Are Extra-Hot Summers Here to Stay?

LiveScience.com Yahoo News 6 Jun 11;

Expect extra-toasty summers to be a mainstay if greenhouse gas levels continue to rise, according to a new report suggesting the tropics and the Northern Hemisphere may see an irreversible bump in summer temperatures within the next 20 to 60 years.

In the study to be published later this month in the journal Climate Change, Stanford University researchers conclude that many tropical regions in Africa, Asia and South America could see "the permanent emergence of unprecedented summer heat" in the next two decades.

The middle latitudes of Europe, China and North America, including the United States, are likely to undergo extreme summer temperature shifts within 60 years, the researchers found.

"According to our projections, large areas of the globe are likely to warm up so quickly that, by the middle of this century, even the coolest summers will be hotter than the hottest summers of the past 50 years," said lead study researcher Noah Diffenbaugh, an assistant professor of environmental Earth system science and fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.

Though no single extreme weather event can be linked to global warming, scientists say that as the planet warms, we should expect more extremes, such as heat waves. Diffenbaugh and Stanford research assistant Martin Scherer wondered whether one extreme pattern — heat waves — would become more normal. "At what point can we expect the coolest seasonal temperatures to always be hotter than the historically highest temperatures for that season?" Diffenbaugh said in a statement.

The researchers analyzed more than 50 climate model experiments, which included computer simulations of the 21st century (when greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase) and those of the 20th century that have accurately predicted climate over the last 50 years. They also looked at historical data from weather stations around the world.

Results showed the tropics are heating up the fastest. "We find that the most immediate increase in extreme seasonal heat occurs in the tropics, with up to 70 percent of seasons in the early 21st century (2010 to 2039) exceeding the late-20th century maximum," the authors wrote.

Even so, wide swaths of North America, China and Mediterranean Europe are also likely to enter into a new heat regime by 2070, they found.

Diffenbaugh was surprised at how quickly the new, potentially destructive heat regimes are likely to emerge, given that the study was based on a relatively moderate forecast of greenhouse gas emissions in the 21st century.

"The fact that we're already seeing these changes in historical weather observations, and that they match climate model simulations so closely, increases our confidence that our projections of permanent escalations in seasonal temperatures within the next few decades are well-founded," Diffenbaugh said.

This dramatic shift in seasonal temperatures could have severe consequences for human health and agricultural production, Diffenbaugh said, citing as an example the 2003 heat waves in Europe that killed 40,000 people. Studies have also shown that projected increases in summer temperatures in the Midwestern United States could reduce the harvest of corn and soybeans by more than 30 percent, he added.

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U.N. Says Climate Talks Will Miss Kyoto Deadline

Gerard Wynn PlanetArk 7 Jun 11;

U.N. talks have run out of time to meet a December 2012 deadline to put in place a binding successor to the Kyoto Protocol on curbing greenhouse gases, the U.N.'s top climate official said Monday.

The main aim of the U.N. talks process was to agree a legally binding deal by 2012 but it has gradually turned to mobilizing voluntary action and funds to fight global warming.

The Kyoto Protocol binds almost 40 industrialized countries to emissions cuts from 2008-2012. Poor and emerging economies want to extend the pact, while industrialized nations prefer to replace it.

After years of wrangling over the future of the pact, countries may now try makeshift measures to plug the gap after 2012, such as rolling over existing targets.

To agree new targets with equal legal force to Kyoto countries would have to ratify those in their parliaments, but have run out of time given their next chance to do a deal is in December this year at a conference in Durban.

"Even if they were able to agree on a legal text ... that requires an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, it requires legislative ratifications on the part of three-quarters of the parties, so we would assume that there's no time to do that between Durban and the end of 2012," said Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N.'s climate secretariat.

"Countries have realized this, that they actually stand before the potential of a regulatory gap, and are involved in constructive negotiations as to how they're going to deal with that," she told reporters on the first day of June 6-17 climate talks in Bonn, Germany.

A deal in Durban is widely viewed as unlikely.

The European Union's chief climate negotiator told reporters 2014 or 2015 was a more realistic target for a full legal framework.

"Let's say 2014, 2015 is a broadly realistic time, but if parties could agree to do that earlier the EU would be happy to do so," said Artur Runge-Metzger.

US SAYS NOT TO BLAME

One of the biggest casualties of failure to agree new, binding targets will be international carbon markets, under which developed countries pay for emissions cuts in developing nations to offset against their own targets.

That market in carbon offsets slumped last year to $1.5 billion compared with $7.4 billion in 2007, says the World Bank.

The U.N. talks have stalled over sharing the burden of emissions cuts between industrialized and emerging economies.

The world's second biggest carbon emitter, the United States, demands that top emitter China makes commitments with equal force to its own. China says its priority must be to grow its economy to end poverty.

That has resulted in a stalemate, with a set of voluntary actions agreed in Cancun, Mexico, last December.

Many analysts ultimately lay the blame for the delay at the door of the United States, which has struggled to find support for climate action in its Senate.

The United States blames the slow progress on countries which it says are reluctant even to stand by voluntary action agreed in Cancun.

"The fact that it's such a difficult battle, so much of an uphill discussion, suggests to me the problem is not the United States but others who are not yet ready to move forward on commitments they've made," said the U.S. head of delegation in Bonn, Jonathan Pershing.

(Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Expiry of emissions pact in 2012 bedevils talks
Arthur Max Associated Press Yahoo News 6 Jun 11;

BONN, Germany – Climate negotiators are exploring "constructive and creative" solutions so that wealthy countries keep trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even when binding commitments expire next year, the U.N. climate chief said Monday.

The expiry in 2012 of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which bound nearly 40 countries to specific emission reductions targets, looms as delegates from 184 nations seek agreement now on combating global warming.

Hopes for an overarching climate accord, which fell flat at 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, remain dim as negotiators in Bonn spend the next two weeks preparing for another major climate conference in Durban, South Africa, starting Nov. 28.

A key obstacle is the fate of the Kyoto protocol.

Countries generally have fallen into camps of rich and poor on the issue. Developing countries insist the Kyoto obligations be extended and new targets adopted. Industrial countries say they want emerging economies to accept similar binding commitments.

Three countries that fell under the Kyoto mandate — Japan, Canada and Russia — have said they will not renew their commitments after they expire in 2012. The United States was never part of Kyoto.

But Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. climate change secretariat, said negotiators are trying to move outside of the rich-poor boxes.

"Countries are being much more constructive and creative," she told reporters at the start of a two-week negotiating session. "We don't know yet where it's going to lead, but there is a very healthy atmosphere of really listening to each other."

Most countries want to find a formula that also embraces the United States, but the U.S. delegation affirmed it would accept treaty commitments only if developing countries like China and India do as well.

"The U.S. is committed to a legally binding outcome that would engage all major economies," said Jonathan Pershing, the chief delegate. "We are not committed to any outcome which would only obligate developed countries ... nor are we committed to an empty agreement merely for the sake of an agreement."

In a sign of the complexity of the talks, the formal start of the conference was delayed by more than half a day while delegates haggled over the agenda, with several countries insisting on the inclusion of their special interests.

Saudi Arabia, for example, wanted a discussion on how it could be compensated for the loss of oil revenue.

The U.S. delegation wanted more work done on verifying that countries meet their commitments. That issue, pitting the U.S. against China, nearly caused the collapse of the last year's conference in Cancun, Mexico, before a skeleton deal was done.

"By Durban, we should have guidelines developed for reporting and verification," Pershing said. He linked progress on "transparency" with finalizing a Green Climate Fund, a $100 billion annual payment to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and move toward low-carbon economies.

The deal struck in Cancun, he said, was "a balanced package which included financing and transparency."

Reports of record high greenhouse gas emissions and unprecedented carbon levels in the atmosphere added a sense of urgency to the talks.

The International Energy Agency said energy-related carbon emissions last year reached record levels — more than 30 gigatons, or 5 percent more than the previous peak in 2008. Experts had predicted the financial crisis that caused a sharp dip in emissions in 2009 would continue in 2010.

The Paris-based agency said the figures were "a serious setback" to hopes of limiting the rise in the Earth's average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 F) above preindustrial levels.

Another report by the U.S. government monitoring station in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, recorded carbon levels in May of 395 parts per million, compared with 290 at the beginning of the industrial revolution 150 years ago. Scientists believe atmospheric concentration of carbon is trapping the Earth's heat and causing it to gradually warm.

