Indonesia: Two foreign companies named suspects in forest fires: Police chief

Antara 12 Oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesias National Police (Polri) Chief, General Badrodin Haiti, has said the police have named two foreign companies as suspects in forest and land fires.

"One of the two foreign companies comes from Malaysia, the other one being from China," Haiti told a press conference here on Monday.

He said his office would conduct intensive investigation into the activities of the two foreign companies.

The Polri chief said the police were also investigating possible involvement of a Singaporean firm in forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

"We are still examining the involvement of the Singaporean company. I could not yet ascertain its involvement," the Police chief said.

Haiti said his side had not yet coordinated with the authorities of the countries of origin of the two companies named as suspects.

"We have not involved foreign police in this case because it took place in Indonesia," Haiti said.

He also revealed that a total of 12 companies have been named as suspects in forest and land fire cases in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo) region.

"Until today, October 12, 2015, 12 corporates have been identified as suspects," he stated.

Of the total cases involving these suspected companies, four had reached phase one, pending research by the public prosecutor.

According to Haiti, Polri had received 244 reports of crimes related to burning of forest and land areas.

He noted that all the reports were received from the provincial police (Polda) of six regions of South Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau as well as Central, West, and South Kalimantan, all places affected by forest and land fires.

Speaking with regards to the 244 reports, he explained that 26 of them were being investigated, while 218 of them have entered the investigation phase.

He further explained that of the total 218 investigations, 113 were related to individuals and 48 involved companies.

"Moreover, 57 corporations are already in the P21 (completed case files) stage, being looked after the prosecutor," he added.

Badrodin pointed out that all the suspects had violated Article 108, Number 32 of the 2009 Act, in which anyone found guilty faces 3-10 years of imprisonment and a fine of at least Rp3 billion and a maximum of Rp10 billion.(*)

Companies named suspects in forest fire cases: Indonesia Police Chief
Antara 12 Oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A total of 12 companies have been named suspects in forest and land fire cases in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo) region, stated Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) Badrodin Haiti.

"Until today, October 12, 2015, 12 corporates have been identified as suspects," he stated at a press conference here, Monday.

Of the total cases involving these suspected companies, four cases had reached phase one, pending research from the public prosecutor.

According to Haiti, Polri had received 244 reports of crimes related to burning of forest and land areas.

He noted that all the reports were received from the provincial police (Polda) of six regions of South Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau as well as Central, West, and South Kalimantan that were affected by forest and land fires.

Speaking in connection with the 244 reports, he explained that 26 of them were being investigated, while 218 of them were entering the investigation phase.

He further explained that of the total 218 investigations, 113 were related to individuals and 48 involved companies.

"Moreover, 57 corporations are already in the P21 (completed case files) stage by the prosecutor," he added.

Badrodin pointed out that all the suspects has violated Article 108, Number 32 of the 2009 Act, where the guilty will face 3-10 years imprisonment and a fine of at least Rp3 billion and a maximum of Rp10 billion.

Moreover, teams from a foreign country had begun operations to extinguish the fires in South Sumatra.

"Today, teams from Singapore and Malaysia along with South Sumatras Forest and Land Fires Prevention Task Force have commenced aerial and land operations to extinguish fires in Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin District," South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated here, Monday.

To overcome the smog disaster, the local government has since September 2015 deployed 4,997 personnel from the Provincial Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD), Manggala Agni, and the Indonesian Armed/Police Forces, among others.

(Reported by Agita Tarigan/Translated by Roy Rosa B./INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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Indonesia says facing major challenges in putting out fires

As Indonesia races to douse the fires, factors such as poor visibility and dry weather is not making their job any easier.

By Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 12 Oct 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan says multinational efforts to put out the fires in South Sumatra are progressing well.

However he predicts that the combined team will face major challenges as they race to douse the fires. Mr Luhut says the haze may not go away for the next 10 days at least.

In a news conference on Monday (Oct 12), he explained that waterbombing missions that began on Sunday have not had their maximum effect due to the poor visibility that is restricting the aircraft.

In addition, cloud seeding cannot be done because there are no clouds. Mr Luhut said fire fighting in the next few days will still be focused on South Sumatra specifically in the Ogan Komering Ilir area, which is where a lot of the haze is coming from.

He added that drones are being used to guide the firefighting efforts. The firefighting team is also using chemicals to mix with the water used in waterbombing operations. These fire retardant chemicals can help reduce the temperature on the ground, making it difficult for the peatland to ignite again.

Mr Luhut says the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has used about US$29 million to tackle the crisis, and will set aside another US$52 million for further efforts.

The minister added that fighting the fires this year is a challenge because the current El Nino phenomenon that is causing the dry weather is worse than it was in 1997-1998. He also stressed that all the ministries are coordinating well in their effort to tackle the forest fires.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said that Japan is expected to help in this aspect.

The Japanese are offering their own chemical substances and are also planning to send a team of experts to oversee the use of these substances. Russia is also in final preparations to send two BE-200 amphibious aircraft, each with the capacity to carry 12,000 litres of water.

Indonesia is also in discussions with Thailand and China to see what kind of help they can offer.

- CNA/yt


S. Sumatra to maximize efforts to extinguish land fires
Antara 12 Oct 15

Palembang (ANTARA News) - South Sumatra will maximize its efforts to put out forest and land fires by using the assistance of foreign aircraft, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated.

The governor noted here on Monday that the efforts to extinguish the land fires using aircraft from neighboring countries would be focused on the districts of Musi Banyuasin and Ogan Koering Ilir.

He said his side will use foreign assistance in the form of aircraft to put out the fires in Musi Banyuasin and Ogan Komering Ilir as most of the hotspots in South Sumatra were found in the two districts.

Noerdin remarked that as part of the operations, the team will deploy a helicopter from Singapore and an amphibious Bombardier CL415MMP aircraft from Malaysia.

The governor expressed optimism that the operations would be effective and successful in ending the forest fires, which had been spreading as a result of the drought in South Sumatra.

Noerdin revealed that the operations will continue to be carried out until the land fires in South Kalimantan were extinguished. He added that the South Sumatra government was thankful for the foreign assistance and expressed hope that the hotspots and haze would soon disappear.

The governor stated that the protracted fires in South Sumatra, regardless of continued attempts to extinguish them, had garnered the empathy of neighboring countries to provide aircraft assistance.

The efforts undertaken so far have failed to end the fires as they had burnt the peatland areas and had occurred in far off locations.

Noerdin expressed hope that the problem of hotspots and haze would be solved by utilizing the aircraft assistance.

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo stated on Thursday, last week, that the government of Indonesia would welcome foreign offers to help battle forest fires in the country that have caused major inconvenience by leading to haze or thick smoke that has even reached neighboring countries.

"The government would welcome any offer from neighboring countries that are keen to help," the minister affirmed here on last Thursday.

He expressed disappointment over the criticism being voiced by neighboring countries who are blaming Indonesia for the smoke being blown by strong winds from forest fires in Sumatra or Kalimantan.

"Please do not entirely place the blame on this sovereign country. If they honestly want to help, please do," he emphasized.

Kumolo remarked that the government had done its best and had taken firm measures against suspects responsible for the fire tragedy.

