Best of our wild blogs: 5 Nov 11

the pulai tree @ chek jawa - Oct2011
from sgbeachbum

Read more!

Bird smugglers caught at Woodlands checkpoint

Fiona Low Straits Times 4 Nov 11;

Checkpoint authorities have caught two men who tried to smuggle about 300 birds into Singapore.

The birds were hidden in cages under a black cloth in the boot compartment of a sports utility vehicle. The vehicle tried to enter the country at the Woodlands checkpoint on Tuesday at about 10pm.

The 38-year-old driver and his 40-year-old companion, both Singaporeans, were referred to the Agri-food & Veterinary Authority for further investigations.

There were 250 munia birds, 44 mata puteh birds and one shama bird uncovered.

The two men claimed that they had brought the birds in for religious purposes and not for commercial benefits. They had purchased the birds in Johor Bahru for RM1 (S$0.40) each.

The smuggling of animals, animal products, meat or meat products could introduce infectious diseases into Singapore.

The importation of any animals or birds without a permit carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 and imprisonment of up to one year.

ICA foils attempt to smuggle birds into Singapore
Vimita Mohandas Channel NewsAsia 4 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE : Officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have thwarted plans by two men to smuggle birds into Singapore in their car boot compartment.

On Tuesday, ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint inspected a Singapore-registered SUV's rear boot compartment which was partially covered by a piece of black cloth.

Upon removal, they discovered a loot of birds which included 250 Munia birds, 44 Mata Puteh birds and one Shama bird.

Upon questioning, the 38-year-old driver and his 40-year-old travel companion claimed they were bringing the birds in for religious purposes and not for commercial benefits.

They added that they had purchased the birds in Johor for RM1 each.

The case has been referred to the Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) for further investigations.

Travellers are not allowed to bring live animals, birds and insects into Singapore without a proper permit.

The importation of any animals or live birds without an AVA permit is a violation of the Animals and Birds Act, which carries a maximum penalty of S$10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

- CNA/ms

Read more!

SPCA proposes increasing fine, jail term to curb animal abuse

Esther Ng Today Online 5 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE - If the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) had its way, animal abusers would be hit with heftier fines and jail terms, among other penalties.

The move to review the Animals and Birds Act comes as the SPCA sees more cases of pet neglect and an increase in reports of animal cruelty. Between July last year and June, it received 987 such complaints.

While the SPCA attributes the increase in the number of reported cases to growing public awareness, its executive director, Ms Corrine Fong, said: "The strong public sentiment towards animal welfare signals a need to transition the current legal framework towards a progressive approach that allows for legal intervention before acts of cruelty are committed and animal suffering occurs."

Under this approach, neglect would also constitute an offence. The SPCA proposes that the penalty under Section 4 of the Act, which deals with the prevention of cruelty to animals, be raised to a S$20,000 fine and a jail term of up to two years - up from the current S$10,000 and 12 months' jail. The last time the law was amended to raise the maximum fine and jail term for animal cruelty was in 2002.

The non-profit organisation also wants the sale of pets to those below the age of 16 to be prohibited, unless they have their parents' express consent.

To prevent recalcitrant offenders from having a chance to abuse animals again, they should be banned from keeping a pet, the SPCA said.

Other suggestions include a list of prohibited acts which specify actions that endanger animal welfare or are known to cause suffering amounting to cruelty to animals.

Members of the public have one month to give their feedback on the proposed amendments to the Act at www.spca.org.sg/lawreview.html before the SPCA submits its proposals to the Ministries of National Development and Law.

SPCA calls for review of laws to prevent animal abuse
Channel NewsAsia 4 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has called for a review of the Animals & Birds Act. It said this has become necessary because of a rise in the number of cases of animal abuse.

There is an average of 82 cases of animal abuse each month.

The recommendation relates to sections 42 and 44 of the Prevention of cruelty to Animals sections of the act. It wants higher fines of up to S$20,000, imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.

This, it said, will serve as a greater deterrent than current penalties.

SPCA also wants duty of care to be stated clearly for persons responsible for or in charge of an animal. A breach of this "duty of care", it said, should be considered an offence.

This, it added, will target pet owners who are negligent in the care of their pets and will also help in cases where intervention is needed before an animal suffers cruelty. It is also recommending that offenders be banned from keeping pets.

SPCA is also calling for a ban on sale of pets to those below the age of 16, except with the knowledge and express consent of their parents.

Public feedback can be given online at www.spca.org.sg/lawreview.html.

Ban under-16s from buying pets, says SPCA
Changes to law sought as more cases of animal cruelty are reported
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 5 Nov 11;

CHILDREN aged under 16 should be banned from buying pets, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said yesterday.

These youngsters may not have the maturity or money to take care of them properly, the group added.

They are also more prone to impulse buying, which could lead to pets being abandoned once the novelty wears off.

The recommendation was one of several proposed changes to the law contained in a draft document released by the society yesterday. Others include doubling the maximum penalty for people who abuse animals, banning them from keeping pets in exceptional cases, and publishing a list of what counts as animal cruelty.

The public is being asked to give feedback on the proposals online.

