Best of our wild blogs: 25 Jul 18

[Nature Walk] Venus Loop & Treetop Walk on 28 July, 8am
Little Green Men

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Malaysia: Filipinos found with 74kg of bearded pig meat in Sabah jailed 18 months

stephanie lee The Star 24 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: A couple has been jailed for 18 months for possessing meat from the protected bearded pig without a license in eastern Sabah.

The Filipino couple, Christopher Ocang Andales, 38, and Jean Flores Tinapay, 41, who are plantation workers, were arrested at about 8am on Feb 6 at an estate in the Kinabatangan area, near Sandakan.

According to the facts of case, the duo were travelling on a motorcycle when they were asked to pull over for inspection during a Wildlife Department operation.

Upon inspection, wildlife officials found four sacks filled with the meat totalling 74kg, as well as six handmade bombs believed to have been used to hunt animals.

The duo will serve their sentence from their date of arrest.

They will be referred to the Immigration Department for further action after completing their sentence.

The bearded pig –known for its namesake facial hair – is a protected species in Sabah but can be hunted with a license.

It is considered a “Vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to habitat loss and over-hunting in many areas across its range.

Bearded pig populations in Peninsular Malaysia have declined by more than 80% in the last 60 years due to deforestation while in Borneo, the species has also been declining quickly as oil palm plantations expand.

In addition, the old tradition of bearded pig hunting is a major factor of wild meat consumption in Sabah's non-Muslim rural areas, and this has caused the species to be rare in many places.

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Malaysia: ‘Two key factors to end jumbo deaths’

muguntan vanar The Star 24 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: Identifying the source of poisoning and improving the layout of the electric fencing are among key tasks that need to be tackled quickly in overcoming the deaths of Borneo pygmy elephants.

A Sabah-based conservationist Dr Marc Ancrenaz said the post-­mortems had yet to give a conclusive cause over the jumbo’s recent deaths, though suspicion was that it might be poisoning of their food and water sources.

“What is happening now is that most of these elephants are coming out of the forests to forage and may be consuming water and food sources that might be contaminated by fertilisers or chemicals,” he said.

“We need to find the source of the poisoning. So far, investigators cannot pinpoint any poison in the dead elephants’ blood stream.”

A total of 18 pygmy elephants have died since April. The motive behind more than half of the deaths could not be ascertained.

The others were killed by hunters’ traps or died due to natural causes.

Dr Ancrenaz said another concern was the setting up of electric fences haphazardly by plantation and farm owners.

“These elephants sometimes manage to slip through the gaps between the electric fences, but could not get out of the fenced area, causing further human-elephant conflict,” he said.

Dr Ancrenaz said such electric fencing should be placed with an overview of the landscape to minimise conflicts triggered by fragmented forests in the elephants’ natural roaming area.

Noting that the state government was setting up a task force to look into the deaths, Dr Ancrenaz said it was important to get advice from experts handling the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India.

Though Sabah’s wild elephant population is only about 1,500 to 2,000, he said they were breeding well.

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Malaysia: Borneo pygmy elephant shot dead in Sabah's central district

stephanie lee The Star 24 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: A juvenile male Borneo pygmy elephant has been shot dead in Sabah's central Tongod district.

The carcass of the elephant was found by wildlife rangers at about 7.40am Monday (July 23) near Kg Karamuak, Tongod, some 260km from here.

Sabah Wildlife Department public relations officer Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh said a team from the Kinabatangan Wildlife office was sent to investigate the matter on Tuesday (July 24).

She said they team also conducted a post-mortem at the scene to determine the elephant's cause of death.

"Some parts of the intestines were torn. There was a severe internal bleeding inside the abdomen suggesting several blood vessels were damaged," she added.

Siti said the cause of death was from hypovolemic shock due to severe internal bleeding caused by the pellet.

She said from the position of the injury and the trajectory of the pellet, it was highly probable that the elephant was shot from close range from an elevated position or from the back of a vehicle.

According to information gathered during investigation, a herd of elephants have been spotted in Kg Karamuak for the past one month.

Siti added that the investigation will continue to find the perpetrator.

Juvenile elephant shot dead in Tongod
Nancy Lai Borneo Post 25 Jul 18;

TONGOD: An elephant was found dead with a gunshot wound at Kampung Karamuak here.

This brings the number of elephants killed in Sabah to 10 this year.

