Malaysia: No tsunami threat to Malaysia - Met Dept

AKIL YUNUS The Star 2 Mar 16;

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has confirmed that there is no threat of a tsunami hitting Malaysia, after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the west of Sumatra Wednesday evening.

A spokesman for the Department said Malaysia was not under immediate threat as it was mostly shielded by the island of Sumatra.

"There is a likelihood of light tremors between the shores of Selangor and Johor," he said.

Indonesia issued a tsunami warning after the massive and shallow earthquake struck off the west coast of Sumatra at 8.49pm on Wednesday.

The earthquake's epicentre was 808km southwest of Padang and 10km deep, according to the US Geological Survey.


Sumatra quake: No tsunami threat to Malaysia
NST ONLINE New Straits Times 2 Mar 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no tsunami threat to Malaysia following a 7.9-magnitude earthquake which struck Sumatra this evening.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department, in a statement tonight, said the 8.49pm (local time) quake will not result in a tsunami in Malaysia despite tremors felt in parts of Selangor and Johor.

Kota Baru, Kelantan was also reportedly affected by tremors.

Following the quake, Indonesia issued a tsunami warning for West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh.

The quake’s epicentre was 808 km (502 miles) southwest of Padang, US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It was 10 km (six miles) deep.

USGS had originally put the magnitude at 8.2, and then 8.1, before lowering it to 7.9. Australia had also initially issued a tsunami warning for Cocos Island and Christmas Island while it monitored developments in Australian Coast, including Perth.

“Evacuation was not required on the islands, however people were advised to get out of waters,” said Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

It said this was due to the risks of dangerous waves and currents.


Johor, Selangor residents shaken by Sumatra quake
The Star 3 Mar 16;

JOHOR BARU: Residents panicked when tremors were felt at their condominium here Wednesday night following an earthquake in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Johor Baru Fire and Rescue operations commander Rohaizat Hamdan said a five fire-fighters were sent to the 19-storey building in Taman Bukit Aliff, Tampoi, after a resident notified the station of tremors at 9.09pm.

He said the fire fighters felt the tremors after they arrived there and quickly ordered all residents to assemble in an open space outside the building.

"The tremors were felt from the 11th floor upwards, and we are still conducting checks at the building," he said, adding that the residents would be allowed into their homes after the situation was considered safe.

The tremors were triggered by a strong earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale in southwest Sumatra at 8.49pm.

In Selangor, the Fire and Rescue Department received three distress calls over tremors.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Mohd Sani Harul said the first call came at 8.54pm from a resident of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) flats in Section 7, Petaling Jaya.

He said the second call was received 15 minutes later from a resident of Block A, Section 26/38, Kampung Baru Hicom, Shah Alam.

"The third call was received a minute after that, from the Tiara Park Home area in Taman Bukit Ria, Kajang," he said in a statement here tonight.

In Kota Baru, residents of apartments at the 23-storey Pelangi Mall also rushed out of their homes after experiencing tremors.

Kota Baharu Fire and Rescue head of operations Senior Fire Officer II Ismail Mohd Taib said checks by his men found no one trapped in the building and all returned to their homes after the all clear was given. - Bernama


Sumatra quake tremors felt in Kota Baru
KALBANA PERIMBANAYAGAM New Straits Times 2 Mar 16;

KOTA BARU: Residents from the Pelangi Mall condominium here abandoned their units in terror as tremors shook the building tonight.

Tremors struck the building around 9.15pm, causing residents from two 23-storey blocks to scramble downstairs and gather outside.

The tremors however was barely fy at the remaining block - Block A - which is 15-storeys high.

Police were also present at the public area outside the riverside condominium, where the people had gathered temporarily.

The tremor is believed to have originated from a powerful 7.9-scale earthquake which struck Sumatra west coast tonight.

No tsunami warning has been issued for Malaysia.

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Indonesia: Jakarta to sue 9 more firms over forest fires linked to haze

Arlina Arshad Indonesia Correspondent In Jakarta Straits Times 1 Mar 16;

The Indonesian government is to take nine more companies to court over forest fires that led to the transboundary haze crisis last year.

This takes to 19 the number of firms being sued by the Environment and Forestry Ministry over the environmental disaster.

The ministry's director-general for law enforcement, Mr Rasio Ridho Sani, said the government plans to sanction the 19 firms over the forest fires "as soon as possible".

"They have failed to carry out their responsibility as stipulated in their permits, which resulted in fires," he told The Straits Times during an event at the ministry yesterday.

He declined to name the firms or say whether they are local or foreign, but he said that 23 other companies have been penalised over the illegal fires, including 16 that had their business licences suspended and three that have been permanently banned from operating in Indonesia.