The society said it was motivated by a rise in the number of reports of animal cruelty. It received 987 between July last year and June this year, 15 per cent more than in the preceding 12 months.

Banning the sale of pets to under-16s without parental consent could be one way to deal with the problem, said the society. It noted that teenagers in Europe are not allowed to buy animals unless a parent is present.

Tougher penalties for animal cruelty offenders are another possible solution. The society wants the maximum punishment to be doubled to two years in jail, a $20,000 fine or both.

To help give the authorities extra teeth when prosecuting abusers, it called for greater clarity on what exactly constitutes animal cruelty. This could include practices such as using electric collars and other painful aids to train pets, shortening their tails for cosmetic reasons and keeping animals prone to fighting, like Siamese fighting fish, in close quarters.

It could also include causing mental suffering to animals, which the society said is not covered sufficiently under the current law. For example, dogs are sometimes tied up or confined in cages for long periods, a practice which made up a third of the recent cases. This would be counted as causing 'unnecessary suffering' under the current law, which the society said is not specific enough. 'It is necessary to recognise that brutal cruelty is not the only way to harm an animal,' it said in its draft.

It added there have been cases of abusers avoiding prosecution due to uncertainty about what counts as mental suffering.

The society also recommended a committee separate from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) be set up to advise the Government on animal welfare matters. It said this should include businesses, welfare groups and veterinarians. Fines imposed on pet cruelty offenders should be funnelled into a fund to take care of animals.

Animal welfare groups welcomed the recommendations. Mr Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs, said: 'There are a lot of grey areas in the current law. For example, if a dog is chained up, how short does the chain need to be before it's considered cruel?' He said a more specific definition would allow different groups such as the police and AVA to follow the same standards.

To give feedback, visit www.spca.org.sg/lawreview.html before Dec 4.

Read more!

Johor ready to face floods

The Star 4 Nov 11;

JOHOR BARU: Johor has learned bitter lessons from the disastrous floods of 2006 and 2007 and believes it is better prepared now if the big floods return this year.

The state government has asked all relevant authorities to stand by and has also earmarked food distribution centres, which have been stocked with foodstuff and other essential items.

“We also have enough volunteers, fire engines, boats and relief centres to accommodate flood victims,” Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said yesterday after officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony of a low-cost housing project at Taman Bukit Tiram here yesterday.

“I believe the preparations by the state government are enough to face the floods,” Abdul Ghani said.

In 2006, Johor Baru and Segamat became the worst-hit districts when flood waters rose with surprising speed state-wide and claimed 12 lives.

Close to 100,000 people from about 25,000 families were evacuated from their homes.

In BALING, Kedah, Putera 1Malaysia Club said it had signed up 1,000 volunteers, including doctors, nurses and paramedics to help flood victims in the country should disaster strike.

Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the focus would be on states that were usually the worst hit Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Pahang, Terengganu and Johor.

“The medical volunteers will be assigned to mobile clinics and relief centres,” he said here yesterday.

Abdul Azeez said the club had also started preparing foodstuff and essential items to be distributed to flood victims.

They included blankets, mattresses, personal care products and diapers.

Farmers fear monsoon
New Straits Times 4 Nov 11;

KUALA TERENGGANU: The 64 participants of a collective farm project in Batu Rakit here are worried that the upcoming monsoon season can threaten their livelihood, again.

They suffered losses totalling RM471,000 when the 46-hectare collective farm planted with watermelons was inundated for about three weeks during the last round of floods in March.

They are worried that their current crop of chillies, sweet corn and brinjals will also face the same predicament this time around.

Kampung Pecah Rotan collective farm project head Mohd Amin Abdul Razak, 50, said the crops were planted after the watermelon project ended in September and will only be ready for harvesting in January.

"If the floods hit in January, we can perhaps harvest them early to lessen our losses. However, there is nothing we can do if they arrive earlier."

He said the floods' effects could be mitigated if the drainage system around the farm was upgraded.

"The farm is on lower ground compared with the surrounding areas and without sufficient drainage, it will turn into a large lake as flood waters tend to collect there easily."

Read more!

Floodwaters in Bangkok threaten metro stations

Business Times 5 Nov 11;

THAILAND'S worst floods in half a century reached the edge of downtown Bangkok yesterday, threatening some underground railway stations and forcing the closure of a major shopping centre.

Thai officials built more barriers around Bangkok as floodwaters edged closer to the city centre. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said a 6km wall of sandbags being completed along a canal north of Bangkok will help ease flooding in eastern parts of the capital.

The water is now just a few kilometres away from business and tourist districts, despite reassurances from the government that central Bangkok would be spared. Rising floodwaters in the city's northern suburbs forced the closure yesterday of the Central Plaza Ladprao shopping mall, close to the city's famous Chatuchak weekend market.

About 20 per cent of the capital is now submerged in floodwaters contaminated by rubbish, dead animals and industrial waste, raising fears about outbreaks of disease in the densely populated metropolis of 12 million people. A spokesman for the Bangkok metro said that three subway stations - Lat Phrao, Phahon Yothin and Chatuchak Park - were at risk and might have to be shut down if the water rose to 40cm outside.

