Best of our wild blogs: 8 Nov 14

A rare look at East Semakau
from wild shores of singapore

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Sustainable development: Much progress made, much more to be done

Second edition of Republic’s Sustainable Blueprint due today
LAURA PHILOMIN AND SIAU MING EN Today Online 8 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE — Five years after the first Singapore Sustainable Blueprint (SSB) setting out the Republic’s goals on sustainable development was published in 2009, progress has been made and, in some instances, even achieved ahead of projected timelines.

But while the Government has added significantly to Singapore’s green spaces, expanded the use of renewable energy and stayed on track in meeting emission targets, experts and observers say much remains to be done — in particular, improving public attitudes towards environmental conservation and sustainable living.

The SSB 2009, the first of its kind on sustainable development, covered four broad areas. The first was to green Singapore’s urban environment by setting aside more land for parks and creating more skyrise greenery or rooftop gardens. Second, Singapore would look at making better use of resources, through initiatives such as exploring renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, improving recycling and waste management.

Third, Singapore would aim to become a lead example in green technology, as a test-bed for new technologies, such as solar energy and “green” buildings.

Fostering community action on leading environmentally-friendly lifestyles through greater outreach comprised the fourth area of focus.

The second edition of the SSB is due today, following a review that began last year.

A GREENER ENVIRONMENT, BUT LIMITED IMPACT ON PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY

The 2009 blueprint had set a target to reach 4,200ha of parkland by 2020 and 0.8ha of parkland per 1,000 people by 2030, by opening new parks such as Gardens by the Bay and Coney Island Park. On track to reach this target, Singapore’s current park space measured 4,040ha as of last year.

Significant headway has also been made in expanding green spaces upwards through rooftop gardens on blocks of newer flats and on the top decks of Housing and Development Board (HDB) multi-storey carparks. Originally set at 50ha by 2030 in the blueprint, figures from the Ministry of National Development show Singapore already exceeded this target with 61ha last year.

Despite this visible progress, Nature Trekker founder and wildlife guide Ben Lee said increasing park space and skyrise greenery has little impact on preserving Singapore’s biodiversity, which requires large spaces with more vegetation to thrive.

Assistant professor at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Geography Harvey Neo also pointed out that the 2009 blueprint had made no mention of increasing the number of nature reserves or expanding the size of existing ones.

RECYCLING MORE, BUT MUCH STILL GOING TO WASTE

In the 2009 blueprint, the goal was to raise national recycling standards from 56 per cent in 2008 to 65 per cent in 2020. Two major types of waste — plastic and food — were singled out for their low recycling rates and a study on the feasibility of mandating the recycling of such waste was set out.

To get households to actively recycle their waste, more recycling facilities have been provided through a pilot of separate chutes for recyclables in housing estates. At the beginning of the year, it was announced that future public housing developments would have eco-friendly features such as centralised chutes for recyclable waste.

This followed the success of Singapore’s first eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol, where centralised chutes for recyclables collected three times the amount of recyclables compared with other HDB blocks. Under a three-year initiative, public waste collectors also installed a blue recycling bin at every HDB block.

National recycling rates have been steadily climbing over the past few years. Singapore recycled 61 per cent of the 7.8 million tonnes of waste it generated last year, of which household recycling rate was about 20 per cent. However, household recycling rates have always lagged behind industrial recycling here and public education efforts seem to have little effect on changing public behaviour, said Dr Neo.

USING RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY

The authorities had also set out to have 80 per cent of the buildings here achieve Green Mark certification, an eco-friendly rating that is awarded by the Building and Construction Authority, by 2030. To date, more than 25 per cent of the buildings have been certified.

While the process of greening Singapore’s buildings has been slow, programme director (EcoCampus) at the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) Nilesh Jadhav noted that new developments, such as new lighting technology and more efficient air-conditioning systems, have quickened the pace.

To speed things up, Mr Nilesh said the authorities could consider making Green Mark certification for buildings that are seven- to 10-years-old a mandatory requirement.

As solar energy sets to be Singapore’s most promising source of renewable energy, the blueprint also cited plans to invest in solar technology test-bedding projects to prepare for a larger-scale adoption of this energy.

In March, the Government said it would raise the total installed solar capacity to 350 megawatts-peak (MWp) by 2020, or about 5 per cent of the annual electricity demand. At present, Singapore has a total installed capacity of about 19MWp.

Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, executive director of the ERI@N, said he was confident Singapore will hit the 2020 target. “There is acceleration of implementation primarily by the public sector and (as) prices fall, there are clear signs that payback periods are in the five-to-eight-year range. And this will make it very attractive even for private companies to install solar (systems) on their rooftops,” he said.