The ministry has been suing plantation firms for causing land and forest fires since 2013, but Mr Rasio said catching those responsible for the fires is not easy.

"The crimes took place in the forest, so unless the perpetrators were caught red-handed, it's not easy to pinpoint who actually set the fires," he said.

"These cases are so complex and very hard to prove, so we need the support of experts to help us convince the judges to hand out appropriate sentences."

The latest move comes two weeks after the government filed an appeal over a court decision on its lawsuit against local pulpwood plantation company Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH) for similar violations.

The government sued BMH for 7.8 trillion rupiah (S$820 million) last year for clearing land in 2014 using the outlawed slash-and- burn technique, a method that often leads to uncontrollable fires which produce thick haze. But a Palembang district court ruled on Dec 30 that there was no evidence that BMH had deliberately started fires.

Mr Rasio said the ministry had lodged its appeal in the South Sumatra provincial court following consultations with 26 legal experts.

"We are committed to handling this case in a very serious manner," he said.

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Indonesia: Locals to be hired to stop forest fires

Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

The government is introducing a new strategy to combat the forest fires that plague the country annually by encouraging local residents to engage actively in land forest fire prevention. Volunteers will be trained in fire prevention.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Willem Rampangilei said people living in forest fire-prone areas were rarely actively involved in mitigation efforts, and indeed often faced the blame for the fires.

“Local people can play a pivotal role in mitigating forest fires because they are more likely to have the opportunity to react promptly when a disaster strikes,” Willem told a media conference on Wednesday. “We have to involve them so they can protect their own villages.”

Local people, he went on, had in fact expressed willingness to prevent forest fires, but had been held back by a lack of facilities, especially equipment and water resources.

“As such, local people’s ability to prevent fires is limited, and their efforts have not been well coordinated,” Willem said.

In order to increase the capabilities of local people, the government will first determine standard procedures, in conjunction with local authorities. The government, with the regional governments at the helm of the program, will then recruit local people and organize them into task forces, according to Willem.

“They will be trained by the regional governments, the Indonesian Military [TNI] and the police,” he said. “They will then be provided equipment.”

The training program will be funded from the state and local budgets, as well as contributions from businesses. The program is also open to international support.

“The rest of the funding is from international donors. One that has spoken to me is the World Bank, which has pledged US$12 million,” Willem said.

If the combined funding from the local budget, private sector and international donors could not cover the total cost of the program, Willem said, then the central government would make up the shortfall.

“This year, we have Rp 4 trillion [$300.7 million] of on-call budget derived from the state budget,” he said, adding that Rp 49 billion had been used so far to respond to flooding that has hit a number of regions since the beginning of the rainy season.

Besides involving local people in forest fire prevention, the government is also mulling giving financial incentives to villages that prevent fires from happening in their area.

“The amount [of the incentives] is up to the regional governments to decide, but the latest assumption is around Rp 100 million,” Willem said.

The private sector began a similar initiative in 2014. The program, dubbed “Fire-Free Village”, is conducted by paper and palm oil companies, including Asia Pasific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL) group, Musim Mas, Asian Agri and Wilmar.

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Indonesia: Floods, landslides hit houses in Jambi

The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides in West Tanjungjabung regency, Jambi, on Wednesday, engulfing and burying thousands of houses. No fatalities were reported.

According to West Tanjungjabung Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Saefudin, the worst hit village was Lubuk Sebontan, where hundreds of houses were engulfed by floodwater, and others hit by landslides.

Saefudin said another landslide in Muarapalik had buried three houses, while floodwater up to 1.5 meters had engulfed dozens of houses, cutting off the main access to the village.

The flood was caused by the overflowing of the Pengabuan River, he added. “The agency has sent two teams in two cars to the worst hit areas, carrying rubber boats and food aid from the central government.”

Landslide buries house in Kupang
The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

Heavy rain that doused Kupang city throughout Monday triggered a landslide that buried a house on Tuesday night. No fatalities were reported.

The house in Bello subdistrict, Maulafa district, had earlier been vacated by owner Megaria Nenobahan, who was aware of the potential danger amid the torrential rain.

“The owner has moved, since landslides often occur at that spot,” neighborhood chief Vallens Vina told reporters on Wednesday.

Vallens said that besides Megaria’s house, located on a slope on the banks of the Kuanfu River, three other houses in the area had also subsided as a result of the land movement, forcing the owners to move out to relatives’ houses elsewhere.

The local administration has frequently warned owners of houses on the riverbanks of the possibility of landslides; in 2012, a landslide in the area buried 14 houses.

