APP should focus on preventing peatland fires, pay for damage

CHRIS CHENG CHIN HSIEN, ADVISOR TO PM.HAZE (PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT TO STOP HAZE)
Today Online 2 May 16;

I thank Mr Jose Raymond for his letter “APP committed to stopping haze and zero deforestation” (April 27), which was a response to my earlier letter “Tackling new mills a key way to stop the haze at source” (April 23).

In his letter, Mr Raymond acknowledged the link between land clearance and the production of forest commodities, and cited Asia Pulp and Paper’s (APP) Forest Conservation Policy to defend the company’s new OKI mill in South Sumatra. But he did not address any of our concerns in detail. First, Mr Raymond suggested that part of the new mill’s supply will come from increased yields in existing plantations. However, he did not provide evidence that yields can improve sufficiently to catch up with APP’s 50 per cent increase in wood demand with the new OKI mill.

Second, Mr Raymond said APP is conducting research to identify new plant species that can thrive in wet peatland conditions. But the OKI mill is scheduled to start operations this year, and how much any new species will actually contribute to APP’s supply remains unclear.

Third, Mr Raymond said APP is supporting communities to reduce poverty and to provide them with alternative livelihoods. Yet, APP continues to blame communities for setting fires, and social conflict remains a major issue that APP has yet to properly address.

Fourth, Mr Raymond suggested that part of the woodchip supply may come from plantations outside Indonesia without specifying these potential suppliers.

In summary, APP’s response largely repeats the old and vague messages that have been refuted by the joint report released on April 20 by 12 international and Indonesian non-governmental organisations (NGOs), “Will Asia Pulp & Paper default on its zero deforestation commitment?”.

The transboundary haze suffered by the people of Singapore last year was largely due to peatland fires on APP’s concessions. Although there is no official cost estimate of the damage caused by these fires, it is definitely a very significant figure.

The joint NGO report conservatively estimated that fires on APP’s concessions in South Sumatra alone generated 197 million tonnes of emissions in 2015. Estimating the price of carbon at US$20 (S$27) per tonne CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), APP would need to pay US$4 billion.

Why is APP not focusing on fire prevention and paying for the damage first before further expanding production? Even without fire, carbon-rich peatland releases carbon dioxide when it is drained for acacia (paper) plantations. For each five-year cycle of acacia plantation on peatland, the emission is roughly the same as clearing a forest with an area five times that of the plantation. This also applies to other pulp and paper companies that grow acacia on peatland, such as APRIL Group.

The Indonesian peatland restoration agency has encouraged pulp and paper companies to switch to species suitable for wet peatlands. Although this may reduce the yield of pulpwood in the short term, it is a mandatory step to create a long-term solution to haze and climate change.


APP working with stakeholders as part of its forest conservation policy
JOSE RAYMOND, VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SINGAPORE), ASIA PULP & PAPER
Today Online 5 May 16;

We thank Mr Chris Cheng for his letter “APP should focus on preventing peatland fires, pay for damage” (May 2) and will address the specific concerns he raised.

He cited a lack of evidence showing that yield from our existing plantations and new species being developed will meet the full demand of the new OKI mill in South Sumatra.

As I had set out in an earlier reply, “APP committed to stopping haze and zero deforestation” (April 27), this point is immaterial.

We have pledged firmly, as part of our forest conservation policy, to never use natural forest fibre in our mills. The mill will run on available supply of plantation fibre; if that supply is inadequate, we will adjust production accordingly. Since we made our zero-deforestation commitment, in February 2013, to stop using natural forest fibre in our production, we have not deviated from it.

Mr Cheng asked that we specify our potential woodchip sources in the event of any shortfall in supplies from our plantations. This is business-sensitive information that would give our competitors a commercial advantage if disclosed publicly. As far as we are aware, even sustainability reporting guidelines do not request companies to mandatorily report potential suppliers.

On the issue of peatlands, we are following the guidance set by the Indonesian government, and we are supporting the Peatland Restoration Agency to establish ecosystem restoration models.

With regard to communities, it is well established that slash-and-burn practices used by unauthorised parties and some smallholders are a cause of fires. Some smallholders resort to this mostly owing to a lack of choice: They do not have access to more sophisticated methods of land clearance.

In attempting to tackle one of the main causes of forest fires, we will continue working with communities to educate and support them in alternative methods of land clearance and to find them alternative sources of living through our agro-forestry programmes.

Likewise, we are working to establish an inclusive framework to help resolve social conflicts between stakeholders in the landscape — a key pillar of our forest conservation policy.

Fire prevention, in the context of landscape-level forest conservation, remains a priority. So far, we have invested US$20 million (S$27 million) in fire prevention and suppression efforts following last year’s haze episode. Tackling fires, however, must be part of a wider strategy to protect the environment and empower communities, as the underlying causes of fires and deforestation are similar: Peatland degradation, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal encroachment and land conflict.

A long-term solution to fires can be found only by addressing these issues, which is what we have been doing with our partners for the last three years as part of our forest conservation policy.

I invite Mr Cheng to work with us in finding long-term solutions to the challenges discussed.

Read more!

Malaysia: Remapping of water resources in Johor opens up opportunities for alternatives

BERNAMA New Straits Times 2 May 16;

BATU PAHAT: A remapping of the types of water resources available in Johor needs to be done before any exploration of underground water source is conducted in the state government’s efforts to find long term alternative water resources in the state.

The move is in line with the state government’s efforts to draft a water supply development plan for 50 years, which is seen to solve the water problems faced due to the extreme and erratic global weather conditions lately.

Water and Environmental Engineering Department lecturer at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Dr Mohamad Faizal Tajul Baharuddin said the remapping was required to get accurate data on potential sources for water.

“The last mapping by the Johor Department of Mineral and Geoscience was carried out over 15 years ago, and it was only the data for a particular area and not a comprehensive report.

“Therefore, it is appropriate to re-do the mapping to identify areas in the state where there is potential for underground water,” he told Bernama in an interview here recently.

Mohamad Faizal, who has eight years of experience in the exploration of underground water, had previously accompanied his Head of Department Dr Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi along with several other lecturers in the faculty to help several areas in Kelantan to tap underground water on a small scale, for the use of local residents.

“The remapping of water resources throughout Johor is estimated to take around six months, and could cost up to RM500,000,” he said.

