Best of our wild blogs: 20 Jun 10


How is Chek Jawa doing after the oil spill?
from wild shores of singapore

Chek Jawa seagrasses after the oil spill (19 Jun 10)
from teamseagrass

Life History of the Branded Imperial
from Butterflies of Singapore

Hunt for the Tree Stump Orb Weaver
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Venus Drive
from Singapore Nature

Asian Palm Swift feeding chicks
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Raffles Museum Treasures: Centipede
from Lazy Lizard's Tales and Leopard cat

So Just What is Shark Fin Soup?
from EcoWalkthetalk


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Singapore, Johor study cross-border eco-tourist attraction on Sungei Buloh and three Johor sites

Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE: Singapore is conducting a joint study with Johor to develop a cross-border tourist attraction.

It involves linking up Singapore's Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and three sites in Johor to promote eco-tourism.

The joint study aims to provide a seamless travel experience for eco-tourists.

This means nature lovers can hop from Sungei Buloh to the nature parks and mangrove forests of Sungai Pulai, Pulau Kukup and Tanjong Piai in Iskandar Malaysia.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said visitors can enjoy the unique characteristics of each site.

"If we have tourists coming to Singapore, and you come to Sungei Buloh, and you find that it's interesting and you want to explore more, a bigger area, a different type of environment, then perhaps from here, you could think about moving on to other areas in Johor, and vice-versa," she said.

Ms Fu said discussions are still underway, including talks about how to link up the 4 sites.

As for Sungei Buloh, work will start later this year to redevelop its facilities to cope with a higher number of visitors, which averages some 140,000 a year.

The 130-hectare wetland is a familiar stomping ground for nature lovers and bird watchers. It's home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including over 220 species of birds.

Once completed, it will feature a new 38-hectare park for the casual visitor.

The park will have facilities such as observation hides and coastal boardwalks to allow visitors to get closer to nature.

Another focus of the redevelopment is preserving the biodiversity of the wetland reserve. It will be set aside for conservation work and research.

It will boast of a new mangrove arboretum or living gallery of trees, showcasing all 67 species of mangrove plants and trees found in Singapore.

The existing visitor centre here at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve will be upgraded to become a research and education hub. New facilities such as dormitories for researchers could be added, as well as meeting rooms to host conferences and workshops.

The wetland reserve will become a restricted access area to protect its biodiversity. This is a similar arrangement for Chek Jawa and Semakau eco-park, where special permits to visits the sites have to be obtained.

"We want to conserve and protect the rich biodiversity within Sungei Buloh. Anyone can still enter, but you will need a guide, or do some preparation before you come," said James Gan, assistant director of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, NParks.

Development works on Sungei Buloh will start by the end of this year, and will be completed by mid-2013.

The public can get a sneak peek of the S$50 million redevelopment at an exhibition at its visitor centre until August 1.

NParks said the construction will be carried out in phases so that visitors can still visit the reserve. - CNA/jy/ls

Wetland reserve gets $50m makeover
New 38ha park to help Sungei Buloh cope with growing number of casual visitors
Kimberly Spykerman Straits Times 20 Jun 10;

Conservation will get a boost in the $50 million makeover for the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

The wetland will get a 38ha park - named the Sungei Buloh Wetland Park - to help it cope with the rising number of visitors.

It is hoped that the park will attract more casual visitors, leaving the main reserve area for researchers, serious nature lovers and bird watchers. The authorities fear that rising and unregulated visitor numbers may have a negative impact on the reserve's rich biodiversity.

The site of the new 38ha park is an extension of the reserve now known as the Kranji Nature Trail.

Funding for the park will come from the Singapore Tote Board.

The park, which has no visitor cap, will house facilities such as observation pods, coastal boardwalks, educational play facilities and wireless learning trails.

To further ensure that the area's biodiversity remains largely unspoilt, access to the 138ha reserve, on the other hand, is likely to be controlled. Visitors may have to apply for permission in advance.

These plans were unveiled yesterday by Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education Grace Fu.

Said Ms Fu: 'While we treasure Sungei Buloh's rich biodiversity, we want to bring the public to nature as well. And the challenge is how do we balance the need to keep nature as it is, and allowing public access?'

The Sungei Buloh wetland was gazetted as a nature reserve in 2002, with its wide variety of flora and fauna, including more than 220 species of birds. It has been identified as a zone for core conservation.

Currently, the reserve sees about 140,000 visitors a year, and the authorities hope to bring the number down to 100,000.

This is so that they can better manage visitor impact on the wildlife, an arrangement that visitors to sites like Chek Jawa and the Semakau eco-park are already familiar with, said Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve assistant director James Gan.

'We are taking the proactive approach. We don't want to wait for signs of deterioration due to visitor impact before we take action,' he added.

Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at the National Parks Board, said nature enthusiasts often lament a lack of animal sightings at the reserve, and this could largely be due to congestion and noise from crowds within the reserve.

'It's like having a party in there, and that scares away the animals. So by having the segregation, the serious bird watchers and nature lovers have the opportunity to observe... It's no point for you to be able to go everywhere unrestricted, but you don't get to see or experience.'

Conservation efforts within the reserve will also be beefed up. For example, a Mangrove Arboretum - a living gallery of trees - will be set up. A first in the region, it will be a collection of all 67 species of mangrove plants and trees found in Singapore. It will allow students and researchers to view all species easily within a single location.

In addition, more will be done to protect the reserve's biodiversity and habitats, such as the creation of a freshwater pond to enhance the dragonfly population, and erection of a breakwater to mitigate the impact of waves.

Work on the reserve will be done in phases, starting from the end of the year, and is expected to be completed by mid-2013.

Ms Fu also highlighted a joint study that Singapore is conducting with Johor to develop a cross-border tourist attraction involving the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the three Ramsar sites of Sungai Pulai, Pulau Kukup and Tanjong Piai.

A Ramsar site is a title granted by the Geneva-based Ramsar Convention Bureau to identify wetlands of international importance.

She added that the study has the potential to move beyond eco-tourism to include collaboration on environmental and biodiversity conservation.

NParks to enhance outdoor learning and education facilities at Sungei Buloh Mast er Plan Public Exhibition on display from 19 June to 1 August
NParks media release 19 Jun 10;

The National Parks Board (NParks) unveiled the detailed plans for Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve today. Under the Master Plan, conservation of the wetland's rich biodiversity will be strengthened, while its outdoor learning and education facilities will be enhanced. In time to come, visitors can look forward to new facilities, programmes and activities to cater to all groups, from students, families, nature lovers to researchers.

A public exhibition showcasing the future plans for Sungei Buloh was launched today by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education.

Speaking at the launch, she said, "We are now writing the new pages of history for Sungei Buloh with the new Sungei Buloh Master Plan. This Master Plan is developed with the twin objectives of strengthening biodiversity conservation, and enhancing Sungei Buloh's status as a premier outdoor education, learning and research centre. NParks and the Ministry of Education (MOE) recognise the richness in learning opportunity that nature provides. Both agencies are exploring ways for our students to step out of their classrooms and learn from the environment that we live in. This year, we embarked on a pilot project to raise students' awareness of Singapore's rich flora and fauna under MOE's Programme for Active Learning, or PAL in short.

The Draft Master Plan for Sungei Buloh was first announced by Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong at Sungei Buloh's 15th anniversary in December 2008. Since then, a working group, comprising representatives from Nature Society Singapore (NSS), the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), National University of Singapore (NUS), National Institute of Education (NIE), National Technological University (NTU), PUB, Ministry of Education (MOE) and volunteers, had worked on the detailed plan for Sungei Buloh.

Enhancing Sungei Buloh's role as an outdoor learning classroom

An extension of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, currently known as Kranji Nature Trail, will be redeveloped as a buffer to the wetland reserve, with a focus on nature learning and recreation. Renamed as Sungei Buloh Wetland Park, this 38 hectare park aims to diversify the visitor experience, and also take on the additional visitorship to the wetland reserve.

New facilities in the pipeline for students and family groups include observation hides, coastal boardwalks as well as educational play facilities to support the programmes and activities which will be implemented. Wireless learning trails will also enhance the learning experience.

Educational trails with themes such as 'Life in Mangroves' and 'Conserving Mangroves' will be developed so that visitors can gain a deeper understanding about this rich ecosystem. This helps to promote family bonding out in the field and allows them to get closer to the natural mangrove environment.