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Indonesia: Agency lifts tsunami warning after 7.8 magnitude earthquake

Antara 3 Mar 16;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The residents around Mentawai Island, West Sumatra are now safe after the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) officially lifted its Tsunami warning status, said the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

"The Agency (BNPB) received notification on the revocation of the tsunami warning status on Wednesday at 10:34 p.m. People can now return to their homes, do not be afraid as the condition is safe," said Sutopo in a statement received here on Wednesday night.

Sutopo said that his agency have received information from the BMKG about the potential of a tsunami threat caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday at 7:49:47 p.m.

"The occurrence of a tsunami was detected in Cocos Island as high as 10 centimeters at 9.15 p.m and in Padang as high as 5 centimeters at 9.40 .m," Sutopo said.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agencys Command Post had been able to communicate with its regional office (BPBD) using radio communications to report the resident condition.

Based on information, the condition is safe and the people are already in safe places,

"People in Sikakap, South Pagai, Sipora, Siberut and other Mentawai Islands are in safe conditions and have taken refuge in high places," Sutopo added.

He said a number of areas that are also safe from a tsunami such as areas on the island and along the west coast of Sumatra in South Nias, Nias, Simeulue, Aceh Singkil, Aceh Barat, Muko-Muko, the area along North Sumatra coast, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and Lampung.

"No casualties or damage to buildings were reported. West Sumatra BMKG has lifted its tsunami warning for 15 surrounding areas since 9:30 p.m," noted Sutopo.

People in the city of Padang and in part of the west coast of Sumatra have responded to the tsunami warning by evacuating to tsunami shelters.

Previously, the mitigation agency has built a number of shelters that have been used for public evacuation.

In addition, people also used the roof tops of mosques, high buildings, schools and others.

Panic situation was experienced in several places which caused traffic congestion on the streets as many people were evacuating using their own vehicles.

"With the lifting of the tsunami warning, residents were asked to return home in an orderly manner. Do not be afraid. The most important thing is staying alert and following the officials direction," Sutopo said.(*)

8.3-magnitude quake rocks West Sumatra
Antara 2 Mar 16;

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - A powerful earthquake of 8.3 magnitude rocked several parts of West Sumatra province on Wednesday at 07.49 p.m. local time.

The epicenter of the quake was located 5.61 degrees southern latitude and 94.05 degrees eastern longitude or 682 kilometers southwest of Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, at a depth of 10 km, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said.
The quake had the potential to cause a tsunami, the agency said.

The (BMKG) has issued a tsunami early warning for the provinces of West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Aceh, Bengkulu and Lampung in the wake of the 8.3-magnitude earthquake.(*)


Powerful quake hits Mentawai, no casualties reported
Syofiardi Bachyul JB and Safrin La Batu, The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

A powerful earthquake struck on Wednesday evening off the west coast of Sumatra Island, no fatalities were reported.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) initially said the quake measured 8.3 on the Richter scale before revising it downward to 7.8.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said earlier that the magnitude measured 8.2 on the Richter scale, then 8.1, before lowering it to 7.9.

The epicenter of the quake was located 808 kilometers southwest of Padang and was 10 km deep, the USGS said.

Mentawai, the regency closest to the epicenter and left devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake, was reported to have no damage.

Head of BMKG Padang Panjang Rahmat Triyono said that hundreds of people in the Mentawai Islands and western coast of Sumatra rushed to find higher ground after it issued a tsunami warning. The warning was then lifted.

Bambang Sagurung, a resident of Siberut Island in Mentawai, said the quake was strong, but did not cause damage to his home.

“I was having dinner with my family, the water dispenser was shaking and then we got out the house. I felt another quake after the first one, and then we rushed toward the hill,” he told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Another resident of Siberut, Mariai, said a warning was placed for one-and-a-half hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake rocked the island.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there had not been any reports of injuries or damage following the quake.

“We haven’t received any reports of injuries or damage. Based on the information that we have gathered, the tsunami warnings were issued in Aceh, Bengkulu and Lampung,” he said in a statement.

- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/03/powerful-quake-hits-mentawai-no-casualties-reported.html#sthash.jed4tIr6.dpuf

Strong quake hits off Sumatra, people rush to high ground
Ali Kotarumalos, Associated Press, Jakarta Post 2 Mar 16;

A powerful, shallow earthquake hit off the southwestern coast of Sumatra on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning that sent islanders rushing to high ground. An official said the potential for a tsunami was small.

The US Geological Service said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8. It was centered under the ocean at a depth of 24 kilometers, it said.

Shallow earthquakes are more likely to cause damage, but the USGS said the quake was located far from land, about 659 kilometers from the town of Muara Siberut.

Andi Eka Sakya, head of Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said there was only a small potential for a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, he said.

"I think its potential for a tsunami is very small," because the quake didn't occur along a major fault known as a subduction zone, he told TVOne.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basin.