According to him, the potential of underground water as a source was huge, as there was a very large quantity of clean water available, now expected to be in excess of what was once mentioned in studies by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In 1982, JICA reported that Malaysia was estimated to have about 5,000 billion cubic metres of underground water reserves, which remained untapped.

“However, our country up to now has used only three percent of the total, which is mostly for small and medium industries, and agriculture activities like aquaculture,” said Mohamad Faizal.

Currently, only Kelantan uses groundwater resources as its main water source covering more than 70 per cent of the state, he said.

Mohamad Faizal said the groundwater management model run by Syarikat Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) should be reviewed and made into a ‘case study’, in addition to making improvements in terms of using more modern technologies, as well as the involvement of experts from within the country and abroad.

“For example, a well field in Kampung Putih, Kelantan, which has about 10 to 18 tube wells, is capable of delivering approximately 36,000 cubic metres of water per day to 3,000 to 5,000 people,” said the principal investigator at the Research Centre for Soft Soil at the university.

He said based on Johor’s terrain, groundwater resources were available through two of four types of aquifers that store water, namely alluvium, limestone, meta-sediment, and granite.

“In Johor, the groundwater resources are often found in soil near sandy beaches (alluvium) or meta-sediments. However, what’s important is to ensure the quality and quantity of underground water is good, exploration should be done deep into the ground, up to about 200 or 300 metres,” he said.

He added that in Kelantan, the exploration of underground water was done up to about 150 to 170 metres deep.

Mohamad Faizal, however, acknowledged the cost of dredging was expensive, and that Malaysia did not yet possess the technology required to do it.
Therefore, he said the development of local technology was very welcome.

Meanwhile Mohd Adib said UTHM had the expertise in terms of detecting potential underground water, and in this case, cooperation with foreign researchers could be beneficial not only to the state of Johor, but even the country.

Thus, both the lecturers concurred that the negative perception by certain parties towards underground water or its exploration as orthodox methods should be discarded, as it is still a viable and practicle solution. -- Bernama

Read more!

Malaysia: Ground zero of the water crisis

Ray Yeh Channel NewsAsia 2 May 16;

BUKIT MERAH, Perak: Sporadic light rain brought on by cloud seeding might have provided folks in peninsular Malaysia reprieve from the unbearable heat, but it has done little to alleviate the country's water crisis.

At the heart of the crisis are Malaysia’s 41 dams and reservoirs, some of which are fast drying up, especially in the northern states of Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis.

While El Nino is to blame for wreaking havoc on weather patterns and causing the drought, some environmentalists claim that excessive deforestation and mismanagement of the dams are equally responsible for the severe water shortage the Southeast Asian country is currently facing.

PERAK'S "RICE BOWL"

The district of Kerian in the northern part of Perak is known as the “rice bowl” of the state, with a long history of paddy farming. A total of 23,705 hectares of land in this area are used for rice plantation.

However, Kerian has lately been making news in Malaysia - not for the district’s unique agricultural heritage, but for the trouble farmers in this rice bowl state find themselves in, as extreme temperatures and dry lands have delayed the start of the planting season.

MALAYSIA’S OLDEST DAM

The area’s main water source for agricultural and domestic use is Bukit Merah Dam, also known as Bukit Merah Lake. It was built more than a century ago in 1906, making it Malaysia’s oldest dam.

Here, normal storage level for full water supply is 8.7m, but water level in the dam has been hovering at around 6m in recent weeks, with a storage balance of below 20 per cent, way below the "danger" level of 40 per cent.

As a result, the Perak state government had decided to stop supplying water to the rice fields to focus on domestic users. They also estimate that if the dry spell continues, the lake will completely dry up in about a month.

PLIGHT OF THE RICE FARMERS

Hit hard by the drought, large expanses of Kerian’s paddy fields have been lying unattended in the scorching heat for more than three months. The once lush landscape has been reduced to patches of brown rice straws and mud cracks.

Close to 1,800 farmers have missed the new planting season that was slated to begin in January. It is uncertain how much longer they have to wait, despite the decision last week by the Drainage and Irrigation Department to release water from the dam in phases to help irrigate the dry paddy fields.

Even with sufficient water, “paddy seeds can’t be planted yet because they will die due to the extreme temperature”, said Mr Abu Bakar, a supervisor at one of the rice fields.

“Temperature plays an important role in farming. I estimate I’ll have to wait for another two weeks (before planting).”

The months-long delay and its domino effects will result in millions lost in combined income.

WATER RATIONING SOON?

Water rationing will be imposed in Kerian by the state if the Bukit Merah Dam level hits the critical 5.18m mark, affecting up to a quarter of a million residents in the area.

However, Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission (SPAN) wants it to be done immediately. “Why wait and risk the livelihood and welfare of the people? The dam may dry up and we cannot predict when this drought will end,” said SPAN commissioner Dr N Marimuthu recently after visiting the Bukit Merah lake.

“Water rationing will make the people aware that there is a water crisis, and they should avoid wastage.”

UNCERTAINTY FOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Bukit Merah Laketown Resort is a popular tourist attraction built right next to the dam, consisting of hotels and theme parks. Water activities came to a halt since the lake near the resort dried up.

Columns and foundation of the main jetty are left exposed, as well as stilts on which water chalets stand.

Not far from the resort, nestled in the lake, is the Orang Utan Island, which has become inaccessible to visitors due to the shallow water.

“Actually every year we have this situation, but not this bad,” said Ms Noor Haslina, a guest service officer.

“In 15 years, I think this is the worst. Last year the boats still can go to the island, but now you cannot go using normal boat, you need to kayak.”

For the past three weeks, staff has been rowing canoes to ferry food and medicine for the 24 orangutans living on the island.

Formerly known as Pulau Panjang, the 14-hectare site also houses research and education facilities on the endangered primate.

“We receive lots of phone calls asking us when we are going to open the island, but we cannot tell them,” said Ms Haslina. “We don’t know, it depends on the rain, on nature.”

MISMANAGEMENT OF DAM?

The current El Nino episode, which began last year, has been one of the strongest ever, smothering vast regions in a months-long heat wave. Economic losses in Southeast Asia could top US$10 billion, according to research firm Global Insight.

