Selected homes to get water-saving flushing systems

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 9 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — National water agency PUB will be helping lower-income families to save water, by replacing the 9L water closets of about 6,000 households with water-efficient 4L ones for free.

These families would be those living in public housing blocks built between 1986 and 1992, which have yet to undergo the Home Improvement Programme, which includes the replacement of their water closets.

Newer public flats already come with more water-efficient flushing systems.

PUB said that this group of households would “immediately” save 5L of water per full flush, and could potentially save 10 per cent in their monthly water bill.

More details on the replacement project will be made public in due course.

Announcing this plan in Parliament on Wednesday (March 8), Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli also revealed the progress made in cutting domestic water consumption.

Last year, households used 148L of water per capita per day. This figure is lower than the previous reported level of about 151L and just shy of Singapore’s target of 147L by 2020, although still a stretch from the 2030 target of 140L.

Water prices are scheduled to go up by 30 per cent over two rounds on July 1 this year and next year, with help being provided to most households.

On Wednesday, Mr Masagos highlighted measures other than “right-pricing” to promote water conservation, and said that he was inspired by people who have gone the extra mile to save water.

Over the next few years, PUB will be fitting smart shower devices in 10,000 new homes under a demonstration project.

This is based on an earlier study it conducted with the National University of Singapore, which found people using less water in the shower when they had devices that provided them with real-time water-usage information.

From October next year, dishwashing machines will also come under the Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme.

And from April 2019, all new and existing premises that are undergoing renovation works must have water fittings classified as having at least two-tick efficiency.

For the non-domestic sector, which consumes most of the water in Singapore, heavy users (those consuming at least 60,000 cubic metres of water a year) will need to send representatives to attend a three-day water-efficiency manager course from 2019.

According to Mr Masagos: “Many of us are familiar with the Singapore Water Story. Perhaps there is a risk of over-familiarity, a certain jadedness from one too many social studies lessons ...

“The Water Story is a living story, and continues to be written by all Singaporeans today, whether in producing it, or in conserving it.”

Minimum standards for water fittings to be raised from April 2019
Channel NewsAsia 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: As part of new initiatives to enhance water efficiency and encourage water conservation in Singapore, PUB will phase out less water efficient fittings, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (Mar 8).

From April 2019, the national water agency will mandate the sales, supply and installation of water fittings with at least two ticks in all new and existing premises undergoing renovation. Dishwashers will also be included in the mandatory water efficiency labelling scheme from October next year, added Mr Masagos at his ministry's Committee of Supply debate in Parliament.

To further encourage water efficiency within households, PUB will introduce two new water conservation programmes, the minister said.

One of these will be the replacement of less water efficient nine-litre water closets with more efficient ones. "This can help them save up to 10 per cent in their monthly water bills," he said.

The agency will also be installing smart shower devices for 10,000 new homes as a demonstration project, Mr Masagos revealed. The smart shower device provides real-time information on water consumption during showers, and an earlier small-scale study found that a person could save up to five litres a day using these devices.

"If the positive effects are validated in the demo project, PUB may roll out the devices to more households," he said.

The minister noted that in 2016, households used 148 litres of water per capita per day, down "significantly" from a decade ago, but there is "still some way to go" to reach the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint target of 140 litres by 2030. "If each of us can save 10 litres of water per day, that is almost half a desalination plant."

"GOOD PROGRESS" ON WATER MASTER PLAN

Mr Masagos also gave an update on the Water Master Plan, a strategic blueprint for Singapore's water resource until 2060, saying there has been "good progress". The plan provides for the development of NEWater and desalination plants to meet up to 85 per cent of Singapore's water demand by 2060, as well as new pipelines for drinking water and used water.

He noted that the country's fifth NEWater plant, located at Changi, officially opened in January this year, and the third desalination plant in Tuas will be completed this year.

The fourth and fifth desalination plants in Marina East and Jurong Island are underway, he added, while phase two of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System - which includes the water reclamation plant and NEWater factory at Tuas - is on track for completion by 2025.

"All these have now become critical so that we have a resilient water supply when the weather does not favour us," he said.

The minister's updates came after Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in his Budget speech last month that water prices will increase by 30 per cent in two phases over the next two years, starting from Jul 1 this year. This is the first time in almost 20 years that the Government is revising water prices.

- CNA/kk


Water-efficient toilet bowls, smart shower devices for homes
Audrey Tan, Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Mar 17;

Old flats will get new toilet bowls as part of the national push to save water. In another move, intelligent devices will help people track how much water they use as they shower.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, in announcing both initiatives yesterday, said Singapore could do more to reduce water usage.

"I have been inspired by the many stories of people who have gone the extra mile to conserve water... This is the right spirit. We should do more together," he said during the debate on his ministry's budget.

The first effort involves replacing non water-efficient toilet bowls in Housing Board flats built between 1986 and 1992, occupied by lower- income households.

PUB said details about both projects will be announced later this year.

The existing, single-flush 9-litre toilet bowls in these flats will be replaced with more efficient, dual- flush ones that have a capacity of 4 litres. This is expected to reduce monthly water bills by up to 10 per cent.

Such a replacement is expected to save 5 litres for each full flush, and about 6,000 flats may benefit.

The other project involves installing smart shower devices in 10,000 new homes. These devices tell people how much water they are using as they shower. Both schemes come under national water agency PUB.

PUB also clarified changes to water usage calculations, after Mr Masagos revealed slightly lower per capita water usage.

Last year, PUB excluded water usage in dormitories and common areas when calculating per capita daily water usage, to better reflect water consumption within household residential premises.

Based on this new formula, each person in Singapore used about 149 litres of water a day in 2015, less than the initial reported figure of 151 litres. The figure declined to 148 litres last year.

However, it remains some way off from the 2030 target of 140 litres a day, Mr Masagos said yesterday.

"My ministry and PUB have a suite of measures - in addition to right pricing - to promote greater water savings for households and businesses," he said.

The Government had earlier announced that PUB will raise water prices by 30 per cent over the next two years.

Mr Masagos was responding to queries raised by six MPs, including Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon GRC) and Dr Chia Shi-Lu (Tanjong Pagar GRC), on how lower-income households can cope with increased water prices.

The installation of the smart shower devices follows an earlier study that PUB did with the National University of Singapore, which showed that a person could save up to 5 litres of water a day using such devices.