He noted that several palm oil plantation companies had been charged with causing the fires, and some of them were owned by investors from neighboring countries.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is currently visiting Jambi to inspect the progress made in the attempt to put out the fires.

Meanwhile, Malaysia is reportedly planning to send a Bombardier CL415MP aircraft to Indonesia to assist in putting out the fires that have spewed thick smoke blown by the winds to that neighboring country, including Singapore.

Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein stated that the aircraft would be sent in response to the request for help put forth by President Jokowi to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"The president of Indonesia has sought assistance from the prime minister to put out forest fires in South Sumatra," Hishammuddin was quoted as saying.

"I have spoken to my Indonesian counterpart Ryamizard Ryacudu," he said, adding that the aircraft could put out fires in wide areas.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/O001)

Foreign teams commence operations to extinguish fires
Antara 12 Oct 15;

Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Teams from foreign countries began operations to extinguish the fires in South Sumatra.

"Today, teams from Singapore and Malaysia along with South Sumatras Forest and Land Fires Prevention Task Force have begun aerial and land operations to extinguish the fires in Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin District," South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated here, Monday.

According to Noerdin, his team will take maximum efforts to get rid of the smog, which since the end of August 2015 until now, continues to hinder public activities and affect the health of residents.

With human resources and equipment along with assistance from other countries, he is optimistic that the land fires can be ably overcome. The smog will also disappear as soon as possible, he added.

To overcome the smog disaster, the local government has since September 2015 deployed 4,997 personnel from the Provincial Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD), Manggala Agni, and Indonesian Armed/Police Forces, among others.

They were part of a task force who were assigned the role of reducing land and forest fires in South Sumatra.

"In the last two months, the task force had extinguished 1,259 hotspots and conducted 6,826 water bombing operations," he stated.

In addition, his officials will deploy additional equipment to put out land and forest fires.

This is part of the anticipatory measures undertaken to face the next dry season, so that smog problems can be minimized, or even overcome.

"The next steps will include adding more than 40 water pumps and normalizing the flow of water in peatlands or areas prone to land and forest fires," the governor explained.(*)


Indonesia lauds Malaysia for assistance in handling forest fires
Antara 12 Oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi, has praised Malaysia for its assistance in handling forest and land fires in several regions across Sumatra and Kalimantan.

"The Foreign Minister has appreciated the efforts made by the Malaysian government to tackle forest and land fires in Indonesia. The Malaysian government sent the Bombardier CL 415 MP aircraft to help put out the fires," according to a press release received here on Monday.

Indonesias Foreign Minister conveyed her countrys appreciation during her meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman at the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (October 10).

The meeting was intended to boost bilateral cooperation in various fields and to prepare for the annual consultation meeting between the Indonesian President and the Prime Minister of Malaysia, scheduled for early 2016.

At the meeting, the Indonesian Foreign Minister stressed the seriousness with which Indonesia has been taking steps to extinguish land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Indonesia has optimized the use of national assets to address land and forest fires in the two regions.

According to the minister, firm legal action will be taken against parties found responsible for these fires.

Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo had said the government of Indonesia would welcome any foreign offer to help in battling the forest fires in the country which have caused great inconvenience in the form of thick clouds of haze, including in the neighboring countries.

"The government would welcome any offer from neighboring countries wanting to help," the minister said here on Thursday.

He expressed disappointment over criticism from some neighboring countries which blamed Indonesia for the smoke from forest fires in Sumatra or Kalimantan, blown by strong winds.

"Please do not put the blame entirely on our sovereign country. If they honestly want to help, let them please do so," he said.

Tjahjo Kumolo said the government has done whatever it could do and has taken firm measures against suspects responsible for the fire tragedy.

He said a number of oil palm plantation companies have been charged with causing these fires and some of them are owned by investors from the neighboring countries.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is currently visiting Jambi to inspect the progress made in firefighting efforts.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)


OKI gets priority in combating forest fires: Senior minister
Antara 12 oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district in South Sumatra Province has been accorded priority in efforts to put out land and forest fires as it had become the biggest source of haze, compared to other districts in Indonesia.

"Visibility in OKI is only about 100 meters. It still remains the worst hit by haze, based on data we have received," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan told the press here on Monday.

Luhut said after observing the burnt areas in OKI, he found that the district was the worst region to have been hit by forest and land fires.

"After these were extinguished, the fires came back due to the winds blowing since the land there is covered by peat, which is very inflammable," the Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister said.

He said efforts to put out the fires through water bombing were also postponed due to low visibility of only 100 meters.

"It was also very difficult to induce artificial rain there because the air was foggy and the clouds were still inadequate. We are still waiting for the arrival of a Hercules aircraft which would help support the efforts to produce man-made rain," he said.

The chief security minister also underscored that all related parties have been coordinating well.

Among those who attended the press conference were Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Health Minister Nila Moeloek and Deputy Chairman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Tri Budiarto.(*)

Indonesia's costly haze problem
Karishma Vaswani BBC News 12 Oct 15;

Flights cancelled, agricultural land destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people around the region suffering from respiratory illnesses.
This is something that has happened pretty much every year - for the last 18 years.

Indonesia's forest fires and the resulting haze have caused havoc and headlines across Asia, which has put the government there under pressure to put the fires out.

That might explain why Indonesian police are on a roll. On Monday they've named another 12 companies as suspects in starting the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

But while Indonesia's police chief Badrodin Haiti was unwilling to tell the BBC who the companies are, he was happy to stress that two of them are from Malaysia and China and that another one under investigation is from Singapore.

Pointing the finger outside of Indonesia can be useful especially at a time when the government there is under pressure to show that's it's serious about stopping the haze.

In an exclusive interview with me last month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the haze was a problem that would take a long time to solve.

He said that it might take as long as three years before it was completely under control.

Since then he's changed his tune and has accepted regional assistance after weeks of refusing the offers from his counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

The police's announcements that they're clamping down on companies responsible will also no doubt be seen as a sign that Indonesia is trying to be a responsible neighbour.

But environmental activists say that although these companies have been charged with breaking several laws - including Indonesia's environmental law, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $8m - none of that makes a difference unless authorities actually start enforcing the law.

Yuyun Indradi, a political forest campaigner with Greenpeace based in Jakarta told me that out of the 40 or so companies that have been named as suspects for starting the fires so far only one case has ever been brought to court.

He added that if Indonesia really wants to stop the forest fires, it must revoke the permits of companies found guilty.

This is a problem that affects Indonesia every year. But scientists say this year is shaping up to be the worst on record since 1997.

The last time this part of Asia was hit by a major haze crisis it cost the region an estimated $9bn due to losses from cancelled flights, agricultural damage, tourism and healthcare costs.

This time, some economists estimate it could cost the region more than twice that.


Task force needs about 10 days to douse Sumatra fire: Minister
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja AsiaOne 13 Oct 15;

Singapore military and civil defence personnel walking towards a Republic of Singapore Air Force Chinook helicopter at a haze-shrouded airbase in Palembang on Sumatra island yesterday.

Photo: AFP

The multinational task force helping Indonesia to put out fires in South Sumatra has met with some success, but it will take about 10 days before the flames can be largely extinguished, said a minister.

"We will not be able to completely contain the fires unless we have three to four days of heavy rain," said Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan at a briefing on the haze crisis yesterday.

