Celebrate World Biodiversity Day with a coastal cleanup @ Lim Chu Kang Beach!
News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
World Migratory Bird Day – A Blast from the Past.
Singapore Bird Group
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum highlights Singapore’s giant clam research
Neo Mei Lin
Olive-backed Sunbird collecting fruits of Porophyllum ruderale (F: Asteraceae)
Bird Ecology Study Group
AUDREY TAN Straits Times 7 May 15;
SINGAPORE - A pig-tailed macaque and common palm civet being kept illegally at a car workshop were seized by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on Wednesday. Both animals were found in two small cages at the back of the Hougang workshop.
When The Straits Times visited SMC Auto Engineering Works in Defu Lane 9 during the AVA raid, the macaque was swinging around the cage and had a thick metal chain around its neck.
The civet, which is a nocturnal creature native to Singapore and usually found in trees and high places, was curled up motionless in a corner. Its cage was littered with scraps of food, including apple and pork slices, with flies buzzing around it.
The animals were likely secured through the illegal wildlife trade, which animal groups say is thriving here, given Singapore's status as a global port.
The Straits Times looks at the lengths that animal smugglers go to illegally bring in such animals.
Puppies hidden under car seat
A Malaysian man was sentenced on April 16, 2015 to eight months' jail for smuggling seven puppies into Singapore and for animal cruelty. Mohamad Ashwin Nazri pleaded guilty to importing two Japanese spitz, two golden retrievers and three poodles in a car from Malaysia without a licence on March 30, 2015. -- PHOTO: AGRI-FOOD AND VETERINARY AUTHORITY
A Malaysian assistant pub manager, Mohamad Ashwin Nazri, 25, was jailed for eight months in April 2015 for trying to smuggle in seven puppies into Singapore and for ill-treating them.
The two Japanese Spitz, two golden retrievers and three poodles were likely to have been sedated to prevent them from moving and making any noise when they were being transported here from Johor on March 30.
No food or water was provided for the puppies, which were later found on the floorboard under the seat. Two died and four had to be put down after contracting an infectious disease.
Twelve birds stuffed in PVC tubes
A Singaporean man smuggled 12 birds from Vietnam by hiding them in PVC tubes with perforated holes. He was jailed for three months in April 2015.
Herman Rahmat, 38, who was unemployed, brought in nine white-rumped shama, two red-whiskered bulbul and a magpie robin without a licence in 2014.
All the birds were found alive, but eight of them died within three days from cranial trauma with accompanying haemorrhage, swelling and dehydration.
Hedgehog in shoebox; gecko in plastic container
The two hedgehogs in a shoebox which were discovered at the Woodlands Checkpoint. Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found the hedgehogs hidden inside a shoebox, while the gecko was placed in a small plastic container in the 26-year-old man’s zip pouch in the Singapore-registered cab. -- PHOTO: AGRI-FOOD AND VETERINARY AUTHORITY/ICA
A taxi passenger was caught trying to smuggle two hedgehogs and a gecko into Singapore at Woodlands Checkpoint in February this year.
Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) found the hedgehogs in a shoebox and the gecko in a small plastic container in the 26-year-old man's zippered pouch. He was fined $1,500 and the three creatures were taken to the Singapore Zoo.
Puppies bagged in cloth bags
Thirteen puppies were discovered during a routine check at Woodlands Checkpoint on Sept 9, 2014. A 33-year-old Singaporean woman was arrested for attempting to smuggle them into Singapore. -- PHOTO: IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Former dog breeder Sharon Tan Mei Hua, 33, smuggled 13 puppies from Malaysia in her car via Woodlands checkpoint. She was jailed for four months in November 2014.
The 13 sedated puppies, including three Japanese spitzs, two pomeranians, a Siberian husky and five poodles, were found on Sept 9. They were alive and found hidden in cloth bags under the front seats and the glove compartment of her Nissan car. They were then taken to an AVA facility for quarantine.
Exotic and endangered animals found in Toa Payoh flat
Ong Ming Shiang was fined a total of $41,000 on Feb 6, 2014, after pleading guilty to contravening the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act and the Wild Animals and Birds Act. He kept 32 animals - some of which were endangered - in his Housing Board flat in Toa Payoh North. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
In the biggest seizure of illegal wildlife from a home in 11 years, Ong Ming Shiang, 33, was fined in February 2014 a total of $41,000 under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act and the Wild Animals and Birds Act.