A massive magnitude-9.1 quake off Indonesia in 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Most of the deaths were in Indonesia's Aceh province on Sumatra.

Marjina, a resident of Sikakap in the Mentawai islands, about 690 kilometers from the epicenter, said the quake was felt only weakly there, but the tsunami warning caused panic among villagers, who ran to higher ground.

A resident of Siberut island, which is closest to the epicenter, said people evacuated to higher ground and were waiting for the tsunami warning to be lifted.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology issued a marine warning for the distant Cocos and Christmas islands. It did not advise evacuations, but said strong and dangerous currents were possible and people should secure boats and avoid waterfront areas. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center issued but then canceled a tsunami watch for Western Australia.

The Indian government issued a statement advising that no tsunami threat was posed for the Indian coast.

Indonesia, Australia issue tsunami warning after 7.9 magnitude quake off Sumatra
Indonesia issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday after a massive and shallow earthquake struck off the west coast of its island of Sumatra, a region devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake and tsunami.
Channel NewsAsia 2 Mar 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesia issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday after a massive and shallow earthquake struck off the west coast of its island of Sumatra, a region devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake and tsunami.

The warning was issued for West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh after the quake of magnitude 7.9, the National Meteorological Agency said, but rescue efforts will be hampered by the darkness that falls early in the tropical archipelago.

The epicentre was 808 km (502 miles) southwest of Padang, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was 10 km (six miles) deep.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the shallower a quake, the more likely it is to cause damage. USGS originally put the magnitude at 8.2, and then 8.1, before lowering it to 7.9.

"So far there have been no reports (of damage) yet," Andi Eka Sakya, an official of the National Meteorological Agency, told TVOne. "In Bengkulu (on southwest coast of Sumatra) they didn't feel it at all."

President Joko Widodo was staying overnight at a hotel in Medan in North Sumatra and was safe, palace officials said. A Medan resident said he didn't feel the quake.

Neighbouring Australia issued a tsunami watch for parts of its western coast.

Indonesia, especially Aceh, was badly hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

A 9.15-magnitude quake opened a fault line deep beneath the ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, triggering a wave as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) that crashed ashore in more than a dozen countries to wipe some communities off the map in seconds.

The disaster killed 126,741 people in Aceh alone.

Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

(Reporting by Randy Fabi; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

- Reuters


Indonesian tsunami warning buoys not working when quake hit
The national disaster agency said the process of confirming that a tsunami had not occurred was hindered because none of the country's 22 early-warning buoys were working.
Channel NewsAsia 3 Mar 16;

JAKARTA: A series of early-warning buoys deployed after a 2004 tsunami devastated parts of Indonesia's western Sumatra island were not working when a huge quake rocked the same area on Wednesday (Mar 3), an official said.

The 7.8 magnitude, shallow undersea quake hit late Wednesday off Sumatra, sending panicked residents fleeing for the hills and briefly triggering a tsunami alert. But a tsunami was not generated and there have been no reports of casualties or major damage, with life largely returning to normal in affected areas on Thursday.

However, the national disaster agency said the process of confirming that a tsunami had not occurred was hindered because none of the country's 22 early-warning buoys were working.

The early part of the warning process ran smoothly, with a tsunami alert quickly sent out to communities across Sumatra, which led to sirens sounding and people heading to higher ground.

But without the working buoys, which can detect changes in water movement and relay the data back to officials, it took authorities around three hours to confirm that destructive waves had not been generated and to call off the alert.

"The tsunami buoys have been damaged by vandalism, and a there is a lack of funds for maintenance," disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told reporters.

"This situation makes it difficult to confirm whether a tsunami has occurred or not," he added.

The buoys were part of a sophisticated, multi-million-dollar warning system, constructed with help of foreign donors following the 2004 tsunami that occurred when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off Sumatra.

It sent a huge tsunami barrelling into Aceh province, on Sumatra's northern tip, and to countries around the Indian Ocean, leaving around 220,000 people dead.

A series of strong aftershocks continued to rock Sumatra Thursday but the Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics Agency, which monitors earthquakes, urged people to remain calm.

"Based on data from these aftershocks we do not believe there will be an earthquake of greater strength," the agency said in a statement. Calm had returned to the city of Padang in western Sumatra, where the quake had been felt strongly.

A team of military personnel and search and rescue officials were also dispatched Thursday to the remote Mentawai Islands, the closest land to the epicentre, to check on communities that had not been contacted since the quake.

- AFP/yt


Quake reveals shelters lacking, radios broken
Syofiardi Bachyul JB, Hans Nicholas Jong and Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post 4 Mar 16;

When an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck the west coast of Sumatra on Wednesday night, thousands of residents of Sikakap district, Mentawai Islands, rushed to nearby hills.