A team of wildlife rangers from Kinabatangan Wildlife Office stumbled upon the carcass of the juvenile male elephant by the roadside at Kampung Karamuak here about 7.40am on July 23.

Sabah Wildlife Department public relations officer Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh said the wildlife rangers were returning home from carrying out elephant controls at Kampung Karamuak.

“The juvenile male elephant is about three to four years old,” she said in a statement yesterday.
She added that a team was sent yesterday to investigate and conduct a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.

The post-mortem team found a wound at the right rump of the elephant, she said, adding a pellet was inside the abdomen.

“Some parts of the intestines were torn. There was a severe internal bleeding inside the abdomen suggesting several blood vessels were damaged.

“The cause of death is determined to be hypovolemic shock due to severe internal bleeding caused by the pellet,” Siti Nur’Ain explained.

“From the position of the injury and the trajectory of the pellet, it is highly probable that the elephant was shot either from a close range from an elevated place or from the back of a vehicle.”

Siti Nur’Ain said according to information gathered during investigation, a herd of elephants had been in Kampungg Karamuak for the last one month.

“The investigating team will continue its investigation into finding the perpetrator of the killing,” she said.

Last week, a juvenile male elephant was found dead near an abandoned logging camp in the Kuamut Forest Reserve after it was believed to have been involved in a fight with a larger elephant.

On July 16 the carcass of a male elephant was discovered by plantation workers at an oil palm plantation in Ulu Segama, Lahad Datu.

The Wildlife Department found that the elephant had an injured foot, believed due to a snare trap.

At least eight other elephants have also been reported dead due to various reasons in Sabah between April and July this year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has ordered state authorities to investigate the deaths of these endangered Borneo pygmy elephants.

Elephants are a Totally Protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

Elephant found shot dead in Kinabatangan; third dead pachyderm in eight days
Bernama New Straits Times 25 Jul 18;

SANDAKAN: A young elephant was found shot dead at Kampung Karamuak, Tongod in Kinabatangan, yesterday.

The discovery brings to three the number of pachyderms found dead in the state in the span of just eight days.

The latest carcass was found by the roadside by a team of rangers from the Kinabatangan wildlife office, while they were returning from elephant control work at Kampung Karamuak at 7.40am.

The male juvenile elephant was estimated to have been between three and four years old.

A team from the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) was dispatched to the scene to investigate and carry out a post-mortem, its Public Relations officer Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh said in a statement.

A wound on the pachyderm’s right rump led to the discovery of a bullet lodged in its abdomen, she said, adding that parts of the intestines were torn.

"From the location of the injury and the trajectory of the (bullet), it is highly probable that the elephant was shot at close range, from an elevated place or from the back of a vehicle," she added.

Siti Nur’Ain said the department will continue to probe the case and find those involved in the killing.

On July 19, a male elephant was found dead near an abandoned logging camp in Kuamut Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan, after succumbing to injuries suffered in a fight with a larger elephant.

On July 16, another male elephant with a badly wounded foot was found dead in an oil palm plantation at Ulu Segama in Lahad Datu, believed to have been the victim of a snare trap.

Elephants in Sabah are a Totally Protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. – Bernama

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Indonesia: More than 3,000 hectares of forests damaged in Aceh

Antara 24 Jul 18;

Banda Aceh, Aceh, (ANTARA News) - More than 3,000 hectares of forests in the Leuser Ecosystem Area of Aceh have been damaged in the first six months of the year, the Aceh Foundation of Natural Forests and Environment (HAKA) said.

"From January to June 2018 we found 3,290 hectares of forests in the Leuser Ecosystem Area in Aceh were damaged," HAKA Manager of Geographic Information System (GIS) Agung Dwinurcahya said here on Tuesday.

The Leuser Ecosystem Area forest serves as a buffer area for the National Park of Mount Leuser (TNGL). The ecosystem forest is 2.6 million hectares in size and 2.25 million hectares of which are in the province of Aceh spread in 13 districts.

As a buffer zone for TNGL, the Leuser Ecosystem Area consists of protected forest, production forest and forests for other appropriation such as for plantations .

The extent of the damage was slightly smaller than 3,780 hectares in the same period last year, Agung said.

He said, the damage to the Leuser Ecosystem Area was based on satellite record monitored regularly.

The district of Nagan raya recorded the largest area of Leuser Ecosystem damaged in the first six months of this year reaching 627 hectares, followed by the district of Aceh Timur with 559 hectares and the district of Gayo Lues with 507 hectares of Leuser ecosystem forest damaged, he said without saying the causes of the damage.