MOVING AROUND

Promoting greener modes of transport, such as walking, cycling and public transport, was another key feature of the blueprint. Setting out to make public transport more accessible, the Government intended to double the rail network to 278km by 2020 and at the same time, invest in cycling networks and bicycle-parking facilities at key transport hubs.

Last year’s Land Transport Master Plan set an even more ambitious target of making eight in 10 homes within a 10-minute walk from an MRT train station with the expansion of the rail network to 360km by 2030.

The National Cycling Plan announced last month further outlined plans to develop a 700km-long cycling network by 2030, starting with 100km of intra-town cycling paths in Yishun, Punggol and Bedok next year.

Noting that Singapore is on the right track, Dr Neo said investments in public transport will take time to materialise, but he is optimistic that the issues of over-congestion will improve over time.

However, he said convincing the public that cycling is a viable alternative option would be a challenge without adjustments and improvements to make the road system faster and safer for cyclists.

The blueprint also laid out plans to test a slew of greener transport technologies, including diesel hybrid and electric vehicles, given how transport is a major cause of air pollution.

And since 2011, the authorities have been studying the feasibility of electric vehicles on Singapore roads, where the Land Transport Authority concluded the first phase of an electric vehicle test-bed in December last year.

ATTITUDES HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP WITH GREENING PRACTICES

Despite measures in the 2009 blueprint to rally the public into making environmental sustainability part of everyday culture in Singapore, observers say more needs to be done to engage the community meaningfully before any change can be sparked.

And though there are plans to fund new initiatives and programmes by non-governmental organisations and the Community Development Councils, chairman of the Public Hygiene Council Liak Teng Lit said change must start with the individual. “It’s not about the plan only, it’s also about societal attitude and values, how we see our responsibility,” he said.

Citing examples of littering and cluttered HDB common corridors, he said Singaporeans have not learnt to take care of the environment beyond their front doors “I think we’re not quite there yet. The average person in Singapore does not internalise the message that they have a role to play.”

And with Singapore being one of the most consumerist societies in the world, Dr Neo said future plans to address sustainable living would have to target specific behaviours, such as reducing food waste or improving recycling, instead of a focus on using less.

Recycling on the rise, but there is room for improvement
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 7 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE: The updated Sustainable Singapore Blueprint will be unveiled on Saturday (Nov 8) at the Clean & Green Singapore campaign launch. It will lay out the Government's vision for sustainable development and recycling is expected to be one of the focus areas. The blueprint was first released in 2009.

A recycling bin at every HDB block - that is one of the features of the National Recycling Programme, which aims to make it easier for people to recycle.

Under the programme, Public Waste Collectors are required to provide recycling bins and recycling collection services to all households in HDB and private landed property estates.

The number of recycling bins in HDB estates has increased from around 1,600 in 2007 to about 9,100 bins now. Usage has gone up too - over the past two years, the amount of recyclables collected per bin has increased by about 50 per cent.

Common recyclables are paper, plastic, glass and metal. Electronic waste such as irons and computers are recyclable and can also be dropped into the bins.

Despite the increased usage, waste management companies said challenges remain. One is the shortage of volume, said SembWaste's senior vice president, Lim Chin Khuang. “We need to have sufficient volume to have the economies of scale to be able to process the recyclables at a lower per unit cost,” he explained. “Secondly, the high contamination rate found in the recyclables actually results in double handling. This increases the cost of operations, as well as the cost of disposal."

Mr Lim estimates that around 50 per cent of items collected by SembWaste were not able to be recycled. For example, paper products that have come into contact with food waste are considered contaminated and cannot be recycled.

He suggested that one way to address this would be through public education. To that, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it is working with organisations to raise awareness of recycling issues. It does so through community and school events, such as educational visits to recycling facilities and incineration plants. NEA hopes such efforts will encourage people to recycle more and contribute to the overall recycling rate.

In 2013, the recycling rate was 61 per cent. Under the current Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, the target is 70 per cent by 2030.

- CNA/xy

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Learn about transboundary haze at VivoCity exhibition

Nadia Jansen Channel NewsAsia 7 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE: "The best way to solve a problem is to first understand the root causes," said Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor on Friday (Nov 7), at an interactive haze exhibition.

The exhibition, launched on Friday by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), aims to improve public awareness on the haze issue.

The exhibition at VivoCity has a range of things for visitors to interact with, including a container of peat to touch. From this exhibit, the visitor would be able to learn that fires starting on peatland contribute to 80 per cent of transboundary haze.

"It is really a deep-rooted problem,” said Simon Tay, chairman of SIIA. “It is in the land, it is in the fires, it is in the industry habits. So we are trying to educate people where these products come from, why they link to fires and what they can do in their daily habits to change the patterns of demand."

