Indonesia: Flash floods displace 100,000 people in Bima

Panca Nugraha The Jakarta Post 24 Dec 16;

A series of flash floods that hit Bima municipality and Bima regency, both in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), earlier this week, have displaced over 100,000 local residents and have paralyzed economic activity in the region, local authorities have said.

NTB Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPPD) head Muhammad Rum said on Saturday the flash floods, which swept through the region on Wednesday and Friday following hours of heavy rainfall, had inundated 33 subdistricts, home to a total of 105,000 people.

“Today [Saturday], the floods have started to recede. Some people have left evacuation shelters to return to their homes,” Rum said.


The NTB provincial administration claimed that, as of Saturday, no deaths had been reported from the floods.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) also stated that the two affected regions would be given an emergency status for 14 days until Jan. 4, 2017.

The BNPB reported on Thursday that the flash floods were caused by Cyclone Yvette in the Indian Ocean, some 620 kilometers south of Denpasar, Bali.

NTB on alert after flash floods displace locals
Panca Nugraha The Jakarta Post 22 Dec 16;

NTB Governor Muhammad Zainul Majdi paid a visit to Bima municipality on Thursday afternoon, less than 24 hours after heavy rain triggered flash floods in many parts of the city and the neighboring Bima regency. The two regions share the same name.

“[Makeshift] public kitchens and medical centers are now being set up in every district office, as well as in Bima’s regional and municipal offices,” provincial administration spokesperson Yusron Hadi said on Thursday.

The floods began on Wednesday afternoon in many parts of Bima municipality and a few areas of Bima regency.

Hundreds of locals have reportedly evacuated as their houses have become inundated by floodwaters. The provincial administration claimed that, as of Thursday afternoon, no deaths had been reported from the floods.

Spokesperson for the National Search and Rescue Agency’s (Basarnas) NTB Office I Putu Cakra said to their knowledge five subdistricts in Bima municipality had become the worst-affected areas.

“We have evacuated many villagers from the roofs of their houses, as floodwaters have reached heights of between 1.5 and 2 meters,” he said. (hwa)


Thousands of Bima flood victims still in shelters with many falling ill
Panca Nugraha The Jakarta Post 25 Dec 16;

More than 6,000 residents of Bima municipality in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) remain in shelters with close to 1,000 having started to contract flood-related diseases following major flash floods that struck the city.

"[Currently,] there are 6,030 people staying in 19 emergency shelters," NTB Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Muhammad Rum said on Sunday.

The 19 shelters have been set up in eight subdistricts: Jatiwangi, Lewirato, Monggonao, Paruga, Penaraga, Penatoi, Sadia and Tanjung.

Residents were using mosques, school buildings and shops as shelters as they could not yet return to their respective homes damaged by the flash floods, Rum said. While others had returned home to clean their houses from debris carried by the floods.

The floods took place in 33 subdistricts of five districts in Bima municipality where at least 105,000 families were affected.

Furthermore, Rum said 929 Bima residents were suffering from respiratory illnesses, skin rashes and diarrhea. Local administrations had set up, jointly with the local military command, several medical posts and a field hospital to help the affected residents.

"We have also distributed logistics aid to the shelters. There are currently seven public kitchens, which can serve up to 5,000 people per kitchen," he said, adding that aid from other regions had also arrived in Bima such as food supplies, clothes, medicine and assistance funds.

The NTB BPBD and local administrations had begun collecting data on the houses and public facilities damaged by the floods on Wednesday.


700 military personnel help clear garbage from flood-hit Bima
Antara 26 Dec 16;

Bima, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Some 700 military personnel have been dispatched to flood-hit Bima City in the eastern Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara to help the local people remove the accumulating garbage.

"We have deployed hundreds of personnel. They are all from Sumbawa Island and the provincial capital, Mataram," Commander of Wira Bhakti Military District Command Infantry Colonel Farid Makruf said here on Monday.

He noted the local authorities hoped the city would be clean within a week. So far, they have made available 60 trucks to carry the garbage.

Flash floods hit the city on December 21 and 23, forcing 104,378 people to flee their homes.

Overall, the floods have uprooted 105,758 people in the citys five sub-districts, Chief of the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board Mohmmad Rum stated over the weekend.

The floods, triggered by the overflowing of two local rivers following heavy rains, prompted the closure of offices and schools in the city.

According to officials, floodwaters injured one person and destroyed public facilities, including four public health service posts, 28 auxiliary public health service posts, and one office. However, no fatalities were reported from the floods.(*)


Social minister meets Bima flash flood evacuees
Antara 26 Dec 16;

Bima, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Social Service Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa visited hundreds of flash flood evacuees in Bima city, West Nusa Tenggara, on Monday.

During the meeting, the minister asked the evacuees to remain strong and patient.

"This is a test. If we pass it, we will advance to a higher class," she told the evacuees at Baitul Hamid Mosque in Bima city.

If anybody is strong and patient in facing the ordeal, Allah SWT will give them unexpected sustenance, she remarked.

