Malaysia floods: More people evacuated in Sarawak

The Star 2 Jan 16;

KUCHING: More people have been evacuated from flood-hit Sarawak, with the number of evacuees up to 975 at noon from 523 in the morning.

Sarawak Department of Civil Defence public relations officer Siti Huzaimah Ibrahim said the evacuees were being housed at two relief centres in the Kuching Division and five centres in the Samarahan Division.

“In the Kuching Division, 60 people were at SMK Tabuan Jaya and 245 at the Stapok community hall,” she said yesterday.

Siti Huzaimah said the relief centre at SMK Bako, which housed 78 evacuees in the morning, was closed at noon after the occupants left for their homes.

In Samarahan, 130 people were being accommodated at SK Tambi­rat, 62 at the Kampung Jaie community hall, 75 at the Samarahan community hall, eight at SK Hj Bujang Rangawan Putit and 395 at SK Bradek.

Samarahan Department of Civil Defence officer Ahmad Shah Fikri Darus said that although the number of evacuees in Samarahan had gone up, floodwaters in the division were receding as the heavy rain had stopped. – Bernama

74 flood victims in Johor evacuated to relief centres
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 2 Jan 15;

JOHOR BARU: Seventy-four flood victims from Segamat and Tangkak in Muar have been evacuated to relief centres in the two districts.

According to a spokesman from the State Flood Management Department, 52 people from 16 families have been transferred to the Kampung Orang Asli community hall in Segamat Kecil.

Twenty-two other victims from five families are, meanwhile, being sheltered at the flood relief centre in SK Sailing, Tangkak in Muar.


'Red' warning issued in east coast states, Johor
SIM BAK HENG New Straits Times 2 Jan 15;

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Meteorological Department has issued a “red” warning due to the prevalence of strong winds and rough sea conditions in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor. The conditions are dangerous for shipping, ferry services, fishing, as well as any form of water activities at the seaside.

Winds are expected to blow at more than 60km per hour (kph) while waves could be higher than 4.5m.

Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said the department had sent out a warning to the relevant agencies, such as the Marine Department, fishermen associations and ferry operators, among others, about the wind and choppy sea situations.

She said the water level in coastal areas of the east coast states was expected to rise too. “We have revised our warning to the third level, or red warning, today (yesterday).

“Picnickers should avoid swimming activities in coastal areas, or do it at their own risk,” she said in an interview.

For a red warning to be issued, the wind speed must be more than 60kph and the wave height must be more than 4.5m.

It is the most dangerous of the three types of warnings issued.

For the second level, or “orange” warning, the wind speed must range between 50kph and 60kph, while the wave height must range between 3.5m and 4.5m.

For the first level, or “yellow” warning, the wind speed must range between 40kph and 50kph, while the wave height must be between 2.5m and 3.5m.

Che Gayah said a red warning had been issued for the waters at Condore, Reef North and Layang-Layang, while orange warnings had been issued for the waters at Samui, Tioman and Bunguran up until today.

“The situation is too dangerous for shipping activities and offshore oil platforms. We will revise the warning level from time to time on our website,” she said.

Checks at several seaside stretches showed that many picnickers were still playing in the waters.

For example, Tok Jembal beach here was dotted with picnickers, despite the strong winds and waves.

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Indonesia: Raja Ampat to have diving center to attract more tourists

Antara 2 Jan 16;

Raja Ampat, W Papua (ANTARA News) - The Tourism Ministry said it would build a diving center in the regency of Raja Ampat, West Papua, this year to attract more tourists to one of the countrys major tourist destination areas.

The diving center would facilitate divers and tourist wanting training in diving.

"In 2016, as a prize, a diving center would be built in Raja Ampat," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said here on Friday.

The minister pledged to turn out 50 dive masters in Raja Ampat from local people.

He said in order to boost development of Raja Ampat as a major tourist destination expansion of the airport of Mandira in the district of Waigeo had been approved by President Joko Widodo.

Meanwhile, deputy for development of tourist destination and industry Dadang Rizki said the diving center would be built in Waiwo.

Construction of the diving center is being prepared but the project would be completed this year , Arief said, adding, meanwhile training would take place to turn out 50 dive master. (*)

President Jokowi visits Piaynemu Bay in Raja Ampat
Antara 1 Jan 16;

Raja Ampat (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and First Lady Iriana visited Piaynemu Bay in Raja Ampat District, West Papua, on Friday.

The head of state and his entourage departed from Waiwo Pier in Waisai Sub-district at around 8 a.m. local time aboard a speedboat.

A speedboat ride from Waisai to Piaynemu Bay takes 1.5 hours.

After arriving in Piaynemu, Jokowi scaled 300 steps to reach a hilltop to witness the string of isles scattered across the bays clear waters.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and Head of the Presidential Staff Office Teten Masduki were among those accompanying the president.

Acting District Head of Raja Ampat Elyas Sroyer stated that there are around 1.8 thousand isles in Raja Ampat District.

Therefore, ships or boats are crucial means of transportation in the region, he added.

Raja Ampat, which literally means "Four Kings," is located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the worlds coral reef biodiversity.

The seas around Raja Ampat Islands are home to the richest varieties of species in the world, including 75 percent of all known coral species.

The Raja Ampat archipelago encompasses 15 thousand square miles of land and sea off the northwestern tip of the Indonesia province of West Papua.

Its four large islands --- Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool --- shelter a vast array of terrestrial species and valuable forests.

The region includes the Pacifics most important Leatherback Turtle nesting site, The Nature Conservancy writes on its website.

Offshore reefs protect some 1,427 species of fish and more than 550 species of coral.

Some of these reefs have proven to be particularly resilient, and include coral-building resources that help sustain the entire Coral Triangle, making its protection all the more vital.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)


Rajaampat and Komodo named world best places for snorkeling
Antara 3 Jan 16;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Rajaampat in Papua Barat and the Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara have been named worlds best snorkeling places, an official quoting a CNN survey, said.

"Indonesia has two top places at once - Rajaampat as the best and Komodo second best snorkeling destinations in the world, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said here on Sunday.

The two Indonesian destinations put behind the islands of Galapagos ranked third by the survey, the minister said.