He was alluding to the extended dry weather, exacerbated by a longer El Nino season this year, which has made it harder to completely douse the fires on peatlands starved of rain.

Besides the dry season, the smoke from forest fires has reduced visibility in the skies, limiting the number of sorties for water-bombing or cloud-seeding operations.

Indonesia this week opened up its skies to groups from Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, China and Australia for multilateral firefighting operations focused on South Sumatra's Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin regencies. These are among the worst hit by the fires this year.

The Indonesian authorities have also ramped up enforcement efforts - against not just individuals, but also corporate bigwigs linked to illegal forest fires causing the haze.

National police chief Badrodin Haiti said that of the 48 plantation companies being investigated for illegal forest fires, 12 have been declared suspects.

These firms, run by Indonesians or owned by investors from Malaysia and China, are in addition to as many as 209 individual suspects not officially linked to any firms.

The 12 companies face fines of between 3 billion rupiah (S$300,000) and 10 billion rupiah, and their boards of directors may be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty, said General Badrodin yesterday at the same briefing in Jakarta.

This move comes after Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave the police the unprecedented order of tracking down owners of firms suspected of being involved in starting the fires.

Meanwhile, the majority of the multilateral firefighting resources have been deployed in South Sumatra, where conditions had worsened in recent weeks, said Indonesia's disaster management agency, BNPB.

"This morning, the conditions were still very bad in Ogan Komering Ilir, the main operations zone," said Mr Luhut, who has of late taken the lead in resolving this latest haze crisis. "The severity of the burning was very high."

The number of hot spots as of yesterday morning fell only slightly compared with the day before, he said. This has reduced visibility in Ogan Komering Ilir to about 100m.

Operations by the multinational groups deployed to fight fires in South Sumatra began on Sunday.

A Republic of Singapore Air Force CH-47D Chinook helicopter hauling a 5,000-litre heli-bucket arrived in Palembang at the weekend and operated alongside a Bombardier CL415 water bomber from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. These aircraft joined two water bombers from Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry and six choppers from the BNPB.

More reinforcements are expected to arrive, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. They include an L-100 Hercules water bomber from Australia, which will arrive today, and two Beriev Be-200 water bombers from Russia, said Ms Retno.

She added that Japan will soon send chemistry experts who are expected to help Indonesia enhance additives to boost the water-bombing operations.

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Mangrove ‘the plant that offsets most carbon in the Arabian Peninsula’

Naser Al Wasmi The National 12 Oct 15;

ABU DHABI // The mangrove has been identified as the plant that offsets most carbon in the Arabian Peninsula.

A report from the National Blue Carbon Project published on Monday represents the findings of a 18 month-long project to investigate the capacity for mangroves to store carbon and offset car emissions.

“What makes the mangroves so special is their ability to stock carbon,” said Ahmed Al Hashmi, director of biodiversity at the Ministry of Environment and Water.

“If we understand the effects on climate change in the UAE we might dedicate more efforts to finding out how much the mangroves can actually offset.”

The concept of carbon stocks, although relatively new, has gained ground in international conservation efforts as a way of encouraging policymakers to declare legislation to preserve natural habitats.

Conservationists and researchers use carbon stocks to discourage the destruction of these habitats, as their eradication would release carbon gases into the atmosphere.

“When you’re cutting down mangrove trees, not only are you destroying environments and natural habitats, but you’re destroying carbon sinks that can mitigate the carbon dioxide that you’re emitting,” said Mariam Harib, an assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The mangrove swamps in the UAE are estimated to offset about 600,000 kilograms of carbon per hectare.

The average vehicle emits about 5,000 kilograms of carbon a year, the US Environmental Protection Agency says.

So for each hectare of mangroves preserved, 120 cars driven for an entire year are offset.

There are about 3,000 hectares of mangrove swamp in the UAE, which amounts to offsetting the carbon from hundreds of thousands of cars driven a year.

“The environment doesn’t work on its own, just as an ecosystem, so whenever we do a project or conserve our environment it has an effect on climate change,” said Ms Harib.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the Ministry of Environment and Water are both looking to increase the amount of mangroves.

“We must look at the environment from different perspectives, but projects like this make researchers and scientists from climate change backgrounds and conservationists and biodiversity experts to sit down and draw a linkage,” said Mr Al Hashmi.

The report found that the mangroves in the northern emirates were much larger than the mangroves in other areas.

It also noted that although the mangroves in the UAE are all of one species, the variation in carbon stocks varied widely according to areas.

Dr Stephen Crooks, a lead scientist on the project from the Environmental Scientists Associates, believed the mangrove project had revealed important findings.

“We suggest exploring other opportunities in conservation and restoration of these truly important habitats for storing carbon,” he said.

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World took step towards greener GDP in 2014; more needed: PwC

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 12 Oct 15;

Governments took a step towards greener economic growth in 2014 but will need to do far more to limit rising temperatures to a United Nations goal of two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), a study by accountancy firm PwC said on Monday.

The carbon intensity of the world economy - the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per dollar of gross domestic product (GDP) - fell by 2.7 percent in 2014, the steepest decline since PwC started issuing reports seven years ago, it said.

"The 2014 numbers suggest a turning point" towards making growth less dependent on fossil fuels, said PwC, a network of firms in 157 countries in assurance, advisory and tax services.

World GDP rose by 3.2 percent in 2014, while carbon emissions rose by just 0.5 percent, it said.

Britain was best of the Group of 20 nations with a steep 10.9 percent fall in its carbon intensity last year, a shift PwC linked to strong economic growth, a warmer winter that reduced energy demand and lower use of coal.

France, Italy and Germany also had big falls in carbon intensity last year.

Almost 200 governments will meet in Paris from Nov. 30-Dec. 30 to agree a pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, that are blamed by a U.N. panel for causing downpours, heat waves and rising seas.

PwC said the rate of decarbonization needed to more than double, to 6.3 percent a year, to get on track to limit rising temperatures to a U.N. target of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

That would be a wrenching pace of change. Even in Germany in the 1990s, when inefficient Soviet-style factories were shut in the east after reunification, decarbonization rates were only about 3 percent a year, the report said.

"You need revolutions in the energy sector in every country, every decade," Jonathan Grant, PwC sustainability and climate change director, told Reuters.

Since the year 2000, the report said that global carbon intensity had fallen by an average 1.3 percent a year. At that rate, PwC estimated that the amount of carbon that could be emitted before exceeding 2C would run out in 2036.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle, editing by William Hardy)

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World will pass crucial 2C global warming limit, experts warn

Carbon pledges from 147 nations to Paris climate summit ‘are not enough to stop temperature rise’, experts conclude
Robin McKie The Guardian 10 Oct 15;

Pledges by nations to cut carbon emissions will fall far short of those needed to prevent global temperatures rising by more than the crucial 2C by the end of the century. This is the stark conclusion of climate experts who have analysed submissions in the runup to the Paris climate talks later this year.

A rise of 2C is considered the most the Earth could tolerate without risking catastrophic changes to food production, sea levels, fishing, wildlife, deserts and water reserves. Even if rises are pegged at 2C, scientists say this will still destroy most coral reefs and glaciers and melt significant parts of the Greenland ice cap, bringing major rises in sea levels.