Students can also look forward to an additional Visitor Centre at Sungei Buloh Wetland Park. It serves as a second gateway to Sungei Buloh, with experiential trails leading out into the park. This Visitor Centre will have interactive exhibits and interpretative displays to educate the public on mangroves and conservation.

Strengthening conservation of Sungei Buloh

As a site along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory shorebirds and an ASEAN Heritage Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a unique asset for conservation, education and recreation in a land-scarce city state like Singapore. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including over 220 species of birds.

To enhance Sungei Buloh's biodiversity, a new Mangrove Arboretum, the first in the region, will be set up. It will be a national collection of all 67 species of mangrove plants and trees found in Singapore, featuring common types of mangroves such as the Nipah Palm as well as the critically threatened Api-api jambu (Avicennia marina). This is about 80% of the world's total mangrove flora. When established, this arboretum enables students and researchers on mangroves to view all species easily at one location.

Measures will also be taken to regularly maintain the mudflats as shorebirds use these non-vegetated plots to roost and feed. A series of improvement works will also be implemented to further protect Sungei Buloh's biodiversity and habitats, such as erecting a new breakwater to mitigate the impact of waves. Nature areas within the wetland reserve will also be linked up through tree planting to form corridors of complementary habitats. In addition, a new freshwater pond will be created, which helps in enhancing the population of dragonflies.

Existing Visitor Centre to become a Research Hub

Over at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the existing Visitor Centre will be upgraded to become a research and education hub, with amenities such as multi-purpose rooms and workshops to facilitate research into the biodiversity of mangroves. Facilities for meetings and corporate events are also envisioned which can cater to local and regional workshops on biodiversity conservation and corporate retreats.

Sungei Buloh Master Plan recognised at ASLA 2010

The Sungei Buloh Master Plan received an Honour Award in the Analysis and Planning Category at the 2010 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Professional Awards, which was recently concluded in April 2010.

Development works will commence by the end of this year, and are targeted to be completed by mid 2013.

New Coffee table Book on Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

A new coffee table book called 'Wetlands in the City' was also launched at the event. It is a joint collaboration between NParks and Dr Chua Ee Kiam, a prolific nature photographer cum writer, and a long time volunteer with NParks.

Featuring 360 vivid and stunning photos of the wetland reserve, the 176-page publication aims to showcase the wonders of mangroves, captured from various locations in the reserve such as boardwalks, trails, the observatory tower and the Main Bridge. Dr Chua has also documented the key milestones of Sungei Buloh, from its early days as an area of prawn farms and fruit orchards, to today's wetland reserve of rich biodiversity.

'Wetlands in the City' can be purchased at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the Garden Shop and Library Shop at the Singapore Botanic Gardens from today onwards at $48 each. It is also available at major bookstores from mid July onwards.


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All major canals to be reviewed: Yaacob

Minister pledges to make public measures to be taken following Orchard flood probe
Goh Chin Lian Straits Times 20 Jun 10;

A thorough review of all major canals in Singapore will be carried out, following the massive Orchard Road flood last Wednesday.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, who asked the PUB to do the review, also promised yesterday to make public the measures to be taken arising from the current investigation into the flood.

'We are not going to leave any stone unturned,' he told reporters after chairing an annual general meeting of Malay self-help group Mendaki.

'I want to assure Singaporeans that we take this matter very seriously,' he added, a point he made three times during the interview.

His comments follow the PUB's explanation last Thursday and Friday for the cause of the flooding.

It said a culvert had become blocked by debris during a rainstorm and had directed water into one instead of two channels flowing under Orchard Road, in a drainage system known as the Stamford Canal.

Like PUB chief executive officer Khoo Teng Chye last Friday, Dr Yaacob described the debacle as 'totally unacceptable'. But he also defended Singapore's drainage system as sound and comprehensive.

In a full review of the drainage system three years ago after floods in Bukit Timah, hot spots were identified and improvements made.

The drains also 'worked perfectly' during the first of two heavy downpours that fateful morning, he said. The PUB's computation is that they could have taken the load from both downpours, had it not been for the blockage by the debris.

And most importantly, he said, the Marina Barrage, which was built to prevent high-tide waters from rushing in, also worked.

'When the rainfall came, we opened up six gates and the water flowed out. There was no flooding downtown. Had there not been a blockage, it would have been a very good system,' Dr Yaacob said.

The construction of new buildings in the Orchard area was not a contributing factor to the flood, as the PUB would have checked their building plans, he added.

He also gave the PUB due credit for its actions post-flood.

'I think the response by the PUB, by the agencies, has been commendable. We have done our best to help the businesses affected, the people affected.'

Asked about compensating their losses, estimated to be in the millions of dollars, he said: 'At the end of the day, we will continue to assist them as much as possible, and the PUB has gone out of its way to help them clear the water.'

The focus now is on learning from the episode and preventing such floods, said Dr Yaacob.

PUB's director of catchment and waterways, Mr Tan Nguan Sen, told The Sunday Times that following its immediate review of the Stamford Canal, the PUB will install additional gratings in the open drains upstream of the canal within a week, to trap debris during rain. It will install two or more water-level sensors along the canal as well.

Dr Yaacob said the PUB and the National Environment Agency will work with the cleaning contractors. Their contracts will be for five years, up from three, so that they have more reason to invest in new cleaning technology.

The PUB will also identify old buildings that are susceptible to floods but were built after flood alleviation measures were spelt out, he said.

In spelling out these measures, Dr Yaacob also left room for the vagaries of the weather. The two successive downpours were unexpected and not seen before, he said.

The key is to be alert - such as doing predictive modelling so that people on the ground can be warned ahead of time - and to improve along the way.

'Every new storm which is unique, that we have not seen, will throw up new challenges,' he said.

'These are the realities of living in a tropical climate.'

Only one underpass affected
Straits Times 20 Jun 10;

One end of the underpass links to Lucky Plaza, but luck was not on its side during the Orchard flood on Wednesday last week.

Of the three pedestrian underpasses in the Orchard-Scotts area, it was the only one that flooded.

The other two underpasses, between Tangs and Ion Orchard, and from Wheelock Place to Shaw House, were unaffected.

The 50m-long passageway linking Lucky Plaza and Ngee Ann City was built by the developers of Ngee Ann City in 1993.

A spokesman for PUB, the national water agency, attributed the flooding to the design of Lucky Plaza: 'As the building was built before 1984, it did not meet the PUB guideline that states that the entrances be 1m above the highest-known flood level.'

The entrance to the underpass at Ngee Ann City meets the guideline. PUB has been talking to the owners of Lucky Plaza on ways to upgrade the building to deal with any flooding. One possible weapon is a feature called a floodgate. When activated, a metal barrier serves to impede the flow of water.

A floodgate was used to stop the water in the underpass from entering Ngee Ann City.

'The floodgate at the underpass to Lucky Plaza was activated when the water level rose to 20mm on Wednesday morning,' said Ngee Ann Property Management deputy complex manager Chan Pei Chun.

Ngee Ann City first made sure nobody was using the underpass as the floodgate would prevent people from entering the building. The staircase leading to the underpass from the mall was also cordoned off.

The National Environment Agency said the cleanup in the underpass involved a team of five workers. The work started at about 8pm when most of the water had been pumped out. It was completed by 10pm.

The other two Orchard-Scotts underpasses, which follow the PUB guidelines, also have floodgates.

Another mall, Wisma Atria, also activated a floodgate located outside its Gap store. The mall has a

water-monitoring system in the canals under the road along the mall. The barrier is put up when sensors detect that the water level is high.

The Orchard MRT station was also kept dry. An SMRT spokesman said stations are designed in accordance with the flood-protection guidelines set by PUB.

Measures include building entrances at least 1m above flood levels. At Orchard MRT station, there is also a flight of stairs leading up from the Orchard sidewalk before one enters the station.

Sumita Sreedharan

Government to review canals across Singapore as part of efforts to prevent floods
Jeremy Koh Channel NewsAsia 19 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE : Following Wednesday's Orchard Road floods, the government will be reviewing all canals across Singapore to prevent a recurrence of the floods.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said this on Saturday on the sidelines of a community event.

He added that it is a matter the government is taking "very seriously".

Dr Yaacob said the government will be reviewing all canals in Singapore to see what more can be done.

It will look at ways to improve maintenance.

For example, the cleaning contracts for canals will be extended from three to five years so that contractors can invest in new technologies to clean the canals.

"Every event is a new learning experience for us. This rainfall was totally unexpected, I can be very honest about it. If you look at rainfall patterns, we've never seen such a pattern," said Dr Yaacob.