Also contributing to the apprehension was uncertainty over Japan's future energy policy, and whether it will adhere to its pledge to reduce emissions by 25 percent after a March 11 tsunami triggered an ongoing nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Daii-ichi plant.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan last week reaffirmed its pledge to reduce emissions. But a Japanese delegate at the Bonn talks said the target was likely to be dropped.

Japan's 120 million people produce 4 percent of the world's emissions, and the country is considered a key player at the climate talks.

'Bad news' on warming should spur UN talks: climate chief
Marlowe Hood Yahoo News 6 Jun 11;

PARIS (AFP) – The UN's climate chief urged negotiators gathering on Monday for new talks to heed a double dose of "bad news" that global warming could bust a threshold widely considered safe.

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), urged nations at the 12-day talks in Bonn to uphold their pledge to peg warming to 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

"Now, more than ever, it is critical that all efforts are mobilised towards living up to this commitment," she said in a webcast press conference.

Figueres pointed to "bad news" in the form of carbon emissions data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Paris-based IEA said last month that carbon from energy use reached a record high in 2010 while NOAA said atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in May had scaled a new peak.

The Bonn talks are meant to lay the groundwork for the next round of high-level negotiations in December in Durban, South Africa.

Some wealthy nations led by the United States favour restricting the scope of the Durban round to consolidating progress made in Cancun, Mexico, last December.

These include the creation of a "green fund" for developing countries that could reach 100 billion dollars a year, a system for monitoring national schemes to reduce emissions, and programmes to boost clean technologies and help poor nations cope with climate change.

"If we take these steps and start to build the new institutions needed for a pragmatic international regime, COP 17 in Durban will be a solid success," said Jonathan Pershing, the top US negotiator in Bonn.

Developing nations, led by China and other major emerging economies, have embraced these goals, but major disagreements remain on how they should take shape.

Another big area of discord is over the future of the UNFCCC's Kyoto Protocol, the sole treaty that sets down legally-binding emissions targets.

These requirements only apply to advanced economies, except the United States, which refuses to ratify Kyoto.

The "G77 and China" group -- a bloc of 131 developing countries -- reiterated Monday its demand for Kyoto pledges to be renewed when the present commitment period ends at the end of 2012.

This would be "one of the key outcomes" in Durban, the group said in a press release. "Its continuity demands a strong political decision from all parties."

Russia, Japan and Canada, however, have said they will not sign up for a new round of cuts unless rising giants such as China, India and Brazil accept constraints as well.

The European Union (EU) on Monday backed a second roster of pledges but warned this position should not be taken for granted.

"There is the impression that the EU will easily move into a second commitment period, that it is a foregone conclusion. That is not the case," said Artur Runge-Metzger, the chief negotiator.

The EU will renew Kyoto vows "only if there is also agreement on the other side towards an agreement that covers all those major economies at the same time," he said. "It cannot stand alone."

European nations, he pointed out, only account for 11 or 12 percent percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

"We would not see that as success in Durban to say... 'we don't have anything else for the other 88 or 89 percent'."

Figueres said that there was some good news despite scientific gloom.

"Quite a few countries, including the biggest economies, are clearly building new policies that promote low carbon goals," she told journalists, citing China and Britain in particular.

Private capital was also flowing into low-carbon technologies, she said, noting that the UN climate scientists concluded recently that, by mid-century, up to 80 percent of the world's energy needs could come from renewable sources.

Climate change: self-interest may save us
With countries beginning to see action on global warming as being in their own interests, there is reason for optimismhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Julian Hunt and Terry Townshend guardian.co.uk 5 Jun 11;

No major breakthroughs are likely to be made at this week's meeting of climate change negotiators in Bonn, in the latest round of UN talks before the next major annual summit in Durban, in December. However, this meeting has assumed heightened significance in the light of the record rise in carbon dioxide emissions globally for 2010 (30.6 gigatonnes), recently announced by the International Energy Agency – data that comes despite the most serious global recession for at least a generation, and has increased doubt that so-called dangerous global warming (temperature rises of more than 2C) can be prevented. Is all now lost?

A new study by Global Legislators' Organisation for a Balanced Environment (Globe) and the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics suggests that there is still room for optimism. The report shows that the massive attention devoted to the UN process, vital as that framework is, has diverted focus from national capitals, where significant domestic global-warming legislation is advancing.

The research (which focused on 15 key developed and developing countries, and the EU) indicates that the positive picture on domestic legislation coincides with a fundamental shift in attitudes. There is a growing realisation that action on climate change is in the national interest, and this moves the debate on significantly: previously discussions were largely about sharing a global burden – with governments, naturally, trying to minimise their share.

There is increasing recognition of the significant co-benefits of climate change legislation – strengthening energy security, increasing resource-efficiency, improving air quality and securing a competitive advantage in new markets for clean and low-carbon technologies, goods and services. Indeed, those countries with strong national legislation are, perhaps not surprisingly, attracting the most inward investment on low-carbon technologies because there is business certainty (rather than high regulatory risk) for such investments.

This development is crucial because a comprehensive international climate change agreement – as opposed to the incremental one agreed at Cancun – will probably be possible only when a critical mass of countries is committed, because of self-interest rather than perceived altruism, to taking sufficient action. In other words, such an agreement will only reflect political conditions, not define them.

To be sure, the climate change policy picture is not uniformly positive across the 15 countries. One reversal, for instance, was the withdrawal of the US federal climate-change bill from Congress last summer.

Even when reversals occur, however, countervailing forces are sometimes at work. In the United States, the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included about $80bn for clean-energy research, development and deployment, and some $16.8bn for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy programmes.

Progress is being achieved at different speeds in different countries, partly because climate change doesn't affect the world uniformly, and because the incentives are different for each country.

Several large developing countries are moving towards comprehensive climate change legislation. China has just released its 12th five-year plan, including significant targets for reducing the carbon intensity of its economy by 40-45%, from 2005 levels, by 2020, and is developing a comprehensive national climate-change law.

India has set up an Expert Group on Low Carbon Strategy for Inclusive Growth, the recommendations of which will form a central theme in the 12th Five Year Plan in 2012.

Brazil already has a very low carbon energy matrix — it gains most of its energy from renewable sources, primarily hydropower for electricity and ethanol for vehicles and is focusing its legislation on deforestation — its major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Mexico is examining all existing energy-related laws to establish what amendments need to be made to make them consistent with climate change goals, in addition to developing comprehensive climate change legislation.

South Africa has issued a White Paper on climate change with a view to passing a climate change law ahead of the Durban climate change conference later this year.

Encouraging as these developments are, they are not enough to avoid dangerous climate change, which many scientists believe will result from a 3C to 4C increase in global temperatures, a probable irreversible tipping point for continent-sized areas of changing land cover, and for ice on sea and land.

Although this is hugely disappointing on several levels, national legal and policy frameworks to measure, report, verify and manage carbon are being set up. These could be ratcheted up as governments experience the self-interested benefits of tackling climate change.

If this happens, the goal must be to translate such progress into a comprehensive international deal – the poorest countries in particular will need international assistance to help them to adapt to the impact of climate change.

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Best of our wild blogs: 7 Jun 11

Anemone hunt at Cyrene!
from wild shores of singapore and wonderful creation

Cyrene Reef (6 Jun 2011)
from teamseagrass and extraordinary miracles

New Articles on Nature in Singapore
from Raffles Museum News

Yellow-vented Bulbul: Recycling old nests?
from Bird Ecology Study Group

little heron fishing @ SBWR June 2011
from sgbeachbum

Hunting Ogres in Singapore
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Wild boar spotted at Punggol Riverside gets 'friendly' with passers-by
from Lazy Lizard's Tales and Giant jellyfish seen at Pasir Ris

How do we save the Sumatran rhino?
from mongabay.com

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Ferry runs aground north of Pulau Tekong

Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: A ferry ran aground north of Pulau Tekong Tuesday morning after experiencing engine trouble.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was informed at 11.25 am Tuesday that the Belize-registered passenger ferry, FB Falcon Princess, had beached north of Pulau Tekong about 1.8 km west-southwest of Johor's Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

The incident occurred within the Singapore port limit.

The passenger ferry was on a scheduled trip from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

At the time of the incident, there were 24 passengers and 11 crew onboard.

MPA said all passengers were safely transferred to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal using another boat.

There was no report of any injury or pollution.