Toward the end of 2015, CNN (Cable News Network) of international edition, held a survey involving a number of maritime experts in selecting their respective snorkeling favorites.

Their responses were summarized in an article titled "11 of the worlds best snorkeling destinations", Arief said.

Topping the list of 11 places is Rajaampat in Papua Barat, Indonesia, a habitat of 75 percent of types of coral known in the world . Ranked second is the National Mark of Komodo in East Nusa Tenggara.

The Galapagos islands in Ecuador was ranked third followed by Coral Triangles in Asia Pacific, the Philippines, Silver Bank of the Republic of Dominica, Palau in Micronesia, Greet Barrier Reef in Australia, the Solomon island , Isla Holbox in Mexico, and Kealakekua Bay in Big Island, Hawaii.

The minister attributed the finding and promotion of potential touri9st destinations in the country to hard work of all related agencies.

"Intensive promotional campaigns have begun to bear fruit," he said.

Arief said the branding of "Wonderful Indonesia", has jumped from the 100th in ranking to the 47th in 2015 putting behind the "Amazing Thailand" ranked the 83 and the branding "Trully Asia Malaysia" in the 96th .

He said all Indonesians should be aware of the countrys tourism potentials and together create and maintain supporting climate to develop the country tourism industry.

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Current El-Nino may be strongest on record

Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times AsiaOne 31 Dec 15;

The current El Nino phenomenon, which has spawned drought across much of the Asia-Pacific, wildfires in Australia and powerful storms in the United States, is perhaps the strongest ever measured and is peaking this month, experts say - and global warming may be exacerbating its effect.

"It is one of the top three El Ninos of the last 100 years," Bangkok-based Mr Sanny Jegillos, senior adviser for crisis prevention and recovery at the United Nations Development Programme, told The Straits Times.

Mr Jerome Lecou, a climate expert at French weather service Meteo France, went further. "It is probably the most powerful in the last 100 years," he told news agency Agence France-Presse.

Accurate measurements have existed only since the mid-20th century.

The previous strongest El Nino recorded was in 1997-98. Back then, the phenomenon raised air and sea temperatures, killing an estimated 16 per cent of marine coral reefs.

It also triggered record rain in California and severe drought in Indonesia. Tens of thousands died in related events.

This time, the cyclical phenomenon is even stronger and has so far wreaked havoc mostly around the Pacific Rim and parts of south Asia.

"It has peaked and we will see adverse impacts in the next few days," Mr Jegillos said.

Heavy rain has, in recent days, triggered floods and mudslides in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, leaving over 150,000 homeless.

In the central and south-western US, severe weather including tornadoes has claimed at least 43 lives this month.

This winter, California, Arizona and New Mexico will get more than their normal share of winter storms,Professor Dave Gutzler, a climatologist at the University of New Mexico, predicted this week.

The recent flood disaster in Chennai, on south India's east coast, when much of the city including its international airport was under water in the first week of this month, was also attributed to El Nino.

Meteorologist Sivananda Pai and his colleagues at the India Meteorological Department in Pune, India, had issued their first warning as early as October, when they worked out that the seasonal storms forming in the Bay of Bengal were not going to move north as usual, but due west instead under the influence of El Nino - a belt of warm air and ocean.

The storms normally pick up energy on their way north, and hit the coast of eastern India, Bangladesh or Myanmar as full-blown cyclones, Mr Pai said by phone.

But because they did not traverse so much open sea on their westward path, they did not pick up speed.

Instead, when reaching land, they dumped torrential rain, inundating Chennai for days.

"When the temperature of the air increases, the moisture-holding capacity of the air increases; then there will be more rain," said Mr Pai.

"That is why people are also talking about climate change."

"The combination of record warmth one year followed by an El Nino the next is unique and the climatic implications are uncertain," aid agency Oxfam said in October.

"If 2016 follows a similar pattern, we are entering uncharted waters."

In the Australian state of Victoria, where more than 100 homes were razed in a Christmas Day bush fire, the authorities have warned that some blazes would continue to burn as temperatures were set to soar again as high as 38 deg C in the lead-up to the new year.

Mr Jegillos sounded a warning, especially about Papua New Guinea. "For Papua New Guinea, many of its farmers are subsistence farmers and there is food insecurity anyway, and El Nino has been severe on their crops.

"Even if the next monsoon season in October-December is normal, the impact on agriculture, the eco-system and water resources has been severe enough for them to face problems until 2017."

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December likely to be warmest on record, and the 2015 joint-hottest year ever

The year 2015 is likely to tie with 1997 and 1998 as the warmest year on record, with a mean annual temperature of 28.3°C, said the National Environment Agency.
Channel NewsAsia 31 Dec 15;

SINGAPORE: December 2015 is likely to be the warmest December on record, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said, while 2015 is likely to tie with 1997 and 1998 as the warmest year on record in Singapore.

The mean monthly temperature and mean daily maximum temperature for the month to date is 27.8°C and 31.6°C, respectively, said the environment agency in a press release on Thursday (Dec 31). This would exceed previous highs of 27.3°C in December 1997 and 31.3°C in December 1997 and 2002, respectively.

In addition, 2015 is also likely to tie with 1997 and 1998 as the warmest year on record, with a mean annual temperature of 28.3°C. The record warm temperatures in 2015 and 1997 can be attributed to the strong El Nino events occurring in both years, according to NEA.

Looking ahead, the start of the year 2016 is likely to experience a few days of widespread moderate to heavy rain and occasionally windy conditions arising from the strengthening of the northeasterly winds over the region, said the NEA.

For the rest of the fortnight, short-duration thundery showers can be expected mostly in the afternoon and early evening on 6 to 8 days, it added. The showers may be heavy at times on days when there is convergence of winds coupled with strong solar heating of land areas.

The temperature range for the fortnight is forecast to be between 22°C and 33°C.

Based on long-term statistics, January is the usually third wettest month of the year, after November and December. Rainfall for the first half of January 2016 is likely to be normal, said NEA.

- CNA/mz


December likely to be warmest on record, 2015 joint-hottest year ever
AsiaOne 31 Dec 15;

SINGAPORE - December 2015 is likely to be the warmest on record since 1997.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement today (Dec 31) that the mean monthly temperature and mean daily maximum temperature for December to date is 27.8 and 31.6 degrees Celcius respectively.