"Having said that, it means there are new things happening, so the approach we should be taking is to learn from this, improve upon it, and assure Singaporeans that we'll do our best to prevent this as much as possible," he added.

"The Marina Barrage works because when the rainfall came, we opened up six gates and the water flowed out and there was no flooding downtown. So had there not been a blockage, it'll be a very good system as far as we're concerned," he said.

Dr Yaacob said early investigations showed that both sections of the Stamford Canal in Orchard Road could handle the storm surge, if not for the blockage in one of them.

So this is one area that agencies like PUB and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be looking into to prevent a future occurrence.

"The ministries responsible will have to take it up. On my part, PUB and NEA will do their part to improve this, (and) if we have to work with NParks, we'll work with NParks. The PUB will be going around, looking at which buildings are susceptible to such rainfall and see what we can do with them," said Dr Yaacob.

The minister also said the response by PUB and other agencies has been commendable, as they did their best to help the businesses and people affected.

"The PUB will be going around, looking at which buildings are susceptible to such rainfall and see what we can do with them," said dr Yaacob.

Asked about compensation for the damage, Dr Yaacob said the government will assist those affected as much as possible.

He also said that new buildings and construction in the area are not a contributing factor to the floods, contrary to what some believe. - CNA /ls

Business resumes at Delfi Orchard
Jamie Ee Wen Wei Straits Times 20 Jun 10;

The tenants at Delfi Orchard are now breathing easier. It was business as usual yesterday when The Sunday Times visited the building whose water pumps were damaged in last Wednesday's flood in Orchard.

Most of the shops were opened and tenants said they had a continuous supply of water, dousing fears that they would face a shortage.

Last Thursday, the building's management had informed tenants and residents that Delfi would 'run out of water very soon' because of the damage to the water pumps. Many businesses were forced to close the shutters that day as the air-conditioning system in the building had shut down.

But the smiles were back yesterday.

The air-con has been working since last Friday. An employee at Rocky Master cafe, who declined to be named, said it had 20 buckets of potable water from national water agency PUB, but did not have to use them. 'We anticipated a shortage in water but nothing like that happened,' she said.

Since last Thursday, PUB had deployed a high-pressure booster pump and officers to channel water into the building.

Yesterday, the carpark at basement level three was closed for cleaning. But the flood water, which was at ankle level last Friday, had been drained out.

The carpark at basement levels one and two was open. The building's staff said they were awaiting instructions from the management on when the carpark at basement level three would reopen. Tenants said this hiccup would not affect their business.

Ms Agnes Shum, who owns a fashion boutique, said: 'The building's management and the authorities have been very efficient and fast to react to the situation.'


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Catfish getting national `recognition` in Indonesia as food for all

Andi Abdussalam Antara 19 Jun 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - At least two tons of catfish were unloaded at the east parking lot of the Jakarta Senayan Sports Stadium this weekend, not to feed football match spectators but to get `recognition` as one of the country`s food resilience commodities.

Catfish, locally called `lele` is a very popular dish served in various food stalls beginning from roadside food tents to luxury restaurants.

Affordable by the lower segment of society, the most popular type of this fish dish is "pecel lele," or fried lele served with chilli sauce and vegetables.

As if coming out of the blue, people flocked to the Senayan parking lot on Saturday where different kinds of lele were displayed or served like boiled and fried lele shredded meat and pecel lele.

People came to the parking lot as it was the venue of a "Grand Catfish Festival 2010". No less than First Lady Ani Yudhoyono also attended the festivity.

When she inaugurated the event, she declared catfish as one of the country`s food resilience commodities, calling on people to eat the protein-rich fish and encourage the cultivation of the fresh water fish.

"I have one grandchild and I want to teach her to eat lele when she has reached the age of five years," she said.

At the inauguration of the "Grand Catfish Festival 2010," the First Lady said the food resilience program should not be measured from carbohydrate content only but also from the availability of protein content, and catfish was rich in protein.

Catfish, according to Ani Yudhoyono, not only contained 17 percent protein but was also low in cholesterol, had a delicious flavor. "Catfish prices are low making it affordable by common people. Lele or catfish is one of the country`s food resilience commodities," Ani said.

To enliven the catfish festival, a total of 37 stalls of `pecel lele joined forces to sell one ton of "pecel lele" worth Rp6.000 per package. Some 600 kilogram (kg) of live catfish was put up for sale directly to the public at the price of Rp7.000 per kg.

"About 400 kg of catfish will be used for cooking demonstrations that will be followed by 150 participants from the Greater Jakarta area," Soen`an Hadi Purnomo of the Maritime and Fisheries Affairs (KKP) said.

In order to meet the need for catfish at the festival, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries had supplied two tons of catfish to be sold to the public at a low price.

Soen`an Hadi Purnomo, who is head of Data Center for Statistics and Information (Pusdatin) of KKP, said the two tons of catfish were donated by the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

"Some of the catfish will be sold live, some after being cooked, and some parts for the purposes of cooking demos," he said.

According to First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, catfish-related exhibitions will also feature the festival which is held from June 19 to 20 at the Parking Lot of the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Senayan.

The public could get various kinds of information ranging from technical catfish cultivation, feed, until processed catfish.

Another interesting thing was the holding of special business meeting to bring together catfish farmers and entrepreneurs.

Some stakeholders such as PT Alang-alang from Boyolali, abon (boiled and fried shredded meat) catfish producers, "Cat Fish Club", Lele Lela, Department of Marine Fisheries in Yogyakarta and Central Java, to the catfish feed companies took part in the festival.

Ani said cultivating catfish ponds did not require extensive land. After all, catfish has strong resistance against moody water making its cultivation much easier and offering opportunities that could improve the people`s welfare.

For the purpose, Ani urged the Civil Servant Wives Organization (PKK) in the regions throughout the country to encourage backyard cultivation of catfish.

"Raise catfish in the yards for both own consumption and for sale. So this catfish can make families healthy and prosperous," she said.

Even in Jakarta which has a dense population and limited land, catfish farming can be run, Ani said.

At the event, organized by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ani also called on the entire community to change their outlook that often saw catfish as an unhealthy food product.

Moreover, Ani also urged parents to teach their children to eat fish which had high protein in an effort to improve the quality of human resources.

The catfish festival is intended to improve the image of cultured fish which is often considered as not clear but a clean fish which is safe and healthy for consumption and could improve the intelligence and welfare of the people.
The catfish festival includes such activities as business meetings which bring together catfish entrepreneurs. It also presents cooking competitions for various kinds of catfish menus.

Exhibitions on various kinds of processed catfish food products ranging from catfish abon (shredded meat), catfish crisp, pecel lele to catfish soup.

National production of catfish in 2008 reached 114,371 tons, and in 2009 it increased nearly 75 percent to around 200 thousand tons.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has set itself a target of an increase catfish production by 450 percent to 900 thousand tonnes in 2014.

Catfish is a popular fish species in communities that has a significant growth of approximately 32 percent per annum during the period 2005-2009.

The national consumption of catfish in 2009 only reached 30.17 kg per capita per year, still below the recommended 31.40 kg per capita per year.

The Grand Catfish Festival aims to encourage the development of the catfish industry in Indonesia, particularly in the marketing aspect and encourage the development of catfish consumption in the community.(*)


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Rescued elephant in Malaysia dies after two weeks

The Star 19 Jun 10;

KOTA KINABALU: An endangered Borneo pygmy elephant lost its struggle for survival after being rescued two weeks ago.

The orphaned two-year-old female calf died after it suffered from severe internal bleeding at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here on Wednesday.

“She had perforated ulcers in the intestines. It was a tough fight for survival,” Wildlife De­­partment chief senior field veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said yes­terday.

On June 4, the wildlife rescue unit saved the highly dehydrated pygmy elephant from a moat at an oil palm plantation in Lahad Datu after the public alerted them to the animal in distress.

The calf, which had apparently been left abandoned for a few days before it was rescued, was brought to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here, but failed to respond to treatment.

It was among two young elephants rescued by wildlife personnel in the last four weeks.

In mid-May, wildlife personnel rescued a six-month-old female calf from Ladang Felcra/KTS, also in the Lahad Datu district.

Dr Nathan said the other rescued calf, which the department personnel had named Huminidon, was recovering well.

“`It is gaining weight,” he added.

Malaysia's rescued baby pygmy elephant dies
Yahoo News 20 Jun 10;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – An endangered pygmy elephant calf that was rescued on Borneo island early this month has died, a minister said Sunday.

