Malaysia: Cold, wet spell could slow output of veggies and flowers

nelson benjamin and yimie yong The Star 15 Jan 18;

PETALING JAYA: It is not the cold that is bothering farmers much in Cameron Highlands, although temperatures have dropped to 13°C, but the incessant rain and lack of sunshine for their vegetables.

With 2,000 farms in Cameron Highlands, making it the country’s largest production centre for vegetables, farmers are worried the wet, gloomy weather will affect their production by 10% to 15%.

In Johor, farmers are reporting a 30% drop in yield, which has resulted in the prices of some vegetables going up by 50% to 100%.

Things are not looking up for them, with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) forecasting rain in Johor’s vegetable production areas such as Tangkak, Johor Baru, Simpang Renggam and Pulai for most of the week, except for two sunny days today and tomorrow.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said recent cold weather might slow the growth of vegetables and flowers, but prolonged rainy and cloudy weather is a greater concern as it can affect vegetable production by 10% to 15%.

“Too much rain and less sunlight will affect production,” he said.

However, Chay said it is too soon for consumers to worry about prices during Chinese New Year, as the festive season is still a month away.

He said this is not the first time Cameron Highlands has experienced lower temperatures than usual (according to Wikipedia, the mean annual temperature is 18°C).

“People are more concerned about the cold weather now because it is the first time that the temperature in certain low-lying places has also dipped to a low of 22°C,” he added.

“The impact will not be significant for now but still, we have to see how things go, moving forward.”

Temperatures across the country have dipped below the norm in recent days.

On Saturday, the temperature in Cameron Highlands fell to 13°C, raising concerns that the colder-than-usual weather could affect vegetable and flower production.

“Farming activities are still going on as usual here. Workers will just need to wear more clothes to keep warm,” Chay said.

Cameron Highlands Floricul­turists Association president Lee Peng Fo said prolonged cold weather with temperatures lower than 15°C could also slow the growth of flowers and affect their blooming time.

“If the cold weather continues for more than 10 days, the impact will be significant. Production could be 10% to 20% lower,” he added.

“But for now, we have to wait and see how long the colder weather lasts. It has been colder than usual for about a week.”

In Johor Baru, Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers Association president Tan So Tiok said the cold weather was not good for leafy vegetables.

“Vegetables need a warmer climate with lots of water. My area, Ledang, is experiencing temperatures of 22°C, which is not suitable,” he said, adding that Johor is one of the country’s top vegetable producers after Cameron Highlands.

Among the vegetables that have gone up in price is brinjal, at RM7 per kilo compared with RM3 previously.

Leafy vegetables that cost more now include bayam, kangkung, kailan and sawi.

Asked if there is a shortage of vegetables in the market, he said there is no major shortage so far, nor has there been any disruption in exports to Singapore.

“We hope the weather will improve. It has been raining for almost a week with no sunshine. In Ledang, the daily vegetable output is down from 70 tonnes to 50 tonnes,” he said.

To added he is optimistic that the situation will return to normal before Chinese New Year.


Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/01/15/rainy-days-are-just-not-cool/#jZqcu1wdgRgIyDPO.99

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 15 Jan 18

10 Feb (Sat): "A Guide to Guiding" - FREE workshop on nature guiding
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

What’s Hidden In Singapore’s Urban Reefs?
Hantu Blog

Reef survey training by the Blue Water Volunteers: Jan-Mar 2018
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

20 Jan 2018 (Sat): "Our Mangroovy Mangroves" - FREE Workshop at Pulau Ubin
wild shores of singapore

27 Jan (Sat): Workshop on microplastics at St John's Island
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

2-4 Feb: 'Tidal' - marine conservation by SOTA
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Butterfly of the Month - January 2018
Butterflies of Singapore

Mudskippers - Masters of the Mudflats
wild shores of singapore

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) @ Tampines
Monday Morgue

Read more!