"So, we must always be strong and patient," she said.

The evacuees, who are being sheltered at the mosque, still have access to water as well as public bathing, washing and toilet facilities (MCK), she stated.

Moreover, the two-week emergency response period will end on January 5 next year, she said.

"What we want to see is that the entire assistance is well distributed among the affected residents," she added.

Flash floods hit the city on December 21 and 23, forcing 104,378 people to flee their homes.

Overall, the floods have uprooted 105,758 people in the citys five sub-districts, Chief of the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board Mohmmad Rum stated over the weekend.

The floods, triggered by the overflowing of two local rivers following heavy rains, prompted the closure of offices and schools in the city.

According to officials, floodwaters injured one person and destroyed public facilities, including four public health service posts, 28 auxiliary public health service posts, and one office. However, no fatalities were reported.(*)


VP calls for repairs of Bima within four days of flood
The Jakarta Post 28 Dec 16;

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has demanded related agencies to finish repairing sanitation facilities in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, within four days of the recent flood.

Immediate repairs are needed so that people can obtain clean water again for their daily needs, the vice president said when he led a meeting in Bima on Tuesday.

“The VP has ordered repairs of water wells and for the environment to be cleaned up,” said Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa on Wednesday as reported by Antara.

(Read also: Bima flood victims to get monthly allowance)

Jusuf chaired a meeting at Bima City Hall on Tuesday to discuss recovery efforts. The meeting was attended by head of National Disaster Management (BNPB) Willem Rampangilei, Bima Mayor Muhammad Quraish and city officials.

After inspecting the flood affected area, Kalla said that water in all wells should be pumped to clean out the waste and other pollutants carried by the flood. Khofifah added that all equipment to do the job should be purchased immediately.

“In short, efforts should be carried out to ensure that this will be finished by Jan 1,” she added.

The flood that swept Bima on Dec. 22 and 23 had also caused serious damages to the city's infrastructure and expelled 8,800 people from their homes in five districts of the city. (bbn)


Bima flooding emergency response applied until Jan. 5: Agency
Panca Nugraha The Jakarta Post 28 Dec 16;

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has said recovery activities following a massive flooding in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), have continued to be conducted by the government and other organizations, and an emergency response period will remain in effect until Jan. 5.

“Activities have returned to normal. The handling of refugees has continued to improve. About 99.5 percent of power blackouts in Bima have been resolved, and 11 out of 12 electrical relay stations cut off by the flooding have been repaired by state utility company PLN and can now function properly,” BNPB Public Relations and Information Data Center head Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Wednesday.

He said main roads across Bima had been cleared of floodwater and mud. Currently, 650 police and military personnel and volunteers from various organizations have continued to clean mud out of residences.

“To accelerate the removal of flood debris, 70 trucks and five excavators have been dispatched to carry garbage. A new trash disposal site has been opened.”

Sutopo explained the BNPB also provided cash for work assistance channeled through the NTB Disaster Mitigation Agency. He expressed that hopefully, flood victims can start to carry out economic activity to generate income; however, many people cannot immediately get back to work after the natural disaster.

“Cash for disaster relief work is very useful for disaster-affected local communities. This has been implemented through previous disaster mitigation activities, such as during eruptions of Mount Merapi in Central Java and Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, massive flooding in Manado, North Sulawesi, and an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh,” said Sutopo. (ebf)

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Philippines: Thousands flee coastal villages as typhoon approaches

Reuters 24 Dec 16;

Philippine authorities on Saturday evacuated thousands in coastal villages in the country's central region where a category 4 typhoon is expected to make landfall later this weekend, bringing strong winds and heavy rains.

The weather bureau said typhoon Nock-ten, locally known as Nina, had earlier packed winds of 130 kmh (93 mph) but has since slowed to 15 kmh, moving west-northwest and was on target to hit Camarines Sur province in the Bicol peninsula.

"Families in Albay's coastlines have started fleeing to safer and higher grounds," Mina Marasigan, a spokeswoman for the national disaster agency, told reporters, adding coastal villagers in both Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte provinces were also told to move to temporary shelters. Albay is a province south of Camarines Sur.

Storm surges and flooding were also expected in low-lying and coastal areas and landslides were feared in mountain slopes, the disaster agency said.

Marasigan said authorities have raised typhoon alert levels in nine provinces along the eastern seaboard, suspending land, sea and air travel until after Sunday to avoid accidents. Thousands of holiday travelers were also stranded in transport terminals.

Several flights have been canceled for the weekend in the central and northeastern parts of the country.

The coast guard also grounded fishing boats. The energy and public works ministries have placed emergency personnel on standby to clear debris from roads and restore power. Soldiers were ordered to help the evacuation of residents.

In 2013, more than 6,000 died and 200,000 homes were destroyed after Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest-ever storm to make landfall in the Philippines, hit the central island of Leyte and Samar.

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About 20 major typhoons pass through the Philippines each year. Since 1948, at least seven typhoons have hit the country during the Christmas period.

(Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing By Sam Holmes)

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Vietnam says recovery from Formosa industrial disaster could take a decade

My Pham and Mai Nguyen Reuters 24 Dec 16;

HANOI - Vietnam's central region is expected to take a decade to completely recover from an industrial accident caused by a unit of a Taiwan conglomerate, which led to Vietnam's worst ever environmental disaster, the government said.

Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics that runs an $11 billion steel plant, sullied more than 200 km (125 miles) of coastline in April, killing more than 100 tonnes of fish and devastating the environment, jobs and economies of four provinces.

Responding this week to questions as part of a Reuters investigation in November, Vietnam's environment ministry said the firm had rectified 50 of 53 violations and was on its way to removing the biggest cause of the disaster, a highly toxic "wet" coking system that Formosa had used in a deliberate violation of its agreement.

After months of mystery over the cause of the deaths of the fish, and public outrage against both the Hanoi government and one of the communist state's largest investors, Formosa agreed in June to pay $500 million in compensation.

The accident emboldened the Vietnamese public over the course of several months, with coordinated rallies in major cities and an outpouring of social media anger in a display of dissent on a scale not seen during the Communist Party's 41 years of tight control of the country.

Thousands of people from the affected region accuse the government of mishandling the disaster and the payment of compensation. Police were criticized for heavy-handed measures to break up street demonstrations.

The government always said it was doing everything it could to investigate the disaster and address the problem.

The ministry said Formosa had disregarded a series of commitments it had made to the government in securing approval to build the plant, which once fully completed would be the largest steel facility in Southeast Asia.

ILLEGAL CHANGES

"Formosa had deliberately changed many of the contents of the two environmental impacts assessment reports approved in 2008 including using 'wet' coking system instead of 'dry'," the ministry said a detailed response.

"These changes are illegal."

Formosa did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the environment ministry's assessment.

Wet coking uses water for cooling and is considered more polluting, as it generates more emissions and waste water that contains compounds that include cyanide. The dry process is cleaner and widely used in modern plants, but is more costly.

The ministry said it had asked Formosa Ha Tinh to start work on introducing the dry system from the end of next month and it must complete the job by June 30, 2019, at the latest.

The environment in the area has seen some improvement and was expected to be fully restored within 10 years if sufficient rehabilitation work was carried out, it said. Toxicity levels in the sea were under control.

The ministry said it was relatively satisfied with the firm's steps to fix the problems, but more needed to be done.

Formosa Ha Tinh Steel (FHS) executive vice president Chang Fu-ning said earlier that the plant was scheduled to begin full commercial production in the first quarter of 2017, subject to approval.

Formosa has planned to expand the steel plant to include a deepwater port and 1,500-megawatt thermal power complex.

(Reporting by My Pham and Mai Nguyen; Editing by Martin Petty, Robert Birsel)

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At least 4 flights to Singapore diverted to Batam due to poor weather

Channel NewsAsia 23 Dec 16;

SINGAPORE: At least four flights bound for Singapore were diverted to Batam on Thursday (Dec 22) due to poor weather.

A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines (SIA) confirmed that two of its flights were diverted to Batam's Hang Nadim Airport on Thursday. SQ256 from Brisbane with 289 passengers on board landed in Batam at 5.07pm, and SQ631 from Tokyo (Haneda) carrying 259 passengers arrived in Batam at 5.44pm.

Passengers on board both flights remained onboard the aircraft while at Batam, SIA said.

"After refuelling was completed, SQ256 departed Batam at 6.12pm and arrived at Singapore Changi Airport at 7.48pm. SQ631 departed Batam at 7.20pm and arrived in Singapore at 8.50pm," SIA said.

A check on flight tracker FlightAware showed that SQ256 was meant to arrive at Changi Airport at about 3.10pm, while SQ631 was scheduled to land in Singapore at about 3.20pm on Thursday.

Tigerair flight TR2063 from Hong Kong was also diverted to Batam on Thursday "due to inclement weather in Singapore", according to a spokesperson for the airline.

"The aircraft, carrying 147 guests, departed for Singapore within an hour of landing in Batam, landing in Singapore at 5.41pm," Tigerair said.

According to FlightAware, TR2063 was scheduled to land in Singapore at about 3pm.

SilkAir flight MI8163 from Siem Reap was also diverted to Hang Nadim Airport on Thursday due to "inclement weather conditions" in Singapore. The flight with 131 passengers on board arrived in Batam at 3.08pm. It departed the island at 5.28pm and arrived at Changi Airport at 7.19pm, a spokesperson for the airline said.

Flight tracker Flightradar24 stated that MI8163 was meant to arrive in Singapore at about 3.35pm.

- CNA/dl

Bad weather at Changi Airport forces flights to Batam
Fadli Fadli The Jakarta Post 23 Dec 16;

Bad weather in Singapore forced Changi Airport to divert four flights from Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand and Japan to Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday.

The planes waited in Batam for more than four hours until the weather permitted them to land in Changi.