Vessel traffic remains unaffected.

MPA said it has issued navigational broadcasts to inform ships in the vicinity of the incident and to keep clear.

MPA said it is investigating the incident.

- CNA/cc

Passenger ferry beached at Pulau Tekong
AsiaOne 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE - Engine problem forced a Belize-registered passenger ferry to stop at Pulau Tekong this morning.

The ferry was on a scheduled trip from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal in Johor, Malaysia.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a statement said that the FB Falcon Princess beached north of Pulau Tekong, about 1.8 km west-southwest of Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

The incident occurred within the Singapore port limit, MPA said.

There were 24 passengers on board. There were also 11 crew members working on the vessel.

All passengers have been safely transferred to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, said MPA. There was no report of any injury or pollution. The incident did not disrupt naval traffic in the area.

MPA is investigating the incident.

Located northeast of Singapore, Pulau Tekong is the second largest of the Republic's outlying islands and is east of Pulau Ubin.

Ferry runs aground north of Pulau Tekong
Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: A ferry ran aground north of Pulau Tekong Tuesday morning after experiencing engine trouble.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was informed at 11.25 am Tuesday that the Belize-registered passenger ferry, FB Falcon Princess, had beached north of Pulau Tekong about 1.8 km west-southwest of Johor's Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

The incident occurred within the Singapore port limit.

The passenger ferry was on a scheduled trip from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

At the time of the incident, there were 24 passengers and 11 crew onboard.

MPA said all passengers were safely transferred to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal using another boat.

There was no report of any injury or pollution.

Vessel traffic remains unaffected.

MPA said it has issued navigational broadcasts to inform ships in the vicinity of the incident and to keep clear.

MPA said it is investigating the incident.

- CNA/cc

Johor-bound ferry runs into trouble
Straits Times 8 Jun 11;

A FERRY from Changi Point had almost reached its Malaysian destination when it developed engine trouble after hitting a half-submerged metal pole.

The 24 passengers had to be transferred to other vessels which answered a call for help from the FB Falcon Princess ferry yesterday.

It had left Changi Point Ferry Terminal at around 10am for Tanjung Belungkor in Johor. From there, holidaymakers take a taxi or coach to Desaru, about 30km away. Towards the end of the hour-long trip yesterday, the passengers - mostly Singaporeans - heard a loud scraping sound from the ferry's engine.

The 11-member crew called for help and nearby Malaysian boat operators responded. All 24 passengers and the crew boarded their boats which took them to their intended destination.

According to Mr Guo Li, whose Malaysian-registered vessel was among those which provided help, the Falcon Princess had hit a large metal pole or structure half-submerged in the water. This had damaged the engine and the bottom of the ferry, causing it to stall.

A 56-year-old passenger, who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan, said: 'We heard the sounds of the engine spluttering - it sounded like there was something jammed there, then the boat stopped.'

She added that though she felt nervous, others kept calm as they knew they were not far from the coast.

A Maritime and Port Authority spokesman said it was informed of the incident at around 11.30am yesterday.

There was no report of injury or pollution. It is investigating the incident, which took place in Singapore waters.

ELIZABETH SOH & DANSON CHEONG


Ferry Beached North Of Pulau Tekong, Says Singapore MFA
Bernama 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE, June 7 (Bernama) -- The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was informed at 11.25 am that a Belize-registered passenger ferry, FB Falcon Princess, had an engine problem and beached north of Pulau Tekong.

The ferry was located at 1.8 km west-southwest of Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, Johor.

The incident occurred within the Singapore port limit, said the MPA in a statement.

The passenger ferry was on a scheduled trip from the Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal.

At the time of the incident, there were 24 passengers and 11 crew onboard the vessel. All passengers were safely transferred to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal using other passenger craft. There was no report of any injury or pollution.

Vessel traffic remains unaffected. MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to inform ships in the vicinity of the incident and to keep clear.

MPA is investigating the incident.

-- BERNAMA


Ferry beached north of Pulau Tekong
liyana SingaporeScene Yahoo News 7 Jun 11;

The ferry was 1.8km away from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal. (Yahoo! file photo)

The ferry was 1.8km away from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal. (Yahoo! file photo)

An engine problem caused a ferry to beach north of Pulau Tekong on Tuesday morning.

The Belize-registered passenger ferry, FB Falcon Princess, was on a scheduled trip to Johor's Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal from Changi Ferry Terminal when the incident happened.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement that it was informed of the incident, which occurred within the Singapore port limit, at 11.25am.

In an email reply to Yahoo! Singapore, MPA said the the ferry captain chose to beach at Pulau Tekong as it was the nearest shallow water area at the time of the incident.

A boat from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal transported the 24 passengers and 11 crew onboard the ferry Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal at noon.

There was no report of any injury or pollution, and vessel traffic was not affected, said MPA.

The MPA is investigating the incident.

Ferry Beached North Of Pulau Tekong
MPA Press Release 7 Jun 11;

At about 1125hrs on 7 June 2011 (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was informed that a Belize-registered passenger ferry, FB Falcon Princess, had an engine problem and beached north of Pulau Tekong about 1.8 km west-southwest of Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, Johor. The incident occurred within the Singapore port limit.

The passenger ferry was on a scheduled trip from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal. At the time of the incident, there were 24 passengers and 11 crew onboard the vessel. All passengers were safely transferred to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal using other passenger craft. There was no report of any injury or pollution.

Vessel traffic remains unaffected. MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to inform ships in the vicinity of the incident and to keep clear. MPA is investigating the incident.

End of Release.

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Singapore: Hard to tell if the weather is changing, say experts

But what has happened fits expected pattern of a warming climate
Grace Chua Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

IS SINGAPORE'S weather changing?

On Sunday, speaking after the year's worst floods, Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said there was a 'very high probability that our weather patterns have changed'.

While experts say it is too early to tell if the weather is changing, they add that what has happened fits the pattern of a warming climate.

Associate Professor Matthias Roth, deputy head of the National University of Singapore's geography department, explained: 'We cannot link one particular weather phenomenon to climate or climate change, because the latter is a long-term average of the weather, which is experienced on a day-to-day basis.'

One heavy thunderstorm will not change the long-term average - but enough of them will, he said. So more data has to be collected over the years before there is enough evidence that the climate is shifting.

'Having said this, the recently observed pattern fits the expected increase in extreme events predicted to occur in a warming climate,' he added.

The National Environment Agency (NEA), which provides meteorological services, said it is studying the impact of climate change on local weather.

Already, the first phase of Singapore's climate change vulnerability study, released last year, has predicted that the temperature could rise between 2.7 deg C and 4.4 deg C from the present average of 26.8 deg C by 2100.

But it showed no discernible trend in rainfall patterns over the next century.

Scientists at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology's Centre for Environmental Sensing and Modelling have suggested mechanisms by which human activity could change monsoons.

For example, fine particles of black carbon or soot from burning fuel could absorb heat, warming the air, drawing moisture in and hastening and intensifying the monsoon, said MIT senior research scientist, Dr Chien Wang.

The NEA attributed Sunday's thunderstorm to the convergence of winds which brought unstable weather conditions and rain clouds over Singapore and the surrounding region.

The region is entering the south-west monsoon season, which typically lasts from June to September, and the onset of which is determined by the direction of prevailing winds.

On Sunday, rain clouds developed to the south-east and moved towards Singapore, Batam and the southern part of Johor.

'As the convergence of winds occurred close to Singapore, the rainfall over Singapore was particularly intense as compared to the nearby states,' an NEA spokesman said.

The heaviest downpour, over the central area, added up to 124mm, or about 77 per cent of the average monthly rainfall for June.

About 65mm of rain fell in just half an hour, which made the rainfall more intense than last June, when 100mm of rain fell in two hours and Orchard Road was flooded.

Sunday's thunderstorm was also different in origin from the storm on June 1, which followed hot weather and was caused by strong convective heating over land. A teenage boy was swept away by flood waters and drowned that day after he fell into a swollen drain.

But is it possible to predict such fierce thunderstorms?

That is difficult, said Prof Roth, especially in the tropics.

In temperate zones, the weather is associated with predictable low or high-pressure systems.

But in the tropics, rainfall is associated with the rising of hot air, a phenomenon 'which can appear at any time if the conditions are right', he said.

According to the NEA website, south- west monsoon conditions will prevail over Singapore and the surrounding region until June 15, with surface winds from the south and south-east.

