Otter trio spotted at Kallang River

AsiaOne 4 Aug 15;

SINGAPORE - Reports of wild otter sightings in Singapore have become a lot more common ever since a pair of otters were spotted at a breakwater along East Coast Park.

Recently, a female otter and her pups were filmed in Kallang River enjoying a meal of freshly caught catfish.

Facebook user, Fast Snail, uploaded a video of the otter pups coming out of their hiding space in a drain to meet their mother as she brings back her catch. The video was apparently filmed in May this year.

The threatened marine mammals have become more common around Singapore in the past decade. In 2000, only four sightings were reported.

By 2011, the number of sightings had increased to 39, according to a Straits Times report two years ago.

In 2014, a pair of otters, one male and one female were seen at Gardens by the Bay. They were bold enough to enter the park's Supertree grove during the day and fed on fish in its lakes.

See also: Otter mum and babies gambol at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

An otter family consisting of two adults and three babies were seen at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Their presence there was made public by the National Parks Board on their Facebook page in April this year.

Other otter sightings were reported at Botanic Gardens and Pasir Ris.

But not all recent otter sightings were welcome.

The wild creatures were thought to be responsible for hunting ornamental koi in multi-million dollar bungalows, and even a hotel on Sentosa.

80 of the 200 koi kept by the hotel were preyed on by a pair of otters, with losses estimated to be $20,000 suffered by the hotel.

Another Sentosa resident was similarly affected and estimated her losses to be $64,000.

Experts said the animals typically thrive around mangroves, river mouths and natural shorelines, but they may appear more frequently as they are adapting to the urban environment here.

The public are also advised to keep their distance.

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Cleanliness a top bugbear for residents

KELLY NG Today Online 5 Aug 15;

SINGAPORE — Cleanliness — or the lack thereof — is the biggest bugbear of residents here, based on feedback received by the Municipal Services Office’s (MSO) OneService smartphone application in the first seven months of the year.

The app, which was launched in January, handles feedback on municipal problems. As of the end of last month, cleanliness-related matters made up the bulk (about 35 per cent) of almost 12,000 instances of feedback received. Coming close are issues concerning maintenance of roads and footpaths (28 per cent), followed by pests (13 per cent).

Set up in October last year, MSO works with 11 government agencies in maintaining estates and upgrading facilities and infrastructure.

The OneService app, which has about 27,000 registered users, automatically routes each piece of feedback to the relevant agency so that more timely service can be provided. Apart from addressing residents’ feedback, MSO has also assisted agencies and in some cases, it initiated discussions among several agencies to better manage certain municipal issues.

In one of the instances, for example, a resident in February used the app to provide feedback on fallen dried leaves and litter along a drain in Serangoon. The app automatically referred the case to the National Environment Agency (NEA), and the issue was addressed within a day, an MSO spokesperson said.

While straightforward cleanliness issues could be quickly addressed by a single agency, more complex matters would involve several agencies.

One such example was where residents near Buangkok MRT station individually put up multiple requests to the Housing and Development Board (HDB), and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to build a footpath from the MRT station to the nearby Palm View Primary School and Esparina Residences condominium. As the proposed footpath lies on a plot of state land earmarked for future development, several agencies including the HDB, the LTA, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and People’s Association were involved. The MSO then helped to facilitate discussions, and a decision was made to build a footpath by early next year. Speaking to TODAY, resident Siti Saodah, 19, said a footpath is much needed. “Whenever it rains, or right after, the field becomes very muddy and difficult to walk in without our shoes getting soaked,” she said. Another resident, Mr Jason Low, added: “It will be more convenient to get across and residents don’t have to walk one big round via the sheltered walkway.”

In another incident, a resident reported in January a self-sown tree in the back lane behind Emerald Hill, which was causing inconvenience to residents. The MSO noted that in the past, such an issue might have taken a long time to resolve “as the tree, being self-sown at a back lane, with no vehicular access, might straddle across lands of multiple agencies”.

But in this case, the National Parks Board (NParks) stepped in to assess the tree on its health and condition. It removed the tree and followed up with the LTA and the SLA to address site erosion problems. “Since then, MSO, together with the agencies, have started discussions to see how to better facilitate the management of greenery-related issues in back lanes,” the MSO spokesperson said.

On average, response time for cases involving multiple government agencies is 6.5 days, down from 8 days.

Apart from residents, agencies have also approached the MSO for assistance. Tampines Town Council, for example, shared its concerns about maintaining a long row of trees and thick undergrowth planted by NParks near Tampines Expressway (TPE). The MSO served as a mediator by advising NParks to level the land beneath the trees to allow for easier maintenance.

While the MSO has made good progress in delivering better services to the public, some older residents whom TODAY spoke to still preferred approaching their town councils — via walk-ins or telephone — with municipal complaints.

A 60-year-old Jurong resident wanting only to be known as Mr Ng said: “Calling (the town council) is much faster. You dial the number and there will be someone attending to your call.” Mr Ng said he regularly shares feedback on issues related to cleanliness, illegal car parking and spoilt lights in lifts. The town council would act on the issues on the same day, he said.

Kaki Bukit resident Adeline Lee, 54, said she preferred to approach the town council or her Member of Parliament. “It is troublesome to download the app, I prefer to have someone listen to me right away,” she said.

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Shanmugam discusses “issue relating to water” with Malaysian counterpart

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.

- CNA/ly

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Malaysia: Remove shark’s fin from menus, urges WWF

The Star 5 Aug 15;

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.

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Malaysia: Killed over wild claims

CHRISTINE CHEAH The Star 5 Aug 15;

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.

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Toxic algae blooming in warm water from California to Alaska

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.

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Best of our wild blogs: 4 Aug 15

Kick off the Jubilee weekend with a mangrove cleanup!
Otterman speaks

Terumbu Hantu in the rain
wild shores of singapore

Media Coverage of the Sperm Whale Found off Jurong Island
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Nesting bulbul: 5. An empty nest
Bird Ecology Study Group

Bougainvillea, food plant for the Lime Butterfly
Bird Ecology Study Group

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Public debate to advance with civil society's participation: DPM Tharman

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."

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Malaysia: Online ‘tamu’ running wild with sale of animals

MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 4 Aug 15;

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.

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Indonesia: Drought Sets In Across Java, Threatening Livelihoods and Food Security

Ari Susanto & Vento Saudale Jakarta Globe 3 Aug 15;

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)(+++)

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Indonesia: Hotspots detected in C. Kalimantan

Antara 4 Aug 15;

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.

(Reported by Norjani/Uu.R013/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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Stop burning fossil fuels now: there is no CO2 'technofix', scientists warn

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.”

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