The first flight, a Tiger Air flight from Hong Kong, landed in Batam at 2:29 p.m. The other flights were a Singapore Airlines flight from Brisbane, a Silk Air flight from Thailand and a Singapore Airlines flight from Tokyo.

Hang Nadim’s general manager Suwarso said Friday that Batam also saw heavy rainfall but the weather was worse in Singapore with strong winds.

The close location of Batam makes Hang Nadim an alternative to Changi in such emergency situations, he said.

“The diversion to Batam is a regular thing,” he said.

The passengers did not leave the plane and waited for three to four hours for the weather to improve. (evi)


Bad weather forces flights to wait it out in Batam
Tiffany Fumiko Tay and Wahyudhi Soeriaatmadja, Straits Times AsiaOne 24 Dec 16;

Four Singapore-bound flights were diverted to the Indonesian island of Batam on Thursday due to inclement weather in the city state.

One of the most dramatic involved a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Tokyo which landed at Changi Airport on Thursday evening, more than five hours behind schedule.

The flight, which was scheduled to land at Changi Airport at 3.25pm, eventually arrived at 8.50pm.

It was the last of the four to land.

SQ631, which departed from Tokyo's Haneda Airport at 7.46am Singapore time, made three attempted landings at Changi Airport before diverting to Hang Nadim airport in Batam to refuel, SIA said in response to queries.

Civil servant Mohammad Ismail, who was on board with his family, including two children aged five and 10, said the failed landing attempts had caused concern, though passengers remained calm.

There were 259 passengers on board.

PAYA LEBAR OPTION NOT POSSIBLE

"The first attempt almost touched the runway, then it ascended like a take off and we shot up past the clouds," said Mr Ismail, 35. "Through the window you could see the dark clouds, rainwater and flashes of lightning."

After circling and making two more attempts, the pilot announced that they would be trying to land at Paya Lebar Air Base due to the bad weather, though this too was called off as conditions there were no better.

The plane then headed for Batam, landing at about 2.50pm local time before waiting three hours for a parking bay, the SIA spokesman said.

The wait in Batam was tedious, and passengers were left hungry as only drinks were served, but "but we passed around some biscuits that were souvenirs from Japan", said Mr Ismail.

The airline crew did their best and handled the situation professionally, he added.

The other diverted flights were a Tigerair flight from Hong Kong, an SIA flight from Brisbane and a SilkAir flight from Siem Reap.

They arrived in Batam before the SQ631 flight, according to local authority BP Batam. All passengers stayed on the planes at Hang Nadim airport while waiting out the bad weather in Changi, it said.

A Changi Airport Group spokesman said decisions regarding flight diversions and landings are left to the sole discretion of the pilot and his airline.

Dynasty Travel's director of marketing communications, Ms Alicia Seah, said flight delays are common during the year-end holiday season because of weather conditions and an increased number of flights.

"Safety is the priority. At the end of the day, if it's not safe to land, it's better not to," she said.

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Indonesia: New habitat of Rafflesia arnoldii found in Bengkulu

Antara 23 Dec 16;

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - A new habitat of the worlds largest flower Rafflesia arnoldii has been found recently in the forest of Manau IX Village, Kaur District, Bengkulu Province.

Coordinator of Pemuda Padang Guci Peduli Puspa Langka Youth Community Noprianto said here on Friday that a blooming Rafflesia arnoldii was found with several decomposed ones by the River Pengambiran, in Manau IX Village, Padang Guci Hulu Subdistrict.

"The flower has a diameter of 80 cm," Noprianto said.

The new habitat is a one hour walk from the Cawang Kidau Dam in Padang Guci Hulu.

The local community has also mapped the habitat of the flower, which is also dubbed as the corpse flower due to its foul odor, in the local forest.

More than three spots, which are being developed as natural tourism destinations, have been identified as the habitat for Rafflesia arnoldii and Raflesia bengkuluensis in the region.

Rafflesia arnoldii is one of four rafflesia species found in Bengkulu. The other three are Rafflesia bengkuluensis, Rafflesia gadutensis, and Rafflesia hasselti.

The plant, found in the Southeast Asian forest, is parasitic and has no stems, leaves or true roots. Most of the time it lives unobserved inside the woody stems and the roots of its host. Rafflesia arnoldii becomes visible when its plump buds emerge through the bark of its host and develop into large, fleshy flowers that are pollinated by carrion-flies.

Reporting by Helti Marini Sipayung

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China reports first two human deaths from bird flu this winter

Reuters 23 Dec 16;

Two people in China's Anhui province have died from H7N9 bird flu, the first fatalities in China among this winter's cases, while Macau reported its first human infection of the strain since the former Portuguese colony returned to China in 1999.

Anhui has reported five cases of H7N9 avian flu since Dec. 8, including the two people who died, the eastern province's health authority said in a statement dated Dec. 21, posted on its website.

It did not say whether the other three people had recovered or not.

The Anhui cases bring the total number of people infected with the H7N9 virus in mainland China this month to at least seven.

The health ministry said it was taking the reports of the cases seriously.