However, Mr Afandi Ahmad, secretary of Malaysia’s Environmental Activists Association (Kuasa), said that the water shortage can also be attributed to other man-made factors.

“We have been telling them you will face this problem if you carry on deforestation upstream,” said the 57-year-old, referring to the almost empty Bukit Merah Lake.

“A lot of reserved land around the lake, which is supposed to absorb more water when it rains, is now used to plant oil palm, so the land won’t absorb water anymore, all the rain will just push off.

“And Bukit Merah itself is not what it was supposed to be. When it is rainy season the water level should be brought up so that we can keep more water. But when they started building the resort, no matter how much it rains, they cannot raise the water level, because they have to protect the buildings in the resort,” Mr Afandi said.

“So when it rains, the water would flow away and they will suffer floods. When it is dry season, the water which is meant for paddy plantation is used to help the resort maintain the water for their activities. So the priority of the dam is now the resort. They have misused the purpose of the dam.”

UPGRADING PLANNED

The state government revealed in late April they have plans to upgrade the 110-year-old dam to increase capacity of the reservoir.

“With the upgrading ... the quantity of water the dam can hold will increase from 79 million m³ to 109 million m³, a 38 per cent increase in water catchment,” said Perak’s State Infrastructure, Public Utilities, Water and Energy Committee Chairman Zainol Fadzi Paharudin.

But for now, most ordinary folks can only wait and pray - for the rain to come and the drought to finally end.


It’s bleak for Bukit Merah Dam
The Star 2 May 16;

BAGAN SERAI: Encroachment into the more than 200ha of forest reserves that is a buffer zone around the Bukit Merah reservoir is believed to be one of the factors affecting the water catchment area at the Bukit Merah Dam.

Bagan Serai MP Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the intrusion, especially at Kampung Selamat and Pondok Tanjung forest reserve, had been happening for the past few years and was primarily used for agricultural purposes.

“This buffer zone is to store water for the dry season, and when the Bukit Merah Dam level recedes, water from here will flow into the reservoir.

“The encroachment has affected the ecosystem. Sedimentation has made the lake shallow, and heavy rain leads to flooding, because the trees which were meant to act as the buffer have been cut,” he told reporters after visiting the encroached areas with Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

The Bukit Merah Dam supplies water to over 22,000ha of padi fields in the Kerian district, and is the source of drinking water for over 200,000 people, including the industrial needs in Kamun­ting, Taiping.

According to Noor Azmi, who is also Bagan Serai Agriculture Development chairman, measures of cloud seeding and upgrading the Bukit Merah reservoir would be in vain, if the encroachment issue was not addressed.

“I have requested the Govern­ment to reserve this site for environmental remediation and to keep it as a watershed,” he said.

SAM researcher Meor Razak Meor Rahman said several areas in Pondok Tanjung and Kampung Selamat previously used to supply water to the reservoir here, had been encroached.

He claimed that his organisation found about 1,400ha of the Pondok Tanjung forest reserve degazetted for breeding Boer goats. – Bernama

Pahang MB orders probe into claims logging is cause for Sungai Pahang’s low water level
The Star 1 May 16;

KUANTAN: Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob (pic) has ordered relevant government departments and agencies to immediately investigate allegations that the main cause for Sungai Pahang becoming shallow and dry was due to excessive logging in Hulu Tembeling.

Adnan said the probe was to determine whether the drop in the water level was caused by logging or attributed to other factors such as extreme hot weather due to the El Nino phenomenon currently sweeping the country.

"We cannot say that only Sungai Pahang is drying up because other rivers are also going dry.

"Indeed (no doubt) one of the reasons for Sungai Pahang going dry is due to the clearing of forest for agriculture, logging and as we know there is the construction of the Tekai and Jelai hydro dams going on in the region ... Nevertheless, we will ask the technical department to give a full and accurate report," he said.

Adnan was speaking to reporters after participating in a charity golf event between the Mentri Besar's team and the alumni of Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah at the Mahkota Golf and Country Club, here Sunday.

Hewas commenting on a recent report about Sungai Pahang's shallow and dry state being attributed to rampant logging activities.

He also said that the water supply problems in some districts in the state such as Temerloh, Lipis, Bera and Raub was due to old pipes besides the water intake point being dry.

In another development, Adnan said the state government through Yayasan Pahang will provide "one off" assistance to 150 students from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak campus.

Besides students from Pahang, the aid will also be given to students from other states as a sign of concern from the state government and out of respect to Sultan Ahmad Shah as IIUM's constitutional head and its rector Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin, who also hails from Pahang.

The charity golf tournament was held to raise funds to help national golfer Shaaban Hussin, 36, who was involved in a road accident while on the way from his house in Kota Damansara to Shah Alam, last Thursday.

Adnan said RM150,000 had been collected from the tournament and that the amount was expected to increase to RM200,000 with contributions from state companies and individuals, and he himself would hand over the donation to Shaaban next week. – Bernama


Pahang MB orders probe into claims that logging affected Sg Pahang water level
NOR AIN MOHAMED RADHI New Straits Times 1 May 16;

KUANTAN: Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has ordered technical agencies to immediately investigate reports that the critical drop in the Sungai Pahang water level was caused by excessive logging and land clearing, particularly in Hulu Tembeling.

“I have read the report in the newspapers, which to me was fair.

"I have called for an immediate investigation by the technical agencies over the matter,” he said after a charity golf event between the Menteri Besar team and the alumni of Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah here today.

He said it was not fair to say that only Sungai Pahang is experiencing a critical drop in water level when the country is experiencing extreme hot weather due to El-Nino.

“I am not living in denial, but that is the fact. But at the same time I also did not deny the fact that land clearing for oil palm cultivation and logging had taken place there alongside hydroelectric project in Jelai and Tekal.

“We must be fair too by allowing an investigation to take place before any conclusion could be made,” he said. Recently, it was reported Sungai

Pahang’s shallow state is being attributed to a number of factors including logging, clearing of land for oil palm cultivation and soil erosion.

Read more!

Malaysia: Firemen battling to put out peat fires

The Star 2 May 16;

DUNGUN: Firemen here are still busy trying to extinguish the peat fires in Dungun and Setiu.

The state Fire and Rescue Department public relations office Rozizah Abni Hajar said fire fighters were still doing their best to put out the peat fires at Pengkalan Jering in Dungun and Bukit Layat forest in Setiu.