Crowds flock to EarthFest

The biggest edition of the sustainability festival saw all 7,000 free tickets snapped up and had 120 booths hosting myriad activities
Lydia Vasko Straits Times 15 Jan 18;

The Marina Barrage was a hive of activity yesterday as thousands of people arrived to attend EarthFest, Singapore's largest sustainability festival.

All of the festival's 7,000 free tickets were snapped up and people were eagerly browsing organic products, enjoying sumptuous vegetarian food and learning how to live more sustainably in everyday life.

This third edition of EarthFest was the biggest yet, with 120 booths hosting activities, educating visitors and selling products such as organic soaps, jewellery made of repurposed material and aromatherapy oils.

Sponsoring this year's edition are media and property group Singapore Press Holdings and restaurant LingZhi Vegetarian.

There were also talks, a movie screening, a market where all items, including homeware, decor and electronics, were free for the taking, book and clothing swops, a farmers' market selling locally grown organic produce and live music performances by local bands.

Participating Singaporean ventures such as Husk's Ware, a company which makes 100 per cent biodegradable, plastic-free but fully reusable cutlery and tableware out of rice husks; and TreeDots, an online marketplace for unwanted but edible food items which would otherwise be thrown away by food and beverage companies, said they were pleased with the turnout.

Mr Nicholas Lim, 25, co-founder of TreeDots, said the festival was great exposure for the six-month-old company. "It's an opportunity to meet like-minded people who are aware of the environment and doing interesting things to make a change. It's a breeding ground for collaborations and sharing ideas."

Students Tanya Lau and Elycia Lee, both 18, learnt about the festival through Instagram and were excited to check out the sustainable products. "It's not often that we have such environmentally focused events in Singapore, with so many environment-friendly products in one place. It is nice to be around a community of like-minded people who also care about the environment," said Ms Lau.

The range of plant-based, palm oil-free food - which included laksa, vegetarian satay, hummus, wraps and organic juices - was also impressive, she said.

Even non-vegetarians such as Mr Kee Kai Xun, 26, an accountant and self-described meat-lover who tried the vegetarian shark's fin soup, satay and a falafel burger, gave the food the thumbs-up.

Vendors served their food on plates and bowls made of sugarcane fibre and with bamboo utensils. Once visitors were done eating, they used scissors to cut the plates into small pieces before throwing them away in biodegradable bags. At the end of the festival, the bags of used cutlery will be taken by Quan Fa Organic Farm to be composted and used as fertiliser.

"We want to be a festival which walks the talk," said Mr Michael Broadhead, organiser and director of EarthFest, who added that the festival aims to encourage people to be mindful of what they throw away and how they consume.

"We need to inspire ourselves and others to do better, to create the world we know we want."

Read more!

Amid large amount of e-waste, recycling efforts start in South-west District

TAN WEIZHEN Today Online 14 Jan 18;

Statistics show that Singaporeans discard as much as 60 million kg of e-waste every year

SINGAPORE — Those who do not know what to do with their old, unused gadgets such as laptops and desktop computers can now drop them off at electronic waste bins located in areas such as Bukit Batok and Alexandra where they will be recycled - and even get their data wiped off the devices for peace of mind.

The recycling points are part of a pilot project jointly organised by the South West Community Development Council (CDC), IT giant HP and National Environment Agency’s (NEA) South West Regional Office.

Launched on Sunday (Jan 14), the e-waste recycling points will be open till end of 2018, and the initiative targets to collect 10,000 desktop computers, laptops and monitors. This is equivalent to about 50,000 kg of e-waste.

Mayor of South West CDC Low Yen Ling, who officiated the launch, said: “We are seeing more e-waste with the growth of electronic devices. If not disposed properly, electronic items can pollute our environment and harm our health.”

According to NEA’s statistics, Singaporeans discard as much as 60 million kg of e-waste every year.

“To enable and encourage the recycling of e-waste, we are working with HP so that residents can bring in bigger electronic items like fridges and televisions...laptops and monitors,” added Ms Low.