To further help people save water at home, Mr Masagos said PUB will start to phase out less water-efficient products.

PUB will raise the minimum standards of water fittings to two-tick products, up from one-tick, from April 2019. The tick system awards more ticks to more water-efficient products.

PUB will also extend such labelling requirements to dishwashers from October next year.

In response to questions from Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) on the Republic's plans to cope with unpredictable and intense rainfall, Mr Masagos said PUB will start drainage improvement works at another 27 locations.

Such works have already been conducted at about 300 locations islandwide over the past four years.

The Stamford Detention Tank - an underground concrete tank that can hold up to 15 Olympic-size pools worth of rainwater - will also be ready this year. The Stamford Diversion Canal and Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal will be ready next year.

"These works, when ready, will enhance flood protection for their catchments," said Mr Masagos.

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Enhancements to Energy Conservation Act to include better reporting of greenhouse gas emissions

Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: Large industrial emitters in Singapore will need to improve how they measure and report greenhouse gas emissions, in order for them to better understand and manage emissions.

These requirements will be set out in the Energy Conservation Act (ECA) which will be enhanced to help companies adopt more energy-efficient processes, announced Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 8).

"To pave the way for a robust carbon tax regime, we need to have a sound measurement, reporting and verification system in place," he said in his ministry's Committee of Supply speech. It was announced during last month's Budget that the Government will introduce a carbon tax on large direct greenhouse gas emitters from 2019.

Providing more details in a statement, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said large industrial facilities will need to submit a monitoring plan and, once approved by NEA, will have to submit an improved emissions report based on the plan.

NEA said that under the current ECA, registered companies have to report their energy use and their annual greenhouse gas emissions. But they are not required to submit their data based on an approved monitoring plan, nor do they have to adopt certain methodologies in their computations of such data.

NEA said there is room for improvement in the monitoring and reporting system, to ensure it aligns with international standards. It added that the enhancements will ensure a more robust and rigorous measurement and reporting standard for greenhouse gas emissions accounting.

As part of the enhancements, large industrial facilities will also have to adopt specified methodologies that are in line with internationally recognised protocols such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

IMPLEMENTING AND MEASURING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Mr Masagos added that companies looking to expand their facilities will have to factor energy efficiency into their designs from the start. They will also have to measure and report the performance of their key energy-consuming systems.

NEA said industrial equipment has a long lifespan, so it is important to introduce such measures before the facilities are built.

For existing facilities, Mr Masagos said companies will be required to implement a structured energy management system. NEA said studies have shown that having such systems in place can reap energy savings of between 10 per cent and 15 per cent in the first few years. These companies will also be required to conduct energy efficiency assessments periodically to identify what more can be done to improve efficiency.

Mr Masagos said data from NEA shows that a large number of industrial equipment are inefficient. To address this, he said Minimum Energy Performance Standards would be introduced, starting with motors, and gradually extended to include other systems and equipment.

“These practices are in line with that of leading jurisdictions and will help companies to adopt more efficient equipment, conserve energy and enjoy life cycle cost savings,” he said.

Enhancements to the ECA will come into effect from 2018. As part of the Paris climate change agreement, Singapore pledged to reduce its emissions intensity by 36 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. It also committed to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of peaking around 2030.

Mr Masagos said data shows that Singapore-based companies achieved an annual energy efficiency improvement rate of 0.6 per cent in 2015, a 0.2 per cent improvement compared to 2014. But he said this is still low.

“To meet our 2030 pledge, we need to work towards the 1 to 2 per cent improvement rates achieved by leading countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands.” he said.

CONSOLIDATION OF INCENTIVE FUNDS

Based on feedback that the Government needs to improve on its current schemes to help companies improve upon their energy efficiency, Mr Masagos said NEA will consolidate its existing incentive schemes into a single fund.

He said the new Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) will be redesigned to better support companies to identify and undertake energy efficiency retrofitting. He said small- and medium-sized enterprises will especially benefit, through the co-funding of up to 30 per cent of their investments in more efficient technologies.

- CNA/mo

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New emissions scheme, tighter standards to curb air pollution: Masagos

Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: Rebates or surcharges under the new Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) will be determined by its worst-performing pollutant, to encourage buyers to choose car and taxi models with lower emissions. Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said this in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 8) as part of his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate.

The new scheme was first announced during the Budget this year, as a replacement to the Carbon Emissions-Based Scheme (CEVS) for all new cars, taxis and newly imported cars. The CEVS, introduced in 2013, and revised in 2015, was aimed at encouraging owners to move towards vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions. The new scheme will expand on this, to include four other pollutants - hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

Providing more details, the National Environment Agency said rebates and surcharges for cars will range between S$10,000 and S$20,000, while those for taxis will range between S$10,000 and S$30,000, depending on the vehicle’s worst-performing pollutant.

It said similar to the CEVS, rebates and surcharges for taxis under the new scheme will be 50 per cent higher to encourage taxi companies to adopt fleets with lower emission models. That is because taxis clock a higher mileage than cars.

It will affect all cars and taxis registered from Jan 1, 2018, to Dec 31, 2019. NEA said the scheme will be reviewed regularly and take into account purchasing decisions by motorists, technological advances and Singapore’s overall efforts to mitigate climate change and air pollution.

Meanwhile, NEA said the existing CEVS will be extended by six months to the end of this year, to give vehicle dealers time to prepare for the new scheme, and import cleaner models.

TIGHTER EMISSION STANDARDS VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLES

New emission standards for petrol vehicles and motorcycles plying the roads will also be introduced, said Mr Masagos. He said such standards are already in place in places like Europe and Japan, and can be “easily met” by vehicles that are properly maintained.

NEA said new petrol vehicles and motorcycles will have to meet lower limits of carbon monoxide from Apr 1, 2018. Meanwhile, hydrocarbon limits will be introduced for all petrol vehicles and motorcycles plying the roads from next year.

NEA said hydrocarbon is a precursor to ozone, and both carbon monoxide and ozone are known to cause nausea and affect respiratory functions. The revised standards are expected to reduce CO emissions by 55 per cent, and hydrocarbon emissions by half.

ENHANCED EARLY TURNOVER SCHEME

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced the extension of the Early Turnover Scheme in his Budget speech in February. Since it was introduced in 2013, the Scheme has resulted in more than 27,000 older diesel vehicles being replaced with less pollutive ones.