"The largest part of damage to the Leuser ecosystem area was recorded by the district of Nagan Raya in its peat forest in Rawa Tripa, which was previously protected habitat for orangutan," he said. (SYS/AS).

(T.SYS/B/H-ASG/C/F001) 24-07-2018 09:54:40
Editor: Fardah Assegaf

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Indonesia: High waves cause Rp 2 billion in losses in Yogyakarta

Sri Wahyuni The Jakarta Post 24 Jul 18;

High waves occurring this month in Yogyakarta have so far caused over Rp 2 billion (US$137,807) in financial losses in the province, a team of experts have said.

The team, consisting of experts from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), revealed that the high waves had destroyed a total of 24 gazebos, five fishing ships, four kiosks, four stalls and 20 nets on the beaches located along the province’s southern coast.

“The real loss could be higher considering our limited observation,” said team member Muh Aris Marfai, who is also the dean of UGM’s Department of Geography, on Tuesday.

BMKG forecaster Sigit Hadi Prakoso of BMKG’s Yogyakarta office said the phenomenon, which started on July 17, reached its peak on July 19, with waves reaching up to 6 meters high.

He said the phenomenon was caused by differences in air pressure thanks to the tropical cyclone Son Tinh in the South China Sea, followed by tropical cyclone Ampil. This led to high wind speeds that later resulted in high waves on the beaches along Java Island’s southern coast.

“Until July 29, high waves still have the potential to occur on the southern coast of Yogyakarta, with waves expected to reach up to 5 m high,” Sigit said.

The team called on people to avoid conducting intensive investment activities along an area within 100 m of the coastline.

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Laos dam collapse: hundreds missing after villages flooded

Several people confirmed dead and thousands homeless in Attapeu province
Hannah Ellis-Petersen South-east Asia correspondent and agencies The Guardian 24 Jul 18;

Hundreds of people are missing after a hydroelectric dam collapsed in southern Laos, destroying thousands of homes and leaving an unknown number of dead.

Five billion cubic metres of water – the equivalent of 2m Olympic swimming pools – swept through the surrounding countryside after the accident at the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam, which is still under construction in south-eastern Attapeu province.

The dam collapsed at 8pm local time (1300 BST) on Monday, a state news agency reported. The neighbouring villages of Yai Thae, Hinlad, Mai, Thasengchan, Tha Hin and Samong bore the brunt of flooding, which has reportedly destroyed thousands of homes.

Officials brought in boats to try to evacuate victims in San Sai district who were left stranded by the water. Aerial footage showed the whole region under muddy water, with only roofs and treetops visible.

Several people have been confirmed dead, and more than 6,600 are homeless, official news agency KPL reported.

The company building the dam said heavy rain and flooding caused it to collapse and it was cooperating with the Laos government to help rescue villagers.

“We are running an emergency team and planning to help evacuate and rescue residents,” a spokesman for SK Engineering & Construction told Reuters.

The dam is a key component of the country’s controversial ambition to become the “battery of Asia” by selling power to its neighbours. Eleven large hydropower dams on the main Mekong River, and 120 tributary dams, are planned over the next 20 years.

The 410MW project was designed to generate electricity by diverting the waters of the Houay Makchanh, Xe-Namnoy and Xe-Pian rivers on the Bolaven Plateau in the Laos province of Champasak, and then letting them flow back into the Xe-Pian River, and eventually into the Mekong.

The plan is to export 90% of the energy produced to neighbouring Thailand, making it a lucrative source of income.

Laos, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country, has secured billions in foreign funds from hydropower investors.

But the country’s focus on the energy source has provoked a backlash from environmental activists, NGOs and scientists for its impact on the Mekong, one of the world’s longest, largest and resource-rich rivers. A report from the inter-governmental Mekong River Commission in April estimated its fish stocks would fall by up to 40% as a result of the hydropower projects.

A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute also pointed out that “changes in rainfall and extreme weather could pose a risk to Laos’ hydropower-dominated electricity system”.

Last year, a dam broke along Laos’ Nam Ao River, unleashing a torrent of water that flooded seven villages and ruined acres of farmland.

But concerns over hydropower dams have been dismissed by the government.

The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy dam, which is estimated to be worth about $1bn (£760m), is a joint venture between several South Korean and Laos companies. Construction began in 2013 and was due for completion by the end of this year, with plans to start operations in 2019.

