Average 'dead zone' predicted for Gulf of Mexico in 2016

NOAA Headquarters ScienceDaily 10 Jun 16;

Scientists forecast that this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone -- an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life -- will be approximately 5,898 square miles or about the size of Connecticut, the same range as it has averaged over the last several years.

Scientists forecast that this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone--an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life -- will be approximately 5,898 square miles or about the size of Connecticut, the same range as it has averaged over the last several years.

The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico affects nationally important commercial and recreational fisheries. Hypoxic zones or "dead zones" are caused by high levels of nutrients, primarily from activities such as industrialized agriculture and inadequate wastewater treatment.

The low oxygen levels cannot support most marine life and habitats in near-bottom waters. Organisms that can flee the dead zones leave the area, while others which cannot leave are stressed or die of suffocation. Reducing nutrients flowing to the Gulf would help the situation since, under normal conditions, this area contains a diversity of marine life, critical habitats, and a number of key fisheries.

"Dead zones are a real threat to Gulf fisheries and the communities that rely on them," said Russell Callender, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service. "We'll continue to work with our partners to advance the science to reduce that threat. One way we're doing that is by using new tools and resources, like better predictive models, to provide better information to communities and businesses."

The NOAA-sponsored Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast is improving due to advancements of individual models and an increase in the number of models used for the forecast. Forecasts based on multiple models are called ensemble forecasts and are commonly used in hurricane and other weather forecasts.

This year marks the second year that a four-model forecast has been used. The four individual model predictions ranged from 5,204 to 6,823 square miles, and had a collective predictive interval of 3,200 to 8,597 square miles. The forecast assumes typical weather conditions, and the actual dead zone could be disrupted by hurricanes or tropical storms. Data from these four models are used to determine and meet the nutrient reduction targets set by the interagency Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force.

The ensemble of models was developed by NOAA-sponsored modeling teams and researchers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences/College of William and Mary, Texas A&M University, North Carolina State University, and the United States Geological Survey. The hypoxia forecast is part of a larger NOAA effort to deliver ecological forecasts that support human health and well-being, coastal economies, and coastal and marine stewardship.

The Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast is based on nutrient runoff and river and stream data from USGS. USGS estimates that 146,000 metric tons of nitrate and 20,800 metric tons of phosphorus flowed down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers into the Gulf of Mexico in May 2016. This is about 12 percent above the long-term (1980-2015) average for nitrogen, and 25 percent above the long-term average for phosphorus.

USGS operates more than 2,700 real-time stream gauges, 60 real-time nitrate sensors, and collects water quality data at long-term stations throughout the Mississippi River basin to track how nutrient loads are changing over time.

"By expanding the real-time nitrate monitoring network with partners throughout the basin, USGS is improving our understanding of where, when, and how much nitrate is pulsing out of small streams and large rivers and ultimately emptying to the Gulf of Mexico," said Sarah J. Ryker, Ph.D., acting deputy assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of the Interior. "The forecast puts these data to additional use by showing how nutrient loading fuels the hypoxic zone size."

The confirmed size of the 2016 Gulf dead zone will be released in early August, following a monitoring survey from July 24 to August 1, conducted on a NOAA vessel and funded through a partnership between NOAA, Northern Gulf Institute, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by NOAA Headquarters.

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Best of our wild blogs: 11 Jun 16

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Indonesia peatland agency accuses Asia Pulp & Paper of lying

The pulp and paper giant says that it submitted required data to the Environment and Forestry Ministry on May 11, but Indonesia's Peatland Restoration Agency says it has "undeniable evidence that the chronology... constitutes a public lie".
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 10 Jun 16;

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) has accused Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the company blacklisted for its alleged role in fires that caused last year's haze, for lying when it said that it did submit the necessary data required as part of the agency’s restoration efforts.

The pulp and paper giant had said that it had submitted the relevant data to the Environment and Forestry Ministry on May 11.

However, the agency’s chief Nazir Foead said this was untrue.

“We have undeniable evidence that the chronology provided by APP in its public statement constitutes a public lie,” Mr Nazir told foresthints.news, a Jakarta based environment news portal on Wednesday (Jun 8).

When asked to comment on BRG's words, APP’s Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Jose Raymond said: “APP will support all initiatives to protect forests and peatlands in Indonesia.”

BRG was established earlier this year by President Joko Widodo to restore millions of hectares of peatland damaged by many years of forest fires.

It is preparing a map to identify priority restoration areas that will enable stakeholders to start working together in restoring land under their control.

A detailed map including concession maps from companies will avoid problems in the future as these maps often overlap with other types of land, such as those owned by the community.

Major retailers in Singapore removed APP paper products from their shelves last year, after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the Consumers Association of Singapore asked retailers to declare they have not procured or used wood, paper and/or pulp materials from the companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia.

