector.
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said in Jakarta on Monday that the ministry had readied Rp 2 trillion to repair tertiary irrigation systems nationwide.
“The House of Representatives Commission IV, which oversees agriculture, has just given us approval to use Rp 880 billion of the total budget to tackle drought in several areas,” he said as quoted by Antara news agency after a coordination meeting on drought at the ministry.
Representatives of relevant institutions, such as the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, attended the meeting.
Amran said that at present, around 17,000 hectares of the total 9.2 million ha of paddies in Indonesia had suffered harvest failure due to drought. They were located in Central Java, Lampung and West Java, among other areas.
He said the government had anticipated the long dry spell, which began in December 2014, by, among others things, distributing 21,000 water pumps to farmers, developing 1,000 embung (small artificial lakes) and repairing 1.3 million ha of tertiary irrigation systems.
Amran said the government had expanded the coverage of paddies by 400,000 ha during the period of October-March, to compensate for harvest failure in several areas.
The minister said only around 110,000 ha of agricultural land had been affected by drought so far this year, lower than 250,000 last year.
Commission IV head Edhy Prabowo said the government must focus its attention on tackling the drought. He said the commission supported the Agriculture Ministry’s work on the issue, including by allowing the ministry to shift a portion of its budget to cover drought-tackling efforts in several areas. (ebf)(+++)
Sampit (ANTARA News) - As many as 25 hotspots were detected in several areas of Kotawaringin Timur district in Central Kalimantan on Monday, according to Haji Asan Sampit Airports Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
"Of the 25 hotspots, 13 were detected in the sub-district of Mentaya Hilir Selatan, while the 12 others were spotted in the sub-districts of Mentaya Hilir Utara, Kota Besi and Mentawa Baru Ketapang," Yulida Warni, the head of the regional branch of the agency, said here on Monday.
A majority of the hotspots were detected in the sub-districts of Mentaya Hilir Selatan and Mentaya Hilir Utara because the large peat lands in these regions are experiencing a prolonged drought, Warni explained.
The hotspots need to be checked on ground level so that fire brigades can respond immediately if they are found to be bush or forest fires, she pointed out.
On Monday afternoon, local firefighters attempted to extinguish land fires in the neighborhood of Jenderal Sudirman Street in Sampit city.
Moreover, certain areas of Mentawa Baru Ketapang and Baamang sub-districts were hit by recurring land fires over the past few weeks, Yanto, a local resident, stated.
"Several days ago, the land fires nearly reached our housing complex. This is why we are helping firefighters douse the flames. However, we do not know what is causing the land fires," the resident of Tidar Housing Complex remarked.
Researchers have demonstrated that even if a geoengineering solution to CO2 emissions could be found, it wouldn’t be enough to save the oceans
Tim Radford The Guardian 3 Aug 15;
German researchers have demonstrated once again that the best way to limit climate change is to stop burning fossil fuels now.
In a “thought experiment” they tried another option: the future dramatic removal of huge volumes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This would, they concluded, return the atmosphere to the greenhouse gas concentrations that existed for most of human history – but it wouldn’t save the oceans.
That is, the oceans would stay warmer, and more acidic, for thousands of years, and the consequences for marine life could be catastrophic.
The research, published in Nature Climate Change today delivers yet another demonstration that there is so far no feasible “technofix” that would allow humans to go on mining and drilling for coal, oil and gas (known as the “business as usual” scenario), and then geoengineer a solution when climate change becomes calamitous.
Sabine Mathesius (of the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) and colleagues decided to model what could be done with an as-yet-unproven technology called carbon dioxide removal. One example would be to grow huge numbers of trees, burn them, trap the carbon dioxide, compress it and bury it somewhere. Nobody knows if this can be done, but Dr Mathesius and her fellow scientists didn’t worry about that.
They calculated that it might plausibly be possible to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at the rate of 90bn tons a year. This is twice what is spilled into the air from factory chimneys and motor exhausts right now.
The scientists hypothesised a world that went on burning fossil fuels at an accelerating rate – and then adopted an as-yet-unproven high technology carbon dioxide removal technique.