The floods - caused by unusually heavy rains and failure to release enough water from dams in the early days of the monsoon - have killed 442 people and damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions around the country.

The authorities have issued an evacuation order for eight Bangkok districts out of a total of 50 in the capital, and for certain areas in four others.

The 12 districts have a combined official population of 1.7 million people - far more than government shelters can accommodate. Many have chosen to stay in their homes despite risks including electrocution, disease and lack of food and drinking water, complicating relief efforts.

The waters have swamped Bangkok's No 2 airport Don Muang, which usually serves mostly domestic destinations, but the kingdom's main air gateway Suvarnabhumi is operating as usual. The main airport is surrounded by a 3.5m high flood embankment monitored around the clock. -- AFP, Bloomberg

Read more!

Vietnamese authorities confirm more than a tonne of ivory pieces seized on Chinese border

TRAFFIC 4 Nov 11;

Officials have cofirmed more than a tonne of ivory seized last month in VIet Nam was from African Elephants Click image to enlarge © Folke Wulf Ha Noi, Vietnam, 4th November 2011—Following scientific analysis, Vietnamese officials have confirmed that all 211 items seized during a raid in northern Viet Nam last month were, as suspected, African Elephant ivory.

Weighing more than a tonne and hidden inside bundles of cloth, the ivory was confiscated on 22nd October from a river boat near the city of Mong Cai, close to the country’s border with China.

Three people, all Chinese citizens, were arrested and taken into custody for further questioning.

“TRAFFIC commends Vietnamese Customs on this important seizure, which is indicative of the increasing illegal trade of ivory within Southeast Asia. It is imperative that the origin and destination of the shipment be identified by authorities,” said Chris Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

“It is vitally important that officials investigate the movement of ivory from Viet Nam into China and prosecute those involved. This will require a co-ordinated effort among enforcement agencies in Asia and Africa. Only through joint co-operation between producer and consumer countries can the trafficking of ivory be effectively tackled.”

Officials believe that the shipment was intended for buyers in China and it is believed to have originated from Africa. Globally, illicit trade in ivory has been escalating since 2004 and demand from Asia is considered to be the leading driver of elephant poaching in Africa.

“Since 2009, Vietnamese authorities have seized 9.3 tonnes of elephant ivory and earlier this year Chinese authorities apprehended another 2.2 tonnes of ivory moving across the Vietnamese border into a remote area of China,” says TRAFFIC's ivory trade expert, Tom Milliken.

“These grim figures are testimony to just how active this illegal trade route is.”

This incident comes shortly after Vietnamese authorities seized more than 200 kg of ivory being smuggled in the north central province of Nghe An in September. Three men connected to the shipment were arrested by local authorities and are currently being held awaiting prosecution.

In 2007, a TRAFFIC report presented to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) warned that Asian-run organized crime syndicates based in Africa were increasingly using Viet Nam as a conduit for ivory moving on to China.

Vietnamese law enforcement officers have recently met some of their counterparts in southern Africa, to strengthen international collaboration on tackling international, organized wildlife crime.

Read more!

Millions of birds migrating to Spain face painful deaths in glue-filled traps

Up to 4 million birds trapped illegally this year face a slow, sticky end before being sold to restaurants for tapas, say campaigners
Giles Tremlett guardian.co.uk 4 Nov 11;

Up to four million migrating birds will be killed by illegal Spanish hunters this year, with many dying a slow, sticky death in traps that literally glue the animals to the ground, according to campaigners.

Thrushes flying south for a warm Mediterranean winter this week will, as usual, run a gauntlet of illegal hunters who kill some two million birds in their peak hunting season: the six late autumn weeks in which Spanish skies fill with migrating birds.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of hunters in Castellón, eastern Spain, and neighbouring areas will have already set their so-called parany traps – copses filled with glue-covered twigs and spikes.

Most of the illegally trapped birds will end up as tapas in Spanish bars, fried tidbits that locals claim are part of a cultural heritage stretching back to Roman times. "There are pictures of parany traps in the mosaics of Pompeii," said Miguel Angel Bayarri of the trappers' Apaval association. "This is a tradition that has existed for centuries and that we will continue to fight for."

Hunting of song and mistle thrushes and their cousin the redwing is not illegal, but the methods used are, despite attempts by legislators to introduce exceptions.

Campaigners say the painful deaths suffered by the birds, whose wings are glued together before their necks are broken or their heads squashed, contravene European wildlife laws.

"There have been sentences against this in the courts in Madrid and at the European court in Luxembourg," said Mario Giménez, head of SEO/Birdlife in the eastern region of Valencia.

Up to two of every five birds that fall into the parany traps will not be thrushes. Hundreds of thousands of other migrating insectivores such as robins, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and black redstarts will die. Local birds, including warblers and owls, also fall prey to the parany trick.

"That only happens if the trap is badly operated," said Bayarri. "Our members only catch thrushes. This is just banning for banning's sake."

But Giménez said few parany operators went through the laborious process of cleaning glue off birds that may not be hunted.