And for the next three days, showers with thunder are expected over north, east and central Singapore: This afternoon, tomorrow morning and early afternoon, and on Thursday morning.

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'Heavy rain, inability of pumps to cope led to flooding'

Marina Barrage has helped prevent floods, not contribute to them
Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

WHILE national water agency PUB has cut flood-prone areas from 3,178ha in 1970 to 66ha now, floods in recent years, such as those on Sunday, have caused damage, stalled traffic and posed safety risks.

The Straits Times put some questions to the agency yesterday:

The PUB now has sensors in major drains and canals; what steps are taken once they show drains are filling up? Which specific drains overflowed?

PUB has expanded its network of water level sensors from 32 to 90 in December 2010, and will further increase these to 150 by the end of this year.

These sensors have been installed at key canals and drains, and this enlarged network of sensors provides timely information about water levels, which the public can also access on PUB's website.

Information on water levels is also sent via SMS alert to schools and building managements in areas which have a history of flooding.

SMSes are sent to subscribers when water levels rise beyond 75per cent and 90per cent of the canal's depth. Through such an alert mechanism, building managements can take the necessary precautions to prepare for the possibility of flash floods.

Owners of buildings in Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel received the alerts. The only exceptions were Tanglin Mall and St Regis. This was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified.

When PUB receives heavy rain warnings, we mobilise our staff and contractors to the sites (for example, Orchard Road and Bukit Timah). They check for chokages in the drains and clear them if any so that the drains can be kept free flowing.

During Sunday's rain event, the Bukit Timah Canal (along the stretch from Blackmore Road to Maplewood Road) overflowed. The drains at Cuscaden Road and the junction of Tanglin/Napier Roads also overflowed.

What are hot spots and flood-prone areas? And what precautions are taken for the residents in those areas?

Hot spots are localised areas where flash floods occur due to intense storms or specific localised conditions such as constrictions and bottlenecks in the drains, depressions along the road profile, inadequate drainage outlets along the roads and so on.

Flood-prone areas are those areas which are low-lying and/or do not have adequate drainage, with past records of flooding.

After each flash flood, PUB systematically investigates the cause and takes measures to improve the drainage at that location - for example, improving stretches of roadside drains and road culverts to remove bottlenecks, raising stretches of depressed roads, increasing the number of drainage outlets and stepping up maintenance of drainage outlets.

At present, the known flood-prone areas (66ha) are scattered in pockets across various parts of the island. Some examples are:

Eastern/northern (for example, Upper East Coast Road/Bayshore Road, Farnborough Road, Lorong Buangkok, Nee Soon Road, Admiralty Road West): 14ha

Western (for example, Benoi Sector, Yung Ann Road, Jurong Port Road, Jalan Haji Alias/Coronation Road West [Bukit Timah area]): 9ha

Central (for example, Syed Alwi Road [Jalan Besar area], Cambridge Road/Dorset Road [Farrer Park area] Lincoln Road/Surrey Road, Cantonment Link/Keppel Road, Rose Lane, Meyer Road/Fort Road/Arthur Road, Jalan Gembira/Siang Kuang Avenue [MacPherson area]): 43ha

Many of these are low-lying areas. PUB will progressively implement drainage improvement projects to reduce the risk of flooding in these areas. However, in some cases, low-lying areas will need to be raised in conjunction with redevelopment proposals.

A full list of flood-prone areas can be found on PUB's website at http://www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods/fpa/Pages/default.aspx

Pedestrians are advised not to walk through flooded areas because of the risk of hidden hazards. The public can also visit www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods for more information about managing flash floods.

Could increased construction such as the upcoming Downtown Line be contributing to rainwater runoff and flood risk?

All developments are required to ensure that the drainage system in the vicinity of the construction sites will not be adversely affected by construction works. PUB works closely with developers to monitor their construction activities to make sure that drains remain free from debris and obstructions.

Have developers been responsible in ensuring their drainage complies with flood-control measures? Has PUB taken any action against anyone?

Yes, generally, developers are required to comply with drainage requirements as stipulated in the latest version of the Code of Practice at the point in time. This is done via a building plan/development control consultation process. However, if any non-compliance is found upon completion, PUB is empowered under the Sewerage and Drainage Act to issue notice to building owners to rectify the non-compliance. Such notices have been issued in a few instances.

What is being done to reduce flood risk at all the other flood hot spots and high-risk areas?

PUB has an ongoing drainage improvement programme to implement such works in hot spots and flood-prone areas. Tenders have been and will be called for other works as well. However, in the case of some low-lying flood-prone areas, these areas will need to be raised in conjunction with redevelopment proposals.

A list of scheduled and accelerated drainage improvement projects is at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods/reducingfloods/Pages/ImprovementWorks.aspx

All seven of the Marina Barrage water pumps were opened in the late morning on Sunday and yet it still flooded upstream. Why? Why have Singapore's biggest floods in recent years all occurred after the construction of the barrage?

The Marina Barrage is part of a comprehensive flood control scheme to alleviate flooding in the low-lying areas in the city such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. By removing tidal influence, the five rivers (Stamford Canal, Rochor Canal, Kallang River, Singapore River and Geylang River) are safe from back-flow of water as the water level within the Marina Reservoir can be kept constant or lowered when there are impeding storms.

By keeping seawater out, Marina Barrage acts as a tidal barrier to reduce flash floods in low-lying areas in the city. Its nine crest gates will be lowered if there is excess water in the basin. In the event that heavy rain coincides with high tides, seven drainage pumps will be activated to remove excess storm water in the basin.

In fact, during the recent floods, the operation of the barrage helped prevent low-lying areas like Chinatown and Boat Quay from flooding.

In fact, flooding in the affected buildings was due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain falling directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

PUB alert didn't reach two flood-hit buildings
Agency to fix glitch that left Tanglin Mall, St Regis without early warning
Leow Si Wan Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

THE PUB said yesterday that flood alerts were sent to Orchard Road building owners on Sunday, but not to the two that needed them most - Tanglin Mall and the St Regis complex.

The reason: A technical glitch.

'This was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified,' a PUB spokesman told The Straits Times.

The mall and the upscale St Regis Residences suffered the most damage when floods hit Singapore's premier shopping belt on Sunday.

Tanglin Mall centre director Jenny Ng said: 'This is very worrying... If we had known a bit earlier, we could have done more. Sunday's floods really caught us by surprise.'

A spokesman for St Regis said it regarded the missing alert as 'a significant matter' and would contact PUB to make sure that it receives future alerts.

Shops in Tanglin Mall's first floor and basement one were badly flooded, as were its three basement carparks.

Cold Storage's Market Place supermarket, which was flooded and saw part of its false ceiling collapse, remained closed yesterday.

Over at St Regis Residences, the basement three carpark was hit and about 40 cars - many of them luxury brands, including a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin and a Ferrari - were submerged.

The St Regis Hotel saw some water enter the loading dock area, but it caused only 'minimal surface damage'.

Although the PUB said that 'building owners along Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel received the alerts', the Orchard Road Business Association said yesterday that at least one other mall had not received the alert.

The association's executive director, Mr Steven Goh, said Forum The Shopping Mall was not notified.

Some basement shops were ankle-deep in water.

Mr Goh pointed out that after Orchard Road was hit by floods on June 16 last year, the PUB had said stakeholders would be alerted via text message whenever its sensors detected a high level of water.

'But as far as we know from what the affected malls told us, they were not notified. The flood alert system did not work,' he said.

Dismayed by Sunday's 'anniversary flood', Mr Goh said: 'We are certainly very disappointed that this has happened again.'

Last year's floods caused severe damage to goods in buildings farther up Orchard Road.

Liat Towers was the worst hit, with luxury goods retailer Hermes, apparel house Massimo Dutti and fast-food restaurant Wendy's hit badly.

The PUB and Land Transport Authority swung into action after that, raising the level of Orchard Road.

This time, the floods hit the Tanglin/ Cuscaden end of the shopping belt.

The business association said it now doubted the effectiveness of the effort to raise the road and prevent flooding.

Noting that the work was almost completed, Mr Goh said: 'Our suspicion is that these works have transferred the problem from mainstream Orchard to the outskirts where Tanglin Mall is located.'

But the PUB said the work to raise the road had not contributed to Sunday's flooding and without it, the situation would have turned out worse.

The association will meet PUB officials on Thursday to seek answers.