The fires were detected last Wednesday and a total of 7ha was on fire in Dungun, but half of the fire has been extinguished, he said.

“In Setiu, efforts to put out the fire on an hectare of forest are still ongoing.

“We expect to fully extinguish the fire today (yesterday),” he said.

The fire in Dungun is expected to take three more days to put out – depending on the weather and water sources.

Previously, some 200ha of forest and vegetation in the state were destroyed due to fires in the first four months of this year due to El Nino.

During that time, the department received more than 900 calls on open burning.

He reminded the public not to carry out open burning, including for agricultural purposes or clearing rubbish during this dry season. – Bernama

Terengganu firemen battle forest and peat fires caused by El Nino
ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 1 May 16;

SETIU: Firemen in Terengganu have been kept busy dousing forest and peat fires, no thanks to the current extreme hot and dry spell.

Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Rozizah Abni Hajar said that about 11 hectares of forests in Pengkalan Jering in Dungun and Bukit Layat in Setiu were consumed in flames.

“We expect to control the blaze in Setiu affecting 4ha in a day, while it may take up to three days to do so at the 7ha forest in Dungun owing to the severity of the fire over there,” said Rozizah.

She added that about 200ha of forest were destroyed in the state for the first four months this year following the El Nino phenomena.

Rozizah said during that period, the department received 900 emergency calls for forest fires. “The extreme hot and dry spell puts plantations, bushes and forests at high risk of fires.

As such, people have been advised not to carry out open burnings,” she said.

Meanwhile, firemen were also seen busy putting out peat fires in Manir, Kuala Terengganu.

Read more!

Indonesia: Illegal wildlife traders arrested in Riau

Rizal Harahap Jakarta Globe 1 May 16;

Officers from the Riau Police’s special crime investigations unit have arrested two traders of rare and protected species parts in Bukit Pedusunan, Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau.

The Riau Police’s special crime investigations deputy director Adj. Sr. Comr. Ari Rahman Nafarin said it was suspected that the two wildlife traders, identified only as Herman, 54, and Andri, 45, had long been members of an international wildlife trade syndicate. They could evade arrest for so long because the police had difficulty in getting evidence on the suspects, he added.

Ari said the police managed on Friday to arrest the two traders after they were entrapped by a police officer who pretended to be a customer for their wildlife products. After two days of negotiations, he said, they agreed to show the wildlife parts they were willing to sell.

“Right after our personnel saw the evidence, they were arrested,” said Ari in a press conference on Saturday.

The police chief further explained that from the two suspects, they confiscated several pieces of evidence, comprising a tiger skin, which was still in the preserving process, several sheets of dried snake skins, one set of tiger bones, one set of bear bones and two bird skulls. They were worth a total of around Rp 100 million ( US$7,577.20 ).

The police said all of the wildlife products were hidden in a place behind of Herman’s house. What the purpose of the tiger skin and bear bones was remained unknown. Ari said the police would question traditional medicine experts to find out.

It was the first time for the Riau Police to confiscate a tiger skin. Previously they had seized several tusks of wild elephants.

Where the two suspects got the wildlife parts also remains unknown. Ari said they were suspected of violating Law No.5/1990 on the conservation of biodiversity and its ecosystem, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines. From their preliminary investigation, he said, the police concluded that Herman and Andri were just buyers, not wildlife hunters.

“From their statements, we will pursue the hunters,” said Ari, adding that the investigators would also investigate other wildlife parts the two suspects had traded before.

Wildlife crime – Personnel of the Riau Police’s special crime investigation unit show bits of tiger skin in the course of being preserved and other skins they confiscated from two wildlife organ traders. The tiger skin sells for between Rp 50 million ( US$3,788.60 ) and Rp 100 million on the black market. ( thejakartapost.com/Rizal Harahap )

Osmantri, the World Wildlife Fund’s ( WWF ) wildlife crime team ( WCT ) coordinator for central Sumatra, said Herman had long worked as a protected-wildlife trader on the black market, he was known as Man Bobok.

He further said Herman was only a wildlife buyer and he had carried out this profession for at least the last five years. Apart from Riau, wildlife lovers in West Sumatra and Jambi knew Man Bobok well and his network spread across the three provinces.

“He played a key role in the chain of wildlife trading crime,” said Osmantri.

Based on information obtained from WCT informants in the three provinces, Herman had bought tiger skins from wildlife hunters several times.

Ari said wildlife products bought by Man Bobok were from forest areas in Kuantan Singingi, Kampar and Indragiri Hulu regencies and conservation areas on the Riau-Jambi and Riau-West Sumatra borders. The Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency ( BKSDA ) had long targeted Herman and continued to follow the case to discover tiger and other protected species hunts in the province.

On the black market, a piece of tiger skin of less than 150 centimeters in length can sell for between Rp 50 million and Rp 70 million. Meanwhile, a piece bigger than 180 cm sells for more than Rp 100 million. Most tiger skins are sold to domestic consumers. Dried tiger bones are sold at Rp 2 million per kilogram and are mostly sent to China, where they are processed into powder for the mixture of Chinese traditional medicines. It is widely believed tiger bones can boost male vitality. ( ebf )

Read more!

Indonesia: Book Sheds Light on Dire Consequences of Burning Peatland -- Johannes Nugroho

Johannes Nugroho Jakarta Globe 1 May 16;

In light of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo’s recent announcement of the moratorium on new oil palm plantations, the publication of "Catastrophe and Regeneration in Indonesia’s Peatlands: Ecology, Economy and Society" by NUS Press and Kyoto University Press seems timely. The new book’s timeliness is further borne out by a similar pledge last year by president on peatland development. Even more encouraging is the newly formed partnership between the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) and Kyoto University in the ambitious task to help restore 2.26 million hectares of damaged peatland in the next five years.

Representing the university at its MOU signing ceremony with BRG was its Center for Southeast Asian Studies director Kosuke Mizuno. Professor Mizuno was also one of the main editors and indeed contributors to Catastrophe and Regeneration. The book details multi-disciplinary discourses on the state of Southeast Asian peatland past and present, with fieldwork research carried out in Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve in Riau from 2010 to 2012.