- CNA/dt


APP guilty of a bald-faced lie, says Indonesian peatland authority
BRG chief claims that the company’s timeline of events on peatland mapping data is false
Today Online 11 Jun 16;

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) has once again hit out at Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), whose products were pulled off supermarket shelves in Singapore last year over alleged links to firms responsible for the forest fires causing the transboundary haze, noting that the company had lied to the public by releasing a false chronology of events over its submission of peatland mapping data to the authorities.

“We have undeniable evidence that the chronology provided by APP in its public statement constitutes a public lie,” said BRG chief Nazir Foead to Jakarta-based environment news portal foresthints.news on Wednesday, referring to a public statement issued by the company on the same day declaring that it has submitted relevant mapping data to the Environment and Forestry Ministry after being rapped by BRG for being uncooperative.

APP’s version of the chronology, he added, was inconsistent with the evidence-based chronology shown to him by Mr Karliansyah (who goes by one name), the director-general for Environmental Pollution and Damage Control at the ministry.

“This clearly demonstrates that APP told a bald-faced lie in its public statement,” he said.

He further denounced the APP statement as showing a lack of respect towards certain government agencies. He revealed that the APP had suggested it may be better to submit the data only to the ministry, so that any data related to its concessions could be delivered through just one gateway. This is not in line with a presidential regulation stating that BRG is the coordination agency for all peat restoration activities.

“APP has developed a chronology that serves its own interests. They have chosen to conceal the actual chronology. It’s not only the public that they’ve lied to in their public statement, but also government agencies,” said Mr Foead.

But BRG did not specify how APP’s version of the chronology of events had deviated from government records.

When asked by TODAY for the reasons regarding the inconsistency of events, APP (Singapore) vice-president for corporate affairs Jose Raymond would only say yesterday that: “APP will support all initiatives to protect forests and peatlands in Indonesia.”

Transboundary haze caused by widespread fires in Indonesia blanketed the region from September to November last year and affected tens of millions of people.

Last year, Singapore’s National Environment Agency sent notices to six companies directing them to put out fires allegedly contributing to the haze. APP was not served a notice, but was asked to provide further information on what it is doing to put out fires on its land concessions.

Major retailers in Singapore removed APP paper products from their shelves last year, after the Singapore Environment Council and the Consumers Association of Singapore asked retailers to declare they have not procured or used wood, paper and/or pulp materials from the companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia.

According to a report by the Jakarta Post on Wednesday, APP sustainability and stakeholder management senior manager Trisia Megawati said the company had mapped its concession using light detection and ranging (Lidar) technology, and submitted the map to the ministry on May 11.

After that, the company had presented the map in front of the ministry’s Environmental Pollution and Damage Control director-general, the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) and the BRG.

However, Ms Megawati refused to comment on why the company refused to submit its map to BRG and instead submitted it to the ministry.

In APP’s statement released on Wednesday, it claimed to be the only company operating in Indonesia that has undertaken comprehensive mapping of peatlands using Lidar.

“The Lidar data analysis was finalised in April 2016. The results have had a significant impact in promoting understanding of how to manage peatlands more responsibly,” said APP’s statement.

Following the data submission, Mr Karliansyah, the director-general, invited APP to a meeting on May 23 to present the technical details of the Lidar peatland maps.

Representatives from BIG and BRG were also invited to participate in the meeting. During the meeting, it was agreed BRG should coordinate with the director-general in accessing the data submitted by APP, added the company’s statement.

AGENCIES WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALBERT WAI

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Indonesia: Forest and land fires detected in Jambi

Jakarta Post 10 Jun 16;

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), using the Terra and Aqua satellites, has detected five hot spots scattered across four regencies in the province of Jambi, Sumatra.

The hot spots, which are either forest fires or land-clearing fires, were located in the regencies of Batanghari, Sarolangun, Tanjungjabung Barat and Tebo.

Jambi’s BMKG head Nurangesti said the hot spot in the Batanghari regency was located in the Sengkati Baru village in Mersam district while the hotspot in the Sarolangun regency was in Pemuncak village, Limun district.

The hot spot in Tanjungjabung Barat was, meanwhile, in Kelagian village, Tungkal Ulu district, while two hotspots in Tebo regency were in Napal Putih and Pemayongan villages.

The local police will follow up on the findings by deploying officers to those places to investigate. An earlier investigation into the site of a hot spot in the Merangin regency showed there was a fire that had been started by the burning of bushes by local people who were clearing land.

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Indonesia: High waves hit Cilacap coast

Jakarta Post 10 Jun 16;

High tidal waves in the waters off Cilacap, a regency on the south coast of Central Java, have inundated houses and prevented local fishermen from going to sea to catch fish.

“The tides were very high. It was frightening. Residents went out to higher ground fearing a tsunami,” resident Rasiono said Thursday.

At least 300 houses belonging to fishermen in Tegalkamulyan village, South Cilacap district, were flooded. The waves also damaged fish ponds on the coast.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the waves on Wednesday night and Thursday reached 4 to 6 meters in height.