"Even those cleaned up with dissolvent often don't survive," he said.

Campaigners say it is time politicians, whose attempts at legalising the traps in Valencia's regional parliament have been stymied by Spain's higher courts, publicly disavow a tradition that contravenes EU law. But protecting local traditions wins votes in rural areas where setting and emptying traps may also involve evenings or weekends of food, drink and partying.

Hunting continues, even though Apaval has this year asked its members not to set the traps, where recordings of birdsong are used to lure passing birds into thickets of trees. Unable to use their glued wings, the birds fall to the ground and are killed by hand.

At least 340 functioning parany traps have been identified in the past few weeks, according to Spain's Association of Environmental Officers. "They are only the first ones discovered so far this year," said a spokesman. "In previous years we have found some 2,000 traps."

"The hunting continues, it is just not so flagrant," said Giménez. "We have seen the traps and heard the birdsong recordings that they use. Now when they hear a car, they do at least turn the machine off."

Those caught using the illegal parany method can be fined up to €200,000 (£170,000) and may also end up with a criminal record.

Previously, special whistles were used to attract the birds, but these were replaced by tape-recordings and, now, digital devices.

While the thrushes were once an important food source in the countryside of eastern Spain, birds are now mostly sold secretly to bars and restaurants. Many are stored in freezers to be sold later.

Campaigners fear that with a change in Spain's government due after a general election on 20 November, authorities will once more turn a blind eye to illegal hunting of migratory birds.

"The People's party is expected to win, and that is the same party that has tried to legalise this in Valencia," said Giménez. "We don't want a new government turning the clock back."

Read more!

Biggest spike ever in global warming gases: US

AFPBy Kerry Sheridan AFP Yahoo News 5 Nov 11;

The amount of global warming gases sent into the atmosphere made an unprecedented jump in 2010, according to the US Department of Energy's latest world data on carbon dioxide emissions.

"It's big," said Tom Boden, director of the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center Environmental Sciences Division at the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

"Our data go back to 1751, even before the Industrial Revolution. Never before have we seen a 500-million-metric-ton carbon increase in a single year," he told AFP.

The 512 million metric ton increase amounted to a near six percent rise between 2009 and 2010, going from 8.6 billion metric tons to 9.1 billion.

Large jumps, measured from C02 emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of burning coal and gas, were visible in China, the United States and India, the world's top three polluters.

Significant spikes over 2009 were also seen in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, Poland and Kazakhstan.

Some countries, like Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Spain, New Zealand and Pakistan actually showed slight declines from 2009 to 2010, but those nations were uncommon. Much of Europe showed a moderate uptick.

The figures could indicate economic recovery from the global recession of 2007-2008, according to Boden.

"At least from an energy consumption standpoint, companies were back to manufacturing levels that rivaled pre-2008 levels, people were traveling again so emissions from the transportation sector rivaled those of pre-2008," he said.

But the data also raised concerns about the health of the environment.

"This is very bad news," said John Abraham, associate professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering in Minnesota.

"These results show that it will be harder to make the tough cuts to emissions if we are to head off a climate crisis."

The data is derived from United Nations statistics gathered from every country in the world about fossil fuel energy stockpiles, imports, exports and production, as well as energy data compiled by oil giant BP.

"If you know how much of a fuel is consumed and you know the oxidation rate and you know the carbon content of the fuel, you can derive the emission estimate, so it is a pretty straightforward algorithm as far as the calculation," said Boden.

The US team has been calculating the data in the same way over the past two decades, so the hike in 2010 was initially viewed with disbelief by Boden and some if his colleagues.

"We were a bit shocked. Our first reaction was, 'Gee, there must be some problems in the underlying energy data,'" he said.

"Then, when we actually started to explore other data streams, like the population data, like GDP data, and when we started to look at the actual atmospheric data, all of it paints a consistent picture and we believe it."

China alone was the biggest polluter with a spike of 212 million metric tons in 2010 over 2009, compared to 59 million metric tons more from the United States and 48 million metric tons more from India.

"Science tells us that we are driving in a fog headed toward a cliff but are unsure just how far away it is," said climate scientist Scott Mandia.

"Given this warning, it is quite foolish to be stepping on the accelerator."

Biggest jump ever seen in global warming gases
Seth Borenstein AP Yahoo News 4 Nov 11;

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global warming.

The new figures for 2010 mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago.

"The more we talk about the need to control emissions, the more they are growing," said John Reilly, co-director of MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

The world pumped about 564 million more tons (512 million metric tons) of carbon into the air in 2010 than it did in 2009. That's an increase of 6 percent. That amount of extra pollution eclipses the individual emissions of all but three countries — China, the United States and India, the world's top producers of greenhouse gases.

It is a "monster" increase that is unheard of, said Gregg Marland, a professor of geology at Appalachian State University, who has helped calculate Department of Energy figures in the past.

Extra pollution in China and the U.S. account for more than half the increase in emissions last year, Marland said.

"It's a big jump," said Tom Boden, director of the Energy Department's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at Oak Ridge National Lab. "From an emissions standpoint, the global financial crisis seems to be over."