Boasting a lineup of fourteen respective experts on various disciplines (Kosuke Mizuno, Motoko S. Fujita, Shuici Kawai, Retno Kusumaningtyas, Kazuo Watanabe, Tetsuya Shimamura, Kazuya Masuda, Kaoru Sugihara, Shigeo Kobayashi, Haruka Suzuki, Osamu Kozan, Ahmad Muhammad, Haris Gunawan and Hiromitsu Samejima), the book is rare in its thoroughness and clarity on the history, current state as well as future of peatland use in Southeast Asia.

Through analyses of historical data and fieldwork findings gathered by the team, the authors attempt to identify the environmental problems facing peat forests resulted from human and industrial exploitation in the past century. A thoughtful line from the book best summarizes the underlying reason for the current crisis: “The logic of industrialization is not the logic of symbiosis with the biosphere.”

Last year’s terrible haze across the region as a result of forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan was enough testimony to the gravity of the problem. The book ably explores how forest fires only became a major threat after Southeast Asia underwent extensive deforestation in the late 1980s, made worse by the subsequent “development” in the peatland areas, hitherto considered unsuitable for human habitation or use.

In Indonesia specifically, the books recounts President Suharto’s “developmentalist” drive, which eventually saw vast tracts of peatland drained in the effort to make them arable for cash crops such as oil palm or forestry products like acacia trees, a major source of paper pulp. In its natural state submerged under water, peat posed no fire risk. But once drained and baked dry by the sun, it becomes easily combustible, which explains why forest fires became more common as more peatland was “reclaimed” for industrial activities.

Kyoto University’s research team also discovered an important fact which led them to conclude that behavioral changes in our treatment and approach to peat forests are necessary in order to avert future crises. They argue that we have been growing the wrong trees there and in doing so we have exacerbated the problem. Take oil palm for example. Palm trees grown in former peatlands, even after extensive soil treatment and fertilization, yield less oil than those planted in non-peatlands. With the growing frequency of forest fires, the yields promise to be even less as a significant number of palm trees are destroyed or rendered unproductive by fire damage before reaching maturity.

Yet as the commodity boom in the last decade continued its march, the conversion of natural peatlands into oil palm plantations became relentless. Far from dissuading people from using peat areas for oil palm culture, the 2002 forest fires which spread to rubber plantations and fruit orchards only ended up seeing the decimated areas replanted with oil palm saplings. The environmental powder keg even became more menacing as in Riau “between 2002 and 2006 the area of oil palm plantations more than tripled from 7,514 ha to 22,681.”

The authors of the book have also endeavored to offer possible solutions which would satisfy both environmental and economic needs of the region. An idea prominently discussed is “people’s forestry” which focuses on economically viable trees which are more suited to peatland conditions, such as rubber, bintagur, jelutong and ramin. It is believed that with local knowledge as its guide, people’s forestry may provide the region with a more sustainable way of making use of the biomass resources while conserving the environment.

However, its success depends on the restoration of peatlands through rewetting, something which the authors believe the local inhabitants can accomplish. They also suggest diversifying the current economic activities, again with reference to local traditions. For instance, their research reveals that many of the locals used to rely on fishing in the sea for a living but later turned to oil palm culture.

Catastrophe and Regeneration in Indonesia’s Peatlands: Ecology, Economy and Society provides us with new insights and considered data on the problem of peatland use and its effects. As the Southeast Asian haze threatens to become an annual occurrence with dire repercussions, the issue of peatland restoration has taken on renewed urgency. It is in this respect that the new book is a welcome new voice in the search for solutions to the region’s most pressing environmental hazard.

Johannes Nugroho is a writer from Surabaya.

Read more!

As Asia's rice crop shrivels, food security fears resurface

Channel NewsAsia 2 May 16;

SINGAPORE: Nearly a decade after a spike in global food prices sent shockwaves around the world, Asia's top rice producers are suffering from a blistering drought that threatens to cut output and boost prices of a staple for half the world's population. World rice production is expected to decline for the first time this year since 2010, as failing rains linked to an El Nino weather pattern cut crop yields in Asia's rice bowl.

A heat wave is sweeping top rice exporter India, while the No.2 supplier Thailand is facing a second year of drought. Swathes of farmland in Vietnam, the third-biggest supplier, are also parched as irrigation fed by the Mekong river runs dry.

The three account for more than 60 percent of the global rice trade of about 43 million tonnes.

"As of now we haven't seen a large price reaction to hot and dry weather because we have had such significant surplus stocks in India and Thailand. But that can't last forever," said James Fell, an economist at the International Grains Council (IGC).

Rice inventories in the three top exporters are set to fall by about a third at the end of 2016 to 19 million tonnes, the biggest year-on-year drop since 2003, according to Reuters calculations based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Any big supply disruption can be extremely sensitive. In 2008, lower Asian rice output due to an El Nino prompted India to ban exports, sending global prices sky-rocketing and causing food riots in Haiti and panic measures in big importers such as the Philippines.

Manila at the time scrambled to crack down on hoarding, ordered troops to supervise subsidised rice sales and asked fast food chains to serve half-portions, as well as urging Vietnam and others to sell the country more rice.

The world has suffered a series of food crises over the past decade involving a range of grains due to adverse weather.

In the case of rice, benchmark Thai prices hit a record around US$1,000 a tonne in 2008. Price spikes like this typically also boost demand for other grains such as wheat, widely used for noodles in Asia, and soybeans and corn used for food or feed.

While currently far below 2008 highs, rice earlier this month hit US$389.50, the strongest since July and up 13 percent from an eight-year low of US$344 in September.

FIRST FALL IN WORLD CROP SEEN FOR 6 YEARS

Bruce Tolentino of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute is concerned about Asia's vulnerability.

"In general prices are still stable right now. They're inching up though, and what will drive things over the edge will be a major calamity in one of the major producing countries."

Although India's rice output in 2015 was largely stable, extremely hot temperatures are threatening a second crop in eastern regions.

Traders see further price gains by June as India's next big crop is not due until September and Thailand's main crop by year end.

The IGC sees a 2016 world harvest of 473 million tonnes, down from 479 million tonnes in 2015 and the first decline in six years.

MEKONG DELTA

Thailand's last main crop was only about half of the peak production a few years ago and the USDA has forecast output will drop by more than a fifth to 15.8 million tonnes this year.