Mr Heng said the scheme will be extended until Jul 31, 2019, to encourage owners of the older and more pollutive Euro II and III commercial vehicles to replace them for the cleaner Euro VI ones.

Providing more details, Mr Masagos said the scheme will be enhanced by increasing the Certificate of Entitlement bonus for light goods vehicles from the current 13 per cent to 35 per cent.

Mr Masagos said industry feedback and other findings have shown that light goods vehicles are a major contributor of diesel pollution due to their high numbers plying the roads. “We hope that through this, more diesel commercial vehicles and buses will switch to Euro VI models or cleaner electric hybrids or petrol alternatives,” he said.

- CNA/mo


More electric, hybrid buses to ply Singapore’s roads
Channel NewsAsia 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: As part of Singapore’s push towards a more environmentally friendly transport system, more electric and hybrid buses will ply the roads soon, Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said on Wednesday (Mar 8).

Speaking in Parliament during his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate, Mr Ng said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will call tenders to purchase 50 hybrid buses and 60 electric buses this year.

Three bus services will be fully served by electric buses, he added.

A diesel-hybrid bus was first trialled by SBS Transit and Volvo in 2015. Bus operator Go-Ahead Singapore, Shenzhen-based automaker BYD and local distributor S Dreams are currently testing a fully electric bus.

Initial feedback from commuters on the electric buses has been encouraging, Mr Ng said. “While more costly, commuters enjoyed the quieter ride and the bus has been fairly reliable,” he said.

However, a problem with pure-electric technology is that it is not fully proven yet for tropical climates, in part because vehicles consume a lot of energy for air-conditioning, Mr Ng said.

“The electric car sharing and electric taxi trials that LTA launched recently will also help us better understand the application of this technology in our climate,” he said.

LTA said the expansion of the trial will help it better understand the operational challenges that come with the wider deployment of such buses under local tropical weather and traffic conditions.

“We will draw from our experiences in these trials to calibrate our approach to adopting alternative energy buses,” it said.

- CNA/cy


MOT relooking plans on bicycle-sharing: Ng Chee Meng
Channel NewAsia 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Transport will assess the bids tendered for the bicycle-sharing service to serve the Jurong Lake District "carefully", and to see if it will extend it to other towns, amid the emergence of dockless bicycle-sharing systems here.

This was announced by the Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng during the ministry's Committee of Supply debate on Wednesday (Mar 8), as he pointed out how mobile technology is reshaping the bicycle-sharing arena.

He said the ministry had studied schemes in cities like London, Paris and New York a few years back, and these are traditional ones with docking stations. It saw the potential, but some Government subsidy would be needed, so time was taken to work out how to fund this. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) eventually put out the tender last year, he added.

However, he acknowledged Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng's observation on the emergence of dockless bicycle-sharing systems provided by companies such as Ofo and Obike. According to media reports, Chinese company Ofo launched 1,000 bikes in areas such as Punggol, West Coast and the city area last month, while Singapore-based Obike has a few thousand bicycles around the island.

"These dockless systems allow users to hire and return a shared bicycle at any location. There are obvious advantages: Lower infrastructure costs, more convenience. The downside, however, is indiscriminate parking," Mr Ng said.

"It is still not clear yet whether these new systems or the traditional ones will work better for Singapore."

- CNA/kk


National bike sharing plan could come to a halt
Danson Cheong, The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Mar 17;

The brakes could be applied on a planned national bicycle sharing scheme, in light of the recent emergence of private firms that offer similar services.

Second Transport Minister Ng Chee Meng yesterday said the Government is assessing whether to go ahead with the scheme. He told the House the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is carefully studying bids for the bike share tender, which was called last year.

"We will also assess whether to proceed with our plans and whether to extend them to other towns like Ang Mo Kio, given that ofo and Obike are already rolling out their services independently of LTA's tender," he said.

In the first two months of the year, ofo and Obike have made thousands of bikes available for rent around the island. Both companies have said they plan to expand rapidly.

Their systems do not require users to return the machines at fixed stations - a standard feature of bike-share schemes worldwide. Instead, users unlock the bikes with their mobile phones and can return them at any bicycle parking area.

The eventual fleet size of both players is projected to dwarf that of the LTA, which is slated to launch by the end of this year with a fleet of about 2,330 bicycles in Jurong Lake District, Marina Bay, Tampines and Pasir Ris. The national scheme is expected to follow the traditional bike-share model, where users have to rent and return bikes at more than 210 specialised docking stations.

The emergence of Obike and ofo prompted Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) to ask what impact the private companies will have on the national bike sharing scheme.

Replying during the debate on the Transport Ministry's budget, Mr Ng said the schemes offered by the private players offer advantages, such as lower infrastructure costs and more convenience. However, they also carry the potential downside of indiscriminate parking. "It is still not clear yet whether these new systems or the traditional ones will work better for Singapore," he said.

During the debate, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan also outlined plans for Singapore to go car-lite by 2030, and to make walking, cycling and taking public transport "easier and more enjoyable for everyone". He announced that Tampines would be the second model walking and cycling town after Ang Mo Kio.

Trunk cycling routes connecting Tampines to neighbouring towns, and to workplaces such as Changi Business Park and Singapore Expo, will be built, he said. He added that road crossings will be improved, footpaths widened, and areas around bus stops redesigned to boost safety.

"We are determined to make cycling and the use of personal mobility devices (PMDs) pleasant and safe," said Mr Khaw.

This issue of safety, particularly that of pedestrians on footpaths, was flagged by three MPs - Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten), Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang) and Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan.

Mr Tan said footpaths should "always be sufficiently wide" to allow for safe shared use between cyclists and pedestrians. In response, Mr Ng said the LTA will widen narrow footpaths with high foot traffic, from current widths of 1.5m or less to at least 1.8m. He added that the LTA would bolster its enforcement efforts against errant cyclists and PMD users, using CCTVs and body cameras.

"We need the cooperation of all users in order to make shared spaces safe. We need to develop a culture of gracious sharing, through education efforts," he said.


Higher emission standards for petrol vehicles, motorbikes from next April
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Petrol vehicles and motorcycles in Singapore will have to meet higher exhaust emission standards from April next year, announced Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Wednesday (March 8).