He had 32 animals, some of them endangered, in his Housing Board flat in Toa Payoh North. They included three rare ball pythons, two Indian star tortoises, a slow loris, three black- tailed prairie dogs, two sailfin dragons and five ornate horned frogs.
It is the highest fine imposed on an individual for the possession of illegal wildlife here. The 32 animals were then taken to the Singapore Zoo.
Indonesia: Birds stuffed in plastic drinking bottles
A policeman holding a water bottle with a yellow-crested cockatoo inside, at the customs office of Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, East Java province, on May 4, 2015. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A 37-year-old man was stopped by Indonesian police on Monday for smuggling in 24 birds stuffed in plastic bottles, including 21 critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos.
The birds in their plastic prisons were found by Indonesian police at the Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia. They were then cut free and given medical attention. They have since been sent to Indonesia's natural resources conservation office, which deals with wildlife-trafficking cases.
The birds can fetch about $1,300 each, and were to be smuggled out of Indonesia to be sold on the black market. If found guilty of smuggling, the man who was from near Surabaya could face up to five years in prison
Australia: Bird eggs hidden in passenger's crotch
In May 2014, a 39-year-old Czech man was caught by customs officials at Sydney airport for having 16 wild-bird eggs in the crotch of his pants. The man arrived on a flight from Dubai when customs officials examined his baggage.
AVA rescues monkey, civet caged at workshop
AUDREY TAN Straits Times 7 May 15;
A MONKEY and civet kept illegally at a car workshop were yesterday seized by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and taken to the Singapore Zoo, following a tip-off from a local wildlife rescue group.
The pig-tailed macaque and common palm civet were found in two cages at the back of the Hougang workshop.
When The Straits Times visited SMC Auto Engineering Works in Defu Lane 9during the AVA raid yesterday, the macaque was swinging around the cage and had a thick metal chain around its neck. The civet, which is native to Singapore and usually found in trees and high places, was curled up motionless in a corner.
Both cages were about thigh high and an arm's length wide.
Mr Louis Ng, chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), the group that alerted the authorities, said both animals were kept under poor conditions.
Civets are nocturnal creatures, so keeping one where there is a lot of noise and light is cruel, while confining the macaque to a small cage is a form of abuse, he said.
Acres took cheek swabs from the macaque, which is not native to Singapore. The DNA collected could reveal where it came from, and can hopefully be returned to.
The group has successfully returned monkeys to India and Africa in the past. Mr Ng believes the macaque is likely to have been secured through the illegal wildlife trade, which animal groups say is thriving here, given Singapore's status as a global port.
Nanyang Technological University Assistant Professor Michael Gumert, who studies macaque behaviour, said: "Monkeys learn socially, and without experience with a troop, they would be unable to learn how to navigate, find food, or detect dangers in the wild."
A check with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority listed SMC Auto's owner as Mr Low Eng Pau, who could not be reached. Those working at nearby firms said they did not know about the animals. Mr George Tan, the owner of recycling firm Fook Seng Fatt across the road, said SMC Auto had moved there about three months ago.
People cannot keep, trap or kill wild animals here without a licence. Those found guilty under the Wild Animals and Birds Act face a maximum fine of $1,000 per animal.
The pig-tailed macaque is a protected species. Those found with such a species can be charged under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, which carries a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine per specimen and a two-year jail term.
An AVA spokesman warned: "Wild animals are not suitable pets as some may transmit zoonotic diseases to humans. Wild animals that are non-native to Singapore may also be a threat to our biodiversity if released into the environment."
Channel NewsAsia 7 May 15;
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Civic District is undergoing a facelift, which involves the moving of trees and the landscaping of open spaces near the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. It is an engineering feat that National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has lauded in his blog.
The Civic District is home to several arts institutions. Apart from the Asian Civilisations Museum, the area also boasts the National Gallery and Victoria Theatre.
The authorities hope that the presence of the new trees will rejuvenate the area and make it more pedestrian-friendly.
"These are your first class arts and culture developments,” said Mr Bernard Chan, a senior architect of the Conservation and Urban Design Group at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). “So what we want to do is to come in and create a nice lawn for which these developments can sit within, so we have got a garden setting with monuments nestled within it.”