Other displays range from explaining the different Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) levels, to ways that one can help improve the situation.

Ian Wevell, a firefighter who works in Indonesia, will also be taking part in the exhibition, which runs till Sunday.

"We focus on making sure the fires get out of our plantations and stay out of our estates, because the haze not only affects us. It affects the community around us," said Mr Wevell, who is also the ground operations manager at April Group.

- CNA/ek

Exhibition gives insight into haze issue
Audrey Tan The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Nov 14;

The haze might be caused by the clearing of land in Indonesia and Malaysia, but Singaporeans can still play a role in helping to thin the murky veil that shrouds the Republic every year.

Consumers can do their part in various ways, for instance, by purchasing timber products sourced only from sustainable forests, or by investing in companies that do not burn land.

This is the call to action made by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), which has organised a first-of-its-kind haze exhibition here.

"Singaporeans can make an impact," said SIIA deputy director and fellow for ASEAN business and sustainable development Chua Chin Wei. He noted that "rewarding companies that do not burn land" would help motivate the agroforestry industry to be more responsible and sustainable.

Visitors to the exhibition at VivoCity can gain fresh insights into these issues, including the importance of checking for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) eco-label when buying furniture, paper or other wood products. The label shows the product can be traced to a sustainably managed forest.

The event, which will run from today until Sunday, has brought together 10 agroforestry companies, including Wilmar and paper firm Asia Pacific Resources International, and 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address questions from the public.

Mr Kim Stengert, the director for communications at the World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore (WWF-Singapore), one of the participating NGOs, said: "WWF wants to drive home the message to consumers to put pressure on companies to carry the FSC or Certified Sustainable Palm Oil eco-labels, to ensure their products that use paper, pulp or palm oil do not contribute to unsustainable forest practices."

The causes that have brought about the haze and the actions that can be taken to combat the perennial problem are being highlighted as well during the three-day event.

Visitors can check out text and multimedia displays, as well as the peat soil exhibit, which highlights the problem of peat fires. Such fires - which can burn for months or even years, and emit high levels of carbon dioxide - are largely behind the choking haze that is dogging the region.

National University of Singapore undergraduate Joys Tan says she knows about what causes haze but wants to know more about "how the individual can help to reduce it".

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Malaysia: Flash floods hit Bertam Valley again

AUDREY DERMAWAN AND FAZLEENA AZIZ New Straits Times 8 Nov 14;

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A SECOND wave of flash floods hit Kampung Baru Ringlet here yesterday afternoon.

The incident occurred less than 48 hours after the mud floods on Wednesday evening and it sent residents scrambling for safety.

A downpour that began at 1.45pm yesterday caused dozens of houses to be inundated in calf-deep mud water.

In the lower-lying areas, the water rose as high as the residents’ necks. Some were trapped inside their houses.

However, the floodwaters subsided not long after that.

At the height of the flash floods and with water running fast from the nearby Ringlet River, the authorities ordered the residents to vacate their houses.

R. Marryalen, 32, who is attached with the Civil Defence Department here, said everything happened so fast.

“It was raining heavily and within five minutes, the floodwaters rose to my neck level. I made my way out of the house and onto higher ground.

“I could only watch helplessly as my belongings were swept away. Everything was damaged,” she said, adding that something needed to be done by the authorities to remedy the situation.

Echoing her sentiments was Randy Chok, 75, who has been staying in the area for more than 50 years.

“I haven’t even finished cleaning my house after Wednesday’s mud floods and it’s filthy again. How can this be? We cannot live in fear, day in day out. Enough is enough.”

The remedy, according to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, may not be too far away.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had agreed to fast-track a proposal to be submitted by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) on remedial works to be done on the river as a short-term measure to end floods in the highlands area.

Palanivel, who is also Cameron Highlands member of parliament, said DID was working on the proposal, to be completed and submitted “as soon as possible”.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would chair the Cabinet Committee on Natural Disasters meeting on Monday.

“Cameron Highlands is like a ticking time bomb for disaster, waiting to explode at any time,” he said during a visit to the control centre in Bertam Valley here yesterday, specifically set up following Wednesday’s mudslides and flash floods in various areas.

Shahidan vowed stern action against illegal farm operators, along with their illegal foreign workers.

He said he took a ride on a helicopter and discovered a new site being cleared illegally, adding that the authorities had not issued any temporary occupation licence for farming for the past 10 years.

Deputy Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid concurred, saying that illegal clearing and the indiscriminate dumping of rubbish had contributed to the floods.

He said three tonnes of rubbish had been collected from the Ringlet River on Wednesday night alone.

Mahdzir said illegal farming had also eaten into the 20m river reserve upstream and downstream, causing the river to overflow every time it rained heavily.