“We issued a warning, telling local people that the condition was not safe for sailing,” Teguh Wardoyo of the BMKG said.

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Indonesia: Hopes for endangered animals revive as 25 born in one year

Hans Nicholas Jong The Jakarta Post 10 Jun 16;

The government’s effort to save species from extinction has received a boost after 25 females of endangered fauna species gave birth in Indonesia in one year, raising hopes for their future survival. The 25 protected animals were born in seven conservation institutions.

At the Indonesia Safari Park in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java for instance, one anoa, one Sumatran elephant, one Javan leopard, one pig-deer, two giraffes and three Sumatran tigers were born. Meanwhile, a Sumatran tiger gave birth to two male cubs at the Kinantan Cultural and Wildlife Park (TMBK) in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. Two infant clouded leopards were also born in the park.

Furthermore, seven Javan rhinos, the world’s rarest rhinoceros, were born in Ujung Kulon park, the largest number of Javan rhinos born in a single year in the country.

The birth of seven Javan rhino calves is remarkable seeing how the government only aimed for a 5 percent increase in the endangered animal’s population in its five-year National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

“If there are already seven Javan rhino calves born, we have achieved the five-year target already because there were only 57 Javan rhinos in Indonesia,” Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on the sidelines of an event commemorating World Environment Day at the Jakarta Convention Center on Thursday.

The government has set such an unambitious target because it realizes that breeding and protecting endangered animals is not easy.

Poaching and human encroachment have led to a dramatic population decline of endangered animals. For instance, Javan rhinos are solitary animals and it is hard for them to meet and mate.

Another critically endangered rhino species, the Sumatran rhinoceros, is also facing extinction with a population of less than 100.

“Actually, the more worrying one is the Sumatran rhino. In the past, they were spread from Myanmar to the Philippines, but they’re all gone now. There are only three Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia, which are infertile because they have ovarian cancer. The rest are in Indonesia,” said Tachrir Fathoni, the director general of natural resources and ecosystem conservation at the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

While Sumatran rhinos are facing extinction, the government estimates that there could be as many as 25 of them living in Kalimantan, four decades after scientists believed that they had become extinct there.

Recent monitoring efforts carried out by World Wildlife Fund Indonesia and the local administration have detected at least 15 more Sumatran rhinos in West Kutai forest.

The sightings prompted conservationists and the West Kutai regency administration to establish a rhinoceros sanctuary on a 200-hectare plot of land in the Kelian Lestari protected forest, a former gold mining concession area of PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM).

The new sanctuary is much larger than the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, where one Sumatran rhino was born last year.

The establishment of sanctuaries is believed to be a crucial part of saving endangered rhinos as they provide habitat for them and reduce the chances of animal-human conflicts.

The birth of the seven Javan rhino calves, for instance, is attributed to the establishment of a sanctuary within the Ujung Kulon park that encompasses 5,100 hectares of lush rainforest and freshwater streams.

Based on its success, the government plans to make another sanctuary for Javan rhinos in the Cikepuh sanctuary in Sukabumi, West Java.

“We are worried if Javan rhinos are concentrated in one area, as all of them would die if there’s an outbreak of disease. We have to look for a second habitat and have found that Cikepuh looks promising because food is abundant and the environment is suitable,” Tachrir said.

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Paris floods made almost twice as likely by climate change, say scientists

Manmade global warming greatly increased the risk of extreme rain affecting the French capital, analysis shows
Adam Vaughan The Guardian 10 Jun 16;

The Paris floods, that saw extreme rainfall swell the river Seine to its highest level in decades, were made almost twice as likely because of the manmade emissions driving global warming, scientists have found.

A three-day period of heavy rain at the end of May saw tens of thousands of people evacuated across France, and the capital’s normally busy river closed to traffic because the water levels were so high under bridges. As artworks in the Louvre were moved to safety and Paris’s cobbled walkways were submerged, the French president, François Hollande, blamed the floods on climate change.

Now a preliminary analysis by a group of scientists, including the Dutch weather agency and the University of Oxford, has concluded the risk of the flooding event in Paris was almost doubled – multiplied by a factor of 1.8 – by humanity’s influence on the climate.

“Hollande was right to say climate change is playing a role but at the same time it’s important to say that this event could’ve happened without climate change,” said Prof Myles Allen, a climate scientist at the University of Oxford.

“But it means what was a 1 in 200 year event is more like a 1 in 100-something year event. Is that a big change? In terms of weather events, that’s not nearly as big an increase in risk as we’ve seen in heatwave events, where we often come up with a factor of 10. But for precipitation this is kind of what we’re seeing.”

The climate science community is speeding up its efforts to draw the links – the attribution – between extreme weather events and climate change, while such events are fresh in the public and politician’s minds. Previous quick turnaround research has shown flooding in England and heatwaves in Europe were made more likely because of global warming.