"Currently experts' judgment is that it is a small number of individuals, but if we discover that it's on a large scale, it would be a different (response)," Mao Qunan, a spokesman for the ministry, told reporters in Beijing.

He did not comment on specific measures in response to the outbreak.

H7N9 had not been detected in either humans or animals in China until March 2013.

The strain does not seem to transmit easily from person to person, and sustained human-to-human infection has not been reported, according to the World Health Organization.

The danger with any such virus is that it mutates and acquires genetic changes that might increase its pandemic potential.

The last major bird flu outbreak in mainland China - from late 2013 to early 2014 - killed 36 people and led to more than $6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector.

In Anhui, which has a population of almost 60 million, authorities shut some livestock markets and stepped up sterilization to prevent the virus spreading, a spokesman for the provincial health authority's emergency department said, adding "a few" chickens had been culled.

Authorities in Shanghai, China's biggest city with more than 24 million residents, said on Wednesday a man diagnosed with the H7N9 strain was being treated there, after traveling from the neighboring province of Jiangsu.

The government in Jiangsu was looking into the origin of the infection, the provincial health authority said.

INFECTED POULTRY

In Xiamen, a city in Fujian province also in the east, authorities ordered a halt to poultry sales from Thursday in the Siming district, after a 44-year-old man was diagnosed with H7N9 flu, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

The patient was in hospital and was stable, Xinhua said then. The city has a population of about 3.5 million.

Hong Kong this week reported its first human bird flu infection for this season.

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In Macau, health authorities will soon discharge a patient who contracted H7N9, following a quarantine period of about 10 days, said an official at the Macau Heath Bureau Services who only gave his surname Yang.

The patient, a man, had been in close contact with infected poultry, Yang told Reuters. He will be discharged on either Friday or Saturday.

Bird flu is most likely to strike in winter and spring.

Farmers have in recent years increased cleaning, animal detention techniques and built roofs to cover hen pens to prevent infection from wild birds, among other steps, in an effort to stop the disease.

In the past two months, more than 110,000 birds have been killed following bird flu outbreaks, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. They did not lead to human infection.

The latest cases come as South Korea and Japan have ordered the killing of tens of millions of birds in the past month, fuelling fears of a regional spread.

(Reporting by Stella Qiu, Ryan Woo, Muyu Xu and Cate Cadell; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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'Christmas' wish for Pulau Ubin takes root

Plan to turn former aquaculture ponds into mangrove habitats
Audrey Tan Straits Times 23 Dec 16;

Christmas is just around the corner and boughs of imported holly are already decking many halls and building facades.

But Singapore has its own version of the Christmas holly - and it can be found growing in the wild, in places such as Pulau Ubin and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

The country has three species of the sea holly - or jeruju, as it is known in Malay - all of which grow in mangrove habitats.

They have spiny leaves similar to the temperate plant used in Christmas decorations, although the local versions are not closely related to the Christmas holly.

The latter can be found in western Europe, the British Isles and parts of the Mediterranean.

"The 'holly' appellation of the sea holly is purely based on the leaf shape," said botanist Shawn Lum, a senior lecturer at the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU's) Asian School of the Environment.

"The most consistently 'holly-like' of the three local species is Acanthus ilicifolius. In Latin, ilicifolius means leaves like a holly," added Dr Lum, who is also president of the Nature Society (Singapore).

The other two species of sea holly are Acanthus volubilis and Acanthus ebracteatus.

Singapore's sea hollies do not always have lobed leaves with spiny edges. They sometimes have leaves which are spineless.

"Spininess appears to be a feature of younger leaves and may be affected by water stress, seasonality and light intensity," said Ms Ria Tan, 55, a naturalist who runs the wildsingapore.com nature blog.

She is among a group of people - including National University of Singapore (NUS) scientists, fish farmers, fishermen and naturalists - who are hoping that the sea holly, as well as other mangrove plants, will naturally regenerate in the abandoned aquaculture ponds on Pulau Ubin, an island north-east of the mainland.

The 150ha of mangroves on the island make up about 20 per cent of Singapore's mangrove forests.

The Restore Ubin Mangroves (RUM) initiative aims to make use of an ecological approach to rehabilitate the habitats.

This is done by first recreating conditions suitable for mangrove growth in the abandoned ponds.

"We collect data on the rehabilitation sites, such as their elevation and tidal flooding, and compare this with a nearby natural mangrove forest," said NUS Assistant Professor Daniel Friess, who is leading the scientific study.

"For example, if the data shows that the rehabilitation site is too low, then we can use these maps to guide where to bring in dredge material to raise the elevation so that mangroves will grow more successfully."

Scientists are now working on the first phase of the RUM initiative, which involves mapping out existing mangrove and abandoned aquaculture sites using equipment similar to a digital theodolite - which uses laser beams to map out elevation changes.

The next phase of the project will involve changing the elevation of the abandoned aquaculture sites by adding soil or digging channels to mimic areas of natural mangrove growth, said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, group director for conservation at the National Parks Board (NParks).