Boden said that in 2010 people were traveling, and manufacturing was back up worldwide, spurring the use of fossil fuels, the chief contributor of man-made climate change.

India and China are huge users of coal. Burning coal is the biggest carbon source worldwide and emissions from that jumped nearly 8 percent in 2010.

"The good news is that these economies are growing rapidly so everyone ought to be for that, right?" Reilly said Thursday. "Broader economic improvements in poor countries has been bringing living improvements to people. Doing it with increasing reliance on coal is imperiling the world."

In 2007, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its last large report on global warming, it used different scenarios for carbon dioxide pollution and said the rate of warming would be based on the rate of pollution. Boden said the latest figures put global emissions higher than the worst case projections from the climate panel. Those forecast global temperatures rising between 4 and 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century with the best estimate at 7.5 degrees.

Even though global warming skeptics have attacked the climate change panel as being too alarmist, scientists have generally found their predictions too conservative, Reilly said. He said his university worked on emissions scenarios, their likelihood, and what would happen. The IPCC's worst case scenario was only about in the middle of what MIT calculated are likely scenarios.

Chris Field of Stanford University, head of one of the IPCC's working groups, said the panel's emissions scenarios are intended to be more accurate in the long term and are less so in earlier years. He said the question now among scientists is whether the future is the panel's worst case scenario "or something more extreme."

"Really dismaying," Granger Morgan, head of the engineering and public policy department at Carnegie Mellon University, said of the new figures. "We are building up a horrible legacy for our children and grandchildren."

But Reilly and University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver found something good in recent emissions figures. The developed countries that ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas limiting treaty have reduced their emissions overall since then and have achieved their goals of cutting emissions to about 8 percent below 1990 levels. The U.S. did not ratify the agreement.

In 1990, developed countries produced about 60 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, now it's probably less than 50 percent, Reilly said.

"We really need to get the developing world because if we don't, the problem is going to be running away from us," Weaver said. "And the problem is pretty close from running away from us."


Government carbon dioxide info center: http://cdiac.ornl.gov/

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 4 Nov 11

The Story Behind Stalk Eyed Flies
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Wild Red Junglefowl sighted at Sin Min Avenue (Part 2)
from Bird Ecology Study Group

zoanthids @ sekudu - Oct2011
from sgbeachbum and haddon's carpet anemone @ sekudu - Oct2011

Shipside
from The annotated budak

Paint along with Pui San: 27 Nov (Sun)
from Art in Wetlands

Read more!

PUB gears up for more rain, possible flash floods

New safeguards include using CCTVs to monitor real-time conditions
Kezia Toh Straits Times 4 Nov 11;

BRACE yourselves for more rain and possibly flash floods from now until the end of January, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

It expects this monsoon season to be wetter than usual, with rain likely on most days.

The weak La Nina currently prevailing could be one factor behind such higher-than-average rainfall, said the agency at a media briefing yesterday. The term refers to a weather phenomenon in which lower sea temperatures in the Pacific induce more clouds to form.

In anticipation of possible floods, national water agency PUB is ramping up precautionary efforts, for example, by installing CCTVs in flood-prone areas.

By next month, it will have added 55 cameras to the current six, which have been mounted along Bukit Timah Road as part of a trial. The new cameras will be at locations such as Claymore Drive and Cuscaden Road in the central area, Boon Lay Way and Commonwealth Lane in the West, and Kampong Buangkok and Chai Chee Road in the East.

The equipment will allow PUB to monitor real-time conditions, and push out information and alerts more quickly to the media and the public.

In addition, PUB is expanding its network of sensors to track water levels at drains and canals, increasing them from the current 93 to 150 by the year-end.

To prevent drains from being choked, it has stepped up drainage maintenance, especially in areas that are flood-prone, that see heavy pedestrian traffic or large amounts of litter, or that have densely planted trees with heavy leaf fall.

Last month, flash floods hit Singapore three times, affecting many areas. At Woodsville Flyover and the junction of Mandai and Woodlands Roads, PUB officers found choked drains.

Rainfall was higher than normal last month, reaching 216.8mm, compared with the long-term average of 193.7mm for the month, NEA figures showed.

Mr Tan Nguan Sen, the director of catchment and waterways at PUB, said intense rain and the existence of low-lying areas could be partially responsible for the floods. Also, as an island, Singapore is subject to high tides.

While the latest measures might not guarantee that certain sections of the island will be flood-free, they could help reduce the chance of floods, he added.

Mr George Madhavan, the director of 3P Network, which oversees PUB's strategic communications and community relations efforts, said: 'What we can do is try our best to have a robust approach to flood and drainage management, put in our best effort and, with the help of the community, share information about ponding or flash floods occurring.'

The public can report flash floods by contacting PUB's 24-hour call centre on 1800-284-6600.

A panel of local and international experts, set up in July to look into flood problems, will finalise its report by early next year.

In making preliminary recommendations on how to handle freak storms, it said the authorities could study weather patterns and collect more extensive information about the rain - before it falls and even as it is falling. The data could then be used to design canals that are better able to handle the consequences of such storms.