“The crucial thing is decisions... they get made in the aftermath of these events, when minds are focused on the impacts,” said Allen. “Getting this information out while people are still thinking about the event is useful. Also, it guards against the risk of over-attribution [overegging climate change’s role in an extreme weather event].”

Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, an environmental thinktank, said: “The ability to analyse scientifically whether man-made climate change has played a role in specific extreme weather events is advancing at a startling pace. Until very recently, scientists weren’t able to make this sort of judgement, but that’s changing fast.”

The analysis by the World Weather Attribution project published this week used a variety of approaches to look at how much the risk of the rainfall on 29-31 May had been increased by global warming, including statistical analysis of the historical temperature model, trends in climate models and “the results of thousands of simulations of possible weather with a regional climate model”.

All the approaches agreed climate change had made the heavy rains in the Seine and Loire river basins more likely. However, the link between global warming and rainfall in Germany at the same time, which saw intense thunder storms, proved inconclusive.

While the work has not yet been peer-reviewed it is based on peer-reviewed methods, and Allen said it would be submitted in a week to a journal for peer review and publication, as similar past research has been by the group.

Almost all previous floods on the Seine and Loire have occurred during winter, the researchers said, making the summer timing very unusual. The rains saw the Seine peak at 6.1 metres above its normal height on 3 June, a 34-year high. Its record peak was in 1910, when an eight-metre rise caused the catastrophic ‘Great Flood of Paris’.

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Jun 16

Mass coral bleaching at Terumbu Hantu
wild shores of singapore

Galearia maingayi: Remembering James Franklin Maxwell at MacRitchie
Flying Fish Friends

Bidadari Hillock to be retained as a Bird Sanctuary
Singapore Bird Group

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Johor River getting saltier

Jalelah Abu Baker Straits Times 10 Jun 16; and AsiaOne

Malaysia's Johor River is becoming more salty while levels at the Linggiu Reservoir are decreasing, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday. Linggiu, which was built upstream of the Johor River in 1994, collects and releases rainwater into the river.

It is operated by Singapore's national water agency PUB and helps to meet half of Singapore's water needs. The reservoir is about 33 per cent full, a historic low. It was 40 per cent full in April, and 80 per cent full at the beginning of last year.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Stamford Detention Tank, which is being built to improve flood protection in Singapore, Mr Masagos said: "To wash off the salinity is a challenge. The salinity of the river is increasing and intrudes into our water works."

PUB supplies Johor with 16 million gallons of potable water a day, but increased this amount last Saturday by 6 million gallons at the request of Badan Kawalselia Air Johor, Johor's water regulatory body.

"In providing water to Malaysia, we first ensure that we have adequate supply," said Mr Masagos. "We are able to extract our 250 million gallons per day, on average, over the month, although we are always challenged because of the same weather challenges that both countries are facing." He added that Singapore has asked the Malaysian authorities to look into other ways to top up the Linggiu Reservoir.

The Straits Times reported on May 27 that Johor is looking at two rivers - Sayong River and Ulu Sedili Besar River - for water. Either one of the river projects would take at least two years to complete.

Jalelah Abu Baker


S’pore has enough water supply, says Masagos
LAURA ELIZABETH PHILOMIN Today Online 10 Jun 16;

SINGAPORE — Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli yesterday assured the press that Singapore has an adequate supply of water even though it started supplying more potable water to Johor at the request of the Malaysian state’s water regulatory body. He also said the Government has asked the Malaysian authorities to look at other ways to top up the depleting Linggiu Reservoir.

National water agency PUB operates the reservoir, from which both Singapore and Johor draw water. Since June 4, PUB has pumped in an extra six million gallons of potable water a day to Johor.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a PUB site visit yesterday, Mr Masagos said Singapore has still been able to extract 250 million gallons of water a day on average for the month despite facing the same weather challenges as Malaysia. “But we have asked the Malaysian authorities to look at other ways to top up the Linggiu dam, including putting up dams across Sayung, pumping systems at Sayung river, as well as (Ulu Sedili Besar River) so that it can augment the volume in Linggiu (Reservoir), and at the same time both help Singapore and Johor,” he said.

Dry weather conditions have brought water levels at Linggiu Reservoir to an all-time low of 33 per cent, down from 40 per cent in April. Badan Kawalselia Air Johor, the state’s water regulatory body, had asked for the extra water for a month to supplement the supply in areas served by Johor’s Sungai Layang dam, which has been hit severely by the continuing dry spell. LAURA PHILOMIN

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Why the icy Arctic matters to Singapore

JASON TAN Today Online 10 Jun 16;

SINGAPORE — The Arctic may be remote, but melting ice caps caused by climate change will have far-reaching effects, submerging coastal areas in places such as Singapore and altering global shipping routes.

This has driven Singapore’s participation as a permanent observer in the Arctic Council in the last three years, and prompted preparations to adapt, said Minister of State (Prime Minister’s Office and Manpower) Sam Tan in an interview with TODAY.

