Best of our wild blogs: 26 Dec 13

Crocodile! What should I do?!
from wild shores of singapore

unknown raptor flypast @ lorong halus - Dec 2013
from sgbeachbum and sooty-headed bulbuls @ lorong halus - Dec 2013

Butterflies Galore! : Bush Hopper
from Butterflies of Singapore

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‘Wind corridors’ for future Marina South residents

Woo Sian Boon Today Online 26 Dec 13;

SINGAPORE — Residents of the future Marina South precinct — one of three new residential precincts unveiled in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) draft master plan last month — may find walking literally a breeze and may also end up with greater energy savings as a result.

The authorities are looking to harness wind as a natural way to cool the entire district, which is located east of Marina Bay. This includes aligning major arterial roads — such as Marina Gardens Drive — in the precinct to the prevailing winds Singapore receives during different monsoon periods, to create “wind corridors”.

During the first half of the year between December to March, north-east monsoon winds will be funnelled into the area, while winds from the southwest monsoon will be channelled from June to September. The URA will also stipulate that future buildings in Marina South have varying heights — to a maximum of 160m — to create a “wind downwash effect” that will channel air downwards to pedestrian levels, with each building located more than 30m apart for better ventilation.

Said a URA spokesperson: “As a green field site in Marina Bay, Marina South presents an opportunity to adopt sustainable urban design principles. One of these strategies is to facilitate better wind flow for enhanced air movement to create a lower ambient temperature and improve pedestrian comfort at street level.”

The precinct will also boast buildings that are 30 per cent more energy-efficient than those in other areas, “extensive greenery and open spaces” to help reduce heat build-up.

Development will begin after 2017 and 9,000 private housing units have been planned for the 21.5ha of land. To arrive at these planning principles, URA had worked with the National University of Singapore (NUS)’s School of Design and Environment to study urban forms and how varying building typologies can better channel air movement.

The concept of harnessing wind movement to facilitate air movement and maximise ventilation is not new and has been implemented in public housing estates. For example, void decks located below Housing and Development Board flats and the distance between blocks provide “porosity” for air movement.

“At the same time, building blocks are usually oriented to take advantage of the prevailing wind direction to allow for natural ventilation of individual units and reduce the reliance on mechanical air-conditioning,” said the URA spokesperson.

NUS Department of Real Estate Associate Professor Tay Kah-Poh noted that for private housing, some property developers conduct their own wind studies before development, and that eco-friendly and sustainable design is “increasingly embedded” in urban developments. “Usually, they try to rely on natural ventilation as much as possible and less on mechanical means of cooling,” he said.

Associate Professor Ng Wai Keen from NUS School of Design and Environment’s Department of Architecture said: “Early HDB (flats), with the slab block/common corridor design, also facilitated natural cross ventilation. However, in the more recent configurations, this has been lost. So, attempting to recover this aspect is certainly welcome, and will help to reduce dependency on air-condition systems.”

Lower outdoor temperatures can influence how much energy is used to cool buildings, pointed out Professor Wong Nyuk Hien from the NUS School of Design and Environment’s Department of Building. He said: “Studies have shown that typically for one degree drop in the air temperature, the reduction of cooling energy consumption can be about 5 per cent. Though it seems small, but when you multiply the number of buildings in a typical township or district, the total energy savings could be tremendous.”

But besides the “clever” placement of buildings, researcher Marcel Bruelisauer at the Future Cities Laboratory’s Low Exergy Module added that further factors such as building form, facade openings and floor layouts need to be considered as well.

“(These) heavily influence whether or not building users can benefit from sufficient cross-ventilation, making air-conditioning unnecessary,” Mr Bruelisauer said. His fellow researchers Maria Papadopoulou and Didier Vernay added that the neighbourhoods and buildings can be designed in a way that allows the wind to carry away trapped heat from air-conditioners’ condensing units to reduce electricity bills.

Meanwhile, the HDB has also conducted wind simulation studies for new towns such as Punggol and Bidadari. Said the URA spokesperson: “Going forward, agencies will take the opportunity to improve air flow through such simulations when planning for larger precincts.”