But data that is still present in devices might be a point of concern for those considering whether to drop off their gadgets.

HP Incorporated Managing Director Lionel Chng stressed that all data will be thoroughly destroyed before the gadgets are recycled.

“We find that it is very important especially for PCs, the first thing is to properly data sanitise it, remove all personal data that is inside, then we can begin the process of refurnishing it or recycling it,” he said, adding that residents can erase their data the usual way first.

Those interviewed by TODAY said they would consider using the e-waste recycling points instead of throwing their old gadgets away.

Operations manager Kenny Lim said his family regularly recycles clothes, paper and plastic, But going forward, they also plan to recycle their laptops, batteries and even mobile phones.

“I think it is most important that it must be safe for the environment,” said the 59 year old.

“I’m also concerned that I can’t fully erase my personal data in my laptop, but since HP has said that it will wipe the data, it should be ok now.”

Housewife Ms Fiza Abdjalil, 34, added: “I didn’t know about recycling e-waste, but now that I know, I can recycle them instead of throwing them away.”

Beside the South West CDC’s initiative, there are at least eight other e-waste recycling projects taking place. These include Panasonic’s Heartland E-Waste Recycling Programme, and Singtel x SingPost E-Waste Recycling Programme.



Recycling drive to turn electronic trash into cash for charity
Calvin Yang Straits Times 15 Jan 18;

A recycling initiative is hoping to turn trash into cash for charity, by donating funds raised from recycling electronic waste to help needy students.

The HP Make IT Green Campaign, which will run until the end of this year, aims to collect 10,000 used personal computers, laptops and display monitors - or about 50,000kg of e-waste - over the next 12 months.

It is part of Clean Up South West, the South West District's annual trash-for-groceries recycling drive.

Besides going into schools to collect e-waste, the initiative encourages residents in the district to drop off their e-waste at various recycling points. Funds raised from the refurbished devices will be donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The Mayor of South West District, Ms Low Yen Ling, who was at the Clean Up South West recycling drive yesterday, said the amount of e-waste has increased with the growing use of electronic devices.

"If not disposed properly, electronic items can pollute our environment and harm our health," she added. "That's why we are enhancing our efforts in public education and awareness, and ramping up our drive to recycle e-waste."

The campaign was launched yesterday by the South West Community Development Council (CDC), the National Environment Agency (South West Regional Office) and HP Singapore.

Yesterday, residents took their recyclables, such as clothes and newspapers, to 41 recycling points across the district in exchange for groceries, as part of the Clean Up South West recycling drive, which is in its 13th year.

The collection points included community centres and residents' committee centres.

Among those who took their recyclables to a collection point were Mr Kenny Lim, 59, and his wife Loo Ming Chwee, 53, who were dropping off clothes, newspapers and a used laptop.

Mr Lim, an operations manager, said: "We wanted to do our part to recycle things that we do not need. We can also use this chance to help those who are in need."


Recycling initiative to turn electronic trash into cash for Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund
Calvin Yang Straits Times 14 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE - A recycling initiative is hoping to turn trash into cash for charity, by donating funds raised from recycling electronic waste to help needy students.

The HP Make IT Green Campaign, which will run until the end of this year, aims to collect 10,000 used personal computers, laptops and display monitors - or about 50,000kg of e-waste - over the next 12 months.

It is part of Clean Up South West, the South West District's annual trash-for-groceries recycling drive.

Besides going into schools to collect e-waste, the initiative encourages residents in the district to drop off their e-waste at various recycling points.

All funds from the refurbished devices will be donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Mayor of South West District, Ms Low Yen Ling, who was at the Clean Up South West recycling drive on Sunday (Jan 14), said the amount of e-waste has increased with the growing use of electronic devices.

"If not disposed properly, electronic items can pollute our environment and harm our health," she added. "That's why we are enhancing our efforts in public education and awareness, and ramping up our drive to recycle e-waste."

She said that "not only will recycling make Singapore clean and green, it will bring cheer to those in need".