They exceed the previous highs of 27.3 degrees Celcius in December 1997, and 31.3 degrees Celcius in December 1997 and 2002.

2015 is also likely to tie with 1997 and 1998 as the warmest year on record, with a mean annual temperature of 28.3 degrees Celcius. The record warm temperatures in 2015 and 1997 can be attributed to the strong El Nino events occurring in both years.

Half of Singapore received above average rainfall in December 2015. The highest rainfall of 420mm to 480mm (55 per cent to 80 per cent above average) was recorded in the western part of Singapore around Jurong Island.

The northwestern part of Singapore around Kranji received the lowest rainfall where 150mm to 200mm (25 per cent to 45 per cent below average).

The highest total daily rainfall of 128.8mm was recorded on Dec 28 around Jurong Island due to heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon.

In addition, a weak monsoon surge due to the strengthening of northeasterly over the region brought widespread rain to Singapore on Dec 29.

There were several warm days in December 2015 with highest daily maximum temperature recorded between 34.4 and 34.7 degrees Celsius.

On a few rain days, the lowest daily minimum temperature recorded was between 22.4 and 22.5 degrees Celsius.

In the next two weeks, northeast monsoon conditions are forecast to prevail over the region with the low level winds blowing predominantly from the northeast or northwest.

The start of the year 2016 is likely to experience a few days of widespread moderate to heavy rain and occasionally windy conditions arising from the strengthening of the northeasterly winds over the region.

For the rest of the fortnight, short-duration thundery showers can be expected mostly in the afternoon and early evening on six to eight days.

The showers may be heavy at times on days when there is convergence of winds coupled with strong solar heating of land areas.

The temperature range for the fortnight is forecast to be between 22 and 33 degrees Celsius.

Based on long-term statistics, January is the third wettest month of the year, after November and December. Rainfall for the first half of January 2016 is likely to be normal.

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Malaysia: Floods worsen in Sarawak

YU JI The Star 31 Dec 15;

KUCHING: Seven flood relief centres have been opened in and around the state capital as of noon Thursday.

As of 7pm, there are 437 evacuees from 167 affected families at four relief centres in Kuching and three in Samarahan.

The worst affected area is Stapok, on the outskirts of the city. The relief centre there currently has 112 evacuees, including five toddlers and one handicapped person.

The other shelters at Bako, Taman Sri Setia, Kampung Tambirat and community halls in Samarahan.

A water level station at Batu Kitang on Sungai Sarawak Kiri is currently at the alert stage.

Nearly all rain stations in southern Sarawak have received "very heavy" rainfall since midnight. The Siol station reported 252mm of rainfall, followed by the Third Mile station with 224mm.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, rainfall of more than 60mm within two to four hours typically cause flash floods.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (Met) has issued a "heavy rain, orange stage" warning for most of coastal Sarawak, from Lundu to Mukah. It said rain was "expected to continue until Jan 1".

A "first category strong winds and rough seas" warning was issued at midnight just as it began to rain.

Floods hit Sarawak’s low-lying areas after continuous rainfall
YU JI The Star 31 Dec 15;

KUCHING: Rain has been falling non-stop since midnight Thursday here, resulting in flash floods at low-lying areas in the Sarawak capital.

The Fire and Rescue Department said on Friday that one of the first areas to flood was Kampung Beradek near Bako National Park.

Reports of other affected areas include Batu Kawa, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's health faculty and villages like Sinar Budi and Kampung Pulo.

Seven rainfall stations have recorded rainfall above the warning level, with Siol reporting 199mm of rain since 2am; Third-Mile station, 185mm and Saberkas, 151mm.

Six areas have recorded rainfall exceeding the warning stage, including Kuching south, the Barrage, Rampangi and Semariang.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, rainfall of more than 60mm within two to four hours would typically cause flash floods.

As of 11am, all river level stations at affected areas had readings within the normal range. A high tide of 5.4m is forecasted at 9pm.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a "heavy rain, orange stage" warning for most of coastal Sarawak, from Lundu to Mukah. It said rain was "expected to continue until January 1".

A "first category strong winds and rough seas" warning was issued at midnight just as it began to rain.

"Strong north-easterly winds of 40-50 km/h with waves up to 3.5m (11 feet) is expected to occur over the waters off Sarawak, Labuan and Sabah, specifically in the interior, Kota Kinabalu and Kudat until Saturday, January 2," it said.

It warned the conditions were dangerous to small crafts, recreational sea activities and sea sports.

Flood situation improving in Terengganu
The Star 31 Dec 15;

KUALA TERENGGANU: The flood situation in Terengganu is improving and the number of evacuees still at relief centres is falling quickly.

As of 6pm yesterday, few evacuation centres were open and in only one district, Kemaman, housing 547 victims from 125 families.

The centres were Seberang Tayor Hulu Hall (164 victims), Felda Seberang Tayor Civic Hall (286 victims), Masjid Kampung Batu (16) and Tebak (81).

“Floodwaters in certain areas, especially in Hulu Terengganu, Marang and Dungun where initially some 57 evacuation centres were opened since Sunday, have also receded,” said state Civil Defence Department director Lt-Col Che Adam A. Rahman.

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Indonesia: 10 fishing boats to be sunk for poaching

Antara 31 Dec 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian authorities will, on Thursday, sink 10 fishing boats caught poaching in Indonesian waters.

The Task Force of Eradication of Illegal Fishing, or "Satgas 115," would sink the 10 boats, the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry said in a statement, here, Thursday.

The boats would be sunk in four different locations in the country: one in Belawan (North Sumatra), one in Tarempa, Batam (Riau Islands), two in Tarakan (North Kalimantan), and six in Tahuna (North Sulawesi).

The ministry recently deployed four additional patrol boats to strengthen law enforcement activities against foreign vessels found poaching in Indonesian waters.

The ministry currently has a total of 31 patrols boats to guard the Indonesian waters against poachers.

Indonesia has incurred material losses and environmental damage due to illegal fishing activities mostly conducted by foreign fishing boats in its maritime territory.

Therefore, Indonesia has vowed to impose stringent sanctions against the perpetrators of the crimes to serve as a deterrent to other poachers.