Having learned from a devastating tsunami in 2010 and previous drills organized by the authorities, the residents took the prepared paths to higher ground located a kilometer from North Pagai beach.

Fortunately, the tremblor, slightly more intense but further from the islands than that of 2010, caused no damage or loss of life.

But fear remained after arriving at the hill as no shelter or telecommunication facilities to call for assistance were available.

“There was nothing up there. Everyone, including children and the elderly, had to stay there all night,” Sikakap district head Happy Nurdiana told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

She said the shelters that had been readied after the 2010 tsunami were unusable as were radio facilities that had been installed in 2007.

Mentawai Islands Disaster Management Agency head Elisa Siriparang also lamented the lack of communication facilities. “When the earthquake occurred, I was on a boat heading to Padang. My cell phone was functioning but I couldn’t reach anyone on site,” he said.

She added that several other facilities, including tsunami-warning sirens, were out of service.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basin.

A massive quake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale off the northern part of Aceh in 2004 triggered a tsunami that left 230,000 people dead in a dozen countries. Most of the deaths were in Aceh.

Since then escalated preparation efforts for the mitigation of earthquakes and tsunamis had been made along the western coast of Sumatra.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale off the coast of West Sumatra rocked the province in 2009, claiming at least 1,100 lives and injuring thousands more, although no tsunami occurred.

In 2010, a 7.7-magnitude quake caused a tsunami that swept away two villages in South and North Pagai islands, killing at least 23 and destroying hundreds of homes.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) located the epicenter of the quake 280 kilometers off Padang, the province’s capital, and 20 kilometers deep. Wednesday’s jolt was located 659 kilometers from Muara Siberut, a town in Mentawai, and was 24 kilometers deep.

Rapot Pardomuan, a local rights activist with the Alliance of Indigenous People (AMAN), said the earthquake should be a wake-up call for the central government and local authorities to better equip tsunami-prone areas. “The central government and local administrations must act,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government praised the preparedness of local residents.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he believed people in Sumatra now had a better awareness about how to stay safe during natural disasters, particularly earthquakes and tsunamis, as a result of the experience of past disasters.

“Everyone is [now] aware; this is important,” Jokowi said on the sidelines of his visit to Medan, North Sumatra.

“What’s important is how people respond immediately by leaving houses and buildings to seek higher ground. And all of that was put into practice last night by the people in Mentawai Islands,” said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

But with the risk of tsunamis still endemic in the archipelago, Sutopo said the government needed to increase the budget for tsunami-mitigation efforts.
Earthquake record in Mentawai

* July 6, 2013: 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the island and also felt in the Sumatra cities of Padang, Jambi and Bengkulu. No reports of damage or fatalities.

* Nov. 27, 2014: A 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook South Siberut Regency, Mentawai Islands. No reports of damage or fatalities.

* Dec. 18, 2014: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the island again. No reports of damage or casualties.

* July 24, 2015: A 4.8-magnitude quake reported some 110 km west-southwest of Padang. No casuaties and damage were reported.

*Aug. 2, 2015: A 4.7-magnitude earthquake Mentawai again and was also felt in Padang and Painan. No casualties and damage were reported.

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Indonesia: Illegal gold mining blamed for damage to national park

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

Illegal gold mining activities have been blamed for environmental damage in the Lore Lindu National Park (TNLL) in Poso and Sigi regencies, Central Sulawesi, 90 kilometers to the south of the provincial capital of Palu.

Some 1,000 illegal miners are currently conducting mining activities in a 4-hectare area in Dongi-Dongi village, Sedoa subdistrict located in both regencies.

Chairman of the Central Sulawesi Environmental Agency, Abd Rahim, said that miners from different regions continued to flock to the site, digging the soil and leaving holes on hillsides, searching for gold ore.

Unfortunately, Rahim said, the site was located in a part of the TNLL that had just been rehabilitated in the last four months. Unless something was done about it, he said, the forest damage in the area would get worse.

“It is also feared [the illegal mining] may cause social conflict in the community,” he said recently.

He said his office had examined the location and found damage that could further deteriorate the flora and fauna ecosystem in the TNLL rehabilitation zone.

He also said his office had coordinated with the TNLL center and established an integrated team that had been tasked by the governor with curbing the illegal mining.

Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola said the illegal mining needed to be curtailed as soon as possible because apart from damaging the environment the toxic waste it produced endangered the health of people in the vicinity.

“That is very dangerous. The security authorities have to be firm in dealing with illegal miners,” Longki said.

Separately, Sigi Police operations unit chief Comr. Abdul Aziz said the police had often arrested residents for digging up soil from the mining sites and taking it to Palu for further processing.

“We’ve several times arrested residents at traffic check points and seized sacks containing soil from pick-up trucks,” Aziz said.