Masidi Manjun, eastern Sabah-state tourism, culture and environment minister said the two-year-old female calf died from severe internal bleeding.

On June 4, the wildlife rescue unit saved the highly dehydrated pygmy elephant from a moat at an oil palm estate. She was one of two calves found starving in Sabah.

"The lesson we learn from this tragedy is that the best place for the animal to survive is in its natural habitat and not in human captivation," Masidi said.

Pygmy elephants on Borneo form a sub-species of the Asian elephant. The creatures have a rounded appearance and are smaller than their mainland cousins.

Authorities say there are around 1,500-2,000 left on Borneo island.

Wildlife activists have warned that Borneo Pygmy elephants are fast losing their natural habitat to deforestation and human encroachment.


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APEC agrees to promote nuclear power: reports

Yahoo News 19 Jun 10;

TOKYO (AFP) – Asia-Pacific ministers and officials agreed Saturday to promote renewable sources and nuclear power in a bid to maintain energy security and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the region.

Japan hosted the one-day energy meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), in Fukui, ahead of a summit scheduled for November in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo.

In a statement adopted at the meeting, the forum agreed that the deployment of renewable energy, nuclear energy and power generation involving carbon capture and storage technology should be promoted, Kyodo News reported.

As for new nuclear power plant construction, the statement said "solid financial frameworks as well as cooperation among member economies and with relevant multilateral organisations" could be of help, Kyodo said.

It was the first time APEC had clearly stipulated the promotion of building new nuclear power plants, Kyodo said, quoting Japanese government officials.

Japan has been eager to promote nuclear power as a largely carbon-free energy source, although it has often been plagued by safety concerns and problems related to radioactive waste disposal.

During the meeting, US Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman touched on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a US spokeswoman said.


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More than a million evacuated in China over flood threat

Yahoo News 19 Jun 10;

BEIJING (AFP) – More than a million people living along rivers in China's south have been evacuated with water rising to dangerous levels, state media said Saturday, as torrential rains left at least 88 dead.

The government said more than 1.4 million residents living on river banks and in low-lying areas had had to move, according to the official China Daily.

Zhang Zhitong, deputy director of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, said China's second-largest waterway, the Pearl River, which crosses the south, had breached warning marks on Thursday.

Torrential and virtually unrelenting rain has battered large swathes of China's south since Sunday, triggering devastating floods and landslides that have killed 88 people.

The official Xinhua news agency reported that, in the southeastern province of Fujian alone, 31 people had died in rain-triggered landslides.

Photos on China News Service showed people in Fujian's Gutian county wearing lifejackets and wading deep in water through flooded streets.

State television broadcast images of a bridge in another Fujian town collapsing as water raged underneath it, and in neighbouring Guangdong province, houses were shown almost entirely submerged.

Meanwhile, diggers in nearby Jiangxi were seen clearing roads of huge rocks caused by landslides and workers hung off poles, working at restoring electricity for residents.

Rescue workers in another town in Jiangxi were seen throwing ropes across a raging river to help people cross to the other side, as they also fetched children stuck in a kindergarten and put them in a small boat.

According to the latest statement from the nation's civil affairs ministry, 48 people were still missing in eight provinces and regions in the south and the cost of the disaster had now reached 11 billion yuan (1.6 billion dollars).

A total of 155,000 houses had been damaged -- almost half of which had collapsed -- and more than 500,000 hectares of crops had been affected, the ministry said.

Authorities have raised the level of their emergency response as rescue and flood-prevention work continues, it added.

The National Meteorological Centre warned on Saturday of more rainstorms to come, a day after it issued an orange storm alert -- just one level lower than the nation's most serious red alert.

"There will be heavy rain over the next three days, and flood-control work will face enormous challenges," it said in a statement, adding that some of the rainfall in the south was up to three times greater than normal years.


Read more!

Can painting a mountain restore a glacier?

Dan Collyns BBC News 17 Jun 10;

Slowly but surely an extinct glacier in a remote corner of the Peruvian Andes is being returned to its former colour, not by falling snow or regenerated ice sheets, but by whitewash.

It is the first experimental step in an innovative plan to recuperate Peru's disappearing Andean glaciers.

But there is debate between those who dismiss the idea as just plain daft and those who think it could be a simple but brilliant solution, or at least one which should be put to the test.

The World Bank clearly believes the idea - the brainchild of 55-year-old Peruvian inventor, Eduardo Gold - has merit as it was one of the 26 winners from around 1,700 submissions in the "100 Ideas to Save the Planet" competition at the end of 2009.

Mr Gold, who has no scientific qualifications but has studiously read up on glaciology, is enthused that the time has come to put his theory into practice.

Although he is yet to receive the $200,000 (£135,000) awarded by the World Bank, his pilot project is already underway on the Chalon Sombrero peak, 4,756 metres above sea level, in an area some 100km west of the regional capital of Ayacucho.

The area has long been denuded of its snowy, white peaks.

Four men from Licapa, the village which lies further down the valley, don boiler suits and mix the paint from three simple and environmentally-friendly ingredients: lime, industrial egg white and water.

The mixture which has been used since Peru's colonial times.

There are no paint brushes, the workers use jugs to splash the whitewash onto the loose rocks around the summit.

It is a laborious process but they have whitewashed two hectares in two weeks.

They plan is to paint the whole summit, then in due course, two other peaks totalling overall some 70 hectares.
'Cold generates cold'

Mr Gold may not be a scientist but his idea is based on the simple scientific principle that when sunlight is reflected off a white or light-coloured surface, solar energy passes back through the atmosphere and out into space, rather than warming the Earth's surface.

The US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, has endorsed a similar idea using white roofs in the United States - possibly more pragmatic than painting mountains.

Changing the albedo (a measure of how strongly an object reflects light) of the rock surface, would bring about a cooling of the peak's surface, says Mr Gold, which in turn would generate a cold micro-climate around the peak.

"Cold generates more cold, just as heat generates more heat," says Mr Gold.

"I am hopeful that we could re-grow a glacier here because we would be recreating all the climatic conditions necessary for a glacier to form."

The 900-strong population of Licapa, the village which depends on Chalon Sombrero for its water supply, did not think twice about accepting Mr Gold's proposal and the funding it would bring.

"When I was around 15-20 years old, Chalon Sombrero was a big glacier, all white, then little by little it started to melt," says 65-year-old Pablo Parco, who is one of the project's supporters.

"Forty years on and the river's never been lower, the nights are very cold and the days are unbearably hot. It wasn't like this when I was growing up... it was always bearable.

"So we're happy to see this project to paint the mountain. I can tell you this morning there was snow on the ground, something we rarely see.

"Up here we live from our animals, up here there's no work, there's no crops, when there's less water, there's less pasture and that means less livestock."
Finding solutions

In Peru, home to more than 70% of the world's tropical glaciers, global warming has already melted away 22% of them in the last 30 years, according to a World Bank report of 2009.

The remaining glaciers could disappear in 20 years if measures are not taken to mitigate climate change, it adds.

The impact would go way beyond Andean communities, with dramatic consequences for the water supply on Peru's populous coast and hydroelectric power.

In May, Peru's environment minister, Antonio Brack, said Peru would need $400m a year to mitigate climate change.

He is one of the sceptics who is not prepared to give Mr Gold's idea the benefit of the doubt.

"I think there are much more interesting projects which would have more impact in mitigating climate change and that's where this money should be invested," he told the BBC.

But the ministry's climate change chief, Eduardo Durand has said: "Every innovative idea has the right to be heard" and has given the pilot project the green light.

"On a local scale, it might have an impact, it might change a trend, improve things a little," says Thomas Condom, a glaciologist and hydrologist working at the French Institute for Research and Development, which has been monitoring tropical glaciers in the Andes for the past 15 years.

"But the impact is bound to remain local, it is not going to reverse or stop a trend on the scale of a whole region. It would be very difficult to do something similar on a very big scale in the Andes."

A report by the UK's Royal Society in 2009 said the technology of "geo-engineering" projects was still "barely formed" and governments should continue to focus on cutting carbon emissions.

But if Mr Gold's pilot project proves successful in pushing down the temperature, he envisages expanding it to Peru's most threatened glacial regions on a large scale.

"I'd rather try and fail to find a solution than start working out how we are going to survive without the glaciers, as if the situation was irreversible," he says.


Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 19 Jun 10


Oil spill aftermath at Tanah Merah: signs of oil?
from wild shores of singapore and signs of life?

"Pulau Ubin, Singapore's Nature Reserve"
from wild shores of singapore

Wet Day At Cyrene Reef
from colourful clouds and Patch Reef Hopping

More bleaching at Terumbu Semakau
from wonderful creation

Eye movements of the Brown-throated Sunbird
from Bird Ecology Study Group

A Pay Model for Ecosystems
from Green NYT blog


Read more!

Orchard Road floods: 'Not acceptable'

PUB chief says it was caught off guard, pledges action to prevent recurrence
Grace Chua Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

THE national water agency, PUB, said yesterday that it was caught off guard by Wednesday's Orchard Road floods, and that the resulting impact on people, traffic and business was 'not acceptable'.

In his first comments since the flash flood, which is estimated to have caused millions in losses and damage, PUB CEO Khoo Teng Chye admitted: 'We were, frankly, a little bit caught off guard by what happened in Stamford Canal.'

He said the agency was monitoring the Bukit Timah area, a known flood hot spot, during Wednesday's heavy downpour, and did not realise there was a problem downtown.

Mr Khoo added that PUB takes a 'very serious' view of the incident.

And he said: 'We would like to assure everyone that we are doing our utmost to review what has happened and we will take the necessary measures to prevent a recurrence.'

Among those measures is designating Orchard Road as a flood hot spot, which means it will be monitored closely during heavy rain.

His comments came as the Orchard Road Business Association and Liat Towers management called for a meeting with PUB to help prevent a similar incident in future, and as Liat Towers surveyed its insurance options.

Asked if there would be compensation for retailers, the PUB's 3P (Public, Private, People) Network director Yap Kheng Guan had said on Thursday that the first priority was to help them get back on their feet.

Insurers, meanwhile, said they would settle all claims before deciding on their next course of action.

General Insurance Association of Singapore president Derek Teo said insurers may have the option of taking PUB or others to court for negligence and seeking reimbursement.

But he said: 'They can only do so if they can prove beyond a doubt that PUB or the contractor were negligent in their duties.'

At yesterday's press conference, PUB also responded to questions about whether a lack of maintenance added to the problem on Wednesday.

The flooding on Orchard Road occurred after a culvert there became blocked by debris during the rainstorm.

The culvert, near Orchard Parade Hotel, was meant to have allowed water to drain into two parallel channels flowing under Orchard Road.

But because it was partly blocked, water was directed mainly to just one of the channels, overwhelming it and causing the flooding.

Yesterday, PUB said the culvert was last cleaned three months ago, but that this was not an issue.

Mr Khoo explained: 'Even if those drains were perfectly cleaned and perfectly maintained, there was a huge amount of water that washed stuff in from catchment areas.'

About 101 mm of rain fell in just three hours on Wednesday, an amount equivalent to about 60 Olympic swimming pools.

Mr Khoo added that over the last 30 years, the agency has spent $2 billion on upgrading drainage infrastructure, including building the Marina Barrage to prevent high-tide waters from rushing in.

It spends $150m a year on drainage improvement works, and $23m a year on maintaining around 7,000km of drains and canals, a figure that has doubled since 2007.

These measures have cut flood-prone areas from more than 3,000ha in the 1970s to 66ha today.

Still, some suggested that more could be done.

Upper Thomson resident C.Y. Liew, 61, said he has observed street cleaners sweeping leaves and other litter into drains, or using leaf-blowers, which redistribute leaves and debris instead of gathering them for easy cleaning.

'It's a bit of a circus,' the director of an arts management company said.

In response, PUB said it will add more gratings to drains to trap leaves and carry out maintenance inspections every month, instead of every three months.

It will also coordinate cleaning with the National Environment Agency, which is in charge of cleaning public roads and pavements, except in housing estates, where the task falls to town councils.

For its part, the NEA said leaves and litter that are swept up from roads and pavements must be removed right away and incinerated.

The environment agency said it checked whether leaves and litter swept up are left behind, or swept into drains, and found that this was uncommon.

Contractors can be penalised if their workers do this, it added.

The PUB's cleaning contractor, Lian Shing Construction, which is in charge of cleaning drains in the central catchment district, including Orchard Road, could not be contacted yesterday.

Meanwhile, civil engineers contacted suggested other ways of preventing flooding or lessening its effects.

One, who did not want to be named, suggested that water could slow as it moved from a narrower culvert into a wider canal, depositing its payload of debris there. Such trouble spots, he said, could be monitored more often.

Professor Chiew Yee Meng, head of the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering division at NTU's engineering school, pointed out that buildings in Taipei, which faces a flooding problem every year during typhoon season, are built with this in mind.

They typically have 'crests' at ground level, to prevent floodwater from running into basements. That means people have to climb a few stairs before they can walk down into a building.

The PUB's Mr Khoo said newer buildings had to have humps at basement-carpark entrances to block water, and that the agency had been working with older buildings 'over the years' on such measures.

Experts suggest using green strategies to prevent floods
Satish Cheney, Zhi Ying Lim Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE : Experts that MediaCorp spoke to on Friday said Singapore has good facilities to prevent flooding, but they suggested taking a holistic approach such as having more green buildings.

The rooftops of buildings and the space between buildings are some areas that can be used to help prevent floods and save water, said Dr Ole Larsen from the Dansk Hydraulisk Institut-Nanyang Technological University Research Centre and Education Hub.

Dr Larsen, Centre Director, DHI-NTU Research Centre and Education Hub, said: "When it rains heavily, it might be an advantage to store some of the water on the rooftops - for instance in a roof garden, etc. That requires, of course, that the buildings are constructed appropriately.

"The shopping centre could capture the water in a tank and basically have a separate piping system for flushing toilets."

Experts said cities like Singapore rely heavily on storm water systems to prevent floods. They noted that Singapore has done well in this aspect, but there is room for improvement.

As the effects of climate change could spell more unpredictable weather, experts said countries like Singapore need to brace for more freak storms.

Dr Michael Butts, head of Innovation, Dansk Hydraulisk Institut, said the most important consideration for Singapore is the rising sea level. "We are in a low-lying country and an island and if the sea level rises a metre or so, it's going to have a dramatic affect.

"There will be an increase in rainfall - exactly how they will occur, we are not sure. It could be there will be more tropical storms, more intense rainfall," he added.

The effort to turn existing buildings into green structures is costly for owners. One way to get around this is to incorporate green strategies into future building plans.

- CNA/al

Flood damage hits building's water supply
Delfi Orchard's water pumps are damaged, limiting fresh supplies
Hoe Pei Shan Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

THE Orchard Road flood has claimed another victim: the Delfi Orchard building in Orchard Road.

Wednesday's massive flood damaged the building's water pumps, resulting in the management of the 13-storey shopping-cum-apartment complex limiting water usage.

A decreasing water supply is just one of the many problems tenants and residents have had to face over the past few days.

The flood, which caused extensive damage to businesses at Liat Towers and Lucky Plaza, resulted in water filling the building's entire basement three level, which housed the water pumps.

Telephone service was also disrupted on Wednesday, followed by the air-conditioning system shutting down on Thursday morning, according to tenants.

Music school Magic Fiddler was forced to cancel all Thursday classes.

On Thursday afternoon, the building management announced that the property's water pumps had been hit by the flooding. The management distributed notices informing tenants and residents that the building 'will run out of water very soon'.

The news has occupants of the building - housing mostly speciality shops and fashion boutiques - worried.

Said one of Magic Fiddler's music teachers, who declined to be named: 'It's been very inconvenient, not only affecting our business but also our daily routines.

'We're so afraid of using up the water supply that we run to the next building when we have to use the toilet.'

PUB, the national water agency, has been roped in since Thursday to ensure a continuous supply of potable water but occupants were told to use it sparingly.

It has deployed a high-pressure booster pump and officers to channel water into the building.

A PUB spokesman confirmed that the basement's electric pump, which brings potable water up to the water tank on the top floor, where it is then distributed to the rest of the building, had been damaged in Wednesday's flooding incident.

As such, the water tank on the roof cannot be replenished, thereby decreasing the water supply.

Building experts The Straits Times spoke to suspect that the basement pumps may have been short-circuited by the flood water, which was still ankle-deep when The Straits Times visited yesterday morning.

Delfi Orchard's management declined to comment on how long it would take to replace the water pumps and how many tenants and residents had been affected.