Experts also expect this year's North-east monsoon season to be wetter than usual. Typically, the monsoon dominates conditions between December and March, with a dry surge at the tail end that lasts through February and March.

Associate Professor Matthias Roth at the geography department of the National University of Singapore said: 'The current La Nina conditions are expected to strengthen and continue through the winter into next year, favouring above-average rainfall across the region.'

Meanwhile, shopkeepers operating in flood-prone areas here are already preparing themselves for wet weather.

For senior chef Zakir Ullah, 29, this includes raking up leaves and litter every day from drains around his grilled meat restaurant in Little India.

'If it floods, I would have to close my kitchen and business would suffer,' he said.

High-tech help to keep drains clear of debris
Inspection of drains stepped up; new gadgets make clearing easier
Kezia Toh Straits Times 4 Nov 11;

WITH the current wet weather already causing flash floods, making sure drains are not choked is critical.

In flood-prone Little India, for instance, flushing the drains of leaves, litter and soil is now done weekly.

Inspections by the contractors take place daily instead of two to three times a week.

Mr V. Rajandran, manager of the catchment and waterways department at national water agency PUB, said the frequency of inspections depends on the number of trees - more trees mean more leaves are shed - and amount of pedestrian traffic in the area.

In some areas, inspections could take place once a week but during the monsoon season, the pace is stepped up to twice a week. New gadgets have helped speed up the work of clearing drains.

About two years ago, a two-man team would have to squat and peer into dark drains to manually rake up leaves and litter. Today, a rectangular opening at the sides of roads - called a drop-inlet chamber - allows for the use of a 5m-long extendable funnel which works as a vacuum cleaner. A worker opens the grille and sucks up the debris with the funnel, all under two minutes.

For larger closed drains that are nearly 1.5m deep, a worker lowers a camera at the end of a pole into the drain. Images captured pop up on a tablet's screen.

Mr Rajandran said: 'We are looking out not just for debris such as tin cans, garbage bags and plastic bottles, but also possible ponding of water.'

The latter may provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes which spread dengue.

Previously, workers had to manually lift the drain covers, crouch and take a picture for inspection.

Next, the team flushes the drain by inserting a nozzle with a high-pressure jet, placing a net at the end to catch the litter.

Three drains' worth of litter fill up about one-sixth of a large black garbage bag.

The job is usually done at night along the main roads and in commercial areas, and in the daytime in residential areas.

The fight to keep Singapore dry will also get a boost when work to widen and deepen drains along Syed Alwi Road and Kampong Kapor Road is completed by mid-2013.

PUB to install 55 CCTVs at flood-prone areas islandwide
Kezia Toh Straits Times 3 Nov 11;

National water agency PUB is installing closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) at flood-prone areas. Currently, there are six cameras along Bukit Timah Road as part of a trial, and by early December this year, there will be 55 more cameras all over the island.

This will help to monitor real-time conditions in flood-prone areas and allow faster response - pushing out information faster to warn the public, for example.

In a media briefing on Thursday, the environment agency said that higher than average rainfall is expected for this north-east monsoon season, which typically lasts between November and January.

It will also expand its network of sensors to track water levels at drains and canals, and has stepped up its drainage maintenance regime to minimise the risk of flash floods.

PUB to install 55 CCTVs in flood-prone areas
Channel NewsAsia 3 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB is installing 55 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at flood-prone areas in Singapore, mostly in the central, eastern and western parts of the island.

The installation is expected to be completed by early December this year.

PUB said the installation of more CCTVs follows the success of its trial project along Bukit Timah Road, where six cameras were installed.

The PUB said having these CCTVs help it to respond more quickly during intense storms or flash floods.

Tan Nguan Sen, Director (Catchment & Waterways) at PUB, elaborated: "We have to look at the critical locations like major canals....old low-lying areas. So we choose (where to install the CCTVs) based on these two main criteria."

As for other areas, the PUB is working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to use its traffic cameras to monitor real-time conditions in the event of floods.

The installation of CCTVs is part of the PUB's initiatives to step up flood management efforts in preparation for the Northeast Monsoon.

According to the National Environment Agency's (NEA) Meteorological Service,
Singapore can expect more rainy days ahead during the coming Northeast Monsoon season between mid-November this year and end of January next year.

For Singapore, on average there are 19 rain days each in November and
December, and 15 rain days in January.

However, the prevailing weak La Nina in the Pacific Ocean could contribute to a wetter than usual Northeast Monsoon season this year.

To enhance monitoring efforts, the PUB is expanding the network of sensors to
track water levels at various drains and canals.

More water level sensors are being installed and this will bring the total number of sensors from the current 93 to 150 by the end of the year.

The PUB has also stepped up its drainage maintenance regime to keep the drains flowing and minimise the risks of flash floods.

This includes increasing the frequency of inspection and cleaning, especially in the flood-prone areas and areas where there is high pedestrian traffic and litter, and roads densely planted with trees with heavy leaf falls.

The PUB has also gone door-to-door to distribute flood advisories to 371 units in low-lying, flood-prone areas, such as those in Mountbatten Road and Kampong Buangkok.