“We have had a global temperature rise of almost 1C since the industrial revolution and have already seen widespread impacts that have had real consequences for people,” said climate expert Professor Chris Field of Stanford University. “We should therefore be striving to limit warming to as far below 2C as possible. However, that will require a level of ambition that we have not yet seen.”

In advance of the COP21 United Nations climate talks to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December, every country was asked to submit proposals on cutting use of fossil fuels in order to reduce their emissions of greenhouses gases and so tackle global warming. The deadline for these pledges was 1 October.

A total of 147 nations made submissions, and scientists have since been totting up how these would affect climate change. They have concluded they still fall well short of the amount needed to prevent a 2C warming by 2100, a fact that will be underlined later this week when the Grantham Research Institute releases its analysis of the COP21 submissions. This will show that the world’s carbon emissions, currently around 50bn tonnes a year, will still rise over the next 15 years, even if all the national pledges made to the UN are implemented. The institute’s figures suggest they will reach 55bn to 60bn by 2030.

To put that figure in context, the world will have to cut emissions to 36bn billion tonnes of carbon to have a 50-50 chance of keeping temperatures below 2C, scientists have calculated. Current pledges will not bring the planet near that reduced output. Developed nations may pledge to make increasing use of renewable energy sources but as more developing nations become industrialised, carbon outputs continue to rise overall. And there is no prospect of nations now changing their carbon pledges before or during the Paris talks.

The world is therefore falling well short of its carbon target – though there are some grounds for relative optimism. A study of COP21 pledges by Climate Action Tracker, (CAT) an independent scientific group of European climate experts, indicates that if all pledges are implemented, then global temperatures will rise by 2.7C. The group revealed that this is a significant improvement on the warming it predicted last year. “Our December update included pledges and informal announcements by China, the US and the EU, and we estimated an average global warming level of 3.1C,” said CAT member Dr Louise Jeffery of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “The biggest contributing factors to the change in our temperature estimate have been China and India.”

These nations had been on track to become major carbon emitters but this year issued pledges that have raised hopes they will greatly curtail their outputs, increasing some negotiators’ hopes for Paris.

This point was backed by climate economist Lord Stern: “We can already see that the pledges by national governments will mean emissions after 2020 will fall far short of cuts needed to have a reasonable chance of avoiding global warming of more than 2C. It is essential, therefore, that a legal agreement is agreed at the COP21 talks in order to create a process after Paris through which countries will review their efforts and find ways to ramp up their actions on reducing emissions.”

A major stumbling block facing negotiators at Paris will be finance. Developed nations – who are responsible for most carbon emissions – have to find ways to pay developing nations so that they can adopt renewable energy technologies and find ways to cope with changes in their environments. Given that this will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, there is considerable room for political fallout. Nevertheless, Field remained optimistic: “The climate change problem is one that can be solved. We have the technologies, the resources – we just need to make the commitment.”

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Indonesia: WWF Indonesia, embassies call for use of eco-labeled products

The Jakarta Post 12 Oct 15;

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in December, the French Embassy, German Embassy and British Embassy held on Saturday an event promoting the use of eco-friendly products, at Pasar Santa in Kebayoran, South Jakarta.

Cooperating with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, the embassies focused their campaign on encouraging the public to choose environmentally friendly products for their daily needs and to be as efficient as possible in their consumption.

“We want to raise awareness of the people, especially young people, that Indonesia plays an important role in fighting global warming because the country is very vulnerable to be affected by climate change,” Stuart Bruce, climate politics adviser of the British Embassy in Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.

The campaigners called on people to become smart consumers by choosing eco-labeled products for everyday items, such as tissues and packaged milk.

The eco-labels give a guarantee to consumers that the products used sustainable natural resources and did not harm the environment.

WWF Indonesia footprint campaign coordinator Margareth Meutia said that tissues must have a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on the packaging to be considered eco-friendly. FSC certification ensures that products come from well-managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

“The logo shows that the producers follow nature conservation rules. They take wood from industrial forests, not natural forests,” she said.

Margareth also said that seafood products with certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) indicated that sustainable and well-managed processes were used and that fishermen did not use bombs to catch the fish.

Unfortunately, Margareth added, most eco-labeled products sold in Indonesia were imported because local producers did not pay much attention to environmental matters.

Margareth admitted that eco-labeled products were often more expensive but said the price was worth it for environmental sustainability.

“Sustainable products are supposed to be more expensive because our natural resources are not cheap and are easily exploited. The earth is not cheap,” she said.

Young Indonesians, she added, were growing more concerned and critical about the environment, but did not know how to act.

The embassies also invited Sawo Kecik, a handicraft community initiated by couple Pimpi and Rangga Kusmalendra. The group focuses on recycling milk cartons, turning them into products such as glasses cases, notebook covers, wallets and identity card holders.

To make the products eye-catching, Pimpi and Rangga cover them with patterned fabrics.

“We chose milk cartons because they are urban waste. The city has many coffee shops and cafes which use milk as a ingredient. Each of them can produce two big plastic bags of milk cartons,” Pimpin said.

The German Embassy’s cultural attache Didier Vuilecot said campaigning for eco-friendly products could have a big impact globally.

“We need to start now. We want to persuade young people in Indonesia to be creative to save the earth so that we can work together to combat the bad effects of climate change,” Vuilecot said, adding that Pasar Santa was a good place to reach young people.

The world is looking toward the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris, where around 148 countries are set to discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting goals for combating climate change.

“We have to spread the message to young people in such an interesting way. So we can start thinking together,” Vuilecot told the Post. (foy)

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Best of our wild blogs: 12 Oct 15

Duelling Dragons and other Herps at Treetop Walk
Herpetological Society of Singapore

Pink-fingered Tree-climbing Crab (Episesarma palawanense) @ Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Monday Morgue

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Malaysian greens pricier now at wet markets here

Melissa Lin, The Straits Times AsiaOne 12 Oct 15;

Consumers may find themselves shelling out more for fruits and vegetables from Malaysia at wet markets here.

The haze and the impending year-end monsoon season have driven up the prices of the produce by more than 20 per cent at some stalls.
The weak ringgit has also added to the cost pressure as Malaysian farmers buy raw materials from overseas.

At a fruit stall in Yishun, owner Ho Koon Wah, 50, sold bananas from Malaysia at $2 per kg yesterday, up by about 50 cents from a month before.

At a Toa Payoh wet market stall, 1kg of spinach from Malaysia cost $2.50, up from $2 last month, said a stallholder who wanted to be known only as Madam Lim, 60.

The air quality in Malaysia reached hazardous levels earlier this week while the Malaysian ringgit fell to its lowest levels since 1998 against the United States dollar on Sept 29.

Haze particles prevent sunlight from reaching plants, causing lower yield and supply, and consequently higher prices, said Mr Tan Chin Hian, vice-chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association.

Farmers in Malaysia buy their raw materials, such as seeds and fertilisers, from other countries, so the weak ringgit pushes up the cost price, said Mr Desmond Bernavey Lee, director of fruits and vegetables wholesaler FreshDirect.

He added that prices usually increase during the year-end monsoon season, as the rains would cause vegetables to rot faster and flowers to wilt.