Amid speculation that the water shortage has affected the coolants and hence the air-conditioning, another tenant, jeweller Vincent Ng complained: 'I had to close early on Thursday because my customers would not want to walk around in a stuffy store.'

One of the building's residents, Mr John Ting, former president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, said that repairs will probably have to be put off until all the water has been cleared from basement three.

But he said the disruption was unlikely to trouble him much: 'We have just got to be more cautious in water usage and live with some inconveniences for a while - having shorter showers instead of full baths.'

Lucky Plaza shops not so lucky with insurance
Ng Kai Ling, Alexis Cai & Lim Wei Chean Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

OPERATORS of most of the waterlogged shops at Lucky Plaza will be digging into their own pockets to pay for the damage caused by Wednesday's flash flood.

This is because they are either not covered for flood damage or because they are not insured in the first place.

Others who do have insurance coverage are choosing not to make claims for fear of increased premiums.

Several shop owners who spoke to The Straits Times said getting insurance policies was not worth it, as premiums are high and their stores are small.

An electronics store owner who wished to be known only as Mr Lee had not bought insurance as he did not expect his shop to get hit by floods so badly.

He claims his losses could go up to $30,000 including the value of the damaged goods and the cost of replacing shelves and flooring.

'I will try to find a way to foot the bill but if I really cannot find the money, I may have to close the shop,' said the 35-year-old.

But even for those with insurance policies, coverage is not so cut and dry.

Mr Derek Teo, president of the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA), said for businesses to get full protection against the type of damage wrought by Wednesday's unexpected deluge, they need to have bought more than one type of insurance.

For instance, fire insurance will usually come with an option for extraneous perils, which covers events such as floods and other natural disasters.

To cover for damage of goods and loss of business income, business owners need to have policies covering 'all risks' and 'loss of profits', said insurers.

However, such policies do not come cheap.

Mr Sunny Ng, who runs All Watches at the mall, pays more than $10,000 a year for a package policy that includes coverage for the contents of his shop, loss of any cash from the shop, and fire and flood damage.

The coverage will come in handy for the luxury watch dealer as he is looking at replacing the parquet flooring in the 1,300 sq ft basement unit.

He has already submitted a claim and is waiting for a reply from his insurer.

But Mr Elton Chow is footing the $1,000 bill to replace the carpet in his shop, despite being insured for up to $1.2 million.

'We will just forget about it and pay because we don't want our premiums to go up,' said Mr Chow, who runs a tailoring shop. He currently pays $2,000 a year in insurance premiums.

Insurance experts say premiums can increase if the loss ratio in a location goes up. Loss ratio is the ratio of the annual claims paid by an insurance company to the premiums received.

They said that, in the case of Lucky Plaza, the loss ratio is relatively higher than in other places because of floods there in recent years, the last major one being in November 2007.

For one shop owner, he cannot claim insurance even if he tried.

Mr Albert Lee, who runs a shoe shop in the basement of the mall, was told yesterday by his insurance agent that he will not be able to make a claim for his estimated $7,000 to $8,000 damage.

'My current insurance doesn't cover flood damage. I claimed from my previous insurer for water damage three times. After that, my agent said the insurer did not want to cover floods any more so I bought another plan which does not cover water damage,' said the 63-year-old in Mandarin.

He added that Wednesday's flood was a wake-up call and he will be looking at changing his policy again.

A spokesman for insurance group AXA said certain areas carry a higher risk, and it may decline coverage for flood damage in certain cases.

NTUC Income's senior vice-president and general manager for general insurance Pui Phusangmook said his company will provide cover for flood-related damage for properties in low-lying or flood-prone areas.

But, he said, it may impose deductibles or conditions on individual policies, such as being able to claim for damages only above a certain amount.

GIA's Mr Teo said insurance companies will generally not refuse coverage for floods even in flood-prone areas.

'If he (Mr Lee) hunts around, he should be able to find an insurance company willing to insure him against floods. But it is a matter of whether the owner is willing to pay more or not,' he said.

PUB will require Orchard Road buildings to be flood-proofed
Older buildings that do not have a raised platform to stop floodwater were worst hit in Wednesday's deluge
Uma Shankari Business Times 19 Jun 10;

WATER agency PUB will make it mandatory for buildings in the Orchard Road area to be flood-proofed to stop rainwater from flowing into their basements.

The move comes after heavy rain on Wednesday caused a flash flood around the junction of Orchard and Scotts roads. Water poured into many buildings and stores, but older buildings that do not have a raised platform to stop floodwater - such as Lucky Plaza, Liat Towers, Tong Building and Delfi Orchard - were worst hit.

PUB, which is responsible for Singapore's drainage system, deployed 10 tankers and seven pumps to suck out floodwater from the four buildings on Wednesday.

PUB chief executive Khoo Teng Chye said newer buildings and MRT stations, for example, were not as badly affected because regulations required them to be flood-resistant when they were built. A flight of stairs leading up, for example, can prevent rainwater from overflowing into MRT stations underground.

Older buildings, which went up before current regulations came into effect, do not have the same preventive features. PUB is talking to building owners to see how they can take steps to prevent a recurrence of Wednesday's flooding, Mr Khoo said.

PUB takes a serious view of the Orchard Road flooding, he said: 'The impact and disruption to people, traffic and business are not acceptable. We would like to assure everyone that we are doing our utmost to review what happened and take the necessary measures to minimise the chances of recurrence.'

Wednesday's flood came about as 100mm of rain fell in two hours between 9am and 11am.

A huge amount of water - equivalent to 60 Olympic-size pools - carried vegetation and other debris which then partly blocked an enclosed drain, or culvert, across Orchard Road. This resulted in rainwater overflowing into Stamford Canal under Orchard Road and Orchard Road itself.

PUB said on Thursday it will install more litter traps in the open sections of drains from the Singapore Botanic Gardens all the way down to Tanglin to trap debris carried into the drains during a downpour. More water level sensors will also be installed along Stamford Canal for closer monitoring of unusual water levels.

Mr Khoo stressed that the capacity of Stamford Canal is adequate.

The last major flood at the intersection of Orchard and Scotts roads was in 1984, so the area was not classified as a 'hot spot'. PUB will now consider Orchard Road a 'hot spot' and deploy contractors to the area once the water level in Stamford Canal hits 50 per cent.

PUB has spent about $2 billion over the past 30 years to upgrade drainage systems across the island and reduce flood-prone land from 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to 66 ha now.

It plans to spend another $150 million a year for the next five years to continue to improve upgrading works. It has also doubled its maintenance expenditure to $23 million.

PUB chief executive says water agency caught off guard in Orchard Rd flood
Claire Huang Channel NewsAsia 18 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE : The Chief Executive of Singapore's national water agency, PUB, has acknowledged that his agency was caught off guard by the Orchard Road flood on Wednesday.

Khoo Teng Chye told a media conference on Friday that PUB takes a "serious view" of the incident.

During the downpour on June 16, one of the hotspots PUB was monitoring closely was the Bukit Timah area, which experienced massive flooding in November last year.

But PUB did not realise there were problems at Stamford Canal.

A culvert that was heavily blocked by debris then triggered the flooding of Orchard Road.

It has now declared the area a new flood hotspot.

PUB said it takes a serious view of the floods, especially in the Orchard Road area.

"The impact on people, businesses and traffic is something that we view as not acceptable. We've done our initial investigations; it was due to a combination of very unusually intense double-peaked rainstorms that were aggravated by the flow of debris that partially obstructed the culvert," said Khoo.

Asked if a lack of maintenance could have contributed to the clogged drains, Khoo believes there was a combination of factors.

"Even if we have very well-maintained drains... given the amount of rain that fell on that day - as I said, it's 60 Olympic-sized pools - I think it would have washed down into the culverts huge amounts of debris," said Khoo.

PUB said over the last 30 years, it has invested S$2 billion to upgrade Singapore's drainage infrastructure. This has helped to reduce the country's flood-prone areas from 3,200 hectares to some 66 hectares currently.

It added that it will invest S$150 million each year for the next five years on upgrading works.

Khoo said: "On the maintenance front, we've doubled our expenditure in the last three years to S$23 million a year. We put our contractors on a performance-based system. We extended their contract from three years to five years, encouraging them to invest in new technology.

"In fact, everyday, we have about 400 staff from the contractors and from PUB making sure that all our drains are well-maintained."