The move, alongside other vehicle-related announcements made earlier by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in his Budget speech, is to help Singapore achieve its air quality targets for 2020.

Petrol vehicles that are properly maintained will be able to “easily” meet the revised standards, Mr Masagos assured at his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate. The new standards are meant to curb excessive emissions that are due to vehicle defects or poor maintenance.

Emission standards for diesel vehicles were already tightened in January 2014, and the new standards for petrol vehicles will be similar to those that are in place in Europe and Japan, said Mr Masagos.

Vehicles are the second-largest contributor of greenhouse gases here, after industry.

Currently, the exhaust emission standards for petrol vehicles and motorcycles only specify limits for carbon monoxide emissions. From April 1, 2018, carbon monoxide limits will be lowered for newer petrol vehicles (registered from Jan 1, 2001, and from April 1, 2014) and motorcycles (registered from Oct 1, 2014).

New hydrocarbon limits will be introduced for all petrol vehicles and most motorcycles.

The revised standards are expected to reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions from the affected vehicles by more than 50 per cent.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said hydrocarbons are a precursor to ozone, and carbon monoxide and ozone are known to cause nausea and affect respiratory function.

A new high idle test and lambda measurement will be introduced for newer petrol vehicles (registered from April 1, 2014, and excluding motorcycles) to detect defective components such as sensors and catalysts that could result in higher emissions.

The high idle test requires engine speed to be at least 2,000 revolutions per minute during inspection, while the lambda test measures the quantity of intake air divided by the theoretical air requirement of the engine.

Earlier vehicle-related changes announced by Mr Heng were: The restructuring of diesel taxes, replacement of the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme with the Vehicle

Emissions Scheme to account for four other pollutants besides carbon dioxide; and extension of the Early Turnover Scheme.

The Early Turnover Scheme will be extended for two years from August, for Euro II and III diesel commercial vehicles that turn over to Euro VI and equivalent models.

While Singapore has achieved carbon monoxide levels below World Health Organisation guidelines, it has to do more for ozone, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.

During the debate, Members of Parliament including Dr Chia Shi-lu (Tanjong Pagar GRC), Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC ) and Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh expressed concerns about air quality and pollution.

Associate Professor Goh, in particular, highlighted bus commuters’ exposure to ultra-fine particles. Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology found a “two-way bus journey five days a week could lead to a commuter inhaling about 3.5 times more tiny pollutant particles than at ambient level”, he said.

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has also trained its sights on the industry sector, the country’s largest energy consumer (more than 50 per cent of the total) and contributor of greenhouse gas emissions (more than 60 per cent).

The Energy Conservation Act will be enhanced this year. Larger industrial facilities will be required to submit a monitoring plan for the NEA’s approval, and an enhanced greenhouse gas emissions report. Robust emissions data will be a cornerstone of a carbon pricing regime, which the Government intends to implement as a carbon tax from 2019.


Bigger-scale trials on electric, hybrid buses to be held in next few years
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 8 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Following “encouraging” feedback from earlier tests, the Government will rev up its trials on electric and hybrid buses, and three bus services will be served wholly by electric buses, Second Transport Minister Ng Chee Meng announced in Parliament on Wednesday (March 8).

Bigger-scale trials will be mounted in the next few years, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will call tenders to procure 60 electric buses and 50 hybrid ones this year, he added.

These trials will allow a deeper understanding of the operational challenges that a wider deployment of such buses may bring, under local weather and traffic conditions, the LTA said in a press statement.

While carrying a higher price tag, these buses are less pollutive and make for a more comfortable ride for bus captains and commuters.

The outcomes of the trials will be used to calibrate the approach towards adopting buses that run on alternative energy sources, the LTA added.

Mr Ng said that the Republic has already been shifting towards a more environmentally-friendly fleet, with models that meet tighter emission standards. “But no emission is better than low emissions,” he noted.

As part of a continuing trial involving Go-Ahead Singapore, China-based automaker BYD and its local distributor S Dreams, an electric K9 bus had been trialled on Service 17 and is being tested on Service 119 now, with “encouraging” initial feedback. In 2015, SBS Transit and Volvo also conducted a diesel-hybrid bus trial.

Meanwhile, the Republic is pressing on with other efforts on the electric vehicle front. Last September, HDT Singapore Taxis made its foray with the country’s first fully electric fleet of cabs. It will roll out 100 electric cabs progressively by the middle of this year in an eight-year trial.

By 2020, 1,000 shared electric vehicles will also fan out across all Housing and Development Board towns, as part of a car-sharing initiative announced last June.

BlueSG, a subsidiary of the Bollore Group, which runs the world’s largest fully electric car-sharing programme, will develop and operate the 10-year programme. The first stable of 125 electric vehicles and 250 charging points will be rolled out by the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, the installation of the common fleet management system across the Republic’s bus network will be completed by this month. It gives operators live updates on the location of each bus and arrival times, among other things, raising the efficiency of operations.

As for self-driving vehicles, trials began at one-north in 2015 and four organisations are testing the vehicles there now. Efforts are also under way to develop self-driving buses.

Other efforts include agreements inked in January between the Transport Ministry and PSA Corporation, and automotive firms Scania and Toyota Tsusho, to develop and test solutions for autonomous truck platooning. This involves a manned truck leading a convoy of driverless ones that will transport containers from one port terminal to another.

The authorities also announced last October that they were exploring how to develop self-driving multipurpose utility vehicles that could be designed for purposes such as road sweeping.

Along with truck platooning, this is expected to cut the need for manpower and free road space during peak hours by deploying these autonomous systems at night, for instance.


Diesel vehicles may be on the way out
Christopher Tan, The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Mar 17;

Motor industry players and experts reckon the days of diesel vehicles are numbered here.

They were reacting to news of a new Vehicular Emissions Scheme announced by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday.

The scheme will be far stricter than the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme.

Besides carbon dioxide emission, it will include four other pollutants, namely hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Mr Neo Nam Heng, chairman of diversified motor and taxi group Prime, said: "This new scheme will have a great impact on car prices. And it will kick out diesel cars."

Dr Park Byung Joon, a transport expert at UniSIM, said: "We're doing what several other countries are doing - we don't want diesel to be around any more."