At his Pasir Panjang stall, 1kg of coriander has risen by 50 per cent from a month ago to about $15, while a watermelon now costs $1.30 per kg, up from $1 per kg.

At wholesaler Nishen Tropical Fruits, prices have remained unchanged.

"For now, there's still supply from Malaysia, but in two months' time, we could run into problems for bigger fruits like the pomelo and watermelon," said its managing director Sunny Ng.

He added: "So next Chinese New Year, the pomelo will probably be more expensive."

Last year, Singapore imported 231,000 tonnes of vegetables from Malaysia, which made up 42 per cent of total vegetable supply, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

Other sources include China, India and Australia.

The good news is that the prices of chicken and eggs from Malaysia have remained stable, because the chickens are kept in closed coops and are not affected by the haze, said Mr Joseph Heng, former president of the Poultry Merchants Association of Singapore, which is in the midst of electing a new head.

Singapore imported 68,400 tonnes of chicken and 1.28 billion eggs from Malaysia last year.

Supermarket chains FairPrice and Sheng Siong said the prices of vegetables, fruits, poultry and eggs from Malaysia and rice from Vietnam and Thailand have remained relatively stable at their stores.

Read more!

Tuas water plant: Ecosystem monitoring urged

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 11 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Environmental experts have recommended a slew of monitoring measures to be taken for the construction and operation of the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, which national water agency PUB said it will review and implement progressively as construction begins in 2017.

The Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, which is part of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System that will meet Singapore’s long-term needs for water collection, treatment, reclamation and disposal, will serve the western part of Singapore. Construction of the discharge point for treated used water — called the outfall — will begin after 2021 at Tuas Basin. The plant will handle used water from around 2024.

In an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report commissioned by PUB, experts at DHI Water and Environment said the discharge of treated used water is expected to have minor to moderate negative impact on surrounding corals and seagrass, and slight negative impact on mangroves. There will also be an increased risk of algal blooms, which are of minor negative impact to overall ecology and biodiversity. These are largely due to the levels of nitrates and phosphates in the discharged water.

The good news: There will likely be no impact on marine animals such as dugongs and sea turtles.

Overall, the building of the plant is a more sustainable approach compared with a no-build scenario, as it would replace the Ulu Pandan and Jurong water reclamation plants, which use older technology, and free up land.

The EIA report, currently available for public inspection, suggested the annual monitoring of seagrass beds once the plant begins operation, given the “ecological importance of seagrass meadows in the Southern Islands and presence of internationally protected species”.

Although coral communities have been shown to adjust to local water quality and conditions, DHI suggested seasonal monitoring of coral reef conditions and nitrate levels.

A monitoring programme for phytoplankton — plankton that require sunlight to live — should also be in place to detect cells or toxins “sufficiently early”. The programme will help protect public health, fishery resources and the ecosystem structure, DHI said. Phytoplankton populations, water temperature and salinity and chlorophyll levels are among items that should be measured.

DHI found that the discharge of treated used water would be of negligible risk to fish farms around Pulau Semakau, more than 10km away.

Asked if PUB intends to adopt all mitigating measures recommended by DHI, it said the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 and Tuas Water Reclamation Plant project spans more than 10 years, and all proposed monitoring measures will be “reviewed and implemented progressively as the project is being developed”.

The treated used water to be discharged will be less than 35 per cent of the volume received by the Tuas plant, as the bulk is used to produce NEWater. The discharge does not include solid waste from households and industrial sources, which is extracted from used water and used to produce biogas before being incinerated.

The Tuas plant will use advanced technology, such as membrane biological reactors that greatly reduce the level of organic matter and total suspended solids in used water, compared to conventional treatment processes. This means its treated water will be of high quality.

The Tuas plant, which will result in the Ulu Pandan and Jurong plants being phased out by 2030, could adopt even more advanced technology when major upgrading is expected in 2050, noted the report.

Representatives from the Nature Society (Singapore) have seen the EIA report. Mr Stephen Beng, who chairs the society’s marine conservation group, said the EIA was comprehensive and a positive step from Phase 1 of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System completed in 2008. An EIA was not done for Phase 1, he said.

Calling for the sharing of mitigating measures from the project’s environmental monitoring and management programme (EMMP), he said: “It’s going to be over a 25-year period. Coastal landscape and environmental conditions change, so baselines have to change as well.”

Periodic updates on the EMMP when the plant begins operations will help the public know what PUB is doing about the “growing risks of the outfall on corals and seagrass”, he added. “It’s the connected nature of the marine environment where individual stressors act in concert, resulting in cumulative effects on marine ecosystems. That’s why it requires constant monitoring.”

The executive summary of the EIA report could also be posted online to be more accessible to the public, suggested Mr Beng. The report can be viewed by appointment at the Environment Building.

The last two EIAs that PUB conducted took place in 2011 for Tuaspring Desalination Plant and this year for the third desalination plant to be built in Tuas. Both reports were open for public viewing, said the PUB spokesperson.

Currently, EIAs are required for major development projects, especially those near sensitive areas such as nature reserves and marine and coastal areas. PUB incorporates EIA recommendations in project tender specifications to ensure minimal impact and disruption to the surrounding environment, she said.

PUB did not say if every EIA report is open for public viewing. The spokesperson said: “The EIA goes through a multi-agency review before reports are gazetted and available for public viewing.”

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Reward people who catch litterbugs in action, MP Lee Bee Wah proposes

Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah is suggesting to the authorities to reward people who catch litterbugs in action. For example, after a resident takes a video of someone littering, he submits the evidence to NEA, and he gets to earn half of the summons.
Monica Kotwani, Channel NewsAsia 11 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: While the rest of the neighbourhood in Nee Soon South is sleeping, about 120 volunteers were out early on Sunday morning (Oct 11). Armed with litter pickers and gloves, they sorted the garbage into bags for rubbish and recyclables.

Headed by Nee Soon South MP Lee Bee Wah, the ward is the first in Singapore to do this on a monthly basis.

The programme – called HABIT @ Nee Soon South (Hold on And Bin IT, make it a HABIT!) – started about three years ago, and organisers said they have seen a gradual decrease in the amount of litter collected. Meanwhile, the number of residents volunteering has also increased.

National Environment Agency (NEA) said it wants to replicate the monthly scheme in other parts of Singapore. It said representatives from Jurong and Queenstown have expressed an interest, and have attended Nee Soon's monthly litter picking programme to learn more.

However, Ms Lee said picking up litter is not enough. She is encouraging her residents to look out for those who litter habitually.

She also suggested to the authorities to reward people who catch litterbugs in action. For example, after a resident takes a video of someone littering, he submits the evidence to NEA, and he gets to earn half of the summons.

She said: "In Taiwan, every resident is an enforcement officer. They can video, they can take photo of the litterbug and submit to their NEA. And if there is successful prosecution, their NEA will give the resident who reported it half of the summons collected.

“My residents have given this suggestion and I thought it is a good one. So now I'm working with NEA, and we will try to pilot this in Nee Soon South in the near future."

Channel NewsAsia understands there are challenges in its implementation, as the legislation needs to be amended.