“Interestingly, it turns out that after ‘business as usual’ until 2150, even taking such enormous amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere wouldn’t help the deep ocean that much - after the acidified water has been transported by large-scale ocean circulation to great depths, it is out of reach for many centuries, no matter how much CO2 is removed from the atmosphere,” said a co-author, Ken Caldeira, who is normally based at the Carnegie Institution in the US.
The oceans cover 70% of the globe. By 2500, ocean surface temperatures would have increased by 5C and the chemistry of the ocean waters would have shifted towards levels of acidity that would make it difficult for fish and shellfish to flourish. Warmer waters hold less dissolved oxygen. Ocean currents, too, would probably change.
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But while change happens in the atmosphere over tens of years, change in the ocean surface takes centuries, and in the deep oceans, millennia. So even if atmospheric temperatures were restored to pre-Industrial Revolution levels, the oceans would continue to experience climatic catastrophe.
“In the deep ocean, the chemical echo of this century’s CO2 pollution will reverberate for thousands of years,” said co-author Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, who directs the Potsdam Institute. “If we do not implement emissions reductions measures in line with the 2C target in time, we will not be able to preserve ocean life as we know it.”
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan says the water levels at the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor are at about 55 per cent of normal levels, which is "unprecedented" since the reservoir started its operations in 1995.
Monica Kotwani, Channel NewsAsia 3 Aug 15;
SINGAPORE: A critical component for Singapore to import water from Malaysia, the Linggiu Reservoir, is facing an all-time low in water levels and this is a source of concern, according to Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Aug 3).
The Linggiu Reservoir in Johor improves the yield of water from the Johor River, where Singapore imports its water. Water from the reservoir is released downstream, to push back sea water intrusion. This process allows Singapore to extract up to 250 million gallons of water per day and, without the Reservoir, it would not be possible for the sea water to be pushed back.
Dr Balakrishnan said the water levels at the reservoir are at about 55 per cent of normal levels, and this situation is "unprecedented" since the Reservoir started its operations in 1995. There have been 77 occasions this year when national water agency PUB was unable to extract water from the Johor River due to low levels of water upstream at the Linggiu Reservoir.
Imported water makes up about 60 per cent of its total water consumption needs. The Linggiu Reservoir is operated by PUB.
NOT CAUSE FOR ALARM
However, Dr Balakrishnan added the situation, though of concern, is not a cause for alarm, as Singapore's NEWater and desalination plants have been functioning at 90 per cent capacity to make up for the situation.
He said he does not see water restrictions in the foreseeable future, although this may be revisited if water levels do not show signs of improvement. This could mean imposing regulations on unnecessary watering of plants or the washing of vehicles.
Dr Balakrishnan added water rationing is not on the cards as of now.
- CNA/dl
Dry weather affecting water supply from M’sia: Vivian Balakrishnan
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 3 Aug 15;
JOHOR — The reservoir in Malaysia that enables Singapore to reliably draw water from the Johor River is at an unprecedented low of about 55 per cent and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan today (August 3) expressed concern and called for the public to conserve water.
Speaking during a visit to Linggiu Reservoir in Johor, Dr Balakrishnan said that water restrictions — such as halting the running of water features for aesthetic reasons — are possible if dry weather continues, but does not envisage water rationing.
Water from the Linggiu Reservoir is released into the Johor River to enable water to be drawn. The Johor River supplies up to 60 per cent of Singapore’s daily water needs (410 million gallons a day) and is the largest of Singapore’s “four taps” that also include desalination and NEWater.
Singapore has to draw more from its other taps if it is unable to draw the maximum 250 million gallons a day from the Johor River, as allowed under the 1962 water agreement with Malaysia.
Both Singapore and Malaysia have experience drier weather this year. Singapore’s rainfall in the first half of the year was 25 per cent lower than average. The El Niño weather phenomenon could bring drier and warmer weather in the second half of this year.