Mr Goh said: 'The government has said it will carry out a review of the drainage system, but this might take years. We are concerned about what is going to happen in the near future. We need assurance about what will work for Orchard Road.'

Clean-up work in the affected buildings continued yesterday, and it was business as usual in most shops.

But some retailers remained upset.

At Orchard Towers, where the basement was flooded, retailers reported losses of between $6,000 and $40,000.

Tailor Rajiv K., 57, was unhappy that the building management had taken a long time to clean the common areas and had not offered help to tenants.

Another tailor, Mr J. Lim, 46, added: 'It is a nightmare. Last year it happened, but this year it got worse. It is going to take me many days to fully assess the damage.'

At Forum The Shopping Mall, the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant in the basement and Little Gym remained closed yesterday.

California Pizza Kitchen estimated it had lost $20,000 worth of business. Two-thirds of its seating area was affected, said assistant manager Rodel Azarcon.

Meanwhile, shoppers were hoping the area would not be hit again any time soon.

Said administrative assistant Candy Liu, 26: 'I was surprised it flooded again. I thought that something would have been done by now. Hopefully, there won't be a third time.'

Additional reporting by Neo Wen Tong and Goh Kai Shi

Pumps could not cope: Tanglin Mall
They were working, but could not handle the huge volume of water
Leow Si Wan, Neo Wen Tong & Goh Kai Shi Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

TANGLIN Mall said yesterday that the flooding in the shopping centre was not a result of pump failure.

Centre director Jenny Ng said: 'We told the PUB for the record that the pumps were working correctly.

'The flood did not occur because the pumps did not work. Rather, it was that too much water got into the pumps, causing them to fail in the end.'

The Orchard Road Business Association's executive director, Mr Steven Goh, said that pump systems are located in the basement of every shopping centre, but these would not have been able to handle the large volume of water that came gushing down on Sunday.

Pump failure had been blamed for the flooding in Tanglin Mall on Sunday.

By 11am that day, the first floor of the mall, which is located at the junction of Tanglin and Grange roads, had turned into a mini-waterfall, pouring water into the basement.

The basement carparks were also flooded, with the water level at the lowest level, basement four, reaching about knee height.

Some of the false ceiling boards in the Market Place supermarket came crashing down.

The 18-year-old mall, which is operated by Cuscaden Properties and is popular with expatriates, was open for business yesterday.

Most of the shops were operating, although Market Place remained closed. A spokesman for the supermarket said the store will reopen partially today.

Ms Ng added that a row of sandbags had been placed along the pedestrian mall and at the entrance of its carpark, which has re-opened.

Shoppers had also returned.

Ms Ng said: 'Our mall is safe, and there are no major renovations required. We are now carrying out cleaning and minor works like repainting. Hopefully, this can be all be done within the week.'

She added that the mall has yet to ascertain the cost of renovations as it is now focusing on recovery.

'We are also working with PUB to look at whether there are any preventive measures such as putting sandbags or any physical infrastructure,' she said.

'But this is not straightforward. We need to carry out studies and work with the authorities.'

As for compensating tenants, she said they have been asked to refer to their insurers.

However, some retailers such Madam Michelle Goh, 53, owner of clothes and jewellery store SuLin Serio, will not be able to do so.

She said she has been at Tanglin Mall since it opened and had always bought insurance.

'But I just happened to forget to renew it last June, and now this happened,' she said.

She is hoping that the mall management will be able to help. Her shop suffered losses estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000.

Meanwhile, she said she was worried about future floods, and wondered: 'Has the shoring up at the Lucky Plaza area shifted the flooding and the deluge to our side? How fast will this be rectified, and what are the authorities doing?

'The momentum of business and our shoppers is definitely affected and broken.'

Floods not linked to work to raise Orchard Road, says PUB
Royston Sim Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

ON-GOING work to raise a stretch of Orchard Road did not cause nearby areas to flood, the PUB said yesterday.

Rather, huge amounts of rainfall flowing into the basements of buildings and inadequate internal drainage pumps were to blame, it said.

On Sunday morning, water gushed into the basement levels of Tanglin Mall from the first floor, which is at road level. Flood waters also struck nearby Cuscaden Road.

Tanglin Mall had escaped the Orchard floods last year, and there has been talk of whether raising a segment of Orchard Road further up could have diverted flood waters to the Tanglin area.

Work to raise a 1.4km stretch of road between Orchard Parade Hotel and Cairnhill Road began last November, in response to floods last June.

The PUB is raising that segment by an average of 30cm, and up to 50cm in the lower-lying areas. This allows water to flow into the drains instead of pooling by the road.

A PUB spokesman said flooding in the affected buildings on Sunday was due to an 'excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements' and the 'inability' of their internal drainage pumps to cope.

The spokesman said the intense rain caused the drains at Cuscaden Road and the junction of Tanglin and Napier roads to overflow.

She added that water in the drains flows from Cuscaden to Orchard roads, so raising the latter would not have resulted in flooding in Tanglin Mall and the Cuscaden area.

Engineering experts also said raising Orchard Road was unlikely to have caused surrounding areas to flood.

Mr Lim Peng Hong, president of the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore, said PUB would have factored in where the runoff would flow before deciding to raise Orchard Road.

Dr Ole Larsen, director of the DHI-NTU Centre, which focuses on water and environment research, agreed with PUB's point that Tanglin Mall is sited upstream of Orchard Road.

This meant that flood waters were unlikely to have flowed back to the mall, he said.

Roads in Singapore are also not designed to carry or divert surface runoff from rain to other areas. Instead, water is conveyed away in drains and canals. The amount of runoff from the road is thus insignificant, he said.

This is unlike the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) in Kuala Lumpur, which was designed to tackle the problem of flash floods, he said.

There are two motorway decks in this facility. During storms, flood water is diverted into the lower deck, while the upper motorway remains open to traffic.

The entire motorway is closed to all traffic during major storms, as automated water-tight gates are opened to allow flood waters to pass through.

In Singapore, drains and canals serve as conduits to channel flood waters downstream to the Marina Barrage, said Dr Larsen.

Damage will most likely be covered by insurance
Daryl Chin Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

HE had bought it only two months earlier, so investment banker Matthew Song was not pleased when he discovered his $350,000 BMW M3 partially submerged in a basement carpark.

Mr Song said his vehicle was one of about 40 damaged on Sunday when water poured into the St Regis Residences condominium in Tanglin Road. They included an Aston Martin and two Bentleys, as well as Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

There was one consolation for Mr Song, however. At least he had paid the $3,000 annual premium to insure his car.

The 33-year-old's vehicle has been towed away, while he waits for the damage assessment to be sent to him.

'It is a great inconvenience, but at least I can get something back, even though the car is not going to be the same again,' he said.

He is not the only one who will be breathing a sigh of relief.

Cars, homes and shops affected by the floods should be covered by insurance, as long as the plans are comprehensive enough, agents told The Straits Times yesterday.

They said the size of payouts depends on many factors, including the value of the goods insured.

Insurance agent Daniel Tan, 39, said that over the past 14 years, he has seen more people buying comprehensive packages, which typically provide more cover for a greater premium.

'Perhaps it is due to the uncertainty of the weather over the past few years, coupled with savvier consumers,' he said.

Most homes and shops are also likely to be covered against floods if the owners are savvy enough, said insurance agent Donny Chai, 42.

Floods are normally covered under 'other hazards', which include earthquakes, fire and lightning, said Ms Chai.

'Of course, higher premiums hurt the pocket, but it doesn't hurt as much as losing everything,' she said.

The floods in June and July last year cost an estimated $22.9 million in insurance payouts.

The General Insurance Association of Singapore has said previously that $11.6 million was paid out in motor vehicle claims, and $11.3 million for property damage and interruption to business.

It added that 428 successful claims were made for damaged vehicles, and 440 for property and business losses.

Why Tanglin Mall didn't get flood alerts
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB has responded to concerns raised by the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) that building owners did not receive flood alerts on Sunday and were caught off guard.

PUB said building owners along Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel had received the alerts.

The only exceptions were Tanglin Mall and St Regis.

It said this was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified.

PUB also responded to the association's concerns about the effect that its road-raising works had on the flood situation in Orchard Road.

PUB said the Orchard Road road-raising project did not contribute to the floods on Sunday.

It said without the raising, the situation would have been worse, given the higher intensity of rainfall.

It explained the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road is currently being raised and the works are expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Water along Cuscaden Road is designed to flow towards Orchard Road.