The campaign was launched by the South West Community Development Council (CDC), the National Environment Agency (South West Regional Office) and HP Singapore.

Mr Lionel Chng, managing director of HP Singapore, said the launch of one of Singapore's largest e-waste recycling efforts is "our commitment to building community awareness and creating a circular economy that supports a good cause".

On Sunday, residents took their recyclables, such as clothes and newspapers, to 41 recycling points across the district in exchange for groceries, through the Clean Up South West recycling drive, which is in its 13th year.

The collection points included community centres and residents' committee centres.

Some 200 volunteers were stationed at selected points to guide residents on recycling the correct way, such as separating their recyclables by material - plastic, paper or glass.

The drive is organised by the South West CDC and the NEA (South West Regional Office), and supported by grassroots organisations in the district.

Among those who took their recyclables to a collection point was Mr Kenny Lim, 59. He and his wife Loo Ming Chwee, 53, recycled their clothes, newspapers and a used laptop.

Mr Lim, an operations manager, said: "We wanted to do our part to recycle things that we do not need. We can also use this chance to help those who are in need."

Read more!

Malaysia: Turtle hunters nabbed off Semporna

muguntan vanar The Star 15 Jan 18;

KOTA KINABALU: Two suspected sea turtle hunters, one of whom is 15 years old, were caught with turtle meat on their boat in waters off Sabah’s diving heaven of Semporna as more carcasses of the endangered reptile were found in nearby Pulau Mabul.

The arrest came after the Malay­sian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) received intelligence reports on suspected hunting and killing of turtles off Pulau Kerindin­gan at 1.30am yesterday.

MMEA Semporna base director Lt Cmdr Amiludin Yenggah said the teenager and the other suspect, aged 35, were caught in a pump boat after the team intercepted them near the island. Both had no valid personal identification documents on them.

Lt Cmdr Amiludin said four slices of turtle meat as well as equipment to catch turtles were discovered on their boat.

It is believed that the two, who claimed to be Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) from Pulau Omadal in Sempor­na, were going to sell the exotic meat, given the demand for it.

“We are continuing our efforts to tackle the problem of the hunting and killing of turtles in Semporna waters,” Lt Cmdr Amiludin said.

He urged those with information on such activity to contact the MMEA operations base at 089-782 619. The two are being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 and the Immigra­tion Act as they had no proper identity documents on them.

Another seven turtle carcasses, with their stomachs exposed, were found floating in waters near the popular Pulau Mabul on Saturday night.

Concerns over the killing of turtles in the waters off east coast Semporna, which is home to the internationally renowned diving heaven of Pulau Mabul, were raised last October after more than 100 turtle carcasses were found on Pulau Bum Bum.

The Sabah Wildlife Department made some arrests but the perpetra­tors were never charged, though it took action against a restaurant ow­­ner who purportedly offered exo­­tic meat to customers in Semporna.

Conservationists have been calling for more efforts to tackle turtle hunting and killing in Sabah, particularly in Semporna where such carcasses have been sighted from time to time.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 13-14 Jan 18

20 Jan 2018 (Sat): "Our Mangroovy Mangroves" - FREE Workshop at Pulau Ubin
wild shores of singapore

14 Jan (Sun): Registration opens for St John's Islands walk on 4 Feb (Sun)
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

NParks celebrates the start of International Year of the Reef 2018
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Singapore Bird Report – December 2017
Singapore Bird Group

Read more!

Weak trees felled by NParks to ensure safety

NParks has to balance removing trees at risk of falling and maintaining greenery via replanting
Samantha Boh Straits Times 14 Jan 18;

If you notice pockets of your estate looking bare, you are not alone.

Over the past year, trees around the island have been cut down, as the authorities weed out those deemed unhealthy, or to clear the way for new developments.

One such area lies along Yishun Central Road, where stumps are all that remain of more than five stately trees that used to line a road divider.