“We have been given first-hand information by scientists that if the current trend continues, sea levels may rise by half a metre within the next 50 years, and by a metre within a century,” said Mr Tan, who has been the political office-holder representing Singapore in Arctic Council meetings.

“If this really happens, many nations around the world, including Singapore, would be at risk from having parts of their country submerged under the water.”

What is more, global warming could open new shipping routes in the Arctic, affecting Singapore’s position as a shipping hub and one of the world’s busiest ports.

“The possibility of the Arctic sea routes becoming a seasonal complement to traditional trade routes presents Singapore with both challenges as well as opportunities,” he said.

While the new routes are likely to change maritime transportation patterns, Singapore’s marine industry has built up capabilities over the years in sectors such as shipbuilding and repair, offshore engineering, and marine support services, and is well-placed to provide enabling technology for Arctic development, he added.

“Some of our companies are developing Arctic capabilities to leverage on the economic potential of the region,” said Mr Tan.

Keppel Corporation, for one, has constructed a number of ice-class vessels, including the first icebreakers built in Asia in 2008, and is now working with oil majors and drilling contractors to develop the world’s first Arctic-grade, environmentally friendly “green” rig.

“Singapore has real and substantive interests in the Arctic, and we believe that in the past three years, we have made positive contributions to the Arctic Council’s work,” he said.

For instance, Singapore has shared its experience in oil spill management and as one of 22 countries positioned along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds, is also working on the conservation of migratory shorebird populations threatened by overharvest and habitat alteration outside the Arctic.

Singapore has also supported the council’s work promoting education and public interest in Arctic issues amongst Singaporeans and in the region.

Last year, the Republic hosted the Arctic Circle Singapore Forum which discussed the governance of Arctic sea routes, infrastructure development in the Arctic, and the role of science and research in enabling Arctic shipping.

Two more Arctic-related events are coming up here. The first is a conference in August on issues such as remote access to energy, maritime infrastructure and shipping and the transition to renewable energy.

Then in January next year, Singapore will host the 9th Meeting of Partners of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, the main framework to promote dialogue and cooperation on conservation of migratory waterbirds along the flyway.

Below is an extract from the interview with Mr Tan:

It has been three years since Singapore became a permanent observer in the Arctic Council. What are some of the highs and lows so far for Singapore’s participation as an observer? What are some challenges that Singapore has had to overcome?

Our decision in 2011 to apply for observer status in the Arctic Council took many people by surprise, as the connection between Singapore and the Arctic region is not readily apparent.

For example, in February 2013, the Economist published an article which questioned whether the presence of new observers in the Arctic Council might promote stability or disruption in the Arctic.

However, as a small country, we have no interest in any territorial or resource claims in the Arctic region.

Rather, we are driven by our desire to deepen our understanding of the Arctic as global warming and rising sea levels will have a profound and direct impact on low-lying Singapore.

The opening of Arctic shipping routes could also impact Singapore’s position as a shipping hub. In this regard, Singapore has real and substantive interests in the Arctic, and we believe that in the past three years, we have made positive contributions to the Arctic Council’s work.

We are also grateful for the support that Singapore has received from among the Arctic States and Permanent Participants for our observership and our participation in the various meetings and working groups of the Arctic Council.

Apart from our participation in the meetings of the various Senior Arctic Officials’, Working Groups and Task Forces, Singapore has been invited to various Arctic-related events.

I have personally attended the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (CPAR) in 2012 in Akureyri, Iceland and 2014 in Whitehorse, Canada; the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2013 and 2014; the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromso, Norway in 2015 and January 2016, and most recently the Arctic Circle Greenland Forum in Nuuk last month.

In addition to demonstrating Singapore’s sustained interest in Arctic affairs, these meetings were useful opportunities to deepen Singapore’s engagement with businessmen, researchers, leaders and officials from the Arctic states and indigenous peoples, as well as non-Arctic stakeholders.

We understand that Singapore’s role as a permanent observer will be assessed after four years. What happens after that?

The assessment of Singapore’s observership is an internal procedure for the Arctic Council. As per usual practice, Singapore will submit a “report card” to the Chairman on our relevant activities and contributions to the Arctic Council ahead of the biannual Arctic Council Ministerial Meetings. Regardless of the assessment, Singapore is committed to working with the Arctic states and PPs to contribute positively and constructively to its sustainable growth and the empowerment of its peoples.

Can you please share with us some of Singapore’s upcoming initiatives and plans in the Council?

We are planning to host two Arctic-related events in Singapore. In August 2016, the National University of Singapore’s Energy Studies Institute will organise a conference on Arctic science, technology and policy in Singapore, entitled “Energy Transitions and a Globalized Arctic: The Role of Science, Technology and Governance”.