He said the police could not take firm action against the illegal miners as they had no firm policy from the local government.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Central Sulawesi branch director Ahmad Pelor urged action, saying the illegal mining site was located within protected forest and was categorized as an area prone to disasters especially landslides.

“The government and all related parties have to move fast to prevent the damage from further expanding and to stop the number of miners from increasing,” he said.

He also expressed support for the shutting down of the illegal mining area but suggested that it be conducted through persuasive means.

TNLL officially covers an area of 217,991.18 hectares. It is home to flora and fauna endemic to Sulawesi and offers interesting natural phenomena as a result of its being located on the Wallace Line, which is the transition line between the Asian and Australasian landmasses.

Located to the south of Donggala regency and to the west of Poso regency, the park is a water-catchment area for the three big rivers in the province, namely the Lariang, Gumbasa and Palu rivers.

The park is a habitat for Sulawesi’s biggest native mammals including anoa, hog deer, deer, ghost monkeys, kakaktonkea monkeys, kuskus marsupials and civets. At least five different species of squirrels and 31 out of 38 species of rats can also be found there.

Other riches of the park include thousands of insect species and ancient megalithic structures considered to be the best of their kind in Indonesia.

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Parts of Great Barrier Reef face permanent destruction due to El Nino: scientists

Colin Packham Reuters Yahoo News 2 Mar 16;

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef face permanent destruction if the current El Nino, one of the strongest in two decades, does not ease this month, scientists said on Wednesday.

The El Nino is a result of a warming of the ocean in the western Pacific -- ideal conditions for coral bleaching, where coral expels living algae, causing it to calcify. Coral can only survive within a narrow band of ocean temperature.

The scientists said areas of the Great Barrier Reef, a world heritage site, are experiencing the worst bleaching in 15 years.

Coral around Lizard Island off the tropical city of Cairns has seen the most widespread bleaching, with 80 percent of its coral bleached under unrelenting sunlight, Dr Anne Hoggett, director, Lizard Island Research Station told Reuters.

"Bleaching is a clear signal that living corals are under physiological stress. If that stress is bad enough for long enough, the corals can die," said Dr Russell Reichelt, chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said.

"What happens now will be entirely dependent on local weather conditions," said Reichelt.

Scientists said the Great Barrier Reef needs a break in El Nino conditions within weeks if some coral areas are to survive.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's most recent forecast calls for a continuation of El Nino conditions.

This year will be the hottest on record and 2016 could be even hotter due to the El Niño weather pattern, the World Meteorological Organization

The Great Barrier Reef stretches 2,000 kms (1,200 miles) along Australia's northeast coast and is the world's largest living ecosystem. It brings in billions of dollars a year in tourism revenue.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee last May stopped short of placing the Great Barrier Reef on an "in danger" list, but the ruling raised long-term concerns about its future due to climate change.

While the El Nino is set to ease by the middle of 2016, according to the BOM, the weather system - which brings hot, dry conditions to Australia's east coast - is seen as foreshadowing the likely impact of future climate change.

"Coral is the canary in the mine," said Hoggett of the looming threat from climate change.

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry)

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Thousands to march against coal plant threat to Bangladesh's Sundarbans forest

Organisers hope march from the capital to the heritage-listed mangrove forest will persuade Bangladesh’s government to drop backing for the power plants
Jeremy Hance The Guardian 2 Mar 16;

Thousands of Bangladeshis will march from the country’s capital, Dhaka, to the world’s biggest mangrove forest next week in protest at plans to build two coal-power plants on the edge of the World Heritage-listed forest.

The organisers of the so-called long march on 10 March hope to persuade the Bangladeshi government to drop its backing for construction of the plants near the Sundarbans, an area of rice paddies, shrimp farms and vast mangrove forests.

“No sensible person will deny that there are many alternative ways for electricity generation,” said Anu Muhammad an economist with Jahangirnagar University, and head of the march organisers, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports. “But there is no alternative for [the] Sundarbans.”

Both the proposed 1,320 MW Rampal coal plant and the 565 MW Orion coal plant will sit within 14km of the Sundarbans, a 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) forest listed as both a Unesco World Heritage site and a Ramsar-protected wetland. The great forest is split between Bangladesh and India, but the bulk of its lies in the former.

Activists fear that the coal plants will slowly destroy the Sundarbans – already under threat from forest fragmentation and overpopulation – due to air and water pollution, changes in water quality and increased boat traffic. The Rampal coal plant alone will take 219,600 cubic metres of water every day from the Passur river, potentially changing the salinity and temperature of the water on which mangroves depend.