He noted that diesel engines are "fundamentally dirtier", and vehicle manufacturers have had to "do a lot" to make them acceptable.

In the wake of the Volkswagen emission cheating scandal in late 2015, several countries started re-examining their stand on diesel.

But even before this, studies had already shown that cases of respiratory problems such as childhood asthma had been creeping up in some places, including Germany, where the share of diesel cars was as high as 60 per cent.

This share is forecast to plunge to below 40 per cent this year in the wake of the VW scandal.

Cities such as Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens have also vowed to ban diesel vehicles altogether from 2025.

Mr Allan Loi, a research associate at the Energy Studies Institute at the National University of Singapore, said the new scheme "should be able to encourage the adoption of cleaner cars".

He added that diesel cars - as well as diesel taxis - will "slowly be phased out".

Under the new scheme, most if not all diesel cars today will attract a tax surcharge of at least $10,000.

Diesel taxis face a penalty of up to $30,000.

Observers said this was why cab operators had started switching to petrol-electric hybrids.

About the new VES

The new Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) will cover four additional pollutants: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Vehicles will fall into one of five bands - two surcharge bands, two rebate bands and a neutral band - based on their emissions and worst-performing pollutant.

Rebates and surcharges are either $10,000 or $20,000 for cars, and $15,000 or $30,000 for taxis.

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New condo developments to have recycling chutes

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 9 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Amid calls by Members of Parliament to give recycling a badly needed boost, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said the Government will mandate the provision of recycling chutes at some private residential developments.

Future condominium buildings taller than four storeys will be required to install dual chutes for refuse and recyclables. This will apply to all new non-landed residential development applications submitted from April next year, she said during the debate over the ministry’s budget on Wednesday (March 8).

Households in apartments with dual chute systems recycle up to three times more than those without such facilities, said Dr Khor. Since 2014, all new Build-To-Order flats have had recycling chutes adjacent to centralised refuse chutes at every level. The Government is ready to increase adoption of the system, as part of efforts to meet the domestic recycling target of 30 per cent by 2030. The rate has stagnated at 20 per cent in recent years.

The three waste streams of greatest concern are electronic waste, packaging waste and food waste, said Dr Khor. The Government is consulting industry stakeholders on an enhanced national e-waste management system, which should cover both collection and disposal of e-waste, she said.

It is exploring regulations for businesses on packaging waste, such as the submission of reduction plans, over the next two to four years.

As for food waste, source-segregated waste from nine sites including schools and army camps have been trucked to a demonstration facility at Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant since the end of last year. About three tonnes are collected daily and the aim is to increase it to 15 tonnes a day, to recover energy from food waste more efficiently.

MPs Louis Ng (Nee Soon) and Cheng Li Hui (Tampines) called for better waste collection in housing estates. Dr Khor said future condominium developments with at least 500 dwelling units will use a pneumatic waste conveyance system – an automated system that transports waste by air suction through a network of pipes to a centralised collection station. This will also apply to all new non-landed residential development applications submitted from April next year.

The pneumatic waste conveyance system was piloted at Yuhua estate and will be installed in new HDB areas such as Tampines North and Bidadari. It is also in place at over 100 condominium developments such as Sky Habitat in Bishan.

On public cleanliness, Dr Khor said the National Environment Agency issued more than 31,000 tickets to litterbugs last year, nearly 18 per cent more than 2015. Over the past five years, less than 6 per cent of litterbugs who have undergone Corrective Work Orders have been caught littering again.

And since the adoption of surveillance cameras for high-rise littering in August 2012, the NEA has taken more than 3,300 enforcement actions against culprits. “These cameras create an effective deterrent effect, as only 1 per cent of high-rise litterbugs care caught offending again,” said Dr Khor.


Upgraded waste system for new private apartments
Samantha Boh, Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Mar 17;

A pneumatic waste conveyance system will be mandatory in new private developments with at least 500 units

Plans are under way to encourage private apartment dwellers to recycle more and make it easier for cleaners to collect their trash.

All new private apartment blocks with more than four storeys must soon have two waste chutes - one for recyclables and the other for trash that will be incinerated.

Developments with at least 500 housing units must also have a pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS), which will transport waste from rubbish chutes to a central collection area via an underground network of vacuum-type pipes.

These measures, which will kick in for developers that apply to build new apartments from April next year, were announced by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor.

MPs Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon GRC) and Cheng Li Hui (Tampines GRC) spoke about Singapore's poor domestic recycling rate, and Dr Khor said yesterday the dual chutes will encourage recycling by making it more convenient.

Studies have found that households in apartments with such chutes recycle up to three times more than those in apartments which do not have such facilities.

Such systems have already sprung up in public housing. As of April last year, they were in 72 new Build-To-Order projects comprising close to 426 blocks, and will hopefully take Singapore closer to its goal of recycling 70 per cent of the waste it generates by 2030.

At present, only about 61 per cent is recycled, a figure boosted by the non-domestic sector which recycled 76 per cent of waste last year.

The domestic recycling rate stands at a mere 21 per cent. Dr Khor said such initiatives will have to go hand in hand with education.

On waste collection, Dr Khor agreed with Dr Chia Shi-Lu (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Ms Cheng that current methods are "manpower intensive and unsustainable".

She said the PWCS is a more efficient, manpower-light method that will reduce pest nuisance, odours and exposed waste. It has been installed in more than 100 condominiums and the Yuhua estate, and will be in place in new Housing Board estates Tampines North and Bidadari.

The authorities will also study the feasibility of implementing it at a district level, to reap greater economies of scale.

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Malaysia: 'Logging in Ulu Muda reserve should be halted'

The Star 9 Mar 17;

GEORGE TOWN: The Federal Government should order an immediate stop to logging activities in Kedah’s Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).

Its chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said the activities threaten the water supply to more than four million people in three northern states.

He called for the reserve to be gazetted as a water catchment area.

Also, he called on the Government to “compensate Kedah in lieu of the forest premium”, in a statement yesterday.

Jaseni said the federal and state governments must conserve the water catchment area in the interests of Kedah, Perlis and Penang.

“The capacity of Muda Dam, built to store water for strategic releases into Sungai Muda during dry seasons, has dropped and was at 27.3% capacity as of Tuesday.

“The Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is the catchment area for the dam and the logging in the area could be one of the main reasons affecting the dam’s capacity,” he said.