- CNA/ac/ms/ir

Wet weather affects outdoor businesses
Evelyn Lam Channel NewsAsia 3 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's recent wet weather has not been good news for some outdoor businesses.

Racecraft Infinity at Yishun's Bottle Tree Park said its outdoor racing track is often flooded when it rains, and attempts to shield it with plastic canvas have not helped. It can cost up to S$1,000 to repair the track each time.

Its owner said he has lost 80 per cent of his customers this month.

On a regular weekend, he can earn up to S$5,000 to S$6,000. But with the rainy weather, he's only making about S$1,000 to S$2,000.

The nearby S&E Fishing Services has also seen a 30 to 40 per cent drop in business in the past month. Its fishing pond normally attracts some 50 customers over the weekend, but with the rain, it has been seeing about 10 customers.

The businesses hope things will pick up with the upcoming school holidays. Promotions to reel in customers include adding more fish to the pond and extending operating hours.

-CNA/ac

PUB to install 55 more CCTV cameras in flood-prone areas
Today Online 4 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE - Following a successful trial - in which six CCTV cameras were fitted along Bukit Timah Road to monitor the area during heavy rain - the PUB will install another 55 CCTVs at other flood-prone areas here by early next month.

These CCTV cameras will help to monitor real-time conditions in the areas and allow faster response. The announcement comes ahead of an expectation of more rainy days ahead in the next few weeks.

The Meteorological Service Singapore said yesterday that higher than average rainfall is expected for this north-east monsoon season, which will fall between the middle of this month and end-January.

The north-east monsoon season is characterised by short-duration thundery showers mainly in the afternoon and evening, and about two to four episodes of monsoon surges.

The long-term average number of rainy days is 19 in November, 19 in December and 15 in January.

The PUB has distributed flood advisories to 371 residential units and shop-houses in the central, western and eastern regions. According to the board, these are low-lying areas, some of which are also subject to tidal influence.

Apart from informing the occupants of the possibility of flash floods, information on the precautions they could take to protect their belongings is also provided, it said.

The PUB is also working with building owners on the measures that they could implement to provide additional protection for their premises.

For instance, Liat Towers and Tong Building have installed flood gates.

The PUB will also expand its network of sensors to track water levels at drains and canals and has stepped up its drainage maintenance regime to minimise the risk of flash floods.

Apart from the regular weather forecast, the National Environment Agency will issue warnings when heavy rain is expected.

Read more!

Malaysia Ready For Likely Worst Floods In Decades

Bernama 3 Nov 11;

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- As rain continues to fall daily throughout the country and the wet season of the Northeast Monsoon begins to set in, the authorities are bracing for the worst floods anticipated in decades.

The preparations began as early as July 1, with the unprecedented floods in Thailand serving as a grim reminder of the intensity with which the natural disaster can strike.

National Security Council (NSC) secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said all plans are in place and the feedback has come in from every relevant agency.

"We have held meetings with the various agencies involved, such as the armed forces, social welfare department, the police and others," he told Bernama.

Mohamed Thajudeen said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to chair a special meeting on Nov 15.

Muhyiddin had said earlier that the government is preparing to face the floods anticipated to be on a larger scale.

Mohamed Thajudeen said every government agency involved will report on the plans and preparations to face the floods.

He advised the people, particularly those living in flood-prone areas, to ensure their safety and listen to the advice of the authorities when the floods strike.

Parents should make sure that their children are safe and do not play or swim in the floodwaters, he said.

Meanwhile, Fire & Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said the department was ready to render aid during the floods.

He said the department had divulged its plans in facing the floods at meetings held with the various other government agencies.

"The updates on our preparations will be provided at the special meeting on Nov 15 to be chaired by Tan Sri Muhyiddin," he said.

In KANGAR, some people hope that the flood forecast will turn out to be wrong because they have yet to recover from the trauma of the November 2010 and March 2011 floods which struck Perlis.

"I am in no mood to evacuate again if the floods occur. It is impossible to save everything," said Abdul Halim Ismail, 35, of Kampung Tok Kuning.

Recently, Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo, director of the Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (SEADPRI-UKM), had named Perlis as one of the places expected to face massive floods with the setting in of the Northeast Monsoon, besides Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, eastern Sarawak and Sabah.

He had said that the current wet season could see 40 per cent of 880 millimetres more rain compared to last year's.

Farmer Kassim Ahmad, 58, from Abi and vegetable farmer Ku Ibrahim Ku Ali, 48, of Beseri are keeping their fingers crossed that the anticipated floods will not happen.

Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu had said that the state government has sought a supplementary allocation of RM40 million from the federal government to prepare for the floods.

A check by Bernama showed that work was going on to deepen and clean up rivers flowing into Sungai Perlis to ensure smooth flow of water into the sea.

In IPOH, Perak State Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim said the state government would take proactive measures, such as evacuating people in low-lying areas just before the floods strike.

He said this would make evacuation easier and reduce operational cost while saving the property of the evacuees.