PUB added the flooding in the affected buildings were due to a combination of an excessive amounts of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

It said Sunday's rainfall was more intense than that of June last year, with about 65mm recorded within 30mins, compared to the 100mm within two hours on June 16, 2010.

-CNA/wk

'We're disappointed with PUB'
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) has said it is disappointed with Singapore's national water agency PUB over floods on Sunday, which hit businesses in some areas on Orchard Road.

ORBA represents 52 stakeholders in the shopping belt.

Tanglin Mall was the worst hit, with some shops suffering a drop in business of up to 80 per cent.

Shop owners there said they are hoping for some help.

Home-Fix retail executive Ricky Soo said: "All of us do hope that as tenants,... out of good will, something (would be done).

"Obviously there's something wrong with the building -- that's why... all the water (gushed) in".

Mr Soo said he expects his business to suffer losses for another two to three days as the cleaning up and repairs to areas damaged by the flood continue.

Another shopping mall which was flooded was the basement of Forum Shopping Mall.

California Pizza Kitchen, located at the basement of the mall, suffered losses of up to 75 per cent.

It is now trying to dry the lower level of its two-storey restaurant, which can seat about 200 customers. Its dining area upstairs can take 60 customers.

ORBA executive director Steven Goh said the flooding on Sunday felt like a repeat of last June's floods.

"It's kind of like an anniversary for us," Mr Goh said.

"It happened last year on 16th of June, almost (around) the same time. And the PUB road raising works has almost been completed.

"This has caused a big concern because it seems like... the problem (had) been transferred from the downstream of Orchard Road to the upstream of Orchard Road, where Tanglin Mall and Forum are located."

Mr Goh also said a communication break down made things worse.

"The flood alarm system is not working. I mean, the stakeholders have not been informed of this flood and at least, there must be some form of communication to alert stakeholders that such a flood was coming."

ORBA said it wold be meet PUB on Thursday to discuss what needs to be done to prevent the flooding of Orchard Road, an area which it said is the pride of Singapore.

-CNA/wk

Flood solutions could be "costly"
Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: Experts said the government may have to consider expensive solutions in its review of the drainage system to tackle floods in Singapore.

They said the review must be holistic and go beyond short-term measures.

Bukit Timah road was flooded on Sunday, following heavy and intense rainfall.

But Wilby Road, where Tessarina Condominium is located, was spared of the floods.

Authorities had raised the road level of Wilby Road by almost a metre in some areas.

The project began in October last year and was completed in January this year.

The floods on Sunday were said to be the first real test of the flood preventive measure there.

Residents who had petitioned for the improvement works said they were relieved when the measures worked during Sunday's downpour.

They said the authorities had been responsive to pleas to tackle the situation.

Tessarina Condominium floods sub-committee chairperson Audrey Tan said: "Previously, when Wilby Road was still a low-lying road, whenever Bukit Timah canal burst its banks and flood water hit Bukit Timah Road, there is always the risk that the flood waters will come to Wilby Road and enter Tessarina via the ramps that lead into our basement car park.

"However, now that Wilby Road has been raised, we are free from that risk, because water remains outside, along Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road.

"Therefore, our basement car park was free of flood water".

Still, experts said measures such as raising road levels are just "treating the symptoms of floods".

Nanyang Technological University School of Civil & Environmental Engineering associate professor Tan Soon Keat said: "Where does the water go? The water goes to the next lower area, so it is more of shifting the locations of flooding from one place to another place".

That could be the reason other areas such as Sixth Avenue off Bukit Timah Road were said to be flooded.

Solutions may thus require heavy investments that can delay run-off and regulate peak flow, especially in built-up areas.

"For Orchard and Bukit Timah area, those built-up areas, we may have to think of more expensive solutions that means physically diverting the flow towards a storage pond somewhere else," assoc prof Tan said.

"In Orchard Road, if we need to divert flow, we have no choice; we may need to use electric power (using) pumps.

"Water will go into the canal for example, and if the canal is going to be full, then you can have a pumping system to pump the water out to another reservoir or to another storage pond.

"But where to locate those ponds is a very difficult question to (answer)."

Experts said better landscaping can help manage water flow.

Having more green features on roof-tops of buildings in Orchard Road can also help retain rainwater.

The design criteria of drains to cater for certain storm-intensity may also need to be reviewed.

This means raising design parameters to cater to a lower risk of floods - such as from a drain that can cater for a flood once in 25 years to that of once in 50 or 100 years.

In an email response, Mr Martin P Li, a past president of the Singapore Chapter of the Institution of Engineers of Australia, observed that almost anything is possible with regard to an engineering solution.

But it boils down to the issue of value.

Mr Li said the government needs to consider whether it is prudent to construct a drainage system to mitigate the effects of a once-in-25-years occurrence by raising the design parameters to accommodate a 50 or 100 years flood, or accept the consequences of the event once every 25 years.

In general, the less likelihood of the event occurring, the higher the costs of the system, he said.

-CNA/wk

A flood of ideas but cost is an issue
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Today Online 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE - Now that floodwaters have receded, the spotlight is on the kind of solutions needed.

While there are no shortage of ideas, the issue is one of cost. In addition, the solutions must go beyond short-term measures, said experts.

For instance, raising road levels shifts the location of flooding from "one place to another", said Nanyang Technological University's water resources engineering Associate Professor Tan Soon Keat.

There are solutions that can delay run-off and regulate peak flow in built-up areas but these are expensive. For instance, diverting the flow of water from Bukit Timah or Orchard Road to retention ponds or underground storage tanks, which can be built below nearby school fields, will "regulate" the peak flow in the drainage system, said Singapore Polytechnic's School of Architecture and the Built Environment's deputy director Daniel Tan Kim Soon.

Electric pumps could be used to pump water out of a canal and channel the excess to "another reservoir or to a storage pond", said NTU's Dr Tan.

Other suggestions include greenery on roof-tops of buildings in Orchard Road which can also help retain rainwater.

Mr Martin Li, a past president of the Singapore Chapter of the Institution of Engineers of Australia, told MediaCorp that almost any engineering solution is possible but the question was one of cost.

Said Mr Li: "As unpalatable as Sunday's flood might have been for those who were affected, the Government needs to consider whether it is prudent to construct a drainage system to mitigate the effects of a once-in-25-years occurrence by raising the design parameters ... or accept the consequences of the event once every 25 years."

The changing weather patterns also make it "challenging" to forecast an acceptable level of "risk tolerance", he said. "There is no guarantee that a once-in-150-years flood would not occur in the near future, even if our Government ensured that all our drainage systems were able to cope with a once-in-100-years flood."

NTU's structure and mechanics Associate Professor Susanto Teng said it was "timely" to revise the Building Code to make buildings more flood-proof. For instance, the "ground-level" could be raised by half-a-metre and drains could be widened and enlarged, he said.


Business body disappointed over flood measures
Too early to assess if damages will exceed last year's, say businesses & insurers
Teh Shi Ning Business Times 7 Jun 11;

THE Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) yesterday voiced disappointment with national water agency PUB's flood prevention measures and flood alarm system.

Executive director Steven Goh said it is their suspicion that measures taken in the aftermath of floods near the Scotts Road junction last year have instead diverted the problem and floodwaters to the Tanglin Road end.

Properties along that stretch - Tanglin Mall, Forum The Shopping Mall and St Regis Residences - were hardest hit by Sunday's downpour, which flooded multiple basement levels, drenching retailers' goods and parked luxury cars.

But PUB said that the Orchard Road raising project did not contribute to Sunday's floods, and that the situation would have been worse without it, given that the rainfall was more intense than it was last year. 'Water along Cuscaden Road (parallel to Tanglin Road) is designed to flow towards Orchard Road,' and not the other way around, a PUB explained yesterday.

'Flooding in the affected buildings was due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope,' the PUB spokesman added.

ORBA's Mr Goh said stakeholders were also disappointed that a flood alarm system, intended to warn stakeholders of any possibility of flooding, had not worked.

PUB said yesterday that Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel did actually receive alerts, but a software problem with the system - 'which will be immediately rectified' - meant that Tanglin Mall and St Regis did not.

ORBA has arranged for its stakeholders - property developers, building owners, retailers, hoteliers and restaurateurs with business interests along Orchard Road - to meet PUB officials on Thursday.