When completed in March 2016, the Johor Barrage across the Johor River will keep saltwater out during dry seasons and allow Singapore and Johor to draw its full capacity even during dry seasons.
But with climate change and more extreme weather, the reliable yield of the river will be affected.
Water supply from Johor ‘hit by dry weather’
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 4 Aug 15;
JOHOR — With the reservoir that enables Singapore to reliably draw water from the Johor River at a historic low, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan today (Aug 3) called on the public to save water and warned that restrictions could kick in if the situation worsens. These could include banning the unnecessary watering of plants or the running of water features for aesthetic reasons.
The Linggiu Reservoir in Johor receded to about slightly more than half (54.5 per cent) of its capacity today (Aug 3), the lowest in its 20-year history. Water from the reservoir is released into the Johor River to prevent saltwater intrusion from the sea into the river, as salty water cannot be treated by the water plant further downstream. This enables Singapore to draw a maximum of 250 million gallons per day from the river allowed under the 1962 water agreement between Singapore and Malaysia.
Writing on Facebook, Dr Balakrishnan, who visited the reservoir today, noted that Singapore is in a “much stronger and secure position now” thanks to its investments in desalination and NEWater over the decades. However, it should never take things for granted, he said.
“Water has always been an existential issue for us since independence 50 years ago... We have to constantly be aware of potential problems and prepare well ahead of time,” Dr Balakrishnan said.
He added: “No other country has pursued water security with such a single minded focus on such a scale. Without these investments we would be in a very precarious position.”
The Johor River is Singapore’s source of imported water and supplies up to 60 per cent of Singapore’s daily water needs. Linggiu Reservoir’s levels have not recovered since the dry spell early last year and that has become a concern, said Dr Balakrishnan. The previous low was 63 per cent in May 2010. There have been 77 occasions this year where the PUB was temporarily unable to draw water from the river due to salinity intrusions caused by tide levels.
A new NEWater plant will be completed by next year and a third desalination plant will be completed in Tuas in 2017, boosting capacity by 80 million gallons per day. Desalination and NEWater are expected to meet up to 80 per cent of water demand in 2060. Speaking to reporters at the Linggiu Reservoir, he called these two “national taps” an insurance policy developed over the last two decades - they are “the reason why I can be concerned but not alarmed”, he added.
Singapore’s rainfall in the first half of this year was 25 per cent below average and PUB has also kept water levels at the Republic’s reservoirs high by running desalination and NEWater plants at almost full capacity, as another buffer.
Sufficient rain brought by the North East Monsoon at the end of the year could reverse the falling trend, said Dr Balakrishnan, who was at the reservoir today with PUB chief executive Ng Joo Hee and other officials. But the El Nino weather phenomenon predicted by weather experts could mean more dry weather for Singapore and Malaysia in the months ahead.
Water restrictions would be the next step if the situation worsens, but Dr Balakrishnan said water rationing is unlikely in the “foreseeable future”. “For now, all I’m asking for is water conservation,” he said.
Singapore has buffer capacity through desalination and water recycling, which can provide for up to 55 per cent of water needs.
The Linggiu Reservoir is built and operated by Singapore but owned by the State of Johor. It began operating in 1995 and is part of a 1990 agreement between both countries. The Johor River serves both Singapore and Johor and has a catchment area roughly twice the size of Singapore.
The Malaysian government is building a barrage across the Johor River to keep out saltwater intrusions during dry seasons and allow the full capacity of the river to be drawn even during dry spells. The Johor River Barrage is expected to be ready around March next year. But with climate change and more extreme weather, the reliable yield of the river will be affected.
Among other ways, households can save water by taking shorter showers and using water from the washing-machine rinse-cycle to flush the toilets and mop the floor, according to the PUB.
Johor reservoir's water level at historic low
Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, 4 Aug 15;
Dry weather has led to a sharp decline in water level in an important reservoir which helps supply water from Malaysia to Singapore, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday. The water in the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor has been steadily depleting due to prolonged dry weather in Malaysia and has now reached a historic low of 54.5 per cent of the reservoir's capacity.