The government estimates that the Rampal coal plant will require approximately a shipment of coal every day through the ecosystem’s winding, shallow rivers. Critics say this could increase chances of a catastrophic spill, a concern brought home in 2014 when an oil tanker spilled 75,000 gallons into the fragile ecosystem. For days, locals were left to fight the toxic spill with little more than pots, pans, spoons and sponges.

The government contends that the coal plants will have little to no impact on the forest, saying they will use the latest technology to mitigate pollution.

“We see no reason why this project would destroy the Sundarbans, as alleged,” said Ujjwal Bhattacharya, managing director of the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (BIFPC), which is running the Rampal coal plant. The BIFPC is a joint company between India and Bangladesh’s national power companies.

Bhattacharya added that the new coal plant is based on “stringent” environmental guidelines and follows Bangladeshi law.

The Bangladeshi government also argues that the coal plants are necessary to reduce poverty in a country where around a third of the population lacks power.

“This project will usher in economic prosperity in the Rampal area … which will reduce dependency of the local population on [the Sundarbans],” said Bhattacharya. “This will rather help the government … to save the Sundarbans.”

While most officials are sticking to the government line, Bangladesh’s finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, admitted last month to reporters that the coal plant would have “some impacts obviously,” adding that the boats carrying coal on a daily basis will “substantially affect the flora and fauna there”.

Activists note that this is a coal plant that could never be built in neighbouring India, which has a law on the books that coal plants must be at least 25km from the edge of any forest.

Miha Mizra, a local researcher and activist, said that these projects are indicative of the Bangladesh government’s “one track obsession over high GDP growth as the standard of progress”. She calls this “a very shallow idea of development which is merely growth based, consumption driven, and energy obsessed” and accuses the government of viewing Bangladesh’s poor and its forests as just “collateral damage that is expected to be sacrificed”.

The collateral damage could also include Bangladesh’s last population of tigers, which are found in the Sundarbans. A recent survey found only 106 tigers surviving in Bangladesh’s side of the forest, far fewer than expected. Bangladesh was one of 13 tiger-range countries that pledged in 2010 to double the world’s population of tigers within 20 years, but so far its own population has continued to fall.

Other threatened species in the Sundarbans include two river dolphins and an endemic bird, the masked finfoot. Overall, researchers have documented more than 1,000 species in the Sundarbans – and that’s not including insects.

Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis depend directly on the Sundarbans forest and its waterways for their livelihood, from fisheries to honey production. The forest also provides a vital buffer against the cyclones that routinely hit this part of the world. Muhammad calls it a “natural safeguard … for nearly 40 million people.”

Despite its vocal stance on the international stage on tackling climate change, Bangladesh is aggressively turning towards coal. The Rampal and Orion coal plants are just two of at least a dozen planned coal plant projects around the country.

Hasina has pledged to increase Bangladesh’s coal power by 15,000 MW by 2030, raising Bangladesh’s percentage of coal power from 1% in 2010 to 50% by 2030. Currently, the country gets the bulk of its energy from natural gas.

Activists like Mizra have an uphill battle ahead of them. A long march against the Rampal coal plant three years ago – which attracted some 20,000 people – failed to dissuade the government. Construction on that project is expected to begin this year.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 Mar 16

Wild fun for kids during the March school holidays!
wild shores of singapore

Temasekia: 50 Plants and Animals Native to Singapore available in stores
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

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Cross Island Line: Key step needed in environment assessment process

Straits Times Forum 1 Mar 16;

I applaud the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for engaging various stakeholders regarding the Cross Island MRT Line ("Both possible alignments for CRL will be studied" by Mr Chew Men Leong of the LTA; Feb 22).

However, the letter showed a significant lack of understanding of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process, which has caused undue stress to residents, businesses and nature lovers.

In the EIA process, scoping is a critical early step that surfaces social, environmental and economic issues before any project or development (in this case an alignment) is conceptualised, so that voices can be heard and decisions can be made with a holistic view in mind.

Leaving out engagement at the scoping stage, while subsequently throwing in a seemingly speculative figure of $2 billion and announcing the possible social impacts after the completion of EIA Phase 1, unsettles the public and is contrary to the goal of constructive, inclusive decision-making.

Nonetheless, there are agencies and projects which are moving towards a much more effective model.

For instance, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board, through the Friends of Ubin Network, put in a valiant effort to engage a relatively diverse group of non-governmental organisations, businesses and residents to understand their needs, concerns and dreams in order to scope out a list of acceptable projects and developments on Pulau Ubin.

I urge agencies to carefully consider their approach to future projects and the engagement process, to avoid polarising the public and to encourage cooperative deliberation instead.

Chen Dexiang

Related links
Love our MacRitchie Forest: walks, talks and petition. Also on facebook.