It was also the catchment area for Sungai Muda which provides raw water for processing in South Kedah and Penang, according to him.

Jaseni said the quality and volume were affected, with the river murkier now, which makes it more costly to treat the water.

The logging activities have disrupted the forest’s ability to absorb and retain rainwater, he said.

He said the river was also the source for Ahning Dam which supplies raw water to Perlis.

Also, more than 80% of Penang’s raw water was taken from Sungai Muda daily, he added.

“If anything goes wrong in Ulu Muda, it will jeopardise the wellbeing of all the people, businesses and agricultural activities in the northern states,” he said.

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Indonesia: Agency allocates US$7.5 million to restore Riau`s peatlands

Antara 9 Mar 17;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Indonesias Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) has allocated Rp100 billion (US$7.5 million) to restore Riaus peatlands in 2017, BRG Chief Nazir Foead said here on Wednesday.

"In 2017, BRG has targeted the humidification of 700 thousand hectares of peatlands in Riau," Nazir stated.

He pointed out that the humidification would include peatlands in Dumai, Pelalawan district, and Meranti Islands.

"The target for humidification in 2017 is quite vast, because some peatlands that could not be humidified in 2016 would be covered under the 2017 restoration program," Nazir noted.

The agency has targeted to restore a total of 2.49 million hectares of peatlands across the country.

Peatlands in Riau province covers almost half of the total area in the country. Thus, the agencys achievement to restore peatlands in the region would be seen as a national benchmark, he remarked.

"For the first phase in 2017, BRG would focus on humidification and replanting of the damaged areas," he pointed out.

The agency would install bulkhead in peatlands areas to hold back rain water and retain its moistness during dry season.

"If we could keep it moist, the risk of forest fire could be reduced, and the land could be used to cultivate food crops such as sago," he remarked.(*)

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Scandinavian banks fund Borneo rainforest abuses - campaigners

Matthew Ponsford Reuters 7 Mar 17;

LONDON, March 7 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Scandinavian banks are funding industrial developments responsible for deforestation and violence in the rainforests of Borneo, despite commitments to respect the rights of indigenous forest-dwellers, a campaign group said on Tuesday.

Seven financial institutions have backed mining projects and palm oil plantations that caused rapid rainforest destruction and a human rights "crisis" on the Southeast Asian island, Swedwatch said in a report.

Frida Arounsavath, a researcher for Swedwatch, said banks were failing to ensure that companies they funded acquired meaningful consent from indigenous people before clearing forests where they live.

"These companies have breached indigenous people's rights to be consulted and their rights to keep their traditional forests," Arounsavath told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"These forests are at the centre of indigenous people's rights, of their identities, and of their ability to survive as peoples and as cultures."

Indigenous people have faced threats and intimidation, destruction of agricultural land and violent confrontations as a result of deforestation, the report said.

Swedish banks Nordea and Handelsbanken, and insurance company Lansforsakringar welcomed the report by Swedwatch, which monitors the impact of Swedish companies on the environment and human rights.

Stockholm-based Skandia said it would take the findings into account in vetting investments.

But a spokesman for Nordea said the report did not give the "full picture" of the banks' responses.

Borneo - which is shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei - has lost 19 million hectares of forest over the last four decades, according to a December report by the Center for International Forestry Research.

Just half the island is now covered by forests compared with 76 percent in 1973, it said.

Arounsavath said the most shocking finding was the contradiction between the banks' strong policies on protecting indigenous rights and a lack of systems to check they were implemented.

Many banks have allowed investees and local governments to 'self-report' on rights issues raised by developments, she added.

In many cases, firms list land for development as "unoccupied" or "state-owned" and ignore the ancestral claims of indigenous people, despite commitments to obtaining their 'free, prior and informed consent', the report said.

Arounsavath called on banks to make urgent improvements by raising awareness of indigenous rights at investor conferences and expanding resources for monitoring policies. (Reporting by Matthew Ponsford, Editing by Emma Batha.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org)

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Best of our wild blogs: 8 Mar 17

25 Mar (Sat) and 22 Apr (Sat): R.U.M. mangrove clean up by Nature Society (Singapore)
Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative

Fabulous February at the Sisters Islands Marine Park
Sisters' Island Marine Park

Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes 19.2.17
Singapore Bird Group

Singapore’s Ivory Ban: a Black-and-White Issue!
WWF-Singapore

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Singapore firm proposes Bangladesh to dredge rivers in exchange for sand

bdnews24.com 6 Mar 17;

A discussion with a Singaporean company to dredge rivers in exchange for the excavated sand is underway, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud has said.

He told the media at a programme in Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Sunday that the government was trying to have some of the big rivers dredged experimentally by foreigners.

"They (foreigners) will take away the excavated sand, and as everything has a value, they will pay for it," he said.

Without revealing the firm's name, he said their proposal was being scrutinised.

"A discussion is underway. It's not final yet. Some countries have proposed to take away the excavated soil. So, we are now conducting experiments in some areas to check whether it causes any harm," the minister said.

Arguing in favour of the project, he said a survey found that Tk 9 trillion will be needed to dredge all the big rivers. "It's not possible for us to manage this much money now."

"Moreover, managing the excavated silt is also a major problem for us. These dredged sediments again mix up with river water during rains. The money will also be needed to keep the silt on anybody's land," he said.

Anisul said having the rivers dredged by the foreigners in exchange for the sand will solve the problem.

According to him, the cost of dredging is Tk 160 to 200 per cubic metre.

He said the proposed project would start from the river Jamuna which carries half a billion tonnes of silt into Bangladesh every year.
"But we want to check first whether the project would negatively affect our environment," he added.

He also expressed hope that the complications over the signing of the Teesta water sharing deal with India will go away during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the country.

"India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave words that the deal will be signed. I believe, as the two prime ministers have promised, they will deliver on it," he said.

Govt allows sand export at Tk1 per cft
Tribune Business 7 Mar 17

'If any adverse impact on the environment is detected, the dredging will be stopped'

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Sand Corridor Management Committee on Monday with land minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif in the chair.

Sharif said sand can be lifted experimentally for six months initially from the proposed site of Jamuna river by keeping the flows normal for river traffic and navigability.

If any adverse impact on the environment is detected, the dredging will be stopped, he added.