Yesterday, the remains of an Indonesian couple, identified as Suwalis and Yunita, aged 40 and 41, respectively, were found in the kongsi house they lived in along Sungai Kabok in Bertam Valley. They were reported missing on Wednesday night.

Yunita’s body was found at 11.05am and her husband’s five minutes later. They were still lying under their blanket, buried under less than 1m of earth.

The discovery of their bodies brings the death toll of Wednesday’s floods to five.

Meanwhile, residents affected by the flash floods said they did not mind being relocated.

“It is not necessary (for us to be given) a house. We would be happy if we are given a plot of land to build a new house,” said Kampung Baru Ringlet resident Jamil Abdullah, 56.

Jamil, who was staying in Bertam Valley when the area was hit by last year’s mud floods that claimed four lives, said his house was badly affected by the mud floods then, which prompted the authorities to move them to Kampung Baru Ringlet while awaiting a new site.

“We were told then that a new site will be ready within six months.

“It’s been a year and nothing is materialising. Don’t talk about a new house as our temporary house has been damaged now. Where are we going to stay?”

Ganeshan Adidevan, 54, who lost RM80,000 in last year’s mud floods, expressed disappointment that such an incident had recurred.

“Our farm and house were destroyed last year. This year, the same happened again. I don’t know where my wife and three children will be staying now.”

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Indonesia: Merging environment and forestry ministries: Quo vadis?

Daniel Murdiyarso, Bogor Jakarta Post 7 Nov 14;

New President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo surprised some observers recently when he announced to his Cabinet the combining of the ministries of environment and forestry into one ministry, to be led by Siti Nurbaya, a politician with ample experience with regional and central governments.

The decision sent ripples throughout the Indonesian environmental and policy community — and could signal that a broad and cross-sectoral environmental agenda would be weakened and simplified. At the same time, it could strengthen jurisdiction over forested lands, which will be consolidated under one ministry. While the President repeatedly reminded Indonesians that we have been forgetting marine affairs, one can only hope that he does remember that there are numerous unresolved conflicts over land and land ownership in our backyard.

In any case, it was a bold move: The political ramifications of combining ministries can be unwieldy. Merging two distinct bureaucracies — with their own strengths, weaknesses and different capacities — is a challenge in any country, in any context. It could be some time before the new ministry is operating at full speed. Needless to say, the President’s justification to strike a balance between professionals and politicians in his Cabinet remains under public scrutiny.

But beyond bureaucracy and politics, what does this mean for Indonesia’s environment — and for its forests? Indonesia’s high deforestation and forest degradation rates are causing serious local, national and global environmental problems, raising the stakes for the significance of this merger.

Many opportunities could arise from the creation of this new ministry.

For one, it could help to consolidate the management of issues that used to be under the partial jurisdiction of both ministries. Land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, for example, should no longer be a finger-pointing exercise at the national level. Instead, a single ministry could take real, collective action to address the underlying causes of fires, so that fire prevention is more effective than firefighting.

Second, the strengths and weaknesses of the two old ministries could complement each other, especially in terms of financial and human resources. Strong environmental laws are weakened when there are insufficient resources to carry them out; merging two ministries can help to fill in any gaps in expertise or resources necessary to take on the huge tasks ahead.

Third, one single ministry could be more politically powerful than two smaller ministries — provided that the available resources are optimized and/or mobilized to meet the new and common goals. After duties and responsibilities are sorted within the new ministry, the continuous enhancement of the capacity of staff will be crucial.

However, there are also challenges presented by this move. One plus one does not equal two.

For one thing, with no single ministry focused only on forests, will Indonesia’s forests become overshadowed by other priorities? For example, would the use of forestland be handled by the equally new establishment of the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry?

Second, will the new ministry be able to overcome “turf wars” to successfully merge into one? Much will depend on the final structure of the new ministry. For example, the six large directorate generals in the old forestry ministry will not be easily harmonized with the other six large units under six deputies in the former environment ministry into one large, functional system. This is a big challenge that may put some high-ranking officials out of their jobs.

Orchestrating numerous legal instruments, let alone Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry and Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, is not an easy task. It will require strong leadership from a sensible conductor to synchronize the tunes formerly performed on different stages in front of different audiences. Winning the confidence of the new ministry’s stakeholders will require proof of concept in a timely manner; likewise, stakeholders should not let the “new kid” stumble out of the blocks or go astray unguided. It is the responsibility of Indonesian society to assist them in remaining focused.

This merger is a potentially pivotal moment for the future of Indonesia’s forests. It is hoped that the new ministry will not only keep Indonesia’s forested landscapes at the top of the agenda, but will provide the resources and clout to balance the high value of economic goods derived from the forests, while safeguarding these lands and the invaluable services they provide.