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Publish environmental impact studies as a matter of course

KWAN JIN YAO Today Online 2 Mar 15;

I refer to the report “Govt agencies may post environmental impact studies online in future” (Feb 27), which reported that after the unprecedented release online of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report by the Land Transport Authority, government agencies will consider doing the same for future reports. This is especially if there is significant public interest involved.

Publishing such reports online should be the norm, not the exception, especially when the definition of “significant public interest” can be ambiguous. It also allows the Government to better gauge sentiments, enriching discourse in the process.

Arguments that EIA reports could be too technical or too voluminous, or may not be easily understandable or interesting to the layman, are not necessarily valid.

First, if this is an issue, it may point to the need for public agencies to not only make these reports more readily available, but to also improve how the findings from these studies are communicated or presented.

The second point concerns knowledge and knowledge-sharing. The EIA reports provide valuable information, and it is true that not all Singaporeans will be able to grasp the content, especially when it is technical. But if access to these reports is made more convenient, more groups of professionals who have recognised skills and knowledge across different domains can make sense of them, and share valuable feedback.

The third point concerns consultation. In addition to consultation after the publication of these EIA reports, it appears useful to involve more Singaporeans at an earlier stage.

Public participation may be messy, yet considering a wider range of viewpoints can strengthen the eventual justifications made.

Related links
Love our MacRitchie Forest: walks, talks and petition. Also on facebook.

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Dry and warm conditions expected in first half of March: MSS

The Meteorological Service Singapore says temperatures may reach as high as 34°C during this period.
Channel NewsAsia 1 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE: The dry weather experienced in the past week is expected to extend into the first two weeks of March, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Tuesday (Mar 1).

The temperature during this period is expected to range between 24°C and 33°C on most days, but on some days the daily maximum temperature may reach as high as 34°C.

MSS said dry and occasionally windy conditions are expected to prevail on most days, but there will be localised short-duration thundery showers. These will be expected mostly in the afternoon around the middle of the fortnight period.

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

According to MSS, Northeast Monsoon conditions are forecast to persist in March with low-level winds blowing predominantly from the north or northeast, and rainfall for the first half of the month is expected to be "near-normal".

- CNA/mz


Mostly dry and warm days ahead for first two weeks of March
Today Online 1 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE — The next two weeks should see mostly dry and warm conditions, said the weatherman on Tuesday (March 1).

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), daily temperatures during this period is expected to range between 24°C and 33°C on most days. There will be days that the daily maximum temperature could reach up to 34°C, the Met Service added.

Nonetheless, rainfall for the first half of March is expected to be near-normal. Localised short-duration thundery showers are expected in the afternoons of some days, with heavy showers possible on days when there is convergence of winds coupled with strong solar heating of land areas.

Singapore is in the midst of the North-east Monsoon conditions, with low level winds blowing predominantly from the north or north-east. Last month was the fourth warmest February since 1929, with the highest daily maximum temperature recorded ranging between 33.8°C and 34.2°C, while the mean monthly temperature was 27.8°C. This is despite the fact that the second week of February saw occasionally windy and cool weather conditions, with the lowest daily minimum temperature recorded between 21.5°C and 22.5°C due to a monsoon surge that affected the region.

The warm conditions though did not mean less rainfall. Rainfall across Singapore was above average last month, said the Met Service. The highest rainfall of 186mm (68 per cent above average) was recorded over the eastern part of Singapore around Changi. Rainfall was lowest over the north-eastern part of the island around Seletar, where 178mm (11 per cent above average) was recorded.


More windy days ahead with north-east monsoon
Adrian Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 3 Mar 16;

Even as the dry weather carries over from the past week into the fortnight ahead, Singaporeans will feel the wind in their hair.

This is because the north-east monsoon, which brought heavy showers in December and January, is reaching its end.

"The windiness is typical of this time of year... Based on historical data, by mid/late March, it should be calmer as inter-monsoon conditions will prevail," said Assistant Professor Winston Chow of the National University of Singapore's department of geography.

A Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) spokesman said that over the next two weeks, occasional windy conditions with daily average wind speed of 15kmh to 30kmh can be expected. The northern and eastern parts of the island are likely to experience windier conditions.

The MSS said that during the north-east monsoon season - between December and March - cold and dry conditions develop over much of continental northern Asia. "Intense high-pressure systems in these regions produce occasional surges of strong and cold winds that flow southward to the South China Sea and our surrounding region," it added.

In terms of rainfall over the fortnight, the MSS said there will likely be localised, short-duration thundery showers in the afternoon on some days. The temperature is expected to range between 24 and 33 deg C on most days.

Housewife Merinna Choy, who is in her 60s and lives in Upper Thomson, said: "These days, it's windy not just in the evenings but also during the afternoons when it is sunny.

"My wind chimes at home are making a lot of noise," she quipped.

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