In its effort to keep Singapore green but safe, the Republic's national gardener has to balance removing trees at risk of falling and harming people and property, with maintaining a verdant, shady environment. In the area near Yishun Central, for instance, the National Parks Board (NParks) said routine inspections had found that the trees were structurally weak. The large trees were felled last month.

Mr Oh Cheow Sheng, group director of streetscape at NParks, said: "These had to be replaced as they may pose a higher risk of failure, especially during the recent period of wet weather conditions.

"Based on site conditions, replacement saplings were inter-planted between the affected trees to mitigate the loss of greenery."

More trees will be planted in the area within the next two months.

Other areas that have experienced a tree makeover include Tanjong Pagar, near Keppel Road, and the road leading to Mount Faber.

In November, a plot covered with Albizia trees opposite the Bukit Batok Nature Park was also cleared over safety concerns. Albizia trees are vulnerable to storms and are more prone to falling because of their brittle wood structure and shallow roots. NParks is replanting the plot with native plants.

Last March, The Sunday Times reported that 10,000 to 13,000 trees in Singapore could be removed to make way for transport and housing projects over the next 15 years. The authorities assured the public that all the affected trees will be replaced with one or more trees.

While NParks did not give figures on the number of trees that have been removed over the years, it did note that it has been planting trees aggressively to ensure that greenery is not lost.

"Overall, we planted approximately 50,000 trees in 2017, which is more than double the number of trees planted in 2013," said Mr Oh. He added that decisions to replace trees are made in the interest of public safety after careful consideration and in view of their site conditions. Older trees are more prone to pests, diseases and structural problems.

"Trees to be replaced are transplanted to other sites, where possible, or else they are replaced with other trees," he said.

Marketing executive Sheree Lieu, 27, said some of the old trees at Yishun Central had large roots which protruded from the ground, causing some residents to trip. "Replacing them might be a good thing."

Others, however, lamented the loss of their lofty neighbourhood sentinels which could have taken decades to grow.

Seeing numerous trees removed at one go in his estate has worried Mr Rikard Rosen, 54, who lives in Tanjong Pagar.

"While replanting is certainly being done, has anyone studied what impact removing old trees can have on our biodiversity?" he asked.

Mr Rosen, who runs a mobile technology company, said the younger trees do not provide as much shade, and removing the old trees means removing the different organisms, like insects, that live in them, which he worries will affect the surrounding ecosystem.

Dr Chong Kwek Yan, from the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences, said large trees provide disproportionately more resources for animals, so removing mature trees to some extent will have an effect on the surroundings, though the impact will depend on the tree species.

Some resources are easily provided by other plants when the tree is removed, he noted. But old trees are particularly important for species such as woodpeckers, which excavate holes in decaying wood for nesting and these are subsequently used by other animals.

"However, these are precisely the trees that are the target of heavy pruning or even removal, because their weaker wood may pose a hazard especially in areas with high human activity. It's a difficult trade-off," he said.

It might take many years for a sapling to mature and reach a large size, with fast-growing species tending to have poorer quality wood which will pose problems when they are older. "Our streetscape managers therefore have an unenviable task of planning decades ahead to plant slower-growing saplings that will eventually replace others that will be removed in time."

Read more!

Malaysia: Cold weather due to Madden-Julian Oscillation phenomenon

ROHANIZA IDRIS New Straits Times 13 Jan 18;

KUALA LUMPUR: The cold weather which the country is experiencing now is due to the north east monsoon wind which is derived from the Siberian-Mongolian region and flows through via northern China into the South China Sea before moving into Malaysia.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Climatology and Oceanography Professor, Dr Fredolin Tangang @ Tajudin Mahmud said the sudden change in climate and cold weather will last another two to three days with Johor and Sarawak experiencing heavy rain.

Fredolin said the current thunderstorm and cold weather was called the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) phenomenon or is also known as the Madden-Julian Swing.

"The MJO phenomenon is part of the climate diversity in tropical areas that swings with frequency, normally once within 20/60 days," he told BH.

He was commenting on the cold weather of around 22 degrees Celsius which had gripped several places in the country.