This conference will focus on issues such as remote access to energy, maritime infrastructure and shipping, renewable energy transitions and the role of research and development. The conference is envisaged to foster dialogue among relevant expertise from within and outside the Arctic, as science and technological collaboration and the sharing of best practices in energy governance is one way to tackle common challenges.

In January 2017, Singapore will also host the 9th Meeting of Partners (MOP) of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, the main framework to promote dialogue and cooperation on conservation of migratory waterbirds along the flyway. The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group has expressed interest in holding a workshop back-to-back with the 9th MOP in Singapore, and we welcome them to do so as Singapore strives to develop capacity for the management of wetland and migratory birds in the region.

One area of focus for the council appears to be improving the lives of the Arctic people. Is there a role for a country like Singapore to play there?

Singapore recognises the need to engage the Arctic indigenous peoples, who are most affected by the changing Arctic landscape. Our former Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs Ambassador Tony Siddique visited several Arctic capitals to better understand the concerns and needs of the indigenous peoples. I myself have visited the Sami Parliament in Karasjok, Norway, where I met with President of the Sami Parliament of Norway Aili Keskitalo and personally experienced the Samis’ way of life in bitter cold temperatures of close to minus 50°C. Through these visits, we have gained a deeper appreciation of the Arctic, and hope to use our newfound knowledge to contribute more effectively to the Arctic and to its peoples.

We have since developed the Singapore-Arctic Council Permanent Participants Cooperation Package, where Singapore provides scholarships for representatives from the Permanent Participants to participate in short-term courses on various aspects of public policy and administration, as well as post-graduate scholarships in maritime law and public policy at Singapore institutions. We have also invited representatives of the Permanent Participants to visit Singapore to learn about our experience in governance and development.

How concerned should Singapore be with regards to the melting of polar ice and opening of new Arctic maritime routes which some analysts say could threaten Singapore’s status as a maritime and transshipment hub? How can Singapore position itself in such a scenario?

As a low-lying coastal nation, Singapore is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Much of Singapore lies only 15m above sea level, while 30 per cent of the island is less than 5m above sea level.

If global temperatures continue to rise, many parts of Singapore could eventually be submerged under the water. Singapore has started making preparations to adapt to the impact of a rise in sea levels. For example, Nicoll Drive, which runs for 1km along Changi Beach, is being raised by up to 0.8m. In 2011, the minimum height for land reclamation projects was raised from 3-4 m above the mean sea level. At the same time, a warmer Arctic will result in the opening of new water channels, which will significantly reduce travel time between Asia and Europe by two or three weeks.

The possibility of the Arctic sea routes becoming a seasonal complement to traditional trade routes therefore presents Singapore with both challenges as well as opportunities.

On the one hand, Singapore has one of the world’s busiest ports and these new routes are likely to change maritime transportation patterns.

At the same time, our marine industry has built up strong credentials in sectors such as shipbuilding and repair, offshore engineering, and marine support services, and we are well-placed to provide enabling technology for Arctic development.

Some of our companies are developing Arctic capabilities to leverage on the economic potential of the region. For example, Keppel Corporation has constructed a number of ice-class vessels, including the first icebreakers built in Asia in 2008, and is now working with oil majors and drilling contractors to develop the world’s first Arctic-grade, environmentally-friendly “green” rig.

You have spoken publicly of some of your personal experiences attending Arctic Council meetings. What are some of the things that strike you?

My take is that if countries do not look at the possible global challenges that may emerge 30 to 50 years down the road, their eventual preparations would be inadequate to deal with these challenges when they do strike.

One of Singapore’s key strengths is our ability to scan the horizon and start preparing solutions to these challenges, sometimes 50 to a hundred years before they surface. If we lose this important survival instinct, we will become history when the challenges strike us in our face.

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Singapore Aims to Prosecute Indonesian Polluters Under Haze Law

David Roman Bloomberg 10 Jun 16;

* Environment minister says Singapore can fine Indonesian firms
* Singapore ‘standing on high moral ground,’ minister says

Singapore is prepared to prosecute any Indonesian companies found responsible for the fires that produced hazardous ash clouds last year, a minister said, standing his ground even as recent efforts to take firms to account drew ire from the country’s largest Southeast Asian neighbor.

Under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act of 2014, Singapore has ordered six suppliers of Indonesia’s Asia Pulp and Paper Group to provide information on steps they are taking to prevent fires on their land, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said in an interview on June 7. APP, one of the world’s largest paper producers, didn’t reply to e-mailed requests for comment, while its parent company didn’t reply to calls for comment.

“We are standing on high moral ground," said Masagos. "We have the support of the international community. We are not doing anything criminal nor wrong. We are just asking for the companies and the directors to own up and be accountable for what they’ve done.”

The six companies have been told that Singapore has the right to bring their directors to court, and firms involved in haze-producing fires face fines of up to S$100,000 ($74,000) a day for every day of fire, the minister said.