'The top-of-mind agenda is to lessen the impact of possible recurrence of floods in the coming weeks, since the authorities have said that further storms can be expected,' said Mr Goh. ORBA also wants 'the authorities' assurance that Orchard Road - as Singapore's pride and premium shopping street - does not flood again'.

On Sunday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said planning norms must be reviewed. A redesign of drainage systems and new flood-related building codes are now possibly on the cards. PUB will also conduct an 'exhaustive and comprehensive check on all flood-prone areas focusing on human safety'.

While most of Tanglin Mall resumed business yesterday, Cold Storage's Market Place supermarket - where gushing floodwaters sent false ceiling boards crashing, ruining stocks, equipment, furniture and fittings - stayed shut. Damage costs are still being assessed, said a Market Place spokesman, who added that the store would partially reopen today.

In the basement carpark of high-end St Regis Residences, meanwhile, several luxury cars including a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, a Porsche and an Alfa Romeo as well as several BMWs and Audis reportedly soaked in rainwater that was thigh-deep at some points.

Businesses and insurers say it is too early to say if damages from Sunday's floods will exceed the estimated insurance payouts of $8 million, $2.4 million and $12.5 million respectively, for the June 16, June 25 and July 17 floods last year.

General insurers told BT that they expect claims from motor insurance policyholders with cars damaged either in carparks or on flooded roads, as well as claims for property damage, to pour in over the next few days.

They say there could be a number of non-commercial property claims too, as the weekend floods also hit private residential areas in the Bukit Timah and Macpherson areas.

With additional reporting by Rebecca Liu

Software glitch led to failed flood alerts
Wayne Chan Today Online 7 Jun 11;
SINGAPORE - As retailers count the cost after a flash flood hit some parts of Orchard Road on Sunday, fingers are being pointed at PUB, the national water agency, for its failure to send out alerts to all the affected building owners as well as its work to raise portions of the road to prevent flooding.

The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) said yesterday that it suspected that the project to raise a 1.4km stretch from Orange Grove Road to Cairnhill Road by an average 30cm - which began in mid-November and is scheduled for completion soon - had "transferred" the flooding problem to the area where buildings such as Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences are located.

The two buildings were hardest hit by the flood which was caused by two bouts of heavy rain.

The association's claim was rebutted by the PUB: The flooding would have been worse without the project, it told MediaCorp.

However, the PUB revealed that there was a software glitch in the alert system which was why the building owners of Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences were not alerted of the impending flash flood. The problem will be rectified immediately, the PUB said.

According to the PUB, all other building owners in the affected area, such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel, had received the alerts.

The PUB said the flooding in the affected buildings were due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

It reiterated that Sunday's rainfall was more intense than that of June last year, with about 65mm recorded within 30 minutes, compared to the 100mm within two hours on June 16.

Expressing disappointment with the PUB, ORBA executive director Steven Goh said the measures taken following last June's flooding, such as raising the roads in the area, do not seem to have worked.

Said Mr Goh: "It's kind of like an anniversary for us. It happened last year on June 16 ... and the PUB road raising works has almost been completed." He added: "It seems like ... the problem (had) been transferred from the downstream of Orchard Road to the upstream of Orchard Road."

Mr Goh reiterated that there "must be some form of communication to alert stakeholders that such a flood was coming" at the least.

According to the PUB, the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road is currently being raised and the whole project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Yesterday, water was still dripping from ceilings of some premises hit by the flood. Tanglin Mall tenants said business has fallen by as much as 80 per cent.

Home-Fix retail executive Ricky Soo said the tenants hoped to get some "goodwill" compensation.

He added: "Obviously, there's something wrong with the building, that's why all the water kept gushing in."

Mr Soo said he expects business to suffer losses for another two to three days as the cleaning up and repairs continue.

Over at the basement of Forum Shopping Mall, businesses such as California Pizza Kitchen were also hit.

The outlet's assistant manager, Mr Rodel Azarcon, said: "We were really surprised when the flood waters just came in and the whole area was flooded."

"Many of the guests left as the water started rising," he said

Read more!

Drainage system under urbanisation stress?

Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 11;

I REFER to yesterday's report on Sunday's flood ('Govt to review drainage after year's worst flood').

With increasing urbanisation in Singapore, more areas of natural vegetation are replaced with impervious concrete. Instead of infiltrating into our soils, rainwater is now channelled as surface run-off.

This dramatically increases the pressure on our drainage system, which faces a peak discharge that is both larger in volume and faster in onset after every major storm.

While recent developments such as Ion Orchard and new condominiums in Bukit Timah may not have directly contributed to the flood, they may have accelerated the increase in run-off volumes that the drains must now cope with by occupying areas that were formerly parks and green spaces.

The traditional conveyance approach of channelling stormwater into large, concrete- lined canals has shown its limitations in times of intense, heavy rainfall. It is time that we considered alternative, storage-based approaches that would slow down the surface run-off that reaches our drains following rain. I would like to suggest the following:

Create bio-retention basins and rain gardens - pockets of green spaces that collect rainwater and release them into the drainage system at a slower rate;

Impose a quota on impervious surface coverage for new developments, insisting on sufficient green areas for rainwater infiltration;

Encourage green roofs and other innovative rooftop stormwater collection methods among developers; and

Review the quality of soils used on planted slopes and grass verges to ensure their water-retention capabilities.

Lau Kai Guan


Look at ways to slow flow from higher areas
Straits Times Forum 7 Jun 11;

I HAVE lived in the Upper Bukit Timah area for about 16 years and have witnessed how this previously undeveloped area has been paved over with new roads and residential developments. New canals have also been constructed.

I am not an engineer, but I cannot help but wonder if the effect of all this development, including better drainage at higher elevations, has been to increase the rate at which water now flows into the Bukit Timah/Dunearn Road canal during downpours. I would guess that previously more water could seep into the soil, and perhaps be absorbed by the trees.

I could still recall in my early years of living in this area that Upper Bukit Timah Road was often misty at night, due to trees transpiring on both sides of the road.

If my intuition is correct, then national water agency PUB should not only look at the flood-prone areas but also upstream, and consider how to slow the rate at which surface water drains from the higher areas to the lower areas of Singapore.

Ong Hui Guan

Green lungs to quell floods

Building boom is part of the problem; more sustainable development model is needed
Letter from Liew Kai Khiun Today Online 8 Jun 11;

IT SEEMS certain that the islandwide floods are getting more routine as last year's images of submerged roads, water-choked basement car parks and ankle-deep waters in malls returned to haunt us on Sunday morning.

In spite of the extensive drainage work undertaken over the decades, the authorities have conceded that no amount of preparation can stop such freak floods that are attributed predominantly to global warming and "acts of nature".

Nonetheless, I would also like to draw a correlation between the floods and the high growth rates of the past few years, rapid urbanisation resulting from the property boom and the spike in population. Hence, the problems are not only global and natural but also local and man-made.

Studies in the environmental sciences have indicated that building and transportation infrastructural projects are instrumental in displacing organically permeable soil and vegetation with impermeable concrete surfaces that have less capacity to store rainwater.

In the case of Orchard Road, the floods seem to coincide with the replacement of an open and relatively well-vegetated green space between Orchard Road and Paterson Road with the megamall Orchard ION that has probably the deepest basements in Singapore.

Along Bukit Timah Road, which is seeing the more severe floods, are the new condominiums complexes that are squeezed tightly into the previously quieter and spacious neighbourhood of bungalows with spread-out lawns and gardens.

Added to this, the current paradigm to tackling the problem seems to be largely technical, involving drainage systems and building codes. However, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated recently, given the space constraints of Singapore, there is a limit to how wide and deep we can dig our canals.

In this respect, instead of seeing the problem as natural and the solution as pouring more concrete, there is a fundamental need for a more environmentally and socially sustainable development model. We have to see open spaces and natural vegetation not as potential exploitable land for property and industrial development but as green lungs and buffers with more intangible long-term benefits.

Increasingly too, trends in large-scale flood control worldwide are moving away from artificial canalisation and containment towards that of natural flood control management that entails the preservation of natural environments and natural water flows.

In Singapore, one such projects on the way to completion is the Waters@Kallang-Bishan Park project that involves the partial de-canalisation and the re-riverisation of water flows. Perhaps the Government should also start thinking of similar projects for Bukit Timah and Orchard roads with green lungs and corridor; and rethink development plans for existing green spaces like the current forested Bukit Brown Cemetery along Adam Road, as well as the lush stretch along the railway tracks from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands.