Earlier, Infrastructure Dredging Limited applied to the Ministry of Water resources seeking permission for dredging Jamuna river and exporting the sand to Singapore and Maldives at its own cost initially for a period of two years.

Later, the Land Ministry, Water Resources Ministry and Shipping Ministry discussed the proposal of the company at a meeting of the National Sand Corridor Management Committee on October 18, 2016.

In the meeting, a five-member team was formed to make recommendations on the export rate of sand.

Shipping Minister Sahjahan Khan, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury attended the meeting.

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What a greener budget means for Singapore business, society

LAU XIN YI Today Online 8 Mar 17;

Singapore’s Budget 2017 will be remembered for its strong emphasis on the environment. The recent announcement of measures such as the proposed carbon tax and the diesel duty has caused concern among businesses and the public about higher costs.

Yet, these steps are needed to strategically position Singapore as a sustainable city with long-term economic competitiveness.

This will also see job creation in the production of goods and services that benefit the environment, such as green buildings.

Singapore is already feeling the effects of a warmer planet. As of last year, temperatures in the Republic were found to have increased at a rate more than double that of the global average over the past six decades. Efforts to reduce further greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement are therefore needed.

Diesel vehicles were once perceived as a fast way to cut carbon emissions, as their engines generate more energy for every litre of fuel, recording better mileage and lower levels of CO2 for the same distance travelled.

Yet, diesel also releases four times as much nitrogen oxide and dioxide (NOx) and 22 times as much particulates — especially PM2.5, which refers to the tiny particles that penetrate deep into the respiratory system. NOx pollution is also associated with various health problems, such as inflammation of the lungs, that can lead to asthma and bronchitis.

An estimated 185,000 Singapore-registered diesel vehicles are on the roads, comprising about 20 per cent of the vehicle population in 2015. The majority are commercial vehicles, buses and taxis.

Diesel passenger cars made up about 1 per cent of the total car population in 2015, but they have also become the fastest-growing segment in the past few years. Having more diesel passenger vehicles on the roads poses greater concern for cities such as Singapore, where the stop-and-start nature of driving results in incomplete diesel combustion and higher pollution.

While Singapore enjoys decent overall air quality, the country’s level of PM2.5 has hovered near, and at times surpassed, those recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Short-terms costs vs long-term gains

Budget 2017’s introduction of a carbon tax and diesel duty is timely, especially since industry and transportation have been projected to be Singapore’s two largest sources of emissions in 2020.

In contrast to an outright ban, taxes and incentives are preferable, as existing commercial vehicles run mainly on diesel.

Still, businesses and society must be prepared to weather the short-term pain such adjustments call for.

Besides the higher costs imposed on diesel consumption, industries are also facing closer scrutiny.

From 2019, a carbon tax on GHG will generally be applied to upstream activities such as power stations and other large direct emitters.

Although the tax rate currently proposed is between S$10 and S$20 per tonne of GHG emissions, the price level and exact implementation schedule have yet to be determined. Revenue from the carbon tax is expected to support industrial efforts to cut emissions.

Both the diesel duty and the carbon tax will help companies better quantify their environmental impact in business decisions. But costs rather than environmental concerns will largely dominate how businesses will choose to respond to these initiatives.

The ability to cope with these additional costs and curb carbon emissions will vary among companies, due to their size and structure of operations. As a short-term strategy, companies may choose to reduce their output or simply pay the carbon tax if the additional costs are not significant.

The impact of the diesel duty may also be limited when the price of diesel passenger cars and commercial vehicles are lowered to retain their attractiveness.

Therefore, the availability and costs of alternatives will be as important as the carbon tax and the diesel duty.

Currently, 95 per cent of Singapore’s electricity generation comes from natural gas. The ability to reduce emissions further will eventually require increasing the use of solar energy, for instance.

The adoption of solar energy has increased over the past few years, accounting for about 1.5 per cent of Singapore’s total electricity needs in 2016. Faster adoption is seen in the non-residential sector. But this may change as solar panels are expected to become cheaper, making it easier for residential users to come on board.

As for the transport sector, the past few years of low and relatively stable conventional fuel prices have reduced the attractiveness of hybrids and electric vehicles.

Special attention should also be given to low-income families. If the carbon tax and related costs are passed on to consumers, the higher cost of electricity is likely to have a greater impact on low-income households.

Government support can help to alleviate the immediate cost concerns.

At the same time, it is crucial to improve their access to more energy-saving and cost-effective household appliances and devices.

But in the long run, businesses and individuals will stand to gain from the carbon tax and the diesel duty. Many jurisdictions that have implemented a carbon price, such as the European Union and the United States, have lowered their emissions, generated more jobs in emerging sectors such as renewable energy, and secured health benefits in the form of avoided illnesses, hospital visits, lost work days and premature deaths. Such health benefits amounted to about US$10.4 billion (S$14.7 billion) when emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides fell in the US’ north-east and mid-Atlantic states between 2009 and 2013.

As Singapore gears its economy to properly price energy and pollution, overcoming short-term costs and securing long-term gains will depend on how the Government implements these initiatives while protecting the interests of business and society.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lau Xin Yi is a Policy Research Analyst (Sustainability) at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). The SIIA is holding the 4th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources on “Inclusive Collaboration: Working Together for Sustainable Value Chains” on April 6.

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Three-fold drop in incidents of falling trees since 2001

ALFRED CHUA Today Online 7 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — The number of incidents involving falling trees and branches has dropped three-fold since 2001, Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said in Parliament on Tuesday (March 7).

Responding to questions from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Dennis Tan on tree management. Mr Lee said that there were around 3,000 such incidents recorded in 2001. That figure shrunk to 800 last year, against “a backdrop of around seven million trees”, where two million of them are along streetscapes and parks.

Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the budget for the Ministry of National Development, Mr Lee attributed the drop to the comprehensive tree management programme by the National Parks’ Board (NParks). However, he acknowledged that even with improved efforts, “we are deeply saddened every time such incidents (of falling trees) cause injury or loss of life”. For such cases, the NParks will provide assistance to the police. Independent arborists, who are trained in caring for and maintaining trees, may also be engaged on a case-by-case basis.