He added: “The other thing that was important for us is to create an environment that is safe and comfortable for pedestrians. With that, we have started to remove some roads, Old Parliament Lane, that will be paved over and made pedestrianised."
It takes about two weeks to move each mature rain tree, which is about 40 years old and weighs more than 90 tonnes. They had to first be inspected by an expert to ensure that they were in good condition. The area around the trees was then excavated before the trees were lifted and moved.
Said Mr Chan: "I think for most of us the transplant itself is quite mechanical, but it is really the tender loving care that the team puts into the roots and the trees that will really ensure the survival of the tree."
Esplanade Park will also see some new trees. The National Parks Board’s director of Streetscape, Mr Oh Cheow Sheng, said: “In the 1960s to the 1980s, this was a popular meeting place for couples. It was commonly referred to as 'gor zhang chiu kar', or under the shade of the five mature angsana trees. In the 1990s unfortunately due to a fungal wilt disease, all these trees had to be removed.
“As part of the improvement of the park at Esplanade, we will be transplanting five mature angsana trees back to the site. This will help to bring back a sense of nostalgia back to the site."
Works around the Civic District will be fully completed by October 2016.
- CNA/hs
Angsana trees transplanted at Esplanade Park
AMANDA LEE Today Online 8 May 15;
SINGAPORE — It is called Esplanade Park now but, from the 1960s to 1980s, the popular spot for lovebirds was known as “gor zhang chiu kar”, Hokkien for “under the shade of five trees”, in reference to the prominent, strapping Angsana trees there.
After a fungal disease attacked the tree species, the five mature trees had to be removed in the 1990s.
In a few months though, the public will get to relive the vibes of “gor zhang chiu kar” again, when five new Angsana trees that the National Parks Board’s (NParks) horticulturists have fortified to be resistant to the fungus are transplanted into Esplanade Park.
The transplanting is part of moves to pedestrianise the Civic District, including the planting of an eighth mature rain tree at a new 4,400 sq m lawn in front of Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall yesterday to provide shade.
In a blog post yesterday on the rejuvenation of the Civic District, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan urged visitors to go and enjoy the enhancements made by NParks.
“We are putting a lot of thought and passion into the rejuvenation of the Civic District. We want an integrated arts, culture and lifestyle precinct set in a lush, green environment,” he wrote.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s senior architect Bernard Chan said the main objective of the project was to provide a nice environment for Singapore’s world-class arts and culture monuments.
“So what we want to do is come in to create a nice lawn (on) which these developments can sit,” said Mr Chan. “We have got a garden setting with monuments nestled within it.”
On a media tour of the area yesterday, NParks Director (Streetscape) Oh Cheow Sheng said the transplanting of the mature Angsana trees to Esplanade Park would “help to bring back a sense of nostalgia”.
By specially propagating new Angsana trees that are genetically resistant to the fungus that had wreaked havoc on the species, NParks’ horticulturists managed to see 115 of these plants to maturity.
NParks has also developed modular suspended pavement systems that can be installed under roads and paved surfaces to allow for greater rooting and breathing spaces. These polypropylene structural cells are being tested under a row of 22 Kayu Arang trees along Queen Elizabeth Walk, which is part of the Jubilee Walk.
NParks senior researcher Genevieve Ow Lai Fern said the technology would extend the space for tree roots and increase soil volume.
“Essentially, when we improve the underground conditions, it will translate to overall healthier trees,” she added. Mr Khaw said more volume and colour are being added to the landscape, with Pigeon Orchids and Staghorn ferns to be planted on trees there.
“Old favourites”, such as the Mussaenda Queen Sirikit, Thai Gardenias and Frangipani Singapore White will also be reintroduced, he added.
8 trees transplanted to new lawn in front of Victoria Theatre
AMANDA LEE Today Online 7 May 15;
SINGAPORE — Eight mature trees have been transplanted to a new lawn in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.
This is one of the initatives between the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to enhance greenery and landscaping in the Civic District, which was disclosed at a media tour today (May 7).
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan also wrote in his blog post today about the ongoing efforts to enhance greenery within the Civic District.
“We are making good progress in our effort to pedestrianise our Civic District,” said Mr Khaw. “Specifically, we are creating a lawn in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall”.
He said the plan calls for the transplanting of