PUB said it will continue to investigate and improve the current system to prevent similar flooding. And it's doing its best to review what had happened. - CNA /ls

PUB: We were caught off-guard
CEO says measures will be taken to prevent recurrence
Leong Wee Keat Today Online 19 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE - A day after PUB blamed a blocked drain for the Orchard Road flood, its chief executive admitted on Friday that the national water agency was "caught off-guard" by what happened at Stamford Canal, the main drainage artery in the area.

When the downpour began on Wednesday morning, PUB staff kept a close watch on Bukit Timah, given the major flood that occurred there last November, said Mr Khoo Teng Chye. They subsequently decided to lift the flood gates to prevent that part of Bukit Timah from being flooded - not realising that Stamford Canal was in trouble.

"Of course, what they did not realise was that the Stamford Canal was also having some problems, because we were, frankly, a little bit caught off-guard by what happened at Stamford Canal. But, of course, now that becomes a new hot spot," Mr Khoo told a press conference, the national water agency's third in as many days.

But Mr Khoo stopped short of issuing an apology on behalf of PUB over the unexpected flash flood in Singapore's iconic shopping belt, which has led to millions of dollars in losses for affected businesses, especially near the junction of Scotts Road/Orchard Road.

He said: "We are responsible for the drainage system so it's our job to make sure that the drainage system functions well.

"When there are problems like these, I think we have the responsibility to make sure that we try and manage it, learn from it and take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence."

According to Mr Khoo, water equivalent to 60 Olympic-size pools carried vegetation and other debris down the Stamford Canal on Wednesday morning, partially obstructing an underground drain across Orchard Road. This led to rainwater being diverted into another drain and led to almost 20 Olympic-size pools of water overflowing onto the area.

Trotting out a series of figures on Friday, Mr Khoo assured the public that a comprehensive system comprising litter traps, regular inspections and maintenance of drainage system is already in place.

More than $2 billion has been poured into improving drainage infrastructure over the past three decades. PUB will also invest $150 million annually over the next five years on drainage improvement works.

The agency's maintenance expenditure has also been doubled to $23 million. Each day, 360 contractor staff members are deployed island-wide to carry out maintenance of drainage systems and they are audited by PUB.

But since PUB had said that the Stamford Canal was last checked only in March, how sure was it that the debris was brought down by Wednesday's rainwater, and had not been there before the downpour?

Mr Khoo said the canal's catchment area was about 220 hectares - equivalent to the size of Marina Reservoir - and Wednesday's rain brought a huge amount of water into the underground drain.

Pressed again on when the canal was last cleaned of debris, Mr Khoo explained drainage systems are meant to be "self-cleansing" and covered drains are less likely to collect litter. Instead, PUB and its contractors were more worried about silt building up in these drains.

"The last time they went in to check was probably in March. It is not something they need to do on a very regular basis for some of these smaller drains," Mr Khoo added.

PUB will now inspect the canal once a month. It will also be working with older buildings in the area - such as Lucky Plaza and Liat Towers - on flood prevention measures.

Additional flood sensors along Stamford Canal will also be installed. Contractors will be deployed when water levels reach 50 per cent, while the Traffic Police will be alerted when it reaches 75 per cent.

Mr Khoo said one of the difficulties of managing the drain systems is the unpredictable tropical weather.

"Although initial investigations showed that the drainage system capacity is sufficient and this flood resulted from an unusually intense storm .... we will continue to thoroughly investigate and take the necessary measures to prevent a recurrence."

Orchard-type deluge: How prepared?
Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

ASIDE from widespread and prolonged power blackouts during business hours, floods that partially knock out commerce in the central district inevitably cause Singaporeans to ask: How could that have happened? Next, inhabitants who expect a thoroughly engineered city to be free of service disruptions common to overwhelmed conurbations in parts of Asia and South America will feel a blush of embarrassment. They would be justified to an extent. Singapore is renowned for having most urban solutions down to an art. The flash flood on Wednesday morning that was reported widely in the region for its Orchard Road connection shut down businesses in malls known to visitors from all over. Last November, the Bukit Timah-Dunearn area suffered severe flooding which required evacuations. In common with many parts of the world, flooding appears to be more frequent.

Torrential tropical downpours require drainage systems with ample margin to make up for operational lapses caused by damage and blockages. This is to prevent the disruptions that are difficult to stave off once flash floods strike. On Wednesday, the rainfall recorded in three hours was equivalent to 60 per cent of the benchmark volume for all of June. The initial finding of the PUB water agency implicated a single culvert that could not discharge water fast enough. As the culvert was choked with debris carried by the rising waters the discharge into the Stamford Canal was reduced. A spillover was the result.

If a single culvert made inoperative by accumulated rubbish could paralyse Orchard Road traffic and damage merchandise and fixtures in so many shops, a question arises: Is the Orchard area under-served by culverts and associated channels? The PUB surprised many people when it said maintenance checks on the discharge network were done about every three months. We are not experts in the matter, but this looks infrequent for a location on the equatorial belt with known copious rainfall. While Orchard's weak spots are being probed because of the street's economic importance, the PUB could as well undertake a systemic study of the island's entire drainage network. Flooding of mild to moderate intensity happens in different locations every so often.

Underground MRT stations are a worry. They are secured by having entrances set at least 1m above the highest recorded flood levels in those locations. This is safe enough - but who knows what will happen in the event of a record-busting deluge. As global warming is known to be causing changes to climate systems, designing for the unknowable could be wise.

Were there lapses?
Straits Times Forum 19 Jun 10;

ON WEDNESDAY, Orchard Road turned into Orchard Canal. And it was a case of deja vu. I am sure many Singaporeans would have vivid recollections of Bukit Timah Road becoming Bukit Timah River last November.

Commenting on the Bukit Timah flood then, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said it was a 'freak' event that occurs 'once in 50 years' ('Deluge a 'once in 50 years' event'; Nov 21, 2009). However, it has hardly been a year before we have witnessed flooding again on a similar scale.

The PUB's revelation that a drain clogged with debris likely caused the Orchard Road flood is most disappointing. In this context, it is reasonable to question whether - and to what extent - lapses in the maintenance of the drainage system could have contributed to the flash flood.

Proponents of global warming and climate change have projected that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heavy precipitation events, may increase over most areas, and may not be 'once in 50 years' events.

According to meteorologists, higher temperatures trap moisture in the atmosphere, resulting in more intense rain and a higher likelihood of floods.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report noted that 'generally, numbers of heavy daily precipitation events that lead to flooding have increased'.

I would like to inquire whether the recently reorganised Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change intends to study the future effects of climate change on Singapore, if any, and formulate mitigation measures to alleviate any undesirable consequences, such as reviewing the capability of our infrastructure to cope with extreme weather events.

Sin Wei Xiang

Straits Times Forum 19 Jun 10;
Recurring floods

'It is high time for a thorough review of the nation's drainage system.'

MR LIEW YENG CHEE: 'Last November, it was in Bukit Timah. Now the waters have flooded Orchard Road. With the change in weather patterns due to global warming, we must expect such floods to happen more frequently. Have the authorities drawn up contingency plans for such an eventuality? It is high time for a thorough review of the nation's drainage system.'

A case of litter?

'I wonder how much of the debris that choked the drain had been litter.'

MISS SOPHIA TAN: 'The damage caused by the flood could amount to millions. I wonder how much of the debris that choked the critical drain had been made up of tissue paper, plastic wrappers and other litter carelessly tossed by pedestrians, who assumed our regular army of cleaners would clean them up. Let us take it as a timely reminder that our littering habit has finally caught up with us. If the flash flood had taken place during the Youth Olympic Games, it would have been a great embarrassment for all.'

Learning experience

'Thanks Straits Times, for the extensive coverage of an extraordinary occurrence. We need to be more prepared next time.'

MR JOHN TING, an affected resident of Delfi Orchard: 'Thanks Straits Times, for the extensive coverage of an extraordinary occurrence. We need to be more prepared the next time something like this happens. Let this be a good learning experience for all of us. My sincere thanks to the police and civil defence personnel, the PUB and other agencies that sprang into action after the flash flood and spent long hours trying to bring the situation back to normal.'

Knee-jerk solutions won't do
Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

I REFER to the PUB report on the causes leading to the massive flooding in Orchard Road.

Singapore's iconic attraction was so helplessly and embarrassingly submerged, yet PUB's reply came across as indifferent and the recommendations to use sensors and inspections - at best, knee-jerk solutions.

There should be more effective solutions to ensure that Orchard Road and other low-lying areas are well drained, even during ultra-heavy downpours.