Fredolin said occurrence of the MJO phenomenon normally takes place in the absence of El Nino or La Nina phenomenon but its presence can strengthen the El Nino generation process.

He adds that the Siberian-Mongolian high-pressure wind also caused a cyclone bomb that caused the cold weather in the eastern United States (US) and Canada to record temperatures below the freezing level.

He explained that besides the cold wind, the north east monsoon movements would also bring along heavy rainfall to the coastal areas in the Peninsular, for example in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor, which could result in floods.

"At the beginning of the north east monsoon we witnessed the east coast states being hit by the floods and by the end of Januarywe expect the same but this time it will be further down south, as it comes to an end.

"The same thing happened in 2007, when Johor was hit by a big flood but then I was not sure whether there was a presence of MJO or not (at that time)," he said.

He advised members of the public to stay alert and to look out for weather warnings during this wet season as well.

Translated from Berita Harian

Read more!

Malaysia: Flood situation in Johor worsens

nelson benjamin The Star 14 Jan 18;

JOHOR BARU: Continuous rainfall over the past few days has worsened the flood situation in Johor, and forced the evacuation of 1,395 people in three districts.

State health, environment, education and information committee chairman Datuk Ayob Rahmat said that as of 8am Sunday, the worse hit districts were Mersing with 1,261 victims, Segamat (103) and Kota Tinggi (31).

All the victims have been housed in 13 evacuation centres.

He said there were several road diversions in Mersing due to a landslip along Jalan Telok Arong.

He added that floodwaters have cut off access to Kg Batu 7 in Jementah.

"Three schools in Kluang - SK Punan, SK Ladang Mutiara and SK Seri Sedohok - have also been cut off due to the floods," said Ayob.


Floods worsen in Pahang, Johor and Sabah
The Star 13 Jan 18;

KUANTAN: Continuous rain over two days has worsened Pahang’s flood situation, forcing authorities to open another evacuation centre in Rompin.

The number of flood victims in the state increased to 357 people as compared to 318 the night before, after 39 people moved to the centre at Leban Chondong community hall.

Pahang Civil Defence Force director Kol Zainal Yusof told Bernama 64 people were still at an evacuation centre at SK Tekek, Pulau Tioman.

In Pekan, 254 victims remained at five centres due to stagnant flood waters.

Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said 28 people from seven families have been moved to the evacuation centre at SK Air Papan in Mersing.

Another 34 from eight families were being sheltered at Balai Raya Kampung Tenglu, he said in a statement.

He added that a lane at Jalan Telok Arong in the same district has been closed to traffic due to a landslip but sections of the road were still accessible.

In Segamat, 46 people from 14 families are at Balairaya Gemereh, Balai Badang, while another 10 from two families are at Balairaya Kampung Pogoh Tengah.

In Sabah, rising water levels of the main river in Pitas district forced 10 people from three families to remain at the evacuation centre at Kampung Sinukab Kinabongan.

The Malaysian Civil Defence Force said two villages – Kampung Kabatasan Laut and Kampung Masin Besar Kanibongan – were still flooded.

Sarawak had to temporarily close one of its schools, SK Sungai Kelabit in Miri, due to floods which affected the school field, teachers quarters, generator shed and preschool.

The path to the school, which has 19 pupils, seven teachers and two administrative staff was also too dangerous to use.

Four other schools – SK Kuala Kenyana, SK Kuala Bok, SK Sungai Bong and SK Sungai Anak – were also affected by floods but the pupils were still able to continue studying.


More than 2,000 evacuated in Malaysia's Pahang and Johor as floods worsen
Straits Times 13 Jan 18;

KUANTAN - More than 2,000 people have been evacuated to flood relief shelters in Malaysia as a result of continuous rains in several states over the past few days.

The coastal areas of Pahang and Johor have been most affected, with Pahang recording the highest number of evacuees.

Continuous rain brought by the north-east monsoon over the past two days had worsened the flood situation in those states.