The authorities have detained 177 fishing boats for poaching in Indonesian waters.

Of the 177 boats, 107 have been sunk or destroyed, including 103 foreign fishing boats, the secretary general of the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry, Sjarif Widjaja, said in a press conference, here, on Tuesday.

The destroyed foreign boats were 21 from Thailand, 34 from the Philippines, six from Malaysia, 39 from Vietnam, one from China, and two from Papua New Guinea.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)

Navy sinks 10 more ships as 2015 draws to a close
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post 2 Jan 16;

The Navy sunk 10 more illegal fishing boats on New Year’s Eve, a moved aimed at further proving that the country is serious about promoting its territorial integrity.

“We remain consistent, so anyone violating our laws should receive harsh punishment,” Navy spokesperson Commander M. Zainuddin said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Zainuddin said that out of the 10 illegal boats, four were foreign boats flying Philippine and Malaysian flags, while six boats flew Indonesian flags but had foreign crews.

The Navy sank the boats in the four different locations; in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, Beting Camar, Belawan in North Sumatra, in Ranai, Riau Islands, and in Tahuna, North Sulawesi.

Zainuddin said the Navy had received a court order to carry out its task and that the decision to sink the boats was based on allegations that they did not have the necessary documents to run their
fishing operations in Indonesian waters.

The Navy also involved the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force (Satgas 115) in their operations against illegal fishing activities.

According to ministry data, the country caught 157 illegal fishing boats in 2015, 107 of which have been sunk.

The largest number of the boats came from Vietnam, with 39 boats, followed by the Philippines with 34 boats, Thailand with 21 boats, Malaysia with six boats, Papua New Guinea with one boat and China with one boat.

Article 69 of Law No. 45/2009 on fisheries stipulates that the coast guard can sink foreign vessels operating illegally in the country’s territorial waters with sufficient preliminary evidence.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is leading the campaign against illegal fishing and has said that it costs the country billions of dollars in lost revenue every year.

Meanwhile, Satgas 115 director Rear Admiral Widodo said that Indonesia would continue to be the target of illegal fishing activity.

“Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam need huge amounts of fish, but they don’t have the supply, so their fishermen try to meet demand by conducting illegal fishing activities in our area,” Widodo said on Thursday.

Widodo said that his unit would step up its efforts by conducting more patrols, including air surveillance operations.

“Ibu [Minister Susi Pudjiastuti] has said that Satgas should step up air patrols. We expect zero violations this year,” Widodo said.

Read more!

The grassroots of climate change

KOFI ANNAN Today Online 31 Dec 15;

The climate-change agreement reached in Paris on December 12 was a rich victory for diplomacy. Both the agreement itself and the atmosphere of cooperation that permeated the proceedings represent a sea change from the failed Copenhagen summit in 2009. But while we should congratulate world leaders on their success, Paris marks the beginning, not the end, of the road. It is now our collective duty to hold our leaders to account and ensure that they turn promises into action – especially in the world’s most vulnerable regions, such as Africa.

We should applaud China, India, the United States, and the European Union for their pre-Paris pledges on climate action. These countries’ commitments created the sense of responsibility, trust, and solidarity that enabled 195 nations not merely to agree on a one-off deal, but to set in motion a series of increasingly ambitious five-year cycles to phase out greenhouse-gas emissions this century. This is a clear signal that the carbon era has reached a turning point; as a result, there will be more investment in renewable energy.

Countries also promised to work harder to protect the world’s most vulnerable, by aiming to limit average global warming to as little as 1.5º Celsius above pre-industrial levels. And developed countries pledged at least US$100 billion of annual climate finance to help the least developed countries cut their carbon emissions and prepare for climate change. For the first time, an international agreement offers the least developed countries funds to cover some of the loss and damage caused by climate shocks.

But in order to fulfill the Paris agreement, we must ensure that governments keep their promises. National emissions targets are voluntary, rather than inscribed in the agreement, so they are not legally binding. In hard, practical terms, there is not yet anything specific to slow the extraction of fossil fuels or stop high-polluting countries from using coal for electricity. Developed countries made no individual commitments, and the starting year for funding adaptation assistance remains unclear. We must keep the pressure on to make sure that the promised climate finance is sufficient to enable the least-developed countries to adapt to present and future climate change.

All of this must happen urgently. The cumulative effect of previous decades of emissions means that there will be no chance for a last-minute solution.

In Africa, climate change may already be responsible for falling water levels in West African rivers; declining coral reefs in tropical waters; lower fruit production in the Sahel; fewer fish in the Great Lakes region; and the spread of malaria in the Kenyan uplands. Without significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, we will see far worse. By threatening basic human needs, such as food and water, climate change will be a catalyst for instability, migration, and conflict. Africa will pay a heavy price.

Fortunately, we now know that we can prevent catastrophic climate change while still providing the energy needed to sustain economic growth, create jobs, and lift millions of people out of poverty. The many benefits of pursuing a low-carbon development path include not only cleaner air and better energy security, but also the opportunities that arise from decentralized and renewable power.

These opportunities are particularly crucial for Africa, where more than 620 million people live without electricity. The falling cost of solar power, batteries, and LED lighting means that renewable sources can now provide affordable, modern energy. In Kenya, for example, Maasai women in Magadi who have been trained to install solar power have brought electricity to 2,000 households in just two years.

But to realise this economic and social potential, African leaders must combat corruption. They must make the management of their utilities more transparent, strengthen regulations, and increase public spending on energy infrastructure.

Investment and external financing must follow. This is not a question of aid, but of fairness, given that Africa contributes so little to global emissions but stands to suffer the most from climate change. Investing in low-carbon energy also makes sound business sense: It boosts technology companies and promotes social entrepreneurship globally.

I am pleased that two initiatives launched in Paris will take us farther down the renewable-energy path. Europe and Canada pledged US$10 billion toward an ambitious project called the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, which aims to install ten gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal capacity by the end of the decade. And France and India launched the International Solar Alliance to raise more than US$1 trillion by 2030 to deploy solar power in more than 100 developing countries.

The Paris agreement has drawn the first broad strokes of a solution to climate change. But until its targets are translated into action, the world’s least-developed countries may not be convinced that the developed countries are serious about equity – or “climate justice.”