Steve Ng


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Climate change 'the biggest threat to society'

Lester Kok speaks to two clean energy experts who sit on the advisory board of the new Energy Research Institute
Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

PROFESSOR Ashok Gadgil from the University of California, Berkeley, who is also on the seven-member advisory committee at the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University (ERI@N), holds great expertise in both environmental engineering and in water technology.

He has won several awards for his efforts in innovations such as a low-cost way of disinfecting water in developing nations, and a fire stove which is three times more efficient than normal fire stoves.

# Why is there a need for energy research?

I think it's a really exciting development that Singapore has decided to set up the energy research centre. We have, globally, seriously under-invested in future-looking energy technologies. Climate change represents the greatest threat to modern human society that we have ever faced and most of the modern society is still not aware of the urgency of the threat. I think, globally, we are unprepared for the scale of change and also the speed of change in energy technologies that is essential to stabilise the climate.

# How will energy research and development affect the world?

It should shape how billions of people use energy on a large scale in the world. The potential for ERI@N will be the engine for industrial advancement for energy development and use in other parts of the world. In some sense, if ERI@N takes the leadership in super efficient buildings, electric vehicles and integration of renewable energy into the power grid... (research in these areas will be) research drivers for entire sectors of society.

# How does water research tie in with energy?

We expect more and more people to need to use energy to obtain their water. Rapidly, we have grown in world population and are beginning to rely more on ground water, which we need to use energy to pump. We are using a lot of energy in fact to transport water... There is the use of energy for extracting water, processing water, transporting, and also desalination of water. On the other hand, we need water for producing electricity. Shortage of water for cooling (power plants) is already a concern. Energy and water are really two related problems and they're coming closer and closer to each other in terms of how the solution of one impacts the availability of the other.

# Many of your inventions look simple and low-tech in nature. Why is this so?

It looks low-tech, but making anything complicated is always easy. Making something simple is much, much harder. It takes a lot of good creative engineering science to come up with something simple, low- maintenance and robust.

Science and technology has fantastic opportunities for solving problems, even for poor people, to make solutions affordable to them... If lots of bright people work hard, then some of us will succeed... that's the point!

A bright future for renewable energy sources in Singapore
Lester Kok speaks to two clean energy experts who sit on the advisory board of the new Energy Research Institute
Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

PROFESSOR Michael Gratzel is the chairman of the advisory board of the new Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University. He is the winner of this year's Millennium Technology Prize from Finland - an honour equivalent to the Nobel Prize in this field.

The Swiss scientist is the inventor of dye-sensitised solar cells, a cheap and good alternative to conventional silicon solar cells, which are costly and not as efficient.

# What is the aim of energy research?

This is the name of the game: get consumption down and save energy. Save energy in buildings. It is very sad that people are used to wasting energy in buildings, like leaving the air-conditioning on when there is nobody around.

We have to change also the culture of people to be more aware that a kilowatt hour (the energy consumed when 1,000 watts are used for one hour) is something that is very valuable. It can drive your electric car up to 10km.

# What changes do you foresee for the future?

A key thing for the future is electric cars. I think this city needs electric cars or hybrid cars, and the power can come from solar energy.

A very promising activity that I see is to integrate electric cars with a renewable energy source like solar power.

# How can your research and expertise help Singapore in its quest for clean power?

It's particularly applicable for Singapore because you don't have many roofs to mount solar panels. The dye-sensitised solar cells can be made transparent... so you can use it on vertical surfaces like windows. These cells are also ideally suited for indoor use, as with fluorescent light, we can get 20 per cent efficiency from it, much better than silicon cells.

# What about other sources of energy such as nuclear power?

Nuclear energy is an option... We have nuclear reactors in Switzerland, but we have problems and so do other countries. Nobody wants the waste as the radioactivity will last for a very long time.

The issue is how to control and safeguard the waste over thousands of years, and what cost and obligation this presents for future generations. It's 100,000 years of radioactive waste you have to take care of - that's almost as long as mankind has existed on this earth. That is a very long-term issue there.

Let's try to do it with renewable energy as much as we can. In the end, there will be only renewables, so we might as well invest in it appropriately now.


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Clear the air on pollutant levels

Andy Ho, Straits Times 19 Jun 10;

IN THE past half year, scientists have determined that inhaling fine air pollutant particles can actually kill people with heart conditions.

Last December, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of the best studies found this relationship to be established beyond reasonable doubt. Last month, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement reiterating this 'causal relationship', saying in regard to all available data: 'At present, no credible alternative explanation exists.'

Particulate matter is a mixture of tiny particles and liquid droplets. While larger particles are coughed or sneezed out, tinier particles penetrate the lungs, where serious damage ensues. The tiniest particles also pass through lung tissue into blood and thence circulate throughout the body. In the blood, they can cause harm to the inner lining of small blood arteries. This then triggers off various cellular processes that eventuate in heart damage.

The AHA concluded that short-term exposure of 'over a few hours to weeks' to PM2.5 can trigger fatal heart attacks, heart failure and heart rhythm problems. PM2.5 are particulate matter with diameters of under 2.5 micrometres. Also, 'longer-term exposure (eg, a few years)' to PM2.5 'reduces life expectancy... by several months to a few years'.

Notice that although they are inhaled into the lungs first, the novel finding is that PM2.5 cause heart problems. Found in car emissions, among other things, PM2.5 are 30 times tinier than a human hair. So they penetrate the lungs deeper than PM10 can. The latter, particles under 10 micrometres in diameter, are referred to in the daily air quality report posted on the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website. Coming from dusty roads and dusty industrial sites, among other sources, PM10 are about seven times smaller than a human hair.

Although PM2.5 levels are already being monitored daily throughout Singapore, they are not divulged publicly. Only the annual average PM2.5 level is offered in the NEA yearly report. The agency says there is 'no internationally harmonised protocol' for reporting air quality.

Many developing countries cannot afford the very expensive equipment to monitor PM2.5 levels but the 11 air monitoing stations in Singapore are already equipped to do so. The NEA points out that Britain and France report only PM10. But Taiwan already reports PM2.5.

In 2008 and last year, the annual average PM2.5 levels here exceeded the safe thresholds set by both the EPA and the World Health Organisation. This is a matter of concern since the AHA has opined that there is, in fact, no 'discernible 'safe' threshold' for both short- and long-term PM2.5 exposure. For this reason, it recommended public efforts to lower PM2.5 'below even' official safe levels.

Compared to PM10, the smaller PM2.5 can not only penetrate deeper into the lungs but also carry more concentrated toxic substances, including transition metals and endotoxins. The reason is that the smaller a sphere's diameter, the larger its surface area-to-volume ratio. This means that a higher concentration of toxic substances is absorbed on PM2.5 surfaces than PM10. So the former carry more toxic substances into our bodies than the latter.

A particular class of chemicals that PM2.5 carry is called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Formed when fossil fuels and other biomass are burnt, PAHs are known to cause genetic damage. Studies the EPA also reviewed suggest that PAHs probably can cause lung cancer.

Diesel and petrol engines are major sources of PM2.5, with forest fires yet another. (The Indonesian forest fires usually occur from July to September.) A third source is photochemical reactions that occur among gaseous pollutants emitted by power plants and factories.

The AHA said PM2.5 exposure was a 'modifiable factor'. Since traffic is a main source of PM2.5, one should avoid non-mandatory trips, rush hour travel and also roads with traffic jams. One should stay indoors, close the windows and run some air filtering system. One should refrain, too, from strenuous outdoor exertion during high PM2.5 periods. Finally, try to live as far away from traffic as possible.

In many cities, PM2.5 levels tend to peak twice a day, once during the morning rush hour and the other during the evening commute home. The latter peak lasts longer as PM2.5 is a pollutant with the longest lifespan in the air. Thus PM2.5 levels can build up in a neighbourhood over the work-week.

It is not only adults with pre-existing heart problems who should avoid situations when they are likely to absorb high PM2.5 levels. Children, too, should take care, for they tend to spend more time outdoors. Because they are smaller in size, their exposure means higher doses of PM2.5 per kilogram of body weight. But without timely information about daily PM2.5 levels here, at-risk groups cannot know when to modify their behaviour accordingly.

As to whether Singaporeans should be concerned about PM2.5, the Health Ministry said: 'The PSI (which uses PM10 rather than PM2.5) cut-offs are internationally accepted standards... Individuals may choose to avoid vigorous outdoor activities at PSI levels less than 100 if... still concerned.'

Better still, perhaps daily PM2.5 levels should be provided to the public.


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