"The government has been asking farmers not to plant rice as there is little water in the reservoirs after two years of drought," said one Bangkok-based trader.

In Vietnam, output could fall 1.5 percent this year to 44.5 million tonnes, while exports would be 8.7 million tonnes, steady on a previous projection, the government said.

As much as 240,000 hectares (593,000 acres) of paddy have been destroyed by drought and salination in the central area and southern Mekong Delta region, it said.

A Singapore-based trader said that while the annual decline appeared modest Vietnam's latest harvest "is 5 to 6 percent lower than last year."

Thailand and Vietnam harvest three crops a year.

IMPORTERS ALSO SUFFER

Some Asian countries are already looking to raise imports.

Indonesia is expected to see 2016 purchases jump by more than 60 percent to two million tonnes from a few years ago.

China, the world's top importer, taking about 5 million tonnes annually, is expected to continue this buying pace. IGC has forecast China's 2016 production will fall short of consumption for a third consecutive year.

The Philippines had the lowest stocks since October in March despite importing 750,000 tonnes and its procurement agency has standby authority to ship an additional 500,000 tonnes.

"Although El Nino has entered its weakening stage, the risk of higher food prices remains given the onset of the summer season," said Philippine Economic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra.

(Additional reporting by Enrico dela Cruz in MANILA, Fergus Jensen in JAKARTA, Ho Binh Minh in HANOI and Mayank Bhardwaj in NEW DELHI; Editing by Ed Davies)

- Reuters

Read more!

Armed guards at India dams as drought leaves farmers dry

Channel NewsAsia 1 May 16;

TIKAMGARH, India: As young boys plunge into a murky dam to escape the blistering afternoon sun, guards armed with guns stand vigil at one of the few remaining water bodies in a state hit hard by India's crippling drought.

Desperate farmers from a neighbouring state regularly attempt to steal water from the Barighat dam, forcing authorities in central Madhya Pradesh to protect it with armed guards to ensure supplies.

India is officially in the grip of its worst water crisis in years, with the government saying that about 330 million people, or a quarter of the population, are suffering from drought after the last two monsoons failed.

"Water is more precious than gold in this area," Purshotam Sirohi, who was hired by the local municipality to protect the stop-dam, located in Tikamgarh district, told AFP.

"We are protecting the dam round the clock."

But the security measures cannot stop the drought from ravaging the dam in the parched Bundelkhand region, with officials saying it holds just one month of reserves.

Four reservoirs in Madhya Pradesh have already dried up, leaving more than a million people with inadequate water and forcing authorities to truck in supplies.

Almost a hundred thousand residents in Tikamgarh get piped water for just two hours every fourth day, while municipal authorities have ordered new bore wells to be dug to meet demand.

But it may not be enough, with officials saying the groundwater level has receded more than 100 feet (30 metres) owing to less than half the average annual rainfall in the past few years.

"The situation is really critical, but we are trying to provide water to everyone," Laxmi Giri Goswami, chairwoman of Tikamgarh municipality, told AFP.

"We pray to rain gods for mercy," she said.

In the nearby village of Dargai Khurd, only one of 17 wells has water.

With temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, its 850 residents fear they may soon be left thirsty.

"If it dries up, we won't have a drop of water to drink," Santosh Kumar, a local villager told AFP.

FARMERS HARD HIT

Farmers across India rely on the monsoon -- a four-month rainy season which starts in June -- to cultivate their crops, as the country lacks a robust irrigation system.

Two weak monsoons have resulted in severe water shortages and crop losses in as many as 10 states, prompting extreme measures including curfews near water sources and water trains sent to the worst-affected regions.

Many dejected farmers are now moving to cities and towns to work as daily wage labourers to overcome their financial losses and support their families.

At a scruffy, makeshift camp in north Mumbai, in one of the worst-affected states, dozens of migrants who have fled their drought-stricken villages queue to fill plastic containers with water.

Migrants from rural areas usually come to the city in January or February to get jobs on construction sites, but in March and April the number of arrivals kept increasing.

"There are some 300-350 families here. That's a total of more than 1,000 people," said Sudhir Rane, a volunteer running the camp in Mumbai's Ghatkopar suburb.

"There is a drought and there is no water back home so more families have come here this year," he told AFP.

Babies cling to mothers lined up to register with officials. They are allocated a small space in the dusty wasteland, where wooden posts combine with tarpaulin sheets to make rickety tented homes.

"We had no choice but to come here. There was no water, no grain, no work. There was nothing to eat and drink. What could we do?" 70-year-old Manubai Patole told AFP.

"We starved for five days. At least here we are getting food."

'BETTER TO BREAK STONES'

Weather forecasters in New Delhi this month predicted an above-average monsoon, offering a ray of hope for the country's millions of farmers and their families.

But many, like Gassiram Meharwal from Bangaye village in Madhya Pradesh, are not optimistic as they struggle to cultivate their crops.

Meharwal's two-acre farm has suffered three wheat crop failures in as many years, leading him to lose an estimated 100,000 rupees ($1,500).

"Our fields are doomed, they have almost turned into concrete," he said.

Thousands of acres of land in his village go uncultivated and fears are mounting for the cattle, which face a shortage of fodder.

Desperate for income, 32-year-old Meharwal, who supports eight members of his family including his children and younger brothers, left to work as a labourer in the city of Gwalior, four hours away.

"There is no guarantee that it will rain this year. Predictions are fine but no one comes to your help when the crops fail," he said.

"It is better to use your energy breaking stones."

- AFP


Thousands battle deadly forest fires in northern India
Channel NewsAsia 2 May 16;

NEW DELHI: Thousands of labourers backed by water-carrying helicopters were battling to control fires that have killed two people in India's northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, officials said Sunday (May 1).

Fires have swept through more than 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres) of forest but have so far not threatened towns in Uttarakhand which draws tens of thousands of tourists every year, officials and media reports said.

Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar said some 6,000 labourers were being deployed to help fight the fires. They started about one month ago but according to other officials have intensified in recent days.

Javadekar told reporters the fires have broken out at 1,200 locations in the densely forested state, known for its remote valleys, over the last month.

"This can be compared with the worst fire of 2012 when fire took place in 1,300 places and (covered) more than 2,000 hectares," the minister said.