This new ministry could have profound implications not just for the country, but for the world.

The writer is a professor at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), principal scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and a former deputy environment minister.

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Best of our wild blogs: 7 Nov 14

shield bugs on fish-tailed palm @ SBWR - Nov 2014
from sgbeachbum

Butterflies Galore! : Bamboo Tree Brown
from Butterflies of Singapore

What do baby mangrove trees look like?
from wild shores of singapore

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Major haze episodes in region ‘likely to be more frequent’

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 7 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE — Major haze events in South-east Asia are expected to be increasingly frequent due to ongoing deforestation of peatlands in Indonesia and extreme air pollution episodes are no longer restricted to drought years.

These are the conclusions of recent research led by a scientist from the Centre for International Forestry Research, who yesterday said peatlands and overlapping claims to land ownership in Indonesia were factors behind the haze problem. Peatlands are wetlands consisting of partially decayed vegetation matter that release vast amounts of carbon when drained and burnt.

Dr David Gaveau was among 40 non-governmental and corporate representatives, as well as academics, who took part in the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) think-tank’s Haze Roundtable event.

In the study published in August, Dr Gaveau and his co-authors noted that all major South-east Asia haze events from 1960 to 2006 have occurred during years of unusually low rainfall induced by El Nino or a related phenomenon. Although there were no regional climate anomalies last year, fires in Indonesia still generated air pollution that exceeded the previous 1997-1998 record over Singapore.

Fires in the country last year were short-lived and confined to recently deforested peatlands in Sumatra’s Riau province, but generated a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases and smoke in the span of a week — equal to the emissions of 50 million cars in a year — because of the peat, they found.

The authors studied a three-million hectare area in Riau and found that 52 per cent of the burnt area fell within concessions allocated to companies for plantation development. They called for protection of the remaining peatlands and a halt to further drainage.

Roundtable participants yesterday noted other factors hampering solutions to the haze problem. Communities in Malaysia and Indonesia sometimes had only peatlands to farm on and some local government policies in Indonesia encourage the exploitation and conversion of forests. Awareness should be raised among individual farmers and they should be provided with alternatives for land clearance, participants said.

On the national level, they largely welcomed Indonesia’s Parliament agreeing in September to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

On its part, Singapore could take a leaf from European countries and pledge to import only sustainable palm oil, one suggested.

The SIIA also announced plans to launch a haze-tracking portal combining real-time hot spots, wind direction, and land-use and concession maps in the first quarter of next year.

Noting that the Haze Monitoring System adopted by the Association of South-east Asian Nations last October had stalled over concerns related to the sharing of concession maps, SIIA chairman Simon Tay said: “Until ASEAN governments can move things forward with a joint haze-monitoring system, there is a need to plug an information gap in collaboration with our NGO and corporate partners.”

World Resources Institute’s project manager Fred Stolle said the SIIA’s portal would complement its own Global Forest Watch platform. Research non-governmental organisations, by making data open and transparent, can push governments to do the same, he said.

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Think-tank to launch haze tracking portal next year

Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 6 Nov a4;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is looking to launch a haze tracking portal to plug the information gap, in efforts to clamp down on errant parties causing transboundary haze affecting the region.

The think-tank revealed its plans during a roundtable discussion with about 40 stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore on Thursday (Nov 6).

The portal aims to complement similar efforts by the World Resource Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which rely on satellite tracking and ground monitoring efforts to boost accountability and transparency within the region. Satellite images, hotspot coordinates and concession maps will be made available for the public to know who is responsible for fires.

SIIA's chairman, Simon Tay, said: "First is to source the map. So that is why we brought some experts and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) who have access or can get access to those maps. The second is to do our best to have a panel that will kind of verify the maps, to knock out the ones that are obviously wrong and then to put them up."

He added: "At this present time, governments have asked for a haze monitoring system, but because Indonesia and Malaysia would not release official maps, the government and ASEAN cannot move. We are then left with a large number of western NGOs that have got some maps and then of course, some companies who release their own maps.

"So in that sense, we do not have an ASEAN base - a fairly neutral player who is neither a company nor a true NGO - to really have a consolidated portal with some effort to verify the information on that portal. So that is where a think-tank like SIIA can try to help."

The portal is expected to be ready by the first quarter of next year.

Illegal burning activities in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan are often cited as the cause for transboundary haze that has affected the region since 1997. In August this year, Singapore passed a law where companies can be fined up to S$2 million should they be found guilty of contributing to the smog.

Companies in the oil palm sector, which has traditionally been associated with the haze, said they have stepped up efforts to ensure compliance with the new law.