The prime minister, Thongloun Sisoulith, called on government organisations, the police and the military to assist in the emergency relief effort.

The International Rivers group, which has campaigned about the risks of developing the Mekong, said the accident showed that some dam designs were unable to cope with extreme weather conditions.

“Unpredictable and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in Laos and the region due to climate change,” said a spokesperson for International Rivers.

“This also shows the inadequacy of warning systems for the dam construction and operations. The warning appeared to come very late and was ineffective in ensuring people had advance notice to ensure their safety and that of their families,” it said.

Reuters contributed to this report

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Jul 18

My Mom Has Returned Home
Wan's Ubin Journal

Singapore Bird Report – June 2018
Singapore Bird Group

Together, giant clams are stronger – deter predators but lower growth
Mei Lin NEO

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NTUC FairPrice scraps 10-cent BYOB rebate, launches new scheme to reduce plastic bag use

Channel NewsAsia 23 Jul 18;

SINGAPORE: NTUC FairPrice on Monday (Jul 23) announced the launch of the “FairPrice Plastic Bag Management Programme”, a framework that looks to holistically reduce plastic bag use.

The programme, which was developed following a review conducted earlier this year, will replace the existing FairPrice Green Rewards Scheme on Aug 1.

First introduced in 2007, the scheme offered customers a rebate of S$0.10 for bringing their own bags to shop at FairPrice stores.

“While there has been an increase in the number of plastic bags saved since the FairPrice Green Rewards Scheme was introduced in 2007, progress has plateaued out – averaging at about 10.8 million bags saved per year in the last three years,” FairPrice said in a media release.

The new Plastic Bag Management Programme now targets to save 30 million plastic bags per year by 2030.

NTUC FairPrice CEO, Mr Seah Kian Peng said: “For more than a decade, FairPrice has championed the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) movement in Singapore where we have invested more than S$4 million - through the FairPrice Green Rewards scheme - to urge the community to use fewer plastic bags.

“We will continue to drive this national initiative and focus on a holistic and scalable framework that aims to address the wider impact of plastic bag use on the environment, while taking into consideration customer needs and habits.

"Through this renewed commitment, we look to galvanise the community, industry partners, interest groups and government agencies to create a greater collective impact in protecting our environment.”

The FairPrice Plastic Bag Management Programme will take a four-pronged approach in its efforts to reduce plastic bag usage.

Firstly, it will review internal processes and implement policies and practices to trim plastic bag packaging in operations. Enhanced environmentally-friendly bagging practices will also be introduced for cashiers.

Shoppers will be encouraged to reduce their use of plastic bags and embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle through public education programmes.

FairPrice will work with both governmental and non-governmental organisations to jointly produce and implement education programmes. Among other efforts, FairPrice will support an upcoming public education campaign by Zero Waste SG to raise awareness of BYOB.

FairPrice will also increase investment and continued support for whole-of-nation efforts to reduce plastic bag use.

FairPrice is currently working with Nanyang Polytechnic on activating students from the Nanyang Polytechnic Foundation Programme to design a reusable bag for public distribution.

Beyond this, FairPrice will also work with suppliers and manufacturers to explore better packaging design and material.

S$50,000 DONATION TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

In its media release, FairPrice also said it will make donations to organisations who exemplify efforts to promote sustainable practices locally.

FairPrice has since committed S$50,000 to the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Zero Waste SG to fund their sustainability efforts.

“We are very grateful for this long-term collaboration and partnership with NTUC FairPrice towards SEC’s call for action for joint sustainable programmes," said SEC Executive Director, Ms Jen Teo.

"The BYOB programme, which started over a decade ago, has resulted in a remarkable reduction of plastic bags use.

"We shall be announcing many new joint programmes shortly and look forward to working closely with NTUC FairPrice to continue our efforts in 3P partnerships connecting businesses, communities, school and individuals to take action."

Source: CNA/zl(rw)

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Indonesia: Drought hits hundreds of Central Java villages

Ganug Nugroho Adi The Jakarta Post 23 Jul 18;


A drought has struck hundreds of villages in Central Java, with agencies in the province sending clean water to subdistricts in Sragen, Boyolali, Klaten and Wonogiri regencies.

The Sragen Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has allocated Rp 44.5 million (US$3,000), equal to 150 water tankers, to provide water to seven high-risk drought districts, namely Tangen, Mondokan, Sumberlawang, Jenar, Miri, Sukodono and Gesi.