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Dec 13

Counting and counting
from Caryota Confessionals

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Malaysia: Second wave of floods in Pahang from Dec 30

The Star 25 Dec 13;

KUANTAN: The Pahang Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued a warning on the possibility of a second wave of floods in the state from Dec 30.

Its director, Azemi Daud said heavy rainfall was forecasted from Dec 30 to Jan 6 especially in Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.

"High tide is expected to occur at the same time while wind speed was forecast at 50 to 60km per hour," he told reporters after attending a briefing on preparations for the second wave of floods on Tuesday.

Also present was the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Azemi said according to early forecast, heavy rain occurred in four stages, namely, the first one from Dec 2 to Dec 6, which caused severe floods in Pahang.

"The second stage was forecast to take place on Dec 18 to Dec 22, but it did not take place.

"So, the second stage is forecast to take place on Dec 30 to Jan 6, and will be followed up by two more stages which were expected to happen before early March next year," he said.

The floods in Pahang recently forced the relocation of more than 40,000 people to relief centres.

The districts affected were Kuantan, Pekan, Rompin, Jerantut, Temerloh, Raub, Bera, Lipis and Maran.

Based on reports, losses from the floods amounted to more than RM65mil.

Three people drowned in the floods. - Bernama

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Malaysia: Thousands of Tamban fish beach themselves at Tabisan, Sabah

Mugutan Vanar The Star 24 Dec 13;

KOTA KINABALU: Thousands of fishes splashed into the shores of Kg Tabisan in Sabah’s eastern Lahad Datu district sparking speculations of what omen it brings in the year end.

Villagers rushed to scoop up the fishes, locally known as Tamban, while others were divided over whether it was good omen or bad omen.

However, local villager Suzila Abdullah, who operates a sundry shop in the village, said that the phenomenon had been occurring in the past three years.

"But it is different this year because the number of fishes are exceptionally high.

“In the past, most would have been scooped up by the end of the day but today there is still a lot more left,’’ she said when contacted by on Tuesday.

Suzila said that she believed that strong currents and waves caused the fishes to come to shore during the current season but it only last about two or three days.

The villagers cooked the fish while some collected it and took it up to Lahad Datu and other districts to sell.

The Tamban fish is popular among villagers.

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Indonesia builds sanctuary to save world's rarest rhino

Arlina Arshad (AFP) Google News 24 Dec 13;

Ujung Kulon — On a leaf-covered dirt path overlooking lush paddy fields in western Indonesia, the world's rarest rhino had left a trail of hoofprints in the soft mud and bite marks on foliage.

For people seeking a glimpse of the Javan rhino -- revered in local folklore as Abah Gede, or the Great Father -- such small signs are likely to be the closest they get.

There are thought to be only around 50 of the animals left in existence, all living in the wild in Ujung Kulon National Park, an area of stunning natural beauty on the western tip of Indonesia's main island of Java.

But now conservationists are hoping that the country's first ever Javan rhino sanctuary, which will open in the park in the coming months, can pull the animal back from the brink of extinction.

The shy creature, whose folds of loose skin give it the appearance of wearing armour plating, once numbered in the thousands and roamed across Southeast Asia.

But, like other rhino species across the world, poaching and human encroachment on its habitat has led to a dramatic population decline, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature saying the animal is "making its last stand".

The new sanctuary will encompass 5,100 hectares (12,600 acres) of lush rainforest, freshwater streams and mudholes in the park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It is not due to open until March but park officials say that from hoofprints and bite marks, they believe nine rhinos have already wandered into new areas set aside for them.

"It means our scheme to turn this sanctuary into a comfortable home for them is working," the park's habitat manager Rusdianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP.

The rhinos were already living mainly in one corner of the park.

But the new sanctuary has expanded the area suitable for them and relocated farmers who were living there to reduce the chances of animal-human conflict.

An electric fence is also being constructed -- the final piece of work that needs to be completed -- to mark the boundary and prevent the rhinos from straying out of the sanctuary and humans from coming in.

Park officials, who are government employees, have also been planting suitable food for the rhinos. During a recent visit by AFP, workers were seen clearing palm trees from the area and replacing them with shrubs and small trees.

"We hope this sanctuary will hasten breeding and lead to more births of this treasured rare animal," park chief Moh Haryono told AFP.