Dr Balakrishnan said this is cause for concern, especially as it affects Singapore's ability to draw its full 250 million gallons entitlement from Malaysia's Johor River.
Under a 1962 agreement, Singapore can draw up to 250 million gallons of water a day from the river. This can meet up to 60 per cent of the Republic's current needs.
In 1994, Singapore built the Linggiu Reservoir upstream of the river, so that it can collect and release rainwater to push seawater back into the sea, ensuring Singapore's water supply. But since the start of this year, national water agency PUB has had to stop drawing water from the river temporarily on 77 occasions, due to seawater intruding from the sea into the river.
A weather phenomenon called El Nino is also expected to lead to even drier weather than usual for Singapore and Malaysia for the rest of the year, which will further affect the water supply from the river as well as Singapore's own reservoirs which store rainwater. If the situation continues to worsen, Singapore may have to restrict some uses of drinkable water, such as for washing vehicles and floors, said Dr Balakrishnan at a media briefing at the reservoir.
He added, however, that water rationing is not on the cards. Singapore has been keeping its own reservoirs healthy by ramping up water supply from its seawater treatment and Newater plants. "The key point that I want to share is that we are concerned but there is no need for alarm," said Dr Balakrishnan, even as he urged Singaporeans to do their part by using less water.
Reservoirs here healthy due to higher production
Carolyn Khew and Feng Zengkun, Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Aug 15;
Singapore's reservoirs may be quite full but that is because national water agency PUB has been ramping up its water production from Newater and desalination to almost full capacity, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan.
In fact, Singapore's rainfall, which is the main source of water for reservoirs, in the first half of this year was 25 per cent lower than average, due to drier- than-usual weather.
Yesterday, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore's water supply from Malaysia has been affected by recent dry weather.
If the dry weather continues, water restrictions may have to kick in although the Government is not about to implement water rationing. "This means that PUB will say certain things are not permissible, for instance, unnecessary watering of plants and landscaping with potable water," he said, adding that the use of drinkable water for vehicle washing and to clean up floors might also be restricted.
Dr Cecilia Tortajada, a senior research fellow from the Institute of Water Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said that while the situation may be worrying, it is not alarming.
"Singapore has been aware for several years of the challenges associated with climate change either within Singapore or in the catchment area of the Johor River... Infrastructural projects are being planned and will be implemented, which is the right decision," said Dr Tortajada. "A main challenge, however, will be to make water use much more efficient in Singapore, making use of pricing and non-pricing mechanisms."
Singapore's agreement to obtain water from Malaysia ends in 2061 and plans are already afoot to ensure that the country can meet up to 80 per cent of its water needs through treated seawater and Newater by 2060.
By next year, the Malaysian government will build a barrage across the Johor River to better secure Malaysia's and Singapore's supply of water from the river.
By then, Singapore would have completed building another Newater plant - its fifth. Another seawater treatment plant to be completed by 2017 will be able to produce up to 130 million gallons of water a day from seawater, up from the current maximum of 100 million gallons a day.
The plants will ensure that Singapore can meet up to about 70 per cent of its water needs using treated seawater and Newater, which are not affected by the weather, unlike water from the Johor River and captured rainwater.
During the event, Dr Balakrishnan also urged Singaporeans to be mindful of their water usage.
"We have to conserve water with the dry weather... Fortunately we are in a secure position because of the investments and insurance policies we have bought for Singapore but do not take the climate and weather for granted," he said.
Use less water, urges minister
Feng Zengkun, New Paper AsiaOne 4 Aug 15;
Singaporeans have to start conserving their water use even more because dry weather is affecting the country's major source of water, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.
The Republic can draw up to 250 million gallons of water a day, or up to about 60 per cent of its water needs, from the Johor River in Malaysia.
But this is only possible because the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor releases water into the river, preventing seawater from intruding into the river.
Since last year, water levels in the reservoir have been steadily depleting, and have now reached a historic low of 54.5 per cent of its capacity.
Singapore's national water agency PUB has already had to stop extracting water from the river temporarily 77 times this year.