At least 1,457 people have been evacuated in Pahang as of Saturday (Jan 13), the national news agency Bernama reported. Those evacuated are being housed at 14 temporary relief centres.

The district of Pekan made up the most number of evacuees, with 1,210 people currently being housed at 10 relief centres. The districts of Rompin and Raub have also been hit by floods.

Over in Johor, at least 1,000 people have been evacuated so far. Most of them were from the districts of Segamat and Mersing.

In Mersing, some 965 people have been evacuated as of Saturday afternoon, compared to 530 in the morning. They are being housed at seven temporary relief centres.

In Segamat, there were 97 evacuees.

Over 1,000 evacuated from floods in Johor, Pahang and Terengganu
The situation in the state of Sabah improved on Saturday afternoon. All 10 evacuees affected by the rising water levels at the main river in Pitas district have since returned home.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for several areas in Johor and Pahang until midnight.

Meanwhile, most of the states in peninsular Malaysia will experience temperatures lower than normal owing to overcast skies, continuous rain and a cold front from the north-east monsoon winds until Sunday.

Number of Pahang flood victims swell following incessant downpour
HIDIR REDUAN New Straits Times 12 Jan 18;

KUANTAN: A continuous downpour saw the number of flood evacuees in Pahang balloon to 1,290 victims from 331 families, sheltered at 12 relief centres in Pekan and Rompin tonight.

As at 10pm, the latest figure represents an increase from the 738 victims from 188 families sheltered at 10 flood relief centres in the two districts earlier at 5pm.

State Civil Defence Force director Col. Zainal Yusoff said that the number of victims in Pekan increased to 1,165 people from 297 families placed at 10 relief centres.

"Another two relief centres (in Pekan) were opened this afternoon, namely SK Permatang Keledang with 322 victims from 13 families; and SK Sri Biram (51 people from 13 families).

"Asides from that, other flood relief centres in Pekan are SK Seri Mutiara with 375 victims from 94 families; SMK Peramu Jaya (121 people from 35 families); SK Temai (93 people from 24 families); and the Pulau Manis flood relief centre (75 people from 22 families).

"Other flood shelters are the Kampung Lamir flood relief centre with 50 people from seven families; Tanjung Pulai Multipurpose Hall (39 people from five families); and SK Acheh (nine people from two families)," he said tonight.

With regards to Rompin, Zainal said 125 victims from 34 families had been placed in two relief centres since yesterday.

He said the flood shelters are SK Tekek with 63 people from 15 families and Leban Chondong Public Hall (62 people from 19 families).

Checks with the online portal infobanjir.water.gov.my showed that as at 10pm, three rivers in the state have exceeded the warning level, which increases risk of surrounding areas becoming inundated.

The three rivers are Sungai Pahang at Paloh Hinai, Pekan, with a reading of 10.17m (10.30m is the danger level); Sungai Lipis at Batu Malim, Lipis at 114.29m (114.80 is the danger level); and Sungai Belat at Seri Damai here at 4.20 (5.00m is the danger level).

Read more!

Indonesia: Hundreds of hectares of land to be converted into conservation forest

Antara 12 Jan 18;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Environment and Forestry Ministry has targeted to convert some 518,418 hectares of land into a conservation natural forest by 2026, an official said here on Thursday.

"We have converted hundreds of hectares of land of 31 forestry companies. These lands originally functioned as peatland conservation areas," Karliansyah, the ministry`s director general of pollution and environmental degradation management, said in Jakarta.

During the talk on implementations of peatland restoration policy in Jakarta, on Thursday, Karliansyah noted that the ministry has validated the business working plan revisions of the 31 companies.

Following the revisions, some 1,105,125 hectares of land will be set up for maintaining the peatland ecosystem, which comprises 717,583 hectares of protected zone and 387,542 hectares of cultivation area.

The ministry had earlier issued an instruction to 87 forestry companies in the country to restore some 2,443,648 hectares of peatland ecosystem.