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Avoid forests, nature reserves during heavy rain: NParks

Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

AVOID the forest when it is raining heavily.

With intense rainfall forecast for the next few days, the National Parks Board (NParks) has advised the public to avoid visiting the nature reserves or forested areas during stormy weather.

If a storm hits, people should take cover at the shelters available.

They can receive updates of the latest weather by tuning in to radio broadcasts, by calling the National Environment Agency's weather forecast hotline on 6542-7788, by visiting its website at www.nea.gov.sg or by using the mobile weather service (Weather@SG - weather.nea.gov.sg).

For feedback and enquiries, the public can call the NParks helpline on 1800-471-7300.

NParks urges public to monitor weather forecast
Qiuyi Tan Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE : The National Parks Board has said intense rainfall is expected over the next few days and is advising the public to avoid visiting nature reserves and other forested areas.

For parks and gardens, NParks said the public should take cover at the shelters during stormy weather.

It also urged the public to stay alert and keep themselves updated on the latest weather reports on radio.

Weather information is also available on the National Environment Agency's website and on its weather forecast hotline.

- CNA/al

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Singapore tops air quality survey

Julie Quek Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's air quality has come out tops in Asia, beating business powerhouses like Hong Kong and Shanghai.

That's according to a research survey from workplace solutions provider Regus, which polled more than 220 business leaders in Hong Kong, and 250 in China.

Regus said this speaks well for Singapore's plan to attract top international business talent, and maintain a 'liveable city' reputation.

The report found three out of four companies believe the air quality in a city affects the company's ability to attract and retain international talent.

When asked to rank a number of Asian cities in terms of the air quality, respondents ranked Singapore as tops.

Coming in at second spot is Hong Kong followed by Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Shanghai and Beijing were judged to have the poorest air quality.

Regus regional vice-president for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia William Wiillems said: "These results show that Hong Kong and China's business decision makers rank Singapore far above the competition (when) it comes to air quality".

Mr Wiillems added he can foresee further growth in the short term, as Singapore asserts itself as the cleanest and best place for international businesses in Asia.

-CNA/wk

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Chong Pang stops cat culling

Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: Chong Pang constituency has said it will no longer cull stray cats in the area.

In addition, it will set in motion a humane cat management programme in two weeks' time, making it the first in Singapore to stop the culling of strays.

Local groups Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said the programme allows the public to play a more active and vital role, while working with the town council.

It will be launched by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam at a public forum on animal welfare policies on June 18.

The event is organised by Acres in collaboration with Chong Pang grassroots.

The forum will give Singaporeans the opportunity to be engaged in shaping animal welfare policies in Singapore.

This comes in the wake of Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan's blog entry on June 2.

He wrote that the culling of cats in heartland estates is not the way to go.

Last year, about 5,100 stray cats were put down, some 300 less than those in 2009.

-CNA/wk

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Perak Looks To Singapore On Environmental Preservation

Bernama 6 Jun 11;

LUMUT, June 6 (Bernama) -- Perak wants to share the experience and programme of Singapore's successful preservation of the greens and environment despite undergoing rapid development, said the Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

He said in line with the programme, all parties in Perak were required to give due consideration to environmental management especially on looking into creating greening needs in every development plan.

"The Singapore government has an effective and excellent management of the environment to ensure the sustainability of the eco-system," he told reporters after visiting the Botanical Gardens of Singapore in conjunction with a two-day working visit to the country from June 2 to 4.

He said these aspects of environmental management could help create awareness among the people and the authorities to preserve the forest in Perak well.

The Singapore Botanical Gardens at Fort Canning is now 150 years old and receives more than three million visitors each year.

He was also impressed with the development carried out at the garden and hoped it could be applied in Perak.

-- BERNAMA

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Malaysia: No slurping this soup

Shark fin soup is off the menu for some.
Meng Yew Choong The Star 7 Jun 11;

KIRK Lee describes himself as the typical Chinaman who loves good food, until he saw a Youtube clip that stunned him about how shark fin soup is made. “Being Chinese and a lover of good food, I’ve always loved shark fin soup, which I only get to savour during wedding banquets. The wealthier folks would of course order this dish on a more regular basis, but most people don’t because it is pricey,’’ said the freelance swimming instructor who is also an avid scuba diver.

“Even though I was a diver, I continued with my craze without any guilt, and I rationalised it by thinking that the shark is already dead anyway, and my mom had taught me not to waste food. After all, if I don’t eat it, someone else would, so I might as well enjoy this great soup,’’ said Lee, who subsequently stumbled upon a clip shot by divers in the Philippines.

The clip (youtube.com/watch?v= xysF2zyxn-s&feature=related) so moved Lee that he gave up eating the dish, and is now an ardent advocate of shark conservation.

“It is about this juvenile whale shark, which is one of my favourite fish to watch on my diving trip. It is the biggest fish in the world, and on Feb 15 last year, a group of divers found one of these gentle creatures on the ocean floor, belly up, minus all its fins. The fish is still alive, and slowly bleeding, and the group decided to bring the fish ashore in order to shorten its suffering. After watching the clip, I could not sleep, was up the whole morning thinking about it. It never crossed my mind how shark fins were obtained, harvested and at what rate the killing was taking place.”

Three days later, Lee started the Save Our Sharks From A Bowl Of Soup (SOSFABOS) on Facebook (facebook.com/SOS.SaveOurSharks). Since beginning his crusade, Lee speaks freely on how cruel and unsustainable shark fin extraction can be. “The fish is alive when their fins are cut off. Without the pectoral and dorsal fins, the shark can no longer swim, sinks to the seabed, and eventually dies. Given this, rejecting shark fin soup is not a waste because every time you consume it, you are contributing to the cruelty and pushing sharks ever nearer to extinction.”

Why sharks?

Sharks are slow reproducing creatures and reach sexual maturity late, thus making them vulnerable to extinction. An estimated 73 million sharks are harvested each year solely for their fins, with some being fished out before breeding age. Sharks perform a useful role in the marine ecosystem. It keeps other larger prey fish in check before these wipe the area clean of other smaller fish. If all large sharks are removed from the food chain, the oceanic ecosystem would suffer some form of imbalance.

Early this year, Lee persuaded a group of celebrities such as Amber Chia, Fauziah Latiff and Patrick Teoh to volunteer their services to produce a public service announcement which is currently airing on local free-to-air channels like NTV7 as well as Youtube. Lee’s friend, Alicia Tan got her producer friend Linus Chung to direct the effort.

The campaign is not just being waged on cyberspace. Last year, TV host Xandria Ooi and her musician husband Yuri Wong dropped the dish from their wedding dinner. If you had attended some recent Chinese wedding dinners, you might have come across some very striking cards designed by Tan, an avid diver who shares Lee’s vision. Tan started the My Wedding Saves Sharks movement (saveshark.blogspot.com) in response to what she felt was a need to educate others about sharks.

Tan, 30, who got married last February, dropped shark fin soup from her wedding dinner but placed a card at each table explaining the absence of the customary delicacy. Placement of such cards at wedding dinners had been started by organisations such as WildAid (wildaid.org) years ago.

With this method, Tan and her husband shared their concern with guests in a tasteful manner, though she was chided by her elders who thought the effort was somewhat offensive. “I had to stick to my guns as my wedding has to reflect who I really am, and it cannot feature shark fin soup as that would be going against what I stand for.”

Since then, friends have asked for her help in designing similar cards for their weddings. “If I am not approached, I sometimes take the initiative to broach the subject with my friends who are about to get married, to see whether we could somehow work together. I think 20 couples have placed these cards at their wedding dinners so far.”

Elsewhere, the anti-shark fin soup movement is gaining ground. In April 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland dropped the dish from its wedding banquet menu following pressure from environmental groups. Seven months later, Hong Kong University banned shark fin from being consumed within its campus. In the United States, California is considering banning the sale and distribution of shark fins. If the enactment is passed, the state would join Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and the US Territory of Guam in banning the product. Island states like Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as Maldives already have legislative protection for the endangered fish.

Even international celebrities are lending their weight to the campaign, with faces such as US basketball star Yao Ming, director Ang Lee, and Malaysia’s very own Datuk Michelle Yeoh speaking out against the chiefly Chinese habit of associating luxury and prestige with shark fin consumption. The race is to make the habit of consuming fins extinct, before sharks go that way.

For more on the anti-shark fin soup movement, go to sharktruth.com and sharksavers.org.

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