For Africa, 2015 must be a turning point. If the world’s citizens hold their leaders to account for the targets they have set, it will be. Quite simply, the historic responsibility for the planet’s future rests on the shoulders of us all. PROJECT SYNDICATE


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kofi Annan, a former secretary-general of the United Nations, is Chair of the Africa Progress Panel.

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Malaysia, Johor: SAJ ends four-month-long water rationing

The Star 31 Dec 15;

JOHOR BARU: The four-month-long scheduled water supply to Pasir Gudang, Masai and parts of Johor Baru ended yesterday after the Sungai Layang dam level improved.

Water concessionaire SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd announced that the consistent rainfall and other initiatives taken to overcome the crisis had been effective.

The company’s Corporate Communications Head Jamaluddin Jamil said the decision to end the scheduled water supply exercise was based on a detailed study on the rainfall pattern.

“Apart from that, the channelling of raw water between Cabang Tiram and Layang dam as well as between Sungai Johor and Layang dam, has been effective.

“The efficiency and capacity of the Sultan Iskandar water treatment plant, which treats raw water and channels to a network of pipe system, was also taken into account,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Jamaluddin added that although the dam’s water level of 21.30m was below the critical level of 23.50m, SAJ was optimistic that the existing initiatives taken would be able to meet the current demand.

“We have also taken into consideration the coming public holidays and the start of the school year preparations and are optimistic that we will be able to manage the demands,” he said.

But Jamaluddin said the scheduled water supply exercise would resumed if there was a continuous drought.

“This is why we strongly advise consumers to continue using water wisely to avoid wastage, so that the water level in the Sungai Layang dam can last longer,” said Jamaluddin.

He also said that the exercise in Mukim Tanjung Surat, Mukim Pantai Timur and Mukim Pengerang in Kota Tinggi would continue until Jan 15.

“Although the transfer of raw water between Sungai Papan and Sungai Lebam dam is a success, we still have not seen a significant change in water levels,” said Jamaluddin.

For details, call 1 800 88 7474 (SAJ Info Centre), SMS to 019-772 7474 or email customer.care@saj.com.my.

Regular water supply returns after four months of scheduled supply
KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 30 Dec 15;

JOHOR BARU: A four-month scheduled water supply that started in August in several parts of Johor finally ended, bringing relief to thousands of people.

Water concessionaire SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (SAJ) corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil said that that water taps would run freely in Pasir Gudang, Masai and some parts Johor Baru after the Sungai Layang dam started recording positive water levels.

He said that the water levels have been showing positive trends following the consistent rainfall and the effectiveness of other initiatives taken to overcome the crisis.

“The decision to end the scheduled water supply exercise was based on a detailed study on the rainfall pattern besides the effectiveness of channelling raw water between Cabang Tiram and Layang dam as well as between Sungai Johor and Layang dam.

“The efficiency and capacity of the Sultan Iskandar water treatment plant, which treats raw water and channels to a network of pipe system was also taken into account,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

No more scheduled water supply for Pasir Gudang, Masai and JB
CHUAH BEE KIM New Straits Times 30 Dec 15;

JOHOR BARU: Water utility company SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (SAJ) has lifted the Scheduled Water Supply exercise for Pasir Gudang, Masai and part of Johor Baru after increased rainfall and water channeling works improved levels at the Sungai Layang dam.

SAJ Head of Corporate Communications Jamaluddin Jamil said these and the other initiatives taken by the state government have also contributed to the positive trend in the water level.

In a statement today, he said the decision to lift the Water Supply Schedule was made after a detailed study of the rainfall distribution pattern indicated that Sungai Layang Dam has the capacity to provide sufficient raw water to the Sultan Iskandar water treatment plant.

"Although the level in the dam registered at 21.30m, which is still below the critical level of 23.50m, SAJ is optimistic that the initiatives undertaken by the state government will meet the needs of consumers who are preparing for the holidays and going back to school.

"However, the raw water at the dam is still vulnerable to dry weather which is expected to hit the country between January and March next year," he said, advising consumers to continue to be prudent in water usage.

Residents of these areas have been enduring scheduled water supply, in which water supply comes once every three days, since August.

More recently, SAJ supplied water to these areas for a duration of 36 hours followed by another 36 hours without water supply.

Meanwhile, consumers in the Tanjung Surat, Pantai Timur and Pengerang sub-districts in Kota Tinggi who are getting water supply from the Sungai Lebam dam will have to continue with scheduled water supply until January 15.

Jamaluddin said this will continue until the transfer of raw water from Sungai Papan to the Sungai Lebam Dam is successfully carried out.

"The scheduled water supply exercise will halt once the water level is stabilised," he said.


South Johor folks welcome end of water rationing
KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 10 Jan 15;

JOHOR BARU: Residents are relieved that their water taps are running normally again after four months of scheduled water supply due to low water levels at two main dams in south Johor.

Housewife G. Saroja, 58, from Permas Jaya, breathed a sigh of relief after learning about the end of the water rationing exercise on Wednesday night.

“It has been a challenging four months as we struggled to maintain sufficient water for the family, especially with my three young grandchildren around. The youngest is three years old and needs clean water for milk every four hours.

“We had to buy huge containers to store water and allocate a special one just for consumption,” she said yesterday.

Saroja said she never had to endure such a long period of water rationing before and hoped that some form of compensation would be given to those affected.

Nurul Azrinajwa Mat Khairi, 22, who lives along Jalan Masjid in Kampung Plentong Baru, said she had difficulty doing her dishes and laundry with the scheduled water supply.

“Sometimes the water supply did not follow the schedule, so we always had to save extra,” said the seamstress.

Yet storing more water was not practical.

“It could cause wastage – the water could not be kept too long as mosquitoes would start to breed,” said Nurul Azrinajwa.

The owner of the Kim Long Fruits Supplier shop, who wanted to be known only as Chok, 48, said he had spent hundreds of ringgit on containers to store water for his goods as well as for home use.

“I spent almost RM500 on four 70-litre containers for my shop and a dozen 15-litre ones for my home above my shoplot.

“I really hope SAJ (Syarikat Air Johor) will compensate us for the inconvenience and our extra expenses,” he said.