However, until Dec last year, only 31 forestry companies expressed commitment to restore the peatland area, by reviewing their business plans.

The revised business plan will include the ecosystem restoration scheme by manually determining the minimum water level underground. The new document will pay more attentions to rainfall level, as well as the other supporting tools on preservation.

He stressed that some 14 companies have determined the minimum level of groundwater, as well as allocated 679,962 hectares of land for conservation, which is comprised of 388,159 hectares of land for conservation area and 291,803 hectares of land for plantation zone.

Meanwhile, the other 43 companies have not yet filed a request on validating their revised business working plans to the ministry.

The number of lands that has not yet been registered reaches 455,417 hectares, comprising of 177,138 hectares for the protected zone and 278,279 hectares for the cultivation area.

However, following the talk on some technical issues, the ministry has allocated some 3,932 hectares, as well as provided 397 logger information and 169 units of rainfall observation post to maintain the groundwater level of 45 forestry companies that have not yet submitted the revised documents.

Reported by Desi Purnamawati
(Uu. KR-GNT/INE)
EDITED BY INE/H-YH
Editor: Heru Purwanto

Read more!

Indonesia: Komodo dragon population reaches 3,012 in Komodo National Park

Antara 12 Jan 18;

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The population of Komodo dragons in the Komodo National Park has reached 3,012 heads in 2017, according to Sudiyono, head of the park.

"Last year, the population was 3,012, and it tended to increase, particularly those on Gili Motang Nusa Kode isles, where its population was very small in the past," he stated here on Thursday.

He explained that the population of Komodo dragons (Varanus Komodoensis) in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, is stable and not on the brink of extinction.

The giant lizards are found on the isles of Padar, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode, Komodo, and Rinca.

Adult Komodo dragons eat wild boars, deer, and horses, while the smaller ones consume insects and poultry.

Founded in 1980, Komodo National Park is home to the endemic Komodo dragon, the world?s only surviving prehistoric giant lizard.

The park includes three larger islands, namely Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, with a total area of 1,817 square kilometers.

In 1977, Komodo National Park was named a biosphere reserve by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1991, UNESCO named the island accommodating around three thousand komodo dragons as a world heritage.

reported by Aloysius Lewokeda

(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/O001)

Read more!

Thailand seizes large elephant tusks worth over $450,000

KAWEEWIT KAEWJINDA Associated Press Yahoo News 12 Jan 18;

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities have seized 148 kilograms (326 pounds) of African elephant ivory, including three large tusks, worth around 15 million baht ($469,800) from a Bangkok airport.

The haul from Nigeria consisted of the tusks and 31 tusk fragments that were seized Jan. 5 after the cargo was flagged by officials. The tusks were destined for China where there is a large demand for ivory, police Gen. Chalermkiat Srivorakan said Friday.

The size of the tusks shows they were taken from large African elephants, which remain scarce in the wild, and the tusks' discolored state indicates they had been kept in storage for a long time, said Somkiat Soontornpittakkool, an official from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

"From what I can tell, these ivory tusks were taken from very big elephants, and elephants of that size are now hard to find even in Africa," Somkiat said. "And judging from how the tusks look, they appear to have been taken a while ago. They weren't hunted recently. They were taken and stored for a while before smugglers sent them out."

A Customs Department statement said that the seized ivory will be impounded as police widen investigations to identify suspects involved in the smuggling.

Thailand had been considered to have the largest unregulated ivory market in the world and had been threatened with sanctions under the trade of protected wildlife species, but it introduced new laws and amendments in 2014 and 2015 to regulate domestic ivory markets and criminalize the sale of African elephant ivory.

Thailand is still considered a major transit hub and destination for smuggled tusks, but the biggest demand comes from China.

Last year, Thai officials seized 510 smuggled elephant tusk fragments in four separate cases, the Customs Department said. Rhinoceros horns, pangolin scales, turtles, and other exotic wildlife are also repeatedly smuggled through Thailand.

Read more!