The latter is working with the RUM team on mangrove rehabilitation.

This will be the first time that this method is being used to transform aquaculture ponds to mangroves in Singapore.

Prof Friess said it has been successfully applied in many projects in Florida in the United States, Thailand and Indonesia.

Said Mr Wong: "Mangrove forests are vital to the coastal zone in Pulau Ubin as they protect the shoreline from erosion.

"Restoring mangrove ecosystems would also conserve the habitats for native biodiversity like fiddler crabs and mudskippers."

The RUM team is also conducting activities to raise awareness about Singapore's rich and diverse mangrove habitats, through free guided walks along Pulau Ubin's sensory trail, for example.

Said Ms Tan who leads the walks: "Mangroves are amazing. They are plants that can live in the sea, they are full of animals, they are fascinating and part of our coastal ecosystem."

•To sign up for the mangrove walks, visit rum-initiative.blogspot.sg/

VIDEO: Spot some holly at Pulau Ubin's mangroves http://str.sg/4dma



Singapore's sea hollies with healing qualities
Audrey Tan Straits Times 23 Dec 16;

Like the Christmas holly, Singapore's sea holly plants sometimes have spiny leaves.

Research by plant expert Jean Yong has shown that sea holly plants have variable leaf shapes in response to environmental factors, such as exposure to sunlight and salinity.

"In the harshest localities of any mangroves, where plants receive full sunlight and are often fully immersed in seawater, two species of sea hollies - the Acanthus ilicifolius and Acanthus ebracteatus - will develop very spiny leaves," said Dr Yong, an eco-physiologist at the Australian Research Centre for Mine Site Restoration.

He added that, in general, sea holly plants which receive greater shade, and/or freshwater, have rounder, less spiny leaves.

"We hope to find out which the predominant factor is - whether it is sunlight exposure or salinity - in determining the ultimate leaf shape and spine development."

Another unique trait about sea holly plants is their ability to deal with salt. While some mangrove plants keep salt from entering in the first place, sea hollies take salt in and discharge it through salt glands on their leaves, said botanist Shawn Lum, from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU's) Asian School of the Environment.

Here is more information about Singapore's sea holly plants.

ACANTHUS ILICIFOLIUS

This is a common mangrove plant that grows up to 3m in height. Its leaves are used to treat rheumatism and wounds and can be used to make a softening cream. In addition, a concoction of the leaves can be taken with the stems to promote longevity, or with the roots to improve hair conditions, and treat sores and snake bites, according to the National Parks Board (NParks).

ACANTHUS EBRACTEATUS

This species is considered vulnerable. It can grow up to 2m in height. Its seeds are sometimes boiled to be used as ingredients in cough mixtures.

ACANTHUS VOLUBILIS

This species can grow up to 8m in height. This is considered the rarest among the three Acanthus species, said Dr Yong, and can be found only on Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong and in Sungei Buloh and the Western Catchment areas. This species also produces the least spines on its leaves.

Audrey Tan

•Source: NParks, Dr Jean Yong, Dr Shawn Lum

OTHER MANGROVE NATIVES

RHIZOPHORA

Mangrove plants from the genus Rhizophora have iconic prop roots that extend over a large area. These help the plant to hold on to the soft and unstable mud and improve stability of the tree. Wood from such trees is used to make charcoal.

BRUGUIERA HAINESII

This plant is critically endangered; the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates there are 200 mature individuals left in Singapore, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. In Singapore, there are 13 trees, says the National Parks Board. They can grow up to 33m tall, and are found in the back mangroves or elevated areas less frequently inundated by seawater.

BRUGUIERA GYMNORRHIZA

This common plant can grow up to 20m in height. It has roots that help it absorb oxygen in the mud. It can also selectively absorb water by excluding salt from the seawater it takes in. Its bark can be used as medicine for diarrhoea and occasionally malaria. An extract of the bark is also used as a source of tannin and dye.

MANGROVE PITTA

This colourful bird, native to Singapore, is rare. It has been sighted at the mangroves in Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong and Sungei Buloh. It builds dome-shaped nests on or close to the ground. This species is suspected to be in moderately rapid decline as a result of habitat loss and degradation.

SHORE PIT VIPER

This venomous snake calls the mangroves of Singapore its home but is endangered here. It feeds on lizards, frogs and other small animals, possibly small birds.

Audrey Tan

•Sources: NParks, IUCN, Dr Jean Yong, David Tan, wildsingapore.com

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Higher demand for eco-tourism as environmental awareness increases

RUMI HARDASMALANI Today Online 23 Dec 16;

SINGAPORE — Tapping a new breed of travellers’ increasing environmental awareness and penchant for off-the-beaten-track experiences, travel agencies and tour companies are cashing in on a small but growing business segment as they adapt and evolve in a fast-changing industry.

The digital revolution has severely disrupted the industry not just in Singapore but around the world, where more and more people plan, manage and book their travels online on their own.