Singapore, often among the worst hit by haze from forest fires that periodically envelope swathes of Southeast Asia for weeks at a time, enacted the 2014 law to address the pollution as Indonesia struggles to prevent the flares. Caused mainly by palm oil planters and pulp and paper companies using fire to clear peat swamp land in South Sumatra and Kalimantan, the haze has become a public health issue in Singapore, pushing the city-state’s Pollutant Standards Index to dangerously high levels at times.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, backed Singapore’s plans to wield heftier fines against overseas polluters as long as sovereignty is respected, before he took office in 2014. Last year, severe haze from fires in Indonesia caused Singapore’s three-hour index to peak at 316, near the 321 level reached in 2013.
The pollution forced Singapore to shut down schools and cost the economy an estimated S$700 million in 2015, Masagos said in March. Besides prompting school closures and disrupting sea and air travel in the region, the smog also forced some in Indonesia to flee their homes and cost Southeast Asia’s biggest economy $16.1 billion of losses, according to World Bank estimates.

Giving Opacity

Masagos, 53, a former minister of state at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he doesn’t believe that pressuring Indonesian companies to comply with Singapore laws will hinder bilateral relations with Indonesia.

“We do respect Indonesia’s sovereignty, even their right not to divulge the information we have asked for," he said. “However, by doing that they give opacity, they give cover to these companies and indirectly encourage such acts to continue, and in the end their own industry can be affected.”

Last month, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar told an environmental news website that some joint collaborations with Singapore on forestry and haze issues could be terminated after a review. She made the comments days after Singapore issued a court warrant to detain an Indonesian company director who failed to appear for an interview with authorities in Singapore.

Singapore this week said it is offering assistance including aircraft to Indonesia to support its fire mitigation efforts, as it has every year since 2005.

Backlash Risk

Singapore is currently focused on its own legal approach, though if that doesn’t work, the city state can look at international avenues, said Masagos when asked about other options. Malaysia is considering a similar law to Singapore’s on haze, he said.

According to the Washington-based World Resources Institute -- which has worked with Google Inc. and forestry agencies in Indonesia to use satellite imaging to pinpoint and respond to wildfires -- at the peak last year Indonesia’s daily emissions of pollutants were the same as the U.S. because of the haze and the fires.

Kotaro Tamura, an adjunct professor at Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said that Singapore may find it hard to prosecute Indonesian companies and risks a backlash from its neighbor. In the end, both countries may find it easier to opt for arbitration by a third party such as the United Nations, or the International Court of Justice, he said.

“It’s tricky, the bilateral approach," Tamura said. "I think he is just showing a strong intention, by going public,” he said, referring to the Singapore minister.


Indonesia rebuffs Singapore offer of haze assistance
Today Online 10 Jun 16;

JAKARTA — Responding to Singapore’s offer to help Indonesia combat forest fires, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday (June 9) environmental issues needed to be dealt with through a regional agreement, not a bilateral one, according to a report by the Jakarta Globe.

“If the air is clean, all people in Asia — and Singapore — will be able to ­enjoy it. Therefore, if (the environment) is destroyed, we have to fix it ­together,” said Mr Kalla at the opening of the 20th Environmental and Forestry Week in Jakarta.

Jakarta has rejected previous ­bilateral offers since 2005, insisting all Asian countries — including Singapore — were responsible for environmental damage.

Mr Kalla noted that the Indonesian government accepted some offers of help for last year’s severe forest and peat land fires, including helicopters from Singapore.

A team comprising 40 Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers spent more than 10 days battling forest fires in Palembang in October. Malaysia and Japan also rendered assistance.

In 2005, Indonesia had accepted Singapore’s offer of providing high-resolution satellite pictures, one C-130 aircraft for cloud-seeding operations and a contingent of fire fighters.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya said her country could accept help only in ­accordance with regional agreements in South-east Asia.

“There is no bilateral (arrangement) for work or help to mitigate forest fires,” said Ms Nurbaya. “It is through the Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations) agreement,” she said, referring to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution signed in 2002. “Therefore, it is not true that a special bilateral partnership has been established.”

According to the agreement’s protocol, assistance can be provided only if a country has requested it in an emergency situation.

Malaysia has mooted the idea of a bilateral mechanism with Indonesia to tackle the yearly phenomenon.

Last year’s forest fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua, which lasted three months, created severe haze throughout the region. It was the worst-ever haze episode in the region, affecting tens of millions of people and costing Indonesia an estimated US$16 billion (S$22.1 billion) and Singapore about S$700 million.

Ahead of the annual dry season in Indonesia, Singapore this week ­renewed its offer to help combat forest fires with an assistance package that includes C-130 planes, firefighters and high-resolution satellite imagery.

“Every year since 2005, Singapore has offered assistance packages to support Indonesia in its fire mitigation efforts,” said the Ministry of the ­Environment and Water Resources in a statement on Tuesday.