Dr Abdul Rahman said the state government had prepared a profile of flood-prone areas and the number of people often affected by the disaster.

The state government has set up a RM100,000 disaster relief fund and instructed district officers to ensure that the drainage system in their areas is functioning smoothly.

In KUALA LUMPUR, the Works Ministry cautioned the people to be wary of landslide risk in view of the rainy season which it expects to prolong until early next year.

In a statement, it advised all relevant agencies and the people to take precautionary measures and make inspections on the areas where landslides are likely to occur.

It wanted them to clean up water drainage systems atop hills and on hillslopes, let collected water flow into drains and ensure that drains were not clogged with vegetation or refuse.

"If an electric pole or a tree on a hillslope is slanting, it is a sign of imminent slope collapse," it said in a statement.

The ministry advised road users and hillslope residents to report to the authorities should they detect signs of an imminent landslide, and said the residents should then move out immediately.

It said it would issue a guide on signs of imminent landslides soon.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had made all the necessary preparations to face the anticipated floods.

Its director, Kamaruddin Hussin, said today the personnel would be deployed to flood-prone locations such as Rantau Panjang, Tumpat, Kota Baharu, Jeli, Tanah Merah and Kuala Krai.

He said the Civil Defence Department in Kelantan had 27,000 volunteers who were well trained to assist the other security forces during a disaster.

In JOHOR BAHARU, Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said preparations are being made by the state government to face the eventuality of floods.

He said the state government would bank on its experience of having handled the floods which hit the state in 2006, 2007 and early this year in making the preparations.

He also said that 154 residents in flood-prone areas in Taman Melati and Taman Kiambang, both in the Tebrau parliamentary constituency, would be relocated to the Johor Land Berhad low-cost housing project in Taman Bukit Tiram. Johor Land Berhad is a subsidiary of Johor Corporation.

-- BERNAMA

Read more!

Relief Is Slow to Reach Cambodia Flood Victims

Thomas Fuller New York Times 2 Nov 11;

BATTAMBANG, Cambodia — The high water is devastating even for a country inured to monsoon rains and waterlogged rice fields: wide swaths of Cambodia’s countryside have become giant lakes, with villagers and livestock marooned on scattered patches of dry land.

The floods that have affected three-quarters of the country’s land area, by the United Nations’ estimate, have been overshadowed by similar troubles in Cambodia’s larger and wealthier neighbor, Thailand, where the government is scrambling to protect central Bangkok from inundation.

Here in Cambodia, though, aid workers describe a more Darwinian struggle and a generally higher degree of desperation among villagers.

“This is the worst I’ve seen in my career,” said Soen Seueng, a 58-year-old doctor who tended to a long line of flood victims on Wednesday, most of them women and children, who were camped on a strip of raised land accessible only by boat.

Dr. Seueng grasped the limp arm of a 6-year-old girl, Lor Chaneut, who received a diagnosis of dengue fever, the mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal without close medical attention. “You must take her to the hospital,” Dr. Seueng urged the girl’s family.

The girl’s mother, Jeok Kimsan, said the family’s savings were wiped out by the floods. “We will go to the hospital when we get some money,” she said, as her husband built a fish trap.

Flood victims, many of whom begged a foreign visitor for help, took shelter here under plastic sheeting, like refugees from a civil war. Cows, pigs and chickens shared the strip of dry land, which was covered with animal and human waste.

“The toilet is everywhere,” said Henry Y. Sophorn, a Cambodian-born American who represents a nonprofit group, Disadvantaged Cambodians Organization, which is part of a syndicate delivering aid to flood victims.

In Thailand, the government has used helicopters, military vehicles and an array of equipment to reach and assist flood victims, but in Cambodia the work of providing basic necessities has been largely left to private organizations.

“The government can only help a small number of people — they don’t have the capacity,” said Mr. Sophorn, whose organization has supplied 3,400 families with medical care, rice, instant noodles, canned fish and bottled water, using money from a donor in Hong Kong who has asked to remain anonymous.

With little or no government assistance, many villagers have been left to fend for themselves.

“The big impact is just starting,” said Sen Jeunsafy, a spokeswoman in Cambodia for Save the Children, an international aid organization. “What we have done is provided immediate relief. But collectively, we have not been able to reach every family.”

Aid workers say the full scope of the flood crisis in Cambodia is not yet known, because many affected areas are remote and out of communication. In all, the United Nations estimates that 1.2 million people out of a population of about 15 million may have been affected.

Rice farmers and fishermen in Cambodia have long abided by the rhythm of the monsoon and dry seasons, which causes the country’s largest freshwater lake, Tonle Sap, to swell and contract. But this year, relentless rains brought flooding to the highest levels in living memory, said Ngin Vath, a 50-year-old fisherman. “Normally at this time of year everything is dry.”

Villagers say the water has finally started to recede. Where only treetops were visible, the tips of ruined rice stalks now peek above the surface. But the floodwaters remain dangerous: two children drowned last week, Mr. Vath said.

With rice crops ruined and houses destroyed, reconstruction will be difficult, Ms. Jeunsafy said. “People will face many problems just trying to survive.”

Read more!