To survive, companies have turned to “experiential tourism” that focuses on creating immersive and meaningful experiences for travellers — and sustainable tourism, or eco-tourism, is quickly becoming a hot-seller.

The UN World Tourism Organisation, which has designated 2017 as the “international year of sustainability tourism for development”, defines sustainable tourism as taking “full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.

Dynasty Travel, one of the biggest agencies here, said it is seeing a 5 per cent year-on-year growth in this segment. Its director of marketing and communications Alicia Seah said, “Travellers these days are more affluent and largely looking for never before experiences.

“They are well educated and conscious about not leaving carbon foot-prints behind as they travel. Sustainable tourism is, hence, getting more popular as it comes with this feel-good factor of giving back.”

Popular eco-tourism destinations include the Maldives, Australia, Thailand, Bali, as well as Guilin and Lijiang in China, Ms Seah said.

A spokesperson for Chan Brothers noted that the segment is “still rather niche”, although the demand for sustainability tours has been “gradually increasing due to a higher level of awareness”.

“The cause is more than worthwhile as these projects are not simply about bringing in sales revenue, but also about meeting the environmental aspect of our triple bottom line — namely profit, people and planet,” the spokesperson added.

Over at luxury tour operator Lightfoot Travel, places such as the Amazon, Antarctica, Bhutan and Mongolia are high on customers’ itineraries. Mr Nico Heath, the firm’s Singapore director, said, “We do push this element to our clients, and find that often, it does affect the decision-making process.

“Our younger clients (20 and 30somethings) tend to be more interested in it, and sometimes they specifically request eco-friendly hotels or ones that focus on sustainability.”

The demand for eco-tourism is also partly fuelled by well-heeled travellers looking for more extraordinary experiences.

“Whether seeking something to impact them or even transform them in some way, these people are the ones who have the money to access the world’s little black book of amazing experiences,” Mr Heath added.

Globally, some places have successfully marketed themselves as eco-tourism destinations, including Bhutan, the Dominican Republic, parts of Thailand, Denmark’s capital Copenhagen as well as Swedish cities Stockholm and Malmo.

In these places, the local communities benefit from tourism dollars. Bhutan, for instance, has strict entry requirements for visitors, or what its government terms as “high-value, low-impact tourism”. Among other requirements, visitors have to pay a US$65 (S$94.20) per day tariff that goes towards alleviating the country’s education, healthcare and poverty issues.

Ms Cindy Chng, 27, who founded Eco Travel eight years ago, said her company is developing a website that enables users to search for sustainable travel options in the region. “After remaining subdued for some time, the demand for this segment is now picking up,” Ms Chng said.

“We are, accordingly, tailoring more packages that create meaningful interactions between people and places while forging memorable travel experiences. We educate the locals as well as our customers to respect the environment and cultures while being true to sustainable and responsible tourism.”

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How Indonesia is stepping up fight against climate change

SIMON TAY and NIRARTA “KONI” SAMADHI Today Online 23 Dec 16;

United States President-elect Donald Trump may have labelled climate change a hoax, but that has not stalled the momentum behind last month’s United Nations’ Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Morocco.

Less than one year after its adoption, the Paris climate agreement has entered into force, with some 175 countries already on board. The next step will be to begin implementing the commitments each country has made. In South-east Asia in particular, regional cooperation will be critical to address certain issues that transcend national boundaries.

One of the largest obstacles to climate change efforts in South-east Asia remains Indonesia’s forest and peatland fires. Though these fires are perhaps most notorious as the source of the annual haze that blankets our region, they should rightly be framed as a global concern about carbon emissions.

To put things into perspective, Indonesia’s 2015 fires produced the equivalent of 1,750 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2e), which is almost the same amount emitted by Indonesia’s entire economy in an average year (1,800 MtCO2e).

Hence, it is heartening that Indonesia has shown resolve in addressing the issue. The reduction in fires this year must be credited to not only wetter weather, but also the political will and concerted efforts of the government of President Joko Widodo.

At the peak of the haze crisis last year, Mr Widodo visited South Sumatra to understand the fires first-hand and subsequently established the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) in January 2016. The BRG has been charged with coordinating the restoration of 2.1 million hectares of degraded peatland across Indonesia by 2020.

Following orders by Mr Widodo to “get very tough” on errant companies, Indonesian police have arrested more than double the number of individuals in forest fire cases this year compared with last year.

The Indonesian government is also responding faster to fires, enabled by the early declaration of a state of emergency in six provinces. These efforts have been commended by regional leaders, including Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli.

Such measures were crucial in the immediate aftermath of the fires. But the true challenge comes in figuring out how to tackle this complex problem in the long term.

One pressing issue is the ongoing debate over the most appropriate way to restore degraded peatland. Comprised of partially decayed organic matter, peatland is often drained to grow oil palm, acacia trees for pulp and paper, and other agricultural crops. But drained peat is highly flammable during the dry season, resulting in fires that can take months to extinguish.

Some parties contend that the only sustainable way to restore degraded peatland is to rewet, reforest and protect the entire landscape. Otherwise, fires that start on agricultural lands may easily spread into protected areas, destroying intact forests.