"In a more enclosed space, the male and female rhino will have more opportunities to frolic and mate freely."

Rhinos around the world are under threat

Yet setting up the sanctuary, which is government-run but fully funded by US-based charity the International Rhino Foundation, has been no easy task.

It was originally due to open in 2011 but was held up due to red tape, a common problem in the sprawling Indonesian archipelago, which has a huge and often inefficient bureaucracy.

Work also stalled for a year due to protests from residents demanding compensation for farmland they had to give up, as well as from local animal activists who felt the use of heavy machinery to build the fence threatened the environment.

However all obstacles now seem to have been overcome and, barring any last-minute hold-ups, the sanctuary should officially open soon.

Nevertheless it is just a small step in an uphill battle to save the Javan rhino. Officials in Ujung Kulon believe there were 51 of the rhinos in 2012, including eight calves, basing their estimate on images captured by hidden cameras.

They hope the true figure may be in the 70s and will have a new estimate once data for 2013 has been collated.

The case of the Javan rhinoceros highlights the plight of rhinos across the world, with other species also deemed to be under threat and some subspecies already believed to have died out.

Poaching in particular represents a severe threat, with rhino horns used in traditional Asian medicine fetching ever higher prices on the black market despite a lack of scientific evidence showing horn has any medicinal value.

In Indonesia, fewer than 100 of the critically endangered Sumatran rhinos remain; in 2011 the IUCN declared a rhino subspecies in western Africa extinct; and the group has said the Central African northern white rhino is "possibly extinct".

Asia has stepped up efforts to save the region's dwindling rhino populations, with representatives from several countries in October attending a conference on the issue on the western Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Countries represented, including Indonesia, Nepal and India, pledged to take steps to grow their rhino populations by three percent annually.

For the Javan rhino, its population already decimated, the threat is no longer poaching but food scarcity, illness and the risk of natural disasters in an archipelago where earthquakes and landslides are common, according to WWF Indonesia.

Despite the myriad threats, wildlife officials are hopeful the new sanctuary is a step in the right direction.

They have also been heartened by strong support from the local community.

Any effort to save the Great Father is applauded in an area where centuries-old beliefs persist and intertwine with the vast majority's Muslim faith.

"We must do all we can to prevent the Javan rhino from becoming extinct," Suhaya, a 67-year-old farmer who goes by one name, told AFP.

"Locals here believe that Abah Gede must not vanish from the face of the Earth, or disaster will befall us."

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Dec 13

RUN 350
from Zero Waste Singapore

Sharing the beauty of Changi shore
from wonderful creation

Chek Jawa Boardwalk with NHC (Nov 2013)
from wonderful creation

Milky Stork show opportunistic feeding behaviour
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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NEA exploring ways to improve waste collection

Today Online 24 Dec 13;
ONG SOO SAN, DIRECTOR, WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

We refer to the commentary by Mr Richard Hartung, “Daily rubbish pick-up is out of sync with times” (Dec 5).

In Singapore, refuse from domestic and trade premises contains a high percentage of food waste which putrefies rapidly in our hot and humid climate. If left uncollected for more than a day, the refuse would give rise to public health issues including odour nuisance and pest infestation. Daily removal of waste from these premises therefore helps to maintain high standards of public health, especially in the context of Singapore’s highly-compact living environment.

The National Environment Agency has been exploring ways in partnership with other agencies to improve our waste collection system as better technologies and cost-effective solutions become available. One such example is a project by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to test-bed the Pneumatic Refuse Collection Systems (PRCS) in Yuhua under the HDB’s Greenprint project. The PRCS is designed to convey waste by air suction from a cluster of apartment blocks via piping networks to a central storage station. Apart from being a totally enclosed system which would mitigate the above-mentioned public health issues, the collection truck also need only collect waste from a single point rather than from individual apartment blocks, thereby reducing transportation and manpower needs.

We will continue to explore the use of better technologies and solutions to store and collect refuse in an efficient and effective manner, while maintaining our high standards of public health. We thank Mr Hartung for his interest.

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Space for street art along Rail Corridor

Melissa Chong Channel NewsAsia 23 Dec 13;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's street artists will soon have a new space to practise their craft -- next year, an underpass along the Rail Corridor will be reserved for street art.