Nevertheless, Chok was grateful that SAJ halted the rationing exercise on Wednesday as soon as the water level showed improvement at the Sungai Layang dam.

The four-month-long exercise affected those in Pasir Gudang, Masai and parts of Johor Baru.

The Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Commit­tee chairman Datuk Hasni Moham­mad had said that domestic water consumers affected by the exercise would enjoy special incentives to be decided by the state authorities.

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Indonesia suffers setback in fight against haze after suit rejected

AMANILLAH AND ARZIA TIVANY WARGADIREDJA Reuters 30 Dec 15;

Indonesia's efforts to penalize the companies allegedly responsible for its annual forest fires suffered a setback on Wednesday after a judge rejected a $565 million lawsuit against a pulp and paper firm.

Indonesia brought a civil case in a South Sumatra court against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH), a supplier to Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the world's biggest pulp and paper companies.

The $565 million in damages would have been the largest financial award ever levied against a company accused of forest burning activities in Indonesia with the intent of sending a strong message to those responsible for the annual haze.

"The lawsuit against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau is rejected because the evidence is not proven," said presiding judge Parlas Nababan. He did not comment any further and then ended the court proceedings.

Indonesia and the wider Southeast Asian region suffered for months this year from haze caused by smouldering forest and peatland fires. The fires were largely located on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo and climate officials described them as a crime against humanity as pollution levels soared.

The government alleged that BMH failed to prevent the recurrence of fires in 2014 and 2015 on about 20,000 hectares of land in the Ogan Komering Ilir region of Sumatra, Eka Widodo Soegiri, a spokesman at the Environment and Forestry Ministry told Reuters.

An appeal to the court's verdict will be made within two weeks, said Rasio Ridho Sani, director general for law enforcement at the Forestry Ministry, after the hearing.

"The decision is against the people's will," said Sani. "We had presented the facts from the field that there was indeed forest burning in the mentioned location. The fact on the field also show that the company doesn't have adequate equipment to prevent and control the forest fire in the mentioned location."

The government's evidence was far-fetched, BMH's lawyer Maurice, who like many Indonesians uses one name, told reporters after the ruling, citing the extent of the hotspots and the sampling process that the government used.

Environmental groups cautioned that Wednesday's ruling will likely frustrate other pending lawsuits.

"This will be a bad precedent related to other similar lawsuit against the forest fires perpetrators in the future," said Hadi Jatmiko, director at Friends of the Earth Indonesia, which was involved in monitoring BMH.

Indonesia is still pursuing the companies seen as responsible even as the forest fires have eased because of monsoon rains. The government has sanctioned 23 companies because of the fires, with three having land-use or environmental permits revoked, 16 having permits suspended and four issued "government force sanctions."

The government says it will also review laws that allow smallholder farmers to burn, ban peatland development and take back all burned land within a company's concession area.

Green and palm industry groups have warned that the forest fires, which cost Indonesia about $16 billion in 2015, will flare up next year unless the government issues new regulations on forest clearing.

(Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Reporting by Arzia Tivany Wargadiredja in Jakarta and Amanillah in Palembang; Writing by Michael Taylor; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)


In Bid for Justice Over Forest Fires, Government Falls at First Hurdle
Basten Gokkon Jakarta Globe 30 Dec 15;

Jakarta. The Indonesian government has lost a Rp 7.8 trillion ($565 million) lawsuit brought against a pulp and paper company accused of setting fires that razed 20,000 hectares of land in South Sumatra last year.

Bumi Mekar Hijau, a subsidiary of the Sinar Mas conglomerate, is the first of dozens of pulp and palm oil companies being pursued by the Environment and Forestry Ministry for slash-and-burn clearing. Activists say Wednesday’s judgment could set a poor precedent for efforts by the government to go after perpetrators whose fires destroyed more than two million hectares of forest this year, generated health-threatening haze over vast swaths of Sumatra and Kalimantan, and led to record levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

In its ruling, the Palembang District Court declared that the Environment Ministry did not have a valid case against Bumi Mekar Hijau. Judge Parlas Nababan also ordered the ministry to pay Rp 10 million in legal costs to the company.

In October, the ministry filed suit against Bumi Mekar Hijau, which owns pulpwood concessions in South Sumatra’s Ogan Komering Ilir district, demanding that the company pay the state Rp 7.8 trillion for damages it allegedly incurred by illegally setting 20,000 hectares of land ablaze.

It also named the company’s executives as respondents in the suit, which meant they could have faced criminal charges carrying prison sentences of up to 10 years.

Rasio Ridho Sani, the director general for law enforcement at the Environment Ministry, told reporters after the hearing that his office would appeal against the ruling.

“We are fighting for the justice for the people who suffered from the haze and forest fires,” he said on Wednesday as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) also expressed its disappointment at the ruling.

“Legal order and justice for the environment and the people have been destroyed,” the group wrote on its Facebook page.

The case against Bumi Mekar Hijau was seen as a major test of Indonesia’s law enforcement institutions against companies accused of slash-and-burn forest clearing, in large part because of the high profile of holding group Sinar Mas, which has interests in pulp and paper, palm oil, property and banking.

The fires this year alone cost the Indonesian government Rp 221 trillion, or 1.9 percent of its GDP, in just five months, according to the World Bank – a figure higher than the cost of rebuilding Aceh after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.


PT Bumi Mekar Hijau found not guilty by Indonesian court of causing forest fires in Sumatra
In its ruling, the Palembang District Court rejected all claims by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry against the company, saying there was no damage done to the environment as a result of the forest fires on the land.
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 30 Dec 15;

SOUTH SUMATRA, Indonesia: A Palembang District Court in South Sumatra has rejected all claims made by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, for allegedly causing forest fires in South Sumatra.

The Ministry had demanded a fine of more than US$570 million for damage made to the environment and for its recovery.

PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, a subsidiary of Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world, was suspected of causing fires on 20,000 hectares of concession land in Ogan Kemering Ilir, South Sumatra in 2014.

In its ruling, the court's three judges said there was no damage done to the environment as a result of the forest fires on that land, and it could still be used for planting. In addition, the judges said the Indonesian government had not experienced losses as a result of the forest fires.

The court also ordered Jakarta to pay the costs of the proceedings, amounting to about US$700.