"We have recently teamed up with other companies to use technology to step up the monitoring of our perimeters and to basically keep an eye on what is happening on the ground," said Colin Lee, the director of corporate affairs at Cargill Tropical Palm. "Because if anything were to happen, we have the documentary proof in place to show that we are not responsible for any hotspots as well."

TRACKING DOWN THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HAZE

Stakeholders, including NGOs, that attended the roundtable discussion were generally supportive of the move, but some raised concerns over its implementation given the difficulty in obtaining concession maps, which are critical to tracking down those responsible for the haze.

There is hope that under the new Indonesian government, work on the "One Map" initiative, which aims to collate forest-licensing and land-use information, will be sped up.

"They have already gathered all the different information from the different ministries and consolidated it into one map," said Fitrian Ardiansyah, executive director of Pelangi. "Unfortunately or fortunately, it has only been 68 per cent verified, so they need to go further in order to have 100 consolidated maps. So now that Indonesia has a new government, it is up to the new government to integrate this map into their own policies."

He added: "In the old days, several ministries would have their different maps so if you want to prosecute a particular company, it is quite difficult. So which map do you want to refer to? But with one single initiative map ... you will be able to use it to be able to do anything, including land use planning and prosecution, if they are found to be guilty of forest and land fires, for example."

- CNA/kk/ek

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Global names join local NGO’s fight to save shark

Global hospitality giants such as Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt, have signed corporate pledges to go shark’s fin-free.
Today Online 6 Nov q4;

SINGAPORE — A homegrown shark conservation campaign has crossed international waters as it sees more global names coming on board to say “No” to shark finning.

Shark Savers Singapore, a non-governmental organisation, said today (Nov 6) that global hospitality giants — such as Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt — had signed corporate pledges to go shark’s fin-free under its “I’m FINished with FINs” (IFWF) campaign.

They join the likes of well-known international figures — such as former Manchester United star David Beckham, China’s ex- basketball superstar Yao Ming, actor Jackie Chan and Britain’s Prince William — as brand ambassadors for the campaign.

Still, it was Singapore’s very own public figures who first took the leap of faith to endorse the campaign, said Shark Savers Singapore regional director Jonn Lu.

He credited local personalities, such as actor-comedian Hossan Leong, former Nominated Members of Parliament Eugene Tan and Nicholas Fang, and Indochine’s Michael Ma as being among the first to “stake their reputation and good name on a campaign that had no history or no legacy”.

Mr Lu added that many other international big names came on board very much later, after the campaign had already established its reputation.

He attributed the campaign’s success to an “easy-to-digest” message.

“A lot of conservation campaigns focus on animal rights and food ethics. But if you are asking someone not to eat shark’s fin because it is cruel, yet you eat a hamburger, then you lose your moral high ground,” Mr Lu said.

“All we did was shift the track of that message and focus on the big picture. You don’t have to love (sharks) per se in order to want to conserve or protect them. You just have to admit that we can’t do very well without them — that our future generations depend on their existence,” he added.

Mr Lu said it is particularly important that the message resonates in Singapore because despite its “clean image”, the country is listed as one of the top 10 illegal wildlife trading hubs worldwide — as stated by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Noting that Singapore handles a high volume of shark’s fin sales, Mr Lu said this is an area that Government could look into.

A 2013 report by wildlife trade monitoring network, Traffic, showed that Singapore was one of the world’s top four exporters and the third-largest importer of shark’s fins between 2000 to 2009. Hong Kong was the world’s largest importer, the report said.

The global shark’s fin trade is estimated to be worth as much as US$1.2 billion (S$1.55 billion) a year.

Mr Lu said the IFWF campaign, which was launched in 2012, has since become the world’s largest grassroots-initiated mass media shark conservation campaign.

It is also working on getting 100,000 Singaporeans to pledge against consuming shark’s fin, and has garnered 70,000 and 76,000 pledges in Hong Kong and Malaysia respectively, so far.

Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt hotels and celebrities say "no" to shark fin
Channel NewsAsia 6 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE: Diners may find it harder to order shark fin soup at hotels soon as some of the world's largest hospitality groups - Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Hyatt - declared on Thursday (Nov 6) they would go shark fin-free.

The hotels pledged their commitment to stop serving shark fin at an "I'm FINished with FINs" event. Some companies in Singapore said at the event that they would ban shark fin dishes from all business entertainment and internal banquets as well.

Celebrities such as The Sam Willows, Tay Kewei and Hossan Leong, and corporate representatives were roped in to temporarily dye their hair blue to show their support for the campaign.

The "I'm FINished with FINs" campaign, which also seeks to educate the public about shark conservation, was conceived and launched by Singaporean volunteers in 2012.