Senior Uttarakhand disaster management official Piyoosh Rautela said two people have been killed in recent days, although local media reported six deaths since the state's fire season started at the beginning of February.

He said disaster relief experts were being deployed to help those already on the ground.

"They are all working with two Indian Air Force choppers which are spraying water over isolated forest areas in the state," Rautela, executive director of Uttarakhand's disaster management and mitigation centre, told AFP.

"The forests are spread across our six districts but are all isolated and we are getting them under control," he added.

Uttarkhand, with its Himalayan mountains, rivers, treks and Hindu religious sites, is a popular destination for local tourists who flock there to escape India's harsh summer.

Officials said it was unclear what started the fires but some have linked the intensity of the blazes to the drought gripping India.

India is suffering its worst water crisis in years, with the government saying that about 330 million people, or a quarter of the population, are suffering from drought after the last two monsoons failed.

- AFP/ec

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 1 May 16

First nesting record of the Buffy Fish Owl
Singapore Bird Group

Larval Host Plant for Butterflies: Malayan Mistletoe
Butterflies of Singapore

Read more!

Snow underwater? It's corals spawning

Waters off Republic's southern islands have recently been drawing scientists to the event
Audrey Tan Straits Times 1 May 16;

The beaches of Singapore's idyllic southern islands have been touted as a great place to unwind, but over the past week, the area has had a different draw for scientists and marine volunteers.

It has been the season for "underwater snow".

When the corals surrounding the southern islands spawn, they release millions of eggs and sperm bundles into the water at the same time. The pink or yellow bundles are buoyant, causing them to float upwards. For a diver witnessing the spectacle, it looks like it is snowing in reverse.

In Singapore, such mass synchronised coral spawning takes place once a year, and usually on three or four nights after the full moon in late March or April.

This year, the start of the local spawning period was last Monday, the third night after the full moon. The National Parks Board (NParks) has been monitoring the yearly affair for the past 10 years, as part of its management strategy for marine and coral biodiversity conservation.

Coral expert Chou Loke Ming said corals spawn at the same time to ensure successful fertilisation. Eggs and sperm released into the water join to form free-floating larvae, which float until they find a suitable home.

NParks' researchers, volunteers and scientists from institutions such as the National University of Singapore headed out to sea at dusk for four nights starting on Monday to observe the event in the reefs off Pulau Satumu, where monitoring was conducted in previous years. It is out of bounds to recreational divers.

Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine branch of NParks' National Biodiversity Centre, said that over the past decade an average of 25 to 35 coral species have been recorded spawning over the entire spawning period.

When The Sunday Times went on a dive with the researchers on Monday, a total of seven species of hard coral were recorded spawning between 7pm and 9.30pm. But Dr Tun noted that more species could be recorded spawning if larger and more reef areas are surveyed.

Coral expert Chou Loke Ming, an adjunct research professor at the Tropical Marine Science Institute, said corals spawn at the same time to ensure successful fertilisation.

Eggs and sperm released into the water join to form free-floating larvae, which float until they find a suitable home - usually a hard surface they can latch on to.

"Many of the eggs, fertilised eggs, or larvae are sought after by fish because of the rich nutrition they provide. That's why spawning releases very large numbers, so that some will survive the perilous period until they settle on suitable substrates," said Prof Chou.

For Mr Stephen Beng, chairman of the marine conservation group of the Nature Society (Singapore), witnessing the event here was a special moment that surpassed his experiences watching coral spawn in places like Tioman, Dayang and Christmas Island.

He joined researchers from NParks on a dive to monitor the event on Wednesday.

"Even though this year's spawning was less intense compared to previous years', watching our corals reproduce sent feelings of joy.

"The circle of life always brings hope for the future, but we mustn't be complacent with doing our part to address the many threats our reefs face daily, such as climate change and pollution."

Read more!

Indonesia leads on fires and haze: What others (Singapore) should do

Simon Tay and Lee Chen Chen Jakarta Globe 30 Apr 16; also in Today Online 6 May 16;

Indonesia is making every effort to ensure that the terrible fires and haze that occured last year will not recur. The reassurance was given at the recent third Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources ( SDSWR ) by Nazir Foead who heads the newly created Peatland Restoration Agency ( BRG ).

This is the clearest indication yet by a senior Indonesian official of the priority given to this issue by the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Given that fires have recurred since 1997-1998 and worsened in the last two years, some may cynically dismiss this as merely nice words on paper that is not fire-proof. But we believe that Indonesia is undergoing a critical sea change in attitudes towards addressing this problem.

The statement by Nazir, who holds a ministerial-level appointment, does not come out of the blue. Last year, President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, visited provinces hit by haze and saw first-hand how terribly it inflicts Indonesians living nearest to the fires.

At the Paris meeting to conclude the global agreement on climate change, the President gave substantial undertakings to cut down emissions, which mainly relate to the fires and deforestation.

Early this year, the BRG was formed with the clear and ambitious aim to protect and restore two million hectares of peatland, which is one of the key sources of fires and haze. In March, the Riau provincial government declared a state of emergency after fires in some districts began spreading rapidly because of strong winds.

Recognizing and declaring the emergency allowed an earlier and stronger response, and more than 700 police and soldiers were deployed to ensure the fires did not get out of hand.

These are clear signs that the Jokowi administration intends to respond, not only in speeches but also in hard work on the ground and in reshaping important agro-forestry sectors of its economy.

For Indonesia, taking leadership on the issue is logical and in the country’s national interest. The fires and haze cause severe social, environmental and economic costs — in 2015, some 2.6 million hectares of forest and farmland in Indonesia were burned, and the cost to the Indonesian economy was estimated by the Jokowi administration to be as much as US$33.5 billion.

For the first time, a number of concession licenses have been cancelled. Bank Mandiri — the largest bank in the country — has now stopped granting loans to develop palm oil plantations on peatlands. Just before Nazir spoke, the President announced a moratorium on new concessions for oil palm plantations.

Still, questions remain. Different interests are at play. Many larger corporations may still find it convenient not to care about the fires or the broader questions of sustainability since these can add to their cost of production. Many such corporations have influence in politics and bringing them to task will not be easy.

Moreover, there are many small-scale farmers who do not have the means or financial capacity to switch to land clearing without fire. While these communities must be protected from the fires and haze, they also need to find ways to continue to work for their livelihoods.