“Agency data shows there are 28 villages affected by this drought, which is similar to last year. We have already provided clean drinking water to three villages that are in urgent need,” BPBD Sragen head Sugeng Priyono said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Boyolali BPBD reported that 41 villages in six districts – Wonosegoro, Karanggede, Kemusu, Musuk, Juwangi and Andong – were vulnerable to drought. Several villages have already asked for clean water and the agency has responded with aid.

“We’ve sent water tankers to Juwangi, Musuk and Kemusu because they were the most urgent,” said Boyolali BPBD head Bambang Sinungharjo.

Running out: A resident pumps out the remaining water from Gajah Mungkur dam to water his rice paddy in Wuryanto district in Wonogiri, Central Java, on Saturday. The dry season has brought drought to many regencies in Central Java. JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi.
Running out: A resident pumps out the remaining water from Gajah Mungkur dam to water his rice paddy in Wuryanto district in Wonogiri, Central Java, on Saturday. The dry season has brought drought to many regencies in Central Java. JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi. (The Jakarta Post/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

The Wonogiri BPBD reported that 38 out of 294 villages in the regency were suffering from drought, with a total of 25 districts prone to drought and 12 other districts susceptible to fire.

“The BPBD is ready for the effects of the dry season. Our priorities are providing clean drinking water and irrigation water, as well as tackling house, plantation and forest fires,” said Wonogiri BPBD head Bambang Haryanto.

The dry season in Wonogiri began in April and is predicted to last until September.

Meanwhile, Wonogiri Regent Joko “Jekek” Sutopo announced that his administration received a total of Rp 12 billion in funds from the central government to permanently eradicate drought.

Last year, the regency spent Rp 2,6 billion on a water treatment plant in Paranggupito district that provides clean water to some 554 families composed of 1,300 individuals.

The province is hit by drought annually. Thousands of villages in the province suffered from a water shortage in 2017. (nor)

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Indonesia: Forestry Ministry watching activities of 300 forestry companies

Antara 23 Jul 18;

Pontianak, W. Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya said the ministry is watching more closely the activities of 300 forestry and mining companies operating in Indonesia, to see who is responsible for forest and bush fires.

"The Environment and Forestry Ministry is watching the activities of around 300 forestry and mining companies including in West Kalimantan. We will immediately warn them if there is hot spot in their concession areas," Minister Siti Nurbaya said when addressing the opening of a meeting on Synergy in Prevention and Control of Forest and Bush Fires in West Kalimantan here on Monday.

The government is especially concerned with any forest fires in South Sumatra where the country will host Asian Games next month.

Almost every year in dry season forest fires have become a problem with thick smokes blanketing wide areas as far as Malaysia and Singapore.

Siti asks forestry and mining companies to be ready against forest fires during the dry season and help in putting the fires out before they grow big and become out of control.

"We have sent a letter to each of the companies . The companies are expected to answer and give information about the locations of the hot spots. We also ask the companies to take part in handling the hot spots in as far as up to 4 kilometers from their concession," the minister said.

Siti said in general control over forest fires in West Kalimantan has been better and more effective.

"It is good but the system still need improvement such as in the system of giving information about hot spots from application system to one using feedback from the local communities," she said.

She said the method of controlling forest and bush fires in West Kalimantan will be displayed at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

"The public need to know how the government and local people in West Kalimantan have coped with forest fires," she said.

She warned each of the companies as well as the people against using fires for anything including for land clearing.

There are three sanctions for non compliance including administrative, civil law and penal offense sanctions for setting fire on forest or bush lands.

Penal offense is an area of the police but the Ministry could still mete out punishment in the form of administrative sanction and civil law punishment as a deterrent in using fires to open land for farm and plantation or any other purposes, she said.

She said the Ministry is ready to help regional administrations in putting out forest and bush fires.

"If necessary we will send more helicopters . Currently there are six helicopters in West Kalimantan ready anytime to carry out water bombing operation to put out forest fires," she added.

(KR-RDO)
(T.SYS/A/H-ASG/C/F001)
Editor: Heru Purwanto

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Japan floods a warning of a changed climate

Extreme weather in Japan, which led to a flood that claimed hundreds of lives, tells us that we need to face up to climate change, says one observer.
Kumuda Simpson Channel NewsAsia 20 Jul 18;

MELBOURNE: The scenes in Japan in the wake of torrential rain that has caused landslides and widespread flooding are heartbreaking.