- CNA/dl

Major hotels pledge to ban shark's fin soup
Olivia Ho The Straits Times AsiaOne 10 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE - Some of the world's largest hospitality groups have joined the fight against shark's fin soup.

Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Hyatt are among major industry players here who joined the I'm FINished with fins campaign at a ceremony yesterday.

The campaign asks 100,000 Singaporeans to pledge not to consume shark's fin dishes and to educate the public about the environmental damage caused by the shark's fin trade.

Hilton Asia Pacific president Martin Rinck said: "The hospitality industry possesses immense potential and responsibility to effect positive change for our society and planet."

Hilton banned shark's fin in the 669 properties it owns and manages globally on April 1. Starwood, which owns hotel brands such as Sheraton and Westin, banned the dish on July in its nearly 1,200 hotels worldwide.

To date, 15 major hotel chains here have announced they are "fin-free" and 24 airlines, including Singapore Airlines, have officially refused to carry the fins on their cargo flights.

A spokesperson for Resorts World Sentosa said shark's fin is not on the menu. He added: "While we have alternatives available, if a customer within our private gaming rooms strongly wants the dish, we will serve it."

Corporations outside the hospitality and F&B industries are finding ways to do their bit as well.

Artiste management firm Fly Entertainment, film distributor Shaw Organisation and teleco SingTel have pledged to banish shark's fin from all business entertainment and internal banqueting.

World Wildlife Fund Singapore chief executive Elaine Tan said: "We're witnessing declines in imports and exports of shark's fin and reportedly up to a 50 per cent drop in wholesale prices as more diners in Singapore say no to shark's fin soup."

An estimated 100 million sharks are harvested yearly, with up to 73 million killed just for their fins. Some shark populations have declined by up to 98 per cent in the last 15 years.

I'm FINished with fins is a home-grown campaign launched in 2012, and is active in places including China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Campaign founder Jonn Lu said that while getting restaurants to ban shark's fin is important, he also wants to reduce demand for the dish. "It is far more efficient to work on consumers," he said.

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Malaysia: Camerons’ land clearing to blame

T.N. ALAGESH AND AUDREY DERMAWAN New Straits Times 7 Nov 14;

KUANTAN: TENAGA Nasional Bhd yesterday said it was forced to open the spillway gates of the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in stages on Wednesday as the water behind its walls rose to nearly critical levels.

However, the blame for the floods, which hit the Ringlet area and have so far seen three people killed and four injured, with two more people missing and feared dead, was placed on excessive land clearing activities and “unplanned development” in Cameron Highlands.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and Tanah Rata assemblyman Leong Ngah Ngah both hit out at irresponsible parties who had been clearing land indiscriminately, causing the mud floods and landslides, just over a year after the deadly Bertam Valley mudflow killed four people on Oct 23 last year.

“Excessive land-clearing activities and unplanned development on the highlands have resulted in bare (and unstable) soil, causing mud floods during downpours.

“Irresponsible acts by certain quarters on the environment have caused the disaster, and it serves as a lesson to everyone. When we travel there, we can see that massive amounts of land have been cleared. Whether it was done with permission or illegally is another issue, but the main concern is our attitude towards conserving and managing the environment.

“I am not trying to shift the blame but that is the reality that we have to face,” said Adnan.

Leong attributed the disaster to over-development and land clearing, besides the heavy rainfall.

“A lot of development and land clearing have been going on for the past year, causing this disaster. While rainfall is unavoidable, development can be controlled.”

He praised the authorities for carefully handling the release of water from the Sungai Abu Bakar Dam.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister and Cameron Highlands member of parliament Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, meanwhile, called for affected residents to be relocated to safer ground.

“I have spoken to the district officer to look for a suitable piece of land,” he said during a brief visit to Dewan Ringlet, where some of the families were seeking shelter.

In a statement yesterday, TNB said its Emergency Response Plan had to be activated when water levels at the dam rose 2.1m an hour to 1,070m. The warning siren was sounded at 8.15pm to give people time to evacuate and the spillway gates were opened in stages, beginning at 8.40pm.

TNB said if the spillway gates had not been opened, the flooding would have been worse as all four gates would have opened automatically if the water had risen to critical level.

Meanwhile, the search for possible victims of the floods, including an Indonesian man and his female compatriot who were reported missing after their kongsi in Bertam Valley was hit by a landslide, was called off last night because of soil movement. The search will continue today.

The dead were identified as farm workers Md Yousuf Miya, 66, of Nepal, Anipan, 48, of Indonesia and SMK Kampung Raja student R. Tunesh, 13.

Yousuf’s body was found buried near his kongsi in Ulu Merah, Ringlet, at 8.30pm on Wednesday, while Anipan’s body was found under 1m of earth in Bertam Valley at 9.20am yesterday.