The underpass will join existing areas allocated for such purposes at *SCAPE and at the National Youth Council premises.

The area along the Rail Corridor is currently a recreational space, popular with joggers and cyclists.

But in 2014, park users can expect a touch of creative vibrancy at the underpass located near Buona Vista MRT station at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue and North Buona Vista Road.

Graffiti art has always been a common sight there, but authorities usually remove the work as soon as it appears, and this is set to change.

The two walls beneath the bridge will soon become a canvas for local street artists -- one of the few spaces in Singapore for them to showcase their work and practise their craft.

It will be curated by RSCLS, a local art collective which promotes street art.

Zul Othman, street artist and founder of RSCLS, said: “There are not really much spaces if you consider the number of artists that we have, maybe about 100 or more.

“Especially being in a country like Singapore, where there is a lot of restriction and red tape here and there.

“The core matter for RSCLS is giving more space for people to paint. It is something that you cannot do on a canvas -- I mean you can use spray paints on a canvas -- but the feel, the scale of it is different."

RSCLS hopes to invite both local and international street artists to use the space, and even hold 'art jamming' sessions for different artists to collaborate on larger pieces.

Discussions are also underway to hold an international graffiti event called "Meeting With Styles" in Singapore -- a first for the country.

Tan See Nin, senior director, Physical Planning at Urban Redevelopment Authority, said: “The Rail Corridor today is a recreational space, you have people walking, jogging, cycling, down the rail corridor. And they enjoy the green spaces along the way.

“But I think the green corridor can be more than just a green space. It can also be a community space. And certainly having artists in the underpass along the viaduct is very interesting, because it creates an art space that doesn't exist today, and hopefully over time, more people can participate in such activities along the Rail Corridor."

The interim art space will only last for a year, but more activities could be planned if the project is successful.

- CNA/fa/nd

New space for street artists along Rail Corridor
Tiara Hamarian Today Online 24 Dec 13;

SINGAPORE — Street artists will have a new and, possibly, largest space yet to showcase their works: The walls underneath the Commonwealth Avenue viaduct, which is along the Rail Corridor.

The two 40m by 5m walls beneath the viaduct, which street artists can use to hone their skills for one year — starting in January — are much larger than other existing spaces, such as the 30m by 2m space at the National Youth Council or the 9m by 2m panels at Somerset Skate Park.

Urban art collective RSCLS will be curating the space. Its founder Zul Othman, who goes by the moniker Zero, hailed it as a “great move ... especially for younger artists who are just starting out and are looking for space to practise their art”.

“They might not have contacts or even know the areas where they can do their graffiti, so providing this space will help them develop their skills,” the 34-year-old said.

The idea behind setting aside this space, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), is to “inject more vibrancy and community involvement into the Rail Corridor and provide a unique experience for users of this public space”.

Involving the community in enlivening public spaces through good design and programmes was one of the initiatives the URA launched in its Draft Master Plan 2013 released last month.

Said URA Senior Director for Physical Planning Tan See Nin: “The Rail Corridor is currently a recreational space with many people strolling, jogging and cycling along the trail and enjoying the green landscapes along the way. We would like the Rail Corridor to be a place for shared experiences and community bonding as well.”

Agreeing, Mr Zul said there will be more opportunities for street artists using the new space to interact with those who frequent the Rail Corridor. To raise awareness among the public about street art, RSCLS will also organise activities such as a street art jam.

National Arts Council Director of Arts and Youth Kenneth Kwok noted that street artists and their work “are an exciting part of Singapore’s diverse and vibrant arts scene”.

By providing street artists with such dedicated art spaces, it is hoped that they can express themselves and practise their craft, he added. “This is critical to the development of the Singapore street art scene, which the council will continue to support through grants, spaces and public engagement about the value of street art.”

The Rail Corridor has been the venue for several community events, such as mass runs and carnivals, so far. Last year, the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station was converted to host a fashion event by Female and Nuyou magazines. The second edition of the Green Corridor Run, scheduled to be held in May next year, will start at the railway station.

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Sinkhole forms on Commonwealth Avenue West

Kimberly Spykerman Channel NewsAsia 23 Dec 13;

SINGAPORE: A sinkhole was formed on a section of the road along Commonwealth Avenue West in the direction of the city on Monday morning.