Last month, a falling tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens killed one woman and injured four others. Two days later, a falling tree on Yuan Ching Road caused one woman to suffer serious head injuries.

Mr Lee said that NParks’ tree management programme includes a “rigorous regime of inspections and pruning”, which are aligned with international standards. Inspections are carried out by certified professionals, and the records are digitised and kept indefinitely.

The records allow NParks to focus attention on storm-vulnerable trees and pre-emptively replace them, he added.

Mr Lee assured the House that NParks has ramped up inspections, and taken steps to improve general tree health, including using pruning techniques to improve tree structure and balance.

The agency is also developing modelling techniques to understand better the structural behaviour of trees in microclimatic conditions as well as under heavy rain and wind, he said.


NParks taking steps to improve tree health
Audrey Tan, Straits Times AsiaOne 8 Mar 17;

The number of fallen trees has decreased significantly after the National Parks Board (NParks) introduced a tree management programme in 2001.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee told Parliament yesterday there were more than 800 cases of "tree failures" in Singapore last year, down from 3,000 in 2001.

"But we are deeply saddened each time such incidents cause injuries or loss of life," said Mr Lee during the debate on his ministry's budget.

Read also: Rooting out sick trees

Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan had asked about the management of trees here. A 40m tembusu tree in the Singapore Botanic Gardens fell last month, killing one woman and injuring four others.

Mr Lee said NParks' comprehensive tree management programme includes a regime of tree inspections and pruning aligned with international standards.

Records are digitised so NParks staff can retrieve information easily and ensure trees under the agency are checked and maintained according to schedule.

"This system also enables NParks to zoom in on, and pre-emptively replace, storm-vulnerable species," said Mr Lee. Singapore has seven million trees, of which two million are along streets, streetscapes and parks.

With the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, NParks has stepped up inspections and taken measures to improve the health of trees, Mr Lee said. These include employing pruning techniques that improve tree structure and balance.

"NParks is also developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under heavy rain and wind, and also in microclimatic conditions," Mr Lee said.

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Farmers to get up to 30% of approved Government funding upfront from April

The Agriculture Productivity Fund co-funds investments to help local farmers adopt technology, says Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon.
Channel NewsAsia 7 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: Farming will be a part of Singapore's future to strengthen resilience in food supply, and a Farm Transformation Map, which includes increasing Government funding, has been developed to make this a reality, said Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 7).

The Farm Transformation Map aims to guide the transformation of the local farming sector in four areas: Physical space, innovation, people development and the broader ecosystem. On the last point, Dr Koh said there is a need to grow the ecosystem, increasing demand for local produce and helping farms seek financing.

In this regard, the Industry Consultation Panel (ICP), which was convened in January this year, pointed out that tight cash flows often limit farmers from investing in more expensive technology. The current S$63 million Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF) co-funds investments in tech but on a reimbursement basis, and Dr Koh said this will change from April this year.

"The APF will disburse up to 30 per cent of the approved funding quantum upfront to facilitate the adoption of technology," he said, adding that this will complement the move to increase the tenure of farm lands to 20-year leases.

The APF was launched in 2014 and farmers are supported through the Basic Capability Upgrading, Productivity Enhancement and Research and Development schemes.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will also adopt a new account management approach for the farms, which means that each farm will have a dedicated account manager to advise them on business development, technology adoption and financial assistance, Dr Koh said.

OVERCOMING SPACE, MANPOWER CHALLENGES

As for overcoming space constraints, the Minister of State said there is a need to "go upwards into the sky, downwards into the ocean and indoors within our buildings". He pointed to traditional vegetable farms like Kok Fah that are using advanced greenhouses and irrigation systems to mitigate the effects of changing weather patterns, as well as fish farms like Barramundi Asia that are growing sea bass in deep underwater net cages.

"These are all innovative solutions that can help us grow more food with less space," he said.

Dr Koh also highlighted the need for more innovation, whether it is to increase production yields, pursue water and energy efficiency or to adapt solutions to protect against climate change that affects yields.

For instance, technologies like the closed containment aquaculture system can reduce the vulnerability of coastal farmers' fish stocks to environmental risks, he said.

"Through technology, farming will begin to resemble an industrialised production process like a factory. It will also attract and excite a younger generation of tech-savvy Singaporeans to venture into this industry," Dr Koh said.

There is also the need to have the right people to achieve this vision, and the Minister of State said the modern farmers should be called “agri-technologists” or “agri-specialists”.

"Farming will no longer just be about horticulture or aquaculture. It will no longer just be about toiling in the sun, doing manual labour but also about engineering, about infocomm technology, about entrepreneurship, and R&D," Dr Koh said.

He added: "This Farm Transformation Map is just in its infancy. We will continue to work with the ICP and other stakeholders to refine it as we gain momentum and as technology for farming matures."

- CNA/kk


Farmers to get grants to boost productivity through tech
ALFRED CHUA Today Online 7 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Food farmers will get more help in adopting technology and navigating the administrative procedures to grow their business, Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon said on Tuesday (March 7).

From April, they can get partial grants to use new productivity-enhancing technology upfront, instead of the current scheme where they wait for reimbursements.

Under this tweak to the Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF), up to 30 per cent of approved funding quantum will be disbursed to farms first. Farmers can tap three schemes under the APF — the Basic Capability Upgrading Scheme, the Productivity Enhancement Scheme, and the Research and Development Scheme. More than S$6 million worth of projects have been approved under the APF.

During the debate on his ministry’s budget for the year on Tuesday, Dr Koh also announced that the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will start a new scheme to help food farmers develop their business, adopt new technology and find financial support.

AVA officers will be assigned to 20 farms each, and help the farmers in these areas. The farms will be grouped according to the food type they produce.

The AVA said that while the volume has been on the uptick over the years, only vegetable farms have exceeded the local production target of 10 per cent. They now supply 12 per cent of domestic consumption volume.

For eggs, 24 per cent come from local farms, short of the 30 per cent target. For fish, it stands 5 percentage points short of the 15 per cent target.

Stressing that local production is important to Singapore’s food security because it provides a critical buffer against global supply shocks, Dr Koh said transforming the agricultural industry into a more productive one is the only way to go, since there are competing uses for land.

“We will never have enough land to grow all the food that we need to be self-sufficient,” he said. “We need to adopt modern practices and embrace technology as a multiplier to do more with less.”

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