These are important economic and social dimensions to be resolved in tandem with the need for better environmental protection.

In many ways, the challenges of dealing with the fires and haze are symptomatic of much wider questions in Indonesian politics and the change promised by President Jokowi, as the non-elite “people’s President”. These questions are still to be resolved by Indonesians and left to their internal processes.

But this does not mean that others outside of Indonesia cannot assist. Now that the Indonesian government is taking a leadership role in addressing the issue, what can others do to support it?

We believe that Singapore, the region, and indeed the global community can lend assistance in three main ways. The first is to strengthen governance in the resource sector including the key corporations that are often dominant players and who deal freely across borders. The second is to foster an informed consumer movement and generate support for sustainably-sourced products. The third is to increase the capacity of local communities to prevent and respond to fires.

The cross-border control of corporations has been a finger-pointing exercise for many years, with allegations that Singaporean and Malaysian companies are involved in and condone unsustainable practices. Singapore’s Trans boundary Haze Pollution Act ( THPA ) attempts to address that.

It is therefore a step ahead that Singapore has in the last year been active in addressing corporations and their key officers involved in the haze.

As reported at the SDSWR by the Singapore Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Masagos Zulkifli, the government has served notices on a number of companies and will hold all Singapore-based companies to account. Moreover, it recently served notice to a foreign director of one such company while he was visiting Singapore.

A second dimension of governance concerns how these corporations obtain financing. If environmental protection and sustainability criteria are integrated and quantified as part of the risk framework for banks, alongside commercial considerations, errant companies will have to mend their ways or face greater difficulty in obtaining financing for their operations.

At present, many international banks already screen their loans on environmental, social and corporate governance ( ESG ) criteria, seeking certification or other proof that their clients’ practices are internationally acceptable.

The gap has been with the regional banks.

Here, it is notable that Indonesia’s own banking regulator, the Financial Services Authority ( OJK ), has taken the lead. OJK released its Sustainable Finance Roadmap in 2015 and has since launched an 18-month project to help local banks integrate ESG criteria into their credit approval frameworks. At the SDSWR, the Chairman of OJK, Muliaman Hadad, pointed out that sustainable finance can be profitable and that Indonesia will continue to mainstream the concept into the financial sector.

Banks and financial regulators in the region can support the efforts of Indonesia by harmonizing measures with one another so as to prevent firms that cannot meet the ESG standards from shifting to other markets and lenders with lower or no standards.

While the domestic consumer market in Singapore is comparatively small by ASEAN standards, the government has made clear its stand to support environmental sustainability by committing to procure only printing paper products that are certified under the Singapore Green Label.

Likewise the Malaysian government’s green procurement and eco-labeling initiatives can promote a sustainable agro-forestry sector in the region by sourcing only from certified origins.

Finally, Singapore and the international community can support Indonesia’s grassroots efforts to prevent and suppress fires through transnational collaboration on capacity building projects at the provincial level.

The haze crisis last year saw ground-up efforts by civic groups in Singapore to supply masks and humanitarian aid to villages in some of the worst-hit provinces.

More community-to-community projects can be promoted to encourage good agricultural practices and eventually help local communities mitigate external risks arising from climate change.

The Jokowi administration has demonstrated resolve and leadership to avoid a repeat of the haze last year. More can be achieved when we stand ready to lend our full support.


Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs ( SIIA ) and Lee Chen Chen is
director for policy programs. The SIIA launched a policy brief on haze titled Southeast Asia’s Burning Issue: From the 2015 Haze Crisis to A More Robust System at the third Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources on 15 April 2016.

Read more!

People recycling less despite govt measures to encourage it

Audrey Tan, The Straits Times AsiaOne 1 May 16;

Since September 2014, every HDB block has had a blue recycling bin, in which people put paper, plastics and other recyclables, placed nearby.

Reader Jason Oon wrote to askST to commend the National Environment Agency (NEA) on its efforts at encouraging recycling and the introduction of recycling bins at HDB estates.

He added: "I'm interested in knowing if NEA monitors recycling outputs from residential areas and if what people are putting into the recycling bins is indeed recycled or ends up being treated as garbage because they are contaminated."

Environment reporter Audrey Tan answers.

As pointed out by the reader, the Government has implemented a slew of measures to encourage people living here to go green. Unfortunately, Singapore residents are still recycling less.

In March last year, The Straits Times reported that the domestic recycling rate fell to 19 per cent in 2014 from 22 per cent in 2010.

This was despite a raft of government initiatives to make it more convenient for people to recycle.

For instance, since September 2014, every Housing Board block has had a blue recycling bin, in which people put paper, plastics and other recyclables, placed close by. Before the initiative began in 2011, one bin was shared by five blocks. In January 2014, the HDB also said it would install recycling chutes in all new blocks with throw points on each floor.

Recyclables collected in the big blue bins are picked up by a dedicated recycling truck and sent to a materials recovery facility, where they are sorted into different waste streams, such as plastic, paper, metal and glass, bundled, and sent to local and overseas recycling plants.

Although there have been cases where public waste collection companies were found to have mixed items meant for recycling with rubbish for incineration during refuse collection, the NEA requires recyclables and waste to be collected separately and in separate trucks.

There are various recycling facilities in Singapore for recycling different types of waste. When paper is sent to a recycling facility, for instance, it is shredded, soaked in vats, and made into pulp. After further refinement, the pulp is fed into a machine to be made into sheets of paper. Recycled glass is first sorted at the facility based on colour, then cleaned and crushed into cullets, which are melted to form new products.

A list of local recycling companies which process different sorts of waste can be found at www.nea.gov.sg.

The NEA said the dip in domestic recycling rate in 2014 was largely due to a 30 per cent increase in food waste output over the period.

If food waste is placed with other recyclables, it would contaminate the lot, which the public waste collector then has to toss out. This puts the brakes on Singapore's green push. A good habit to practise at home is to separate food waste from other recyclables instead of dumping them together.

In Seattle in the United States, residents who fail to separate food waste from trash can be fined US$1 (S$1.35) for each violation, and up to US$50 for business or apartment complexes.

Last year, the overall recycling rate here was 61 per cent.

Will it be necessary to implement a fine system here, considering that Singapore wants to have an overall recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2030? You decide.

Read more!