The rains have been described as unprecedented, and the death toll climbed as emergency workers and volunteers search for those who are still missing.

While some people have been able to return to their homes, many of the people who were ordered to evacuate remain displaced. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has committed millions of dollars to aid recovery.

Japan has experienced more than its fair share of disasters, including the devastating tsunami in 2011 that caused the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Scenes this week of flooded landscapes with the roofs of houses just visible above the water are eerily reminiscent of the horrific aftermath of the 2011 tsunami.

However, the recent rain and flooding have different lessons for us. Extreme weather events such as this are very likely to become increasingly common as a result of climate change and the continued warming of the planet.

EXTREME WEATHER

Heatwaves, bush fires, intense typhoons and cyclones, sea-level rise, flooding, and drought will all increase in both intensity and frequency unless we keep global warming below 1.5 to two degrees Celsius.

Even if we keep global warming below two degrees Celsius we are still likely to face a significantly less stable or predictable climate than the one most of us grew up with.

In response to extreme heat and precipitation events across Asia, Europe, America, and the Middle East during June and July, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change stated that:

Episodes of extreme heat and precipitation are increasing as a result of climate change. Although it is not possible to attribute the individual extreme events of June and July to climate change, they are compatible with the general long-term trend due to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases.

In the same week as the disaster in Japan, record hot temperatures were registered across California, with Disneyland soaring to 45 degrees Celsius on Jul 12.

In Australia, the state of New South Wales continued to be affected by one of the worst droughts in recent history. In Muscat, Oman, in June, the temperature didn’t drop below 42 degrees for more than 24 hours.

Reports of record-breaking extremes and violent “once in a hundred year” storms are becoming commonplace.

READ: Days of cool weather do not negate climate change’s destructive impact, a commentary
FOCUS ON PREPARING FOR CLIMATE-RELATED RISK

In media coverage of all these events, climate change is only occasionally mentioned, and often just in passing.

There is a reluctance to talk about climate change in the wake of tragedy, particularly when linking a specific weather event to climate change is complex. Establishing a direct causal link involves complex scientific modelling and analysis of data, with results that are often nuanced rather than clear-cut.

The conclusion is often that while floods and droughts have always occurred, climate change is making their occurrence more frequent. Yet the argument over whether or not this particular drought or that particular storm was directly and indisputably caused by the warming planet is counterproductive.

Instead, it is imperative that we shift the conversation away from a debate about climate change that all too often becomes politicised either though omission or oversimplification.

We must focus on what these events can teach us about the kinds of climate-related risks we face in the near future, and how unprepared we are for them.

The tragedy in Japan should serve as a particularly alarming indicator of the kinds of challenges even the most disaster-prepared country faces. Japan has a highly developed disaster early-warning system, one that was utilised before the worst of the flooding and landslides caused so much devastation.

Early analysis suggests that a combination of urban development and land use in floodprone areas; human complacency in the face of evacuation orders, or an inability to evacuate safely; the sudden onset of torrential rains; and Japan’s unique geography interacted in such a way that the human toll has been unacceptably high.

EVERYONE HAS A PART TO PLAY TO PREPARE

The Centre for Climate and Security recently released a report titled A Responsibility to Prepare. It argues that we face a future of unprecedented risks as a result of climate change.

Yet we also possess a unique capacity to predict some of these risks and prepare to deal with them. This will involve more than just early-warning systems or financial aid to rebuild after disasters.

It will involve paying attention to the unanticipated consequences of climate change and the human and institutional factors that make resilience or adaptability possible. As researcher Joshua Busby has argued:

The disruption to the Earth’s climate will ultimately command more attention and resources and have a greater influence on the global economy and international relations than other forces visible in the world today.

Our first responsibility should be mitigation. The Paris Agreement must be upheld and strengthened. Failure to radically cut global carbon emissions will mean disasters such as the one unfolding in Japan will become the new normal.

Our second responsibility is to learn from the past and present, and be prepared for a future in which extreme weather events will challenge even the wealthiest, most developed states, and will be devastating for the poorest and least developed.

The global climate is changing, and the planet has already warmed. To continue to ignore or downplay this should no longer be acceptable.

Dr Kumuda Simpson is a lecturer in International Relations in the Department of Politics and Philosophy at La Trobe University, Melbourne. This article first appeared on Lowy Institute's The Interpreter.

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