An El Nino weather phenomenon is also expected to lead to even drier weather than usual for the rest of the year, which will further affect the water supply from the river as well as Singapore's own reservoirs which stores rainwater.
If the situation continues to worsen, Singapore may introduce water restrictions, such as banning the use of water jets to clean common areas, said Dr Balakrishnan at a press conference at the reservoir.
He added, however, that water rationing, will not be necessary for now. This is because Singapore has been keeping its own reservoirs full by ramping up water supply from its seawater and used-water treatment plants.
"The key point that I want to share is that we are concerned but there is no need for alarm," said Dr Balakrishnan, even as he urged Singaporeans to do their part by using less water.
Several infrastructural projects in the next few years are also expected to help Singapore.
For one thing, the Johor River will be dammed by a barrage by March next year to stop seawater intrusion.
Singapore will also finish building another used-water treatment plant by next year, and another seawater treatment plant by 2017.
Once those plants are up and running, Singapore will be able to meet up to about 70 per cent of its water needs using treated seawater and used water, which are not affected by the weather, unlike water from the Johor River and captured rainwater.
Treated seawater and used water supplies up to 55 per cent of water needs here now.
Singapore's agreement to obtain water from Malaysia ends in 2061.
By then, the Republic is expected to meet up to 80 per cent of its water needs through treated seawater and used water.
PM Lee watching Singapore's water stocks closely
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong notes that Linggiu Reservoir is only half full due to prolonged dry weather. Channel NewsAsia 5 Aug 15;
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged those in Singapore to conserve water, in light of "unprecedented" low levels of water at Linggiu Reservoir in Johor.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 5), Mr Lee said he is watching the country’s water stocks closely amid celebrations for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, and noted that Linggiu Reservoir is only half full due to prolonged dry weather.
On Monday, Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Linggiu Reservoir and said the Government is very concerned. The reservoir is key to Singapore’s water supply, and there have been 77 occasions in 2015 thus far when national water agency PUB was unable to extract water from the Johor River due to low levels of water upstream at Linggiu Reservoir.
Imported water makes up about 60 per cent of Singapore’s water consumption needs. The Linggiu Reservoir is operated by PUB.
“If the dry weather continues and Linggiu Reservoir is emptied, PUB will be unable to draw all the water we are entitled to from the Johor River,” PM Lee said.
Mr Lee added that following a visit to Linggiu Reservoir in 2012, he decided to build more NEWater and desalination plants to make Singapore’s water support more resilient. “One more NEWater plant will be completed next year, and a third desalination plant in 2017,” he said.
“In Singapore, water will always be a precious resource. Never take it for granted, or waste it. Please do your part to conserve water,” said Mr Lee.
- CNA/dl
PM Lee urges Singaporeans to conserve water
The water level in Johor’s Linggiu Reservoir, which helps supply water from Malaysia to Singapore, at 55 per cent in August 2015. AsiaOne 5 Aug 15;
SINGAPORE - Water levels at the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor has fallen to record lows, leading Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to urge Singaporeans to conserve water, following Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's warning on Monday.
The Linggiu Reservoir is a key reservoir which enables Singapore to draw water from the Johor River.
PM Lee cautioned on his Facebook page that the Public Utilities Board will be unable to draw all the water from the Johor River if the dry weather continues and Linggiu Reservoir is emptied.
The Linggiu Reservoir ensures that the Johor River can provide 250 million gallons per day for Singapore, Dr Balakrishnan wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.
"In fact, the probable onset of the El Nino dry spell means this is likely to drop further, compromising our biggest source of water," he added.
Imported water makes up about 60 per cent of Singapore's water consumption needs.
PM Lee visited Linggiu Reservoir in 2012 and decided to build more NEWater and desalination plants, to make our water supply more resilient.
"One more NEWater plant will be completed next year, and a third desalination plant in 2017," PM Lee wrote. Singapore currently has four NEWater plants.
These additional capacities will ensure that about 70 per cent of Singapore's water needs can be met using treated seawater and Newater then.
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