"The implications are extraordinary. In future, those responsible for forest fires and corporations will feel they can’t be touched by the law, and their bad practices will not change," said Khalisah Khalid, Head of Research and Resource Development, Indonesian Forum for the Environment.

"When the corporation’s bad practices can’t improve, the further implication is on ecological disaster. Haze will continue to happen, and the victims will continue to increase.”

Asia Pulp and Paper was one of several companies that had its products taken off the shelves in Singapore after the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched an investigation in September into the company's role in the forest fires in Indonesia.

The NEA had sent a 'preventive measures' notice to the company asking it to deploy fire-fighting personnel to extinguish or prevent the spread of any fire on its land.

The 2015 forest fires are estimated to have cost Indonesia's economy US$16 billion, more than double the sum spent on rebuilding Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, according to the World Bank.

- CNA/yt


Indonesia to appeal rejection of US$565m haze lawsuit
Environment ministry spokesman Eka Widodo Sugiri said the government would file an appeal against the court's decision within two weeks.
Channel NewsAsia 31 Dec 15;

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government will appeal a court's rejection of a US$565 million lawsuit against a pulp and paper company accused of failing to prevent fires that blanketed Southeast Asia in toxic haze, an official said Thursday (Dec 31).

The court on Sumatra island Wednesday dismissed the civil suit brought by authorities against Bumi Mekar Hijau, a supplier to global giant Asia Pulp and Paper, over fires on plantation land in 2014, saying there was insufficient evidence.

The haze-belching fires occur every year as land is cleared using slash-and-burn methods to make way for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations on Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo island.

The damages would have been the biggest ever levied against a firm over such burning activities in Indonesia, and environmentalists said the rejection was a major setback in efforts to take on those behind the annual haze outbreaks.

Environment ministry spokesman Eka Widodo Sugiri said the government would file an appeal against the court's decision within two weeks.

"Our nation's dignity was disturbed, we received complaints from neighbouring countries," Sugiri told AFP.

Plantation companies are responsible for ensuring fires do not break out on their land, but blazes still occur frequently. Major firms have "zero-burn" policies and typically insist fires inside their concessions start outside before spreading in, and are started by people not working for them.

Authorities accused Bumi Mekar Hijau of failing to prevent widespread fires in a concession in South Sumatra province last year, according to state-run Antara news agency.

The company is also being investigated over this year's fires, with its operations frozen in December.

The 2015 blazes, which occurred mainly in September and October, were the worst for years, prompting thousands to fall ill, and leading to flight cancellations and school closures across the region.

Bumi Mekar Hijau was one of 20 firms who were punished in an unprecedented move over the blazes. Activist Riko Kurniawan, from The Indonesian Forum for the Environment, said the lawsuit rejection set a "bad precedent".

"We really regret the decision of the judges who rejected the lawsuit, it is another failed attempt to seek justice for victims of the haze," he said.

The haze crisis also caused huge damage to the Indonesian economy, with the World Bank estimating the cost at US$16 billion - more than double the sum spent on rebuilding Aceh province after the devastating 2004 tsunami.

- AFP/yt


Court ruling a blow to Jakarta's fight against haze
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Straits Times AsiaOne 31 Dec 15;

A district court in South Sumatra province has thrown out a government lawsuit that demanded pulpwood plantation company Bumi Mekar Hijau pay 7.8 trillion rupiah (S$797 million) for clearing land by illegal burning last year.

Mr Pharlis Nababan, the chair of the three-judge panel in the Palembang district court, ruled yesterday that there was no evidence showing Bumi Mekar Hijau purposely started fires to clear land, which then spread and led to environmental damage.

The ruling was a judicial blow to the government's effort to deter future haze culprits, analysts say.

As deterrence, the government has the authority only to give administrative punishment such as suspending the licences of errant companies, while monetary fines must be decided by courts.

Last week, 16 plantation companies, including Bumi Mekar Hijau, had their business licences suspended and three others ordered to stop operations for good after a government probe found that they were responsible for illegal fires that caused this year's haze crisis which hit the region including Singapore.

Mr Rasio Ridho Sani, director- general of law enforcement at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, told reporters in Palembang after the verdict that the government will appeal against the ruling.

"For the sake of the people who suffered from the haze, we will appeal. The facts on the ground clearly showed us there was fire on the company's concession, and the company did not have adequate equipment to prevent as well as to contain fire," Mr Rasio said.

Indonesian environment law says companies must douse a fire within their concessions, regardless of where the fire started.

Mr Maurice, a lawyer representing Bumi Mekar Hijau, told reporters: "The ruling objectively reflects what the conditions were on the ground, all facts and experts' testimonies during the trial."

Bumi Mekar Hijau had supplied raw material to Asia Pulp and Paper, a unit of Sinar Mas group.

The Environment and Forestry Ministry had alleged that Bumi Mekar Hijau caused fires in 20,000ha in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra last year. The ministry asked the court to order the company to pay a fine of 2.6 trillion rupiah for damaging the environment and 5.2 trillion rupiah for costs needed for the recovery.

The trial started in July this year.

The ministry has been suing plantation companies for causing land and forest fires since 2013. Environmentalists say that plantation companies in Indonesia often resort to illegal slash-and-burn methods to clear land, as hiring excavators to do the same job would cost at least seven times as much.

"The ruling does not serve justice to the environment and the people who have been suffering because of the haze," Mr Zenzi Suhadi, a forest and plantation campaigner with the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said.

Mr Muhnur Satyahaprabu, the legal and executive policy manager at Walhi, said the judges do not seem to understand the vast impact of fire on peatland. He regretted the fact that none of the judges hearing the case has an environment certification.


Court finds no damages after forest fires
Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 31 Dec 15;

The government’s efforts to bring justice to companies allegedly responsible for the annual forest fires in the country have suffered a setback after the Palembang District Court in South Sumatra rejected Rp 7.8 trillion (US$570 million) lawsuit against a supplier to Sinar Mas Group, one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates.

Delivering the decision on Wednesday, the court said that the evidence collected in the case against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH, failed prove its alleged criminality in the burning of 20,000 hectares of its concession in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra, in 2014.

“The lawsuit against Bumi Mekar Hijau has been rejected because the evidence could not prove whether the party was guilty,” presiding judge Parlas Nababan said.