Singapore Power said this happened while a SP PowerGrid-appointed contractor was laying electricity cables.

The sinkhole is about two metres in diameter.

No one was injured in the incident and the affected area was immediately cordoned off.

SP said its priority was to ensure public safety.

SP said it is investigating the cause of the incident and its engineers are on site to access the situation.

Two lanes of the affected road have been closed to facilitate repair works.

A third lane is still open to traffic.

It remains unclear how long the repair works will take.

- CNA/fa

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Indonesia: Conservationist Laments Fast Decline in Indonesia’s Small Rhino Population

Jakarta Globe 23 Dec 13;

Indonesia has seen a dramatic decline in the number of Javan and Sumatran rhinos over the past eight years, according to a director of an organization dedicated to preserving the animals.

“Rhinos can no longer be found in Jambi, South Sumatra and Bengkulu — places that were once the main habitat for those populations,” Indonesia Rhino Foundation (YABI) executive director Widodo Ramono said, as quoted by Antaranews.com.

According to him, the rhino population not in captivity in Java and Sumatra has fallen from 800 eight years ago to an estimated 100 now. Thirty of them are in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung.

The remainder, he said, now live in South Bukit Barisan National Park, spanning the Sumatran provinces of Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra.

Speaking at a workshop and socialization event for law enforcement against the killing and trade of protected animals, Widodo called on the government and public to make serious efforts to protect the animals, which are on the brink of extinction.

Rhino horns remain a sought-after ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, and demand for it in countries such as China and Vietnam has led to thousands of the animals being killed across Africa and Asia in recent years.

“Rhinos are part of what supports humans’ ecosystem,” he said. “Poaching and forest encroachment have become the main cause of their decline.”

Widodo said YABI was committed to ensuring local rhinos were well protected.

“It is such a shame conservation efforts cannot balance out the speed at which they are going extinct,” he said.

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Indonesia: Thousands Displaced as Floods, Landslides Devastate Central Java Province

Jakarta Globe 24 Dec 13;

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 3,929 people are still evacuating Purwerejo, Central Java over the weekend following floods and landslides that have killed five people.

Purwerejo police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Roma Hutajulu said three people died after being swept away by rushing waters, while two lost their lives in a landslide triggered by the torrential rain.

“We are still on alert, 400 police officers have been mobilized to help victims and we have set up a soup kitchen to provide food for the evacuees,” Roma said on Sunday.

Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains raging from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, struck 63 villages and 13 subdistricts, reported the BNPB.

Four people were found dead while one was declared missing and is feared to be dead.

The Kebumen Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), military and police have rescued the injured and ushered them to the nearest hospital.

Kebumen regional government declared a state of emergency until Jan. 3.

Landslides also blocked access to Madurejo village in Puring subdistrict, isolating at least 150 villagers.

The agency was only able to distribute aid by boat as roads are still inundated.

The torrential rain also caused the Gentang River embankment to collapse and flood nearby villages.

However, road access to Butuh subdistrict, which was previously cut off, has been restored.

On Thursday, a landslide triggered by heavy rain in the west end of the West Javan province Bandung killed at least one person and forced dozens to evacuate.

The landslide damaged houses in three subdistricts and buried the road connecting West Bandung and Cimahi district. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of BNPD, reminded residents of the area to stay alert between December and January, when rainfall is expected to remain high.

Earlier this month, torrential rain in the North Sumatran town Berastagi, located near the still-erupting Mount Sinabung volcano, led to a landslide that killed nine people.

Rain fell in the hills around Berastagi on Saturday afternoon and evening. The first landslide struck at 7 p.m. in the villages of Gundaling and Laununggap.

First responders found two people dead: Leni Wulandari, 22, and her 2-year-old son, who were found in their house, buried beneath the landslide. Leni’s husband was said to be away, working in Malaysia at the time.

In Gundaling village, authorities identified six more fatalities while the body of 10-year-old Rosalina Siboru was discovered in Laununggap.

Sutopo urged everyone living in landslide-prone regions to be especially vigilant over the coming months as the rainy season increases the risk of destabilizing soil layers.

Earthquakes and heavy rain are common causes of deadly landslides throughout the country.

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