Said NEA chairman Liak Teng Lit: "I think the Government needs to think through what are the things we need to do. If you look at the equivalent of what is happening on the road, many people today have their in-vehicle cameras and not many people dare to make funny claims about accidents because there is a risk that whatever you say could be contradicting what's on the camera in someone else's vehicles.

“So certainly having neighbours watching over the environment and watching over each other will be very helpful. For the good citizens, there is nothing to worry about. In fact, people will be filming you doing good things and praising you rather than reprimanding you.”

Ms Lee also launched a second recycling point in her ward, after a successful pilot. The scheme is being supported by the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Residents take their recyclables to the void deck at Block 873, Yishun Street 81. These items will be sorted, and taken to recycling centres.

She said this will educate residents on what can and cannot be recycled. This could prevent uninformed residents from contaminating recycling bins with waste.

- CNA/xk


Get rewarded for catching a litterbug?
Carolyn Khew, Seow Bei Yi, Zhaki Abdullah, The Straits Times AsiaOne 13 Oct 15;

Reward people for catching litterbugs? The bold idea, which Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah said she was thinking of trying out, has sparked mixed reactions from experts and members of the public.

During a litter-picking exercise in Nee Soon South on Sunday, Ms Lee said she has suggested to the National Environment Agency (NEA) to implement a reward system like that in Taiwan, where people are given a portion of the summons payment after they submit evidence of litterbugs caught in the act.

Yesterday, she told The Straits Times she suggested this to the NEA a few months ago and hoped to roll out a pilot in Nee Soon South.

When asked, NEA said it is studying the feasibility of the idea, which arose after a study trip to Taiwan by the Public Hygiene Council. The suggestion comes against the backdrop of stepped-up enforcement against litterbugs by NEA.

Responding to ST queries, the agency said for the first half of this year, over 12,000 tickets were issued for littering - a 34 per cent rise from the same period last year. About 70 per cent of the tickets were issued to residents. Over the same period, there were 551 instances of corrective work order (CWO) imposed by the courts, a 72 per cent rise from the same period last year. Less than 6 per cent of those who served the CWOs were caught littering again.

Yesterday, an ST street poll of 50 people saw 34 disagreeing with rewarding people for nabbing litterbugs and 16 for the idea, saying it would have a deterrent effect.

"When people know that they will be photographed for littering, they will be more diligent (in not littering)," said Ms Srilata Krishnan, 39, a regional compliance manager.

Of those against the idea, 10 said education was the long-term solution. Dentist Ahmad Hassan, 36, said of the idea to reward people for catching litterbugs: "People will suspect other people and (this will) create a sense of animosity."

National University of Singapore sociologist Tan Ern Ser was also against the idea. He said: "Civic consciousness should not have a price tag to it. As a parallel, do we want to see a day when accident witnesses need to be paid to come forward to give evidence?"

Public Hygiene Council chairman Edward D'Silva said implementing this approach will come with challenges. "The authorities will have to verify the authenticity of the picture and whether the person who took the picture is bona fide."

Ms Lee told ST yesterday: "The main objective is to have everyone playing his part so the environment will be much cleaner. If you do not litter, you need not worry."

NEA chairman Liak Teng Lit said he is open to the idea. When it comes to recalcitrant litterbugs, neighbours may be more familiar with them than NEA enforcement officers, he noted.

If implemented, the idea will add to measures over the years to encourage people here to keep Singapore clean. They include No Cleaners Day and the Bright Spots challenge, which encourages people to adopt an area and keep it clean.

Asked if these have worked, Mr Liak said: "We may not have made a vast improvement but the decline in cleanliness has slowed down."

Most people do not litter, he said. They just need to continue to do so and to remind those who litter not to do so. Where possible, people should also pick up litter, he said.

"When that happens, Singapore will be truly clean, not cleaned."


Will 'tattletale' solve litter issue?
Foo Jie Ying, New Paper AsiaOne 17 Oct 15;

Why fear if you are not a litterbug?

That is what Ms Lee Bee Wah had to say to criticism of her suggestion to offer monetary rewards to those who catch litterbugs in action.

On the sidelines of a litter-picking event over the weekend, the Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament talked about hoping to pilot the programme in her constituency.

But some saw Ms Lee's proposal as encouraging people to "bao toh" (Singlish for tattletale) on each other. When approached by The New Paper on Tuesday, Ms Lee stood by the idea. "I don't think it will have a major impact on feelings between neighbours. After all, people who don't litter have nothing to fear," she said.

The idea is based on a Taiwanese legislation: those who submit evidence of litterbugs in action may be rewarded with a portion of the fines imposed.

A resident brought it up to Ms Lee, who found the system to be an effective deterrent for habitual litterbugs.

She then suggested it to the National Environment Agency (NEA), hoping to pilot it in her ward.

"I looked at the system in Taipei. It is certainly effective - their Department of Environmental Protection feels that it is the main factor for improving the cleanliness of their city," she said.

She hopes the system, if piloted here, will give residents a sense of participation.

"Also, if the common areas are clean all the time and not just after cleaners clean up, everyone will feel more comfortable using them," she said.

Even if few people go around catching litterbugs, the mere existence of such a system will deter the litterbugs, she added.

While the general idea is to follow the Taiwanese report-and-reward system, Ms Lee said the exact model should be examined by NEA.

"I think the monetary value should not be large, but just a small sum to incentivise people to report litterbugs," she said.

Will the reward system work?

NEA chairman Liak Teng Lit said: "In my personal opinion, it's not so straightforward. It doesn't mean that if you give money, people will definitely report on litterbugs more."

But Mr Liak thinks this system will serve as a check on recalcitrants.

With social media, people are now worried about being flamed online, he said.

"We are not talking about ordinary people who accidentally drop something. We are talking about recalcitrants - those who throw diaper, food and other horrible things," he said.

Mr Ken Kee, a victim of high-rise littering, agreed.

He had to deal with neighbours who kept throwing porridge and other food out of their window last year.

Frustrated, Mr Kee, 43, resorted to camping opposite the block to film his neighbours in action.

The case remains unresolved as the alleged culprits have moved out, he said.

VOICE OUT

"Littering is a problem that has been going on for some time... If you throw a banana skin on the floor, it's totally unacceptable. These are things we should actually voice out against," he said.

But Singapore Kindness Movement's secretary-general, Dr William Wan, has "mixed feelings" about putting a price tag on actions that should be altruistic.

"By incentivising this act of public service with money, we may solve one problem and create another - which is just as bad, as we might end up becoming a society that acts only when incentivised," he said.

"I do think that we need to step up enforcement and the best people are the authorised enforcement officers, including the trained community volunteers, who are empowered by law to do this."

Read more!

Malaysia: Social, economic costs of haze must be calculated -- Rafidah

TAN YI LIANG The Star 11 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA: The social and economic costs of the recent haze must be calculated, said former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz (pic).

"The haze will be an annual nuisance, but the economic and social costs must be calculated in the event we need to make accountable those who are responsible for the environmental hazard," said Rafidah in a Facebook post on Sunday.

She added that the haze would have had an impact on the economy in terms of productivity and opportunity losses.

"The haze has forced schools to close intermittently, disrupting classes and exam schedules..And many outdoor programmes have also had to be curtailed or cancelled altogether and its negative impact on health and well-being certainly is significant," said Rafidah.