He reasoned that BMH was still able to plant acacia trees on the concession after it was burned, which according to him meant there must have been no environmental damage.

The lawsuit lodged by the Environment and Forestry Ministry sought Rp 7.8 trillion in damages, which would have been the largest financial award ever levied against a company accused of forest burning activities in the country with the intent of sending a strong message to those responsible for the annual haze.

Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) South Sumatra chapter director Hadi Jatmiko said that the reasoning behind the verdict was illogical.

“I don’t know what the judges were thinking by exonerating BMH. This reasoning is so misguided and shows that the judges actually don’t understand [how to handle] forest fires cases inside companies’ concessions,” he said on Wednesday.

According to Hadi, it is only natural for a company to grow acacia trees after its concession is burned.

“Because the truth is that massive fires happen inside concessions to cut the costs of land clearing and to shorten the planting period,” he said.

Furthermore, the judges failed to take into account the air pollution caused by the fire in the company’s concession, Hadi added.

“Environmental damage shouldn’t only be seen from the damage to land. The fire caused the Air Pollution Standard Index [ISPU] to reach a hazardous level and that’s enough to prove that there was environmental damage,” said he.

The ministry’s law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, meanwhile, said the fact that BMH was not able to keep its concession from getting burned should be enough to punish the company.

“We see that a concession permit holder should be held responsible should a fire occur inside its location, whatever the cause. However, the panel of judges did not take into account the facts of the case. The fact is that fires did happen and the company did not have adequate facilities to prevent and manage forest fires,” he said on Wednesday.

Walhi legal and executive policy manager Muhnur Satyahaprabu said that the decision might have been different had the ministry demanded that the trial be presided by judges holding environmental licenses.

“Cases like this require good understanding of regulations related to the environment,” he said on Wednesday.

The decision sets a bad precedent for similar cases that have yet to go to trial, with the government still pursuing other companies allegedly responsible for forest fires that have eased on account of monsoon rains. The government has sanctioned 23 companies over the fires, with three having land-use or environmental permits revoked, 16 having permits suspended and four issued “government force sanctions.”

“If the lawsuit filed by the ministry against BMH in 2014 was rejected, then what about bigger cases in 2015?” Hadi said.

Rasio said that he would file a case appeal within two weeks.

“The decision goes against the people’s will,” said he.


After loss in forest fire case, government to file appeal
thejakartapost.com 31 Dec 15;

The government has expressed its desire to file an appeal to a higher court following its loss at the Palembang District Court in relation to a forest fire case against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH) on Wednesday. The loss foiled the government’s hopes for compensation of Rp 2.6 trillion (US$188.27 million) and a restoration fund amounting to Rp. 5.2 trillion.

“We will file an appeal and we have frozen the company’s environmental licence,” said Rasio Ridho Sani, the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s director general for law enforcement, on Wednesday as reported by tempo.co.

Judges on the Palembang District Court rejected the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s lawsuit against BMH accusing the company of burning down forests and causing losses in biodiversity and land mass. The lawsuit was submitted by the ministry in February and the first hearing was held in March.

In his ruling, judge Parlas Nababan said that the plaintiff could not prove the scale of state losses.

“Biodiversity loss could not be proven,” said Parlas at the court on Wednesday.

The judges also believed that BMH was not directly responsible for the forest fires because the company had appointed a third party to cultivate the land.

Before the issuance of the verdict, the judges conducted a field trial at BMH’s concession in Ogan Komering Ilir district, South Sumatra, in November.

Rasio expressed his disappointment over the verdict, emphasizing that the government had submitted sufficient evidence to warrant a victory. Rasio argued that the decision of the judges was not in line with the facts.

He added that the government would keep trying to prevent forest fires in the country.

Companies like BMH, he said, destroyed the environment and public health. (cal/bbn)(+)

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Dengue cases hit 377 last week – highest weekly total this year

Yuen Sin, Straits Times AsiaOne 30 Dec 15;

The first-ever vaccine against dengue fever, which affects up to 400 million people per year, will be publicly available for the first time after being cleared for use in Mexico, French manufacturer Sanofi said on December 9, 2015.

There were 377 dengue cases reported last week, the highest weekly total this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday.

The end of the year usually sees fewer infections, but cases have been on an unusual rise in recent months. A weekly high of 361 was reported just two weeks ago.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health and the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor warned the public to "stay vigilant against dengue".

The NEA said warmer than usual year-end weather caused by the El Nino phenomenon could result in shorter mosquito breeding periods and shorter incubation times for the dengue virus.

While the number of dengue cases in the first 10 months of this year fell by about half compared with the same period last year, the Aedes mosquito population has doubled.

The DENV-2 serotype, which had been the dominant strain before 2013 until it was replaced by DENV-1, has now returned.

Dengue cases due to the DENV-2 serotype have increased, accounting for more than half of all cases here, according to the NEA.

Weekly numbers of more than 800 have been seen at times in 2013 and last year.

But this recent surge is worrying as a change in the main circulating dengue virus may be an early indicator of a future outbreak, unless measures are taken to suppress the Aedes mosquito population.

There are four strains of dengue and getting infected with one does not mean you are immune to the others. Many people infected recently could become infected again with a new strain.

Dr Khor urged the public to work together to "deny the Aedes mosquitoes their breeding habitats".

There were 75 active dengue clusters as of Monday, with 152 cases recorded in the largest cluster of Tampines Avenue 3 and Avenue 4, and Tampines Street 81 and Street 91.

Four people have died of dengue fever this year - three in recent months.

On Dec 9, a 59-year-old woman who lived in Upper Thomson died at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. On Nov 28, a 79-year-old man died a few days after being admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The other victims were a 60-year-old woman from India who was visiting her son here in September, and a 53-year-old woman from China who died in February.

A total of 10,142 dengue cases were reported as of Dec 12. In the whole of last year, there were 18,335 cases with five deaths. The NEA said people infected with dengue should apply mosquito repellent to prevent mosquitoes from biting them and infecting others, and that those with symptoms should consult a doctor.

Members of the public are also advised to practise the "five-step mozzie wipeout", referring to actions to remove stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding. These include inverting buckets and plant pot plates, and regularly changing water in vases.

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