Worse still, protected forest will continue to be affected by drainage from surrounding agricultural areas. Drainage causes peatland to subside, causing the land to become flooded and unusable in the long term.

Other parties argue that it is unrealistic to reforest large peatland areas that already contain thousands of villages and extensive industrial plantations, which generate a great deal of employment and economic benefit.

They also point to the fact that there is still a limited market for native peatland crops that do not require drainage — such as jelutong, sago and illipe nut — compared with more commonly grown crops such as oil palm and areca nut.

It appears that the Indonesian government’s approach is to strike a balance between these competing concerns. On Dec 1, Mr Widodo signed a regulation that banned new clearing of peatland for crop cultivation.

Plantations will also be required to set a minimum ratio between cultivation and conservation areas, and lay down guidelines for the proper management of peatland plantations. BRG has plans to rewet areas set aside for conservation and improve their fire readiness by installing wells and monitoring systems.

Now, Indonesia faces the challenge of harmonising these standards across its 12.9 million hectares of peatland, which is likely to be a complex and time-consuming process. In the meantime, the scale and urgency of peatland restoration will require the support of parties from outside Indonesia.

Firstly, collaboration is required to improve and disseminate knowledge about peatland, which remains an under-researched subject. The UN meeting in Marrakech saw the launch of the Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI), the largest international collaboration on peatland to date, which aims to share scientific knowledge to develop local capacity for peatland management. Indonesia is one of the founding members of the GPI.

Closer to home, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the World Resources Institute Indonesia and other leading non-governmental organisations in Asean recently organised the Regional Peat Restoration Workshop in Jakarta, which showcased ongoing restoration efforts in order to share learning points with others conducting similar projects.

Secondly, peatland restoration is expensive and will require financial support from other countries. Funding is especially needed to scale up current projects, many of which are still small-scale and experimental, so that they cover entire peat landscapes. This will maximise impact and minimise the conflicts that often result between multiple, smaller projects.

One recently-launched initiative to provide such funding is the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility. A joint effort between BNP Paribas, ADM Capital and the United Nations Environment Programme, the facility has mobilised over US$1.1 billion (S$1.59 billion) of investments to reverse land degradation, prevent unwise land conversion and improve revenues for small farmers.

Western donors, most notably Norway, have also pledged about US$135 million to support the BRG. Others in the international and regional community can and should add their support.

In the longer term, Indonesia’s strategy involves changing the legal rights for industrial plantations to turn them into ecosystem restoration concessions that finance the restoration of forests and peatlands through the sale of carbon credits, among other methods.

The international community plays a crucial role in developing the market and providing the demand for such credits.

Climate change is rightly seen as an issue that affects all countries. Now that Indonesia has taken several important steps to prevent the return of fires, it is vital that other countries begin supporting its efforts.

Though approaches may differ, there is a need to recognise that we are working towards the same goal and that there are significant areas of overlap to work on. The need is urgent and we must not lose the valuable momentum that has been built up so far behind forest and peatland restoration.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi is country director for the World Resources Institute Indonesia.

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Malaysia: Terengganu spared from major floods

SHARANPAL SINGH RANDHAWA The Star 23 Dec 16;

KUALA TERENGGANU: No major floods are expected in Terengganu for the remainder of the monsoon season, said state Meteorological Department director Jenuwa Husin.

The weather forecast, he said, indicated isolated and relatively light rainfall until the end of the monsoon in March.

“We believe the state will get normal, average rainfall from now on,” he told The Star.

He said there were small-scale floods in Kemaman, parts of Kuala Terengganu, Hulu Terengganu and other low-lying places last month.

This followed a heavy downpour for about eight hours on Nov 29.

Some 317 people had to be evacuated to five flood relief centres in Kemaman and Kuala Terengganu.

Jenuwa said Terengganu had been on high alert between Dec 13 and 22 following an earlier forecast of heavy rains and high tides of up to 3.5m in Kemaman.

Despite the good news, the state government and rescue agencies were not taking any chances.

State Civil Defence Force director Lt Col Che Adam A. Rahman said 3,000 personnel from various agencies were on standby.

He said flood simulation exercises had been carried out with the Fire and Rescue Department.

Rivers, irrigation canals and drainage systems had also been deepened and cleaned to mitigate the possibility of floods.

The first wave of floods in several states in the peninsula had receded, but wet weather due to the North-East Monsoon will persist for those living in the east coast.

Science, Technology and Inno­vation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau said Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and eastern Johor were expected to get more than 500mm of rainfall this month.

At noon yesterday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department warned of widespread thunderstorms over waters off Terengganu and the Straits of Malacca.

It predicted strong winds reaching up to 50kph and waves as high as 3.5m.

At 3pm yesterday, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage issued a warning for those living in Kelantan.

Its official website, http://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my/ reported that Sungai Golok had exceeded its normal water level by almost a metre.

Earlier this month, more than 100 people in Perak and Kelantan were forced to evacuate their homes due to floods.

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