Tunesh’s body was found some 5km from where he was reported missing. Additional reporting by Kalavaani Karupiah

Cops: Mudslide not caused by release of dam water
The Star 7 Nov 14;

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The release of water from the Sultan Abu Bakar dam did not cause Wednesday night’s mudslide in Ringlet, said OCPD Deputy Supt Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu.

He said the affected areas were flooded before water from the hydroelectric dam was released.

“The rain was unusually heavy and was worse than during last year’s incident.”

The incident in October last year claimed four lives and created much havoc, with about 80 homes flooded and 100 vehicles damaged. The severity was linked to the manual release of water from one gate, which had to be done before the gates opened automatically.

Cameron Highlands Power Sta­tions general manager Mohammad Zaki Jalaluddin said Tenaga Nasional Bhd had to release water in stages as the dam level was already critical a short time after the downpour started.

He said the siren in Bertam Valley went off at 8.15pm to signal the evacuation and the siren at the dam was sounded at 8.40pm.

“The release (of water) was done after receiving feedback from the Ringlet police station that the evacuation has been completed,” he said.

TNB said water would continue to be released over the next few days depending on the weather and until a safe level was reached.


Reach: Floods and mudslide caused by several factors
Diagram from The Star, 7 Nov 14;

The Star 7 Nov 14;

PETALING JAYA: Greenhouse farming, encroachment on river reserves and land clearing are among the activities that caused the floods and mudslide at several areas in Cameron Highlands, an enviromental group said.

Regional Environmental Aware­ness Cameron Highlands (Reach) president R. Ramakrishnan said the filters used by greenhouse farmers on their crops caused an unnatural flow of water into the river bed.

“They use plastic to cover and protect the crops and the water flowing from it goes into the riverbed.

“When the river cannot accommodate the extra water, there will be flash floods,” Ramakrishnan told The Star.

The Star had previously highlighted in a series of articles the massive land clearing and development in Cameron Highlands.

Ramakrishnan also said there was no longer land available for agricultural purposes as the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry had ruled that such land was only suitable in areas with gradients below 20 degrees.

He estimated that the current erosion rate in the area was about 200 tonnes per hectare per year.

Tanah Rata assemblyman Leong Ngah Ngah cited over development, land clearing and heavy rainfall among the factors for the incident.

He said there have been a lot of development over the past years.

“Unchecked land clearing also cause destruction to water retention areas, causing rivers to swell.

“There are just too many housing and agricultural projects here now,” he added.

Leong said the heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening was something beyond human control, but development of the highlands could be controlled.

He said there should be proper management of the land to achieve a balance between the environment and development.

“The authorities have been very careful when releasing the water from the dam,” he said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 6 Nov 14

Haze: Know it. Stop it. Exhibition: 7-9 November
from Green Drinks Singapore

osprey & fish @ SBWR - Nov2014
from sgbeachbum

The day a fruit fell from above…
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Preserve rustic charm of Ubin

Straits Times Forum 6 Nov 14;

THE idyllic Pulau Ubin has long been my place of solace when I need to unwind after a hectic week ("Wanted: More modern facilities for Ubin"; Monday).

Since the 1970s, I have made countless trips to Ubin to trek, camp, cycle and swim. Any future development should seek to preserve the natural flora and fauna of this precious island with its scenic, disused granite quarries.

The toilets at Chek Jawa are well maintained but not those at Noordin Beach and Mamam Beach. Chek Jawa has attractions such as the Nypa fruticans which gives us the "attap chee" in our ice kachang.

Noordin and Mamam should be open to the public for swimming and camping, as these are popular haunts for our students. The rugged terrain is ideal for cycling and the tracks are a far cry from our flat roads in Singapore.

It is a bugbear for me to use my mobile phone, as most of the time my line shows the word "Maxis" or "Digi". I hope SingTel, M1 and StarHub can improve their network coverage as Ubin is still part of Singapore.

Ubin has some rare flowers such as torch ginger and tiger claw which grow in the wild; when they bloom, the forests are transformed into a Garden of Eden.

Chek Jawa is replete with aquatic life even at low tide. I invariably see hordes of mud-creepers clinging on for dear life on the tree trunks at low tide.

I have met many foreign tourists who have visited Ubin as they are drawn there by its granite quarries, the rare bird species, the beaches, the temples, lotus ponds, rubber plantations, and even the quaint coffee shops near the pier.

They find Ubin an ideal place for cycling and swimming; even sipping a glass of beer at the coffee shop is an unforgettable experience on an island where time has stood still.

Let us keep Ubin for what it is and not transform it into another Kusu Island, Pulau Tekong or Sentosa.

Heng Cho Choon

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