She added that another factor currently affecting the Malaysian economy was the current currency situation.

"The currency situation is still a hot topic of conversation in many quarters because of not only the volatility but also the impact of the weakening of the Malaysian Ringgit against other currencies," said Rafidah.

She added that while some sectors will benefit from a weaker Ringgit, other sectors that require imports from other countries such as hardware and the health sector will be affected.

"Perhaps the Ministries and the central agencies can undertake in-house studies to ascertain the costs to the nation, as a result of the Haze, the currency volatility and other issues impacting business confidence and investment into the Malaysian economy," said Rafidah.

Rafidah added that feedback from the private sector as to the impact of the haze and currency volatility can help to formulate measures to help them ride out the current economic situation.

"Private sector driven economic growth can move the nation forward as planned," she said.

She also pointed out that the annual budget will be tabled before Parliament soon.

"It is hoped that there will be focus on issues that impact upon the nation's productivity, on operating and development expenditure in an unpredictable economic environment," said Rafidah.


Haze situation worsens slightly in Malaysia
THE STAR/ANN AsiaOne 12 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR - The haze situation in 52 areas nationwide has worsened slightly.

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The number of areas with good air quality went down from 14 as at 5pm on Saturday to 12 at 5pm yesterday while the areas recording moderate air quality increased from 38 to 40.

Meanwhile, former Cabinet mi­­nister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said there was a need to count the losses Malaysia suffered due to the haze as it would come in handy if the autho­rities decided to go after the culprits.

She said ministries and federal authorities should work out a detailed bill on the damage in terms of productivity losses and opportunity costs due to the choking smoke from Indonesian fires.

"Certainly, the haze will be an annual nuisance, but the economic and social costs must be calculated and those who are responsible for the environmental hazard should be made accountable," she stated on her Facebook page yesterday.

Rafidah said it would be good for authorities to also determine how the ringgit depreciation and other related issues had impacted the Malaysian economy.

She said while some sectors were benefiting from a weaker ringgit, import dependent sectors were getting hit.


Haze to ease in the next few days
New Straits Times 11 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Continuous rain forecasted in the late afternoon and evenings in coming days should further ease the haze situation in most of the country, according to an update from the Meteorological Department released today.

Light winds in several directions have already brought damp weather conditions to many parts of the country.

In general, good weather is forecasted for mornings.

The Meteorological Department forecasts rain and thunderstorms in the evenings covering most states in the West Coast of the Peninsula, the West of Sarawak and West of Sabah, while other parts of the country may also experience similar conditions.

"The hazy conditions experienced currently is expected to improve gradually if it rains, especially in the evenings and at dusk," the statement read.

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Malaysia: Najib says Jokowi regrets haze

RAHIMY RAHIM The Star 12 Oct 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed regret over the haze which hit Malaysia.

The Indonesian leader, who is popularly known as Jokowi, gave his views during a meeting with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Bogor Presidential Palace here yesterday.

“Indirectly, he apologised and understands, and even felt pressured and embarrassed.

“This is because it is a complica­ted situation, but it was never his intention to allow it to happen,” the Prime Minister told Malaysian journalists after the meeting.

Najib is on a two-day working visit to Indonesia to boost bilateral cooperation in the palm oil industry and to iron out environmental issues.

A Malaysian Bombardier 415MP plane has been deployed in a multi-national team of seven helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft for water bombing operations in south Sumatera which began yesterday morning.

Najib said Malaysia was willing to extend more help in terms of manpower and equipment.

He said the ongoing haze pro­blem was caused by certain quarters who used the “slash and burn” technique to clear land for cultivation.

“If they do not use the ‘slash-and-burn’ technique, the cost will be 40 times higher to clear the land,” he said.

Asked if Malaysia will take legal action against firms responsible for the burning, Najib said it would be up to Indonesia to enforce its laws.

“We were informed that plantation companies were only responsible for 3% of the fires,” he said.

Najib proposed that Indonesia fit tube wells into peat soil to prevent fire and haze as successfully done in Malaysia.

“Indonesia initially wanted to build a network of canals, but we believe this will take too long.

“I informed President Jokowi that the haze affected Malaysia, especially in health, transport, school schedule and also our socio-economy as a whole,” Najib said, adding that Jokowi was receptive to Malaysia’s idea.

Malaysia and Indonesia also announced the setting up of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries aimed at boosting co­ope­ration between the two biggest palm oil producers.

“The cooperation will bring many benefits to smallholders and the industry as a whole.

“The council is set to create a global standard for a sustainable palm oil industry, cooperate on the volume of the stockpile and create a formal structure,” said Najib.


Malaysia PM says ready to increase help to Indonesia in tackling fires
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also says that Malaysia will invite Indonesia to share his country's experience in tackling the haze.
Channel NewsAsia 11 Oct 15;

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is ready to increase its help to Indonesia in efforts to put out the forest fires in the country, said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in a press conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Bogor presidential palace on Sunday (Oct 11).

The regional environmental crisis has caused flights and major events to be cancelled and forced tens of thousands of people in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to seek treatment for respiratory problems.

"We consider the haze a serious issue as it's a burden to Malaysians and Indonesians," Mr Najib told reporters after the meeting. "Malaysia is prepared to increase our assistance in dousing the fires. The areas affected are widespread so certainly the challenges are very big," he said.

Mr Najib added that Malaysia will invite Indonesia to share his country's experience in tackling the haze.

The blazes flare annually during the dry season as fires are illegally set to clear land for cultivation on Indonesia's island of Sumatra and in the Indonesian portion of Borneo island.

National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said a Malaysian CL415 Bombardier capable of scooping up to six tonnes of water from the sea, and a Singaporean Chinook helicopter which can pour water from a huge hanging bucket, were among the 10 aircraft used for water-bombing in South Sumatra province.

A Lockheed L100 Hercules Air Tanker with a 15-tonne capacity is expected to arrive in the coming days, he added.

Jakarta has deployed about 25,000 personnel and aircraft but the firefighters have been overwhelmed by the extent of the blazes.

The Indonesian government for weeks insisted it did not need international help before finally agreeing to accept the offers from several countries.

Mr Najib’s comments came after he arrived in Indonesia on Sunday for a two-day working visit.

The aim of the visit is to hold a bilateral consultation with Mr Widodo to "further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the palm oil industry", said Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting is also a follow-up to the previous two Ministerial meetings between Malaysia and Indonesia held on Aug 27 in Kuala Lumpur and Oct 3 in Jakarta, it added.

The visit will provide an opportunity for both countries to "explore and further enhance the cooperation toward sustainable palm oil industry", said the ministry. Both leaders will also discuss issues on environment cooperation.

Mr Najib is accompanied by his wife, Ms Rosmah Mansor, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister’s Department Razali Ibrahim and Government officials.

Channel NewsAsia understands that the visit is unscheduled.

- CNA/AFP/av/ec


Jakarta, KL to set 'green' standards for palm oil
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, The Straits Times AsiaOne 12 Oct 15;

Indonesia and Malaysia on Sunday (Oct 11) agreed to have a new set of standards to produce environmentally sustainable palm oil, while the latter pledged to increase co-operation to help prevent land and forest fires in Indonesia.