“This is part of the Singapore Government’s broader commitment to assist the ­Indonesian government in its efforts to deal with the land and forest fires in the run-up to the traditional dry season from June to October.”

The statement added that “the Singapore Government remains committed to working with the Indonesian government and other like-minded partners to find more permanent solutions to this regional problem”.

However, media ­reports last month said Indonesia would scrap some ongoing and upcoming collaboration projects with Singapore on ­environment, forestry and haze-related issues as part of a unilateral review on bilateral cooperation that Jakarta was conducting.

Ms Nurbaya claimed on Thursday she was not aware of the offer from Singapore. “I haven’t read the (offer) letter. I will check,” she said. AGENCIES


Kalla Seeks Regional, Not Bilateral, Solution to Forest Fires
Novi Setuningsih & Eko Prasetyo Jakarta Globe 9 Jun 16;

Jakarta. Vice President Jusuf Kalla has responded to Singapore's offer to assist Indonesia in mitigating forest and land fires by saying environmental issues needed to be dealt with through a regional agreement, not a bilateral one.

"If the air is clean, all people in Asia – and Singapore – will be able to enjoy it. Therefore, if [the environment] is destroyed, we have to fix it together," Kalla said at the opening of the 20th Environmental and Forestry Week in Jakarta on Thursday (09/06).

The government has rejected previous bilateral offers since 2005, saying all Asian countries – including Singapore – were responsible for any environmental damage.

Kalla said Indonesia had accepted some offers of assistance for last year's severe forest and peat land fire, including helicopters from Singapore.

Meanwhile, Environmental Minister Siti Nurbaya said any offer of assistance had its own mechanisms. The minister said Indonesia could only accept help that was in accordance with regional agreements in Southeast Asia.

"There is no bilateral [partnership] for work or help to mitigate forest fires," Siti said.

"It is through the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] agreement.

"Therefore, it is not true that a special bilateral partnership has been established."

According to the agreement's protocol, assistance can only be provided if a country has requested it in an emergency situation.

Siti said she was not aware of the offer from Singapore.

"I haven't read the [offering] letter. I will check," she said.

Last year's forest fires on Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua, which lasted three months, created severe haze that affected several neighboring countries.

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Increase in midges at Bedok Reservoir due to hot and wet weather: PUB

Some businesses and residents say they have noticed an increase in midges, although intensity is lower than the swarms that plagued the area in 2012.
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 16;

SINGAPORE: The pesky insects that plagued residents and shop owners along Bedok Reservoir are back - a "localised increase in the presence of midges" that can be attributed to the hot and wet weather, said national water agency PUB in a statement to Channel NewsAsia on Thursday (Jun 9).

Some residents Channel NewsAsia spoke with said they noticed an increase in the number of midges entering their homes in the last two weeks, although numbers are nowhere near the swarms seen in 2012.

A resident living in a HDB unit opposite Bedok Reservoir Park said: "Every morning when I walk into my balcony, I see a cluster of dead midges on the floor. It has become worse these last few days." A staff working at a nearby condominium told Channel NewsAsia that residents have been giving feedback about the growing population of the insects.

Some businesses have noticed the increased presence. Ms Saadiah, who works at the Mr Prata outlet at Block 746 Bedok Reservoir Road said the midges appear just before it rains.

She said: "When our lights are on, it gets worse. It's pretty scary, a whole 'family'... they would stick to the wall, get into the kitchen. It really affects our business. Last month, we had to close for about 15 minutes, cover all our food, turn off the lights, and clean the area." Owner of Burp Kitchen & Bar, Sarah Lim said her customers sitting outside initially thought they were mosquitoes. She said: "They thought the insects were mosquitoes. When we went to take a closer look just to make sure we were not breeding mosquitoes, we realised they were very small flies."

In its statement, PUB said it has received more than 10 "pieces of feedback" from residents. A spokesperson for the agency said: "As midges are small, light and weak fliers, they tend to concentrate in areas in the direction of the wind and the recent southward winds may have blown the midges to nearby residential estates." The agency said it has stepped up its control measures since May. It carries out daily fogging around the reservoir every morning and five times a week in the afternoon to control the adult midge population. It has also increased the application of a biological larvicide in reservoir waters to prevent the growth of the larvae into adults. PUB said other measures include planting shrubs to act as barriers, as well as installing spotlights at the reservoir pumping station to divert the insects from residential areas. It reiterated that while midges can pose a nuisance to park users and residents, they do not bite or spread diseases.

Following the surge in the midge population in 2012, PUB commissioned a study, together with National University of Singapore researchers, to help the agency understand the midge population and identify intervention measures.

Researchers identified the species as Tanytarsus oscillans, a minuscule green species that inhabits deep waters in the central part of the reservoir. Based on this information, PUB modified the applicator of the larvicide, so that the chemical can also be applied to the reservoir bed in the central part of the reservoir, when it would normally be applied along the banks.

- CNA/mo

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