These commitments were disclosed following a meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at Bogor presidential palace, just outside Jakarta.

The meeting took place as a joint water-bombing operation by Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia kicked off on Sunday in South Sumatra, which is among the worst- hit provinces. It was the largest water-bombing mission ever carried out in an Indonesian province, with seven helicopters and three fixed- wing aircraft tackling the fires raging in two regencies - Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin.

During their meeting, Mr Joko and Datuk Seri Najib agreed to have a palm oil green economic zone to ensure a boost in the output of the edible oil that can be used for biofuel, while at the same time preventing illegal fires to clear land.

Officials said a joint task force will be established to accelerate the implementation of the points the two leaders agreed on, but no timeframe was given.

"We know that 85 per cent of global palm oil output comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. We will create a new global standard to produce sustainable palm oil," Mr Joko told reporters at a joint news conference after the meeting.

Mr Najib brought a team of experts with him to evaluate a canal- blocking system that is used in Indonesia to prevent fires on peatland.

"Malaysia is prepared to increase our assistance in dousing the fires. The areas affected are widespread, so certainly the challenges are very big," the Malaysian leader said.

Land and forest fires in Indonesia intensified in recent weeks, spawning thick haze that travelled to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Jambi, located to the north of South Sumatra, is the second worst-hit province on the island. On Saturday night, Mr Joko had to cancel a trip to Jambi as the visibility level there dropped to 600m, below a required minimum of 1,000m for any plane to land.

On Friday, he said the authorities will aim to put out forest fires within weeks with the help of other countries. "The target is to put out the fires in about two weeks. The bigger scale of water-bombing operations means an accelerated process," Mr Joko said.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan will summon by tomorrow the directors and owners of plantation companies that had fires on their concessions, to discuss plans to get them more involved in helping to tackle the annual problem.

During his visit to Ogan Komering Ilir on Friday, accompanied by The Straits Times and representatives from three local media outlets, Mr Luhut went deep into the forest to one of the hot spots. He stepped on peatland in an area that firefighters had just worked on and found smoke coming out from beneath.

"This is a big challenge... The fire is gone on the surface, but look at this. There is a lot of smoke because the fire is still burning inside. It takes an abundant amount of water to get rid of it completely," he said.


Indonesia, Malaysia agree to intensify economic cooperation
Antara 12 Oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to intensify economic cooperation, particularly in a bid to achieve the increased target of bilateral trade set at US$30 billion for 2015.

"Malaysia is the closest neighboring country of Indonesia. We have several similarities in our culture and history as well as interests and future," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted in a press release received here on Monday.

Retno met her Malaysian counterpart Datuk Anifah Aman during a meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) on last Saturday in Kuala Lumpur that was held to discuss bilateral cooperation.

The meeting is also aimed to make preparations for a consultation meeting between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in 2016.

Both foreign ministers agreed to intensify cooperation in the palm oil industry, including efforts to dismiss the negative campaign about Indonesian palm oil in the markets in Europe and the United States.

"Malaysia has positively welcomed the Indonesian proposal to establish a Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries (CPOPCs) to improve cooperation between palm oil producing countries, including on production and promotion efforts," Retno affirmed.

Retno and Anifah also discussed about Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. They agreed to prioritize the safety, welfare, and basic rights of migrant workers employed in Malaysia.

Both countries also shared a similar viewpoint that migrant workers should understand the regulation and mechanism being implemented in Malaysia, including the voluntary deportation issue.

During the meeting, Minister Retno also discussed the importance of education rights for the children of migrant workers in Malaysia.

She hoped the agreement signed between President Widodo and the Malaysian prime minister in February 2015 on providing education to the children of migrant workers would be followed up. The minister was also optimistic that Malaysia would grant an establishment permit for setting up a Community Learning Center (CLC) for Indonesian children.

"We will also accomplish several issues at the technical level for the development of a CLC and teaching permits for Indonesian teachers at the center," Retno revealed.

Both ministers also discussed several matters relating to the political and regional security sectors, such as border issues, legal and consular cooperation, and education, as well as in the fields of meteorology and agriculture.

Additionally, the next JCBC meeting will be held in Indonesia in the second semester of 2017.(*)


PM Najib offers RI haze know-how
Haeril Halim and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 12 Oct 15;

As the government struggles to contain relentless fires, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Sunday after meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in Bogor, West Java, that he would invite Indonesian representatives to visit the haze-choked neighboring country to exchange ideas on fire containment.

Malaysia was also ready to share its success in reducing haze problems, the prime minister said.

Najib made the remarks following the dispatch on Sunday of a Bombardier CL-415 to join Indonesian and other international haze crisis forces to water bomb badly affected South Sumatra, where the majority of hot spots have been detected.

“Yesterday the government of Malaysia sent a plane to Indonesia to help with the haze crisis handling,” Najib said after his meeting with Jokowi, as quoted by Antara news agency.

In addition, Najib vowed to give more aid in the near future to help the haze team contain land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan — which have also affected Malaysia, with the country blanketed with haze over recent months — in a number of sectors including health, the economy and transportation.

Najib said that Malaysia would cooperate with the Indonesian government to send an Indonesian team to the neighboring country to observe how Malaysia had built a canal system to prevent land and forest fires in the country.

The two leaders also agreed to establish a Council of Palm-Oil Producing Countries (CPOP). Indonesia, which has 4 million oil-palm farmers, and Malaysia, with 500,000 oil-palm farmers, together produce 85 percent of the world’s palm oil.

Sunday’s meeting also marked the leaders’ agreement to form a New Global Standard for Sustainable Palm-Oil Production and Green Economic Zone.

Meanwhile, Indonesian and Malaysian citizens have exchanged a satirical war of words over the haze on Twitter, with the latter blaming the inability of the Indonesian government to tackle the haze problem on its own land, despite the fact that a number of Malaysian pulp companies operating in Indonesia have been suspected of being among the land burners in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli, who accompanied Jokowi during the meeting, said the President had expressed his appreciation over the Malaysian government’s offer of its technology and expertise on haze solutions.

“If the system is good and cheap, then it can be combined with the canal system that has earlier been suggested by the Indonesian government,” Rizal said at Bogor Palace after the meeting.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that seven helicopters — six owned by the BNPB and one from Singapore — and four planes water bombed the areas of Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin in South Sumatra on Sunday.

Sutopo said that Malaysia would decide whether to extend the operation of its helicopter until Oct. 16, while Singaporean Chinook helicopters, which can carry 5 tons of water at a time, will help the Indonesian team on the field until Oct. 23.

“The Australian team [arrived] in Palembang on Sunday and it is predicted that a Thor type of Hercules L-100 plane, which has a capacity of 15 tons of water, will arrive in the area on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“The plane will operate for a total of five days,” Sutopo said, adding that more aircraft from other countries would follow suit.

Meanwhile, data from the BNPB revealed on Sunday that as many as 322,676 people in the country suffered from acute respiratory tract infections because of the smoke from the unremitting fires, comprising 52,582 Riau residents, 69,734 people in Jambi, 83,484 in South Sumatra, 43,477 in West Kalimantan, 44,024 in Central Kalimantan and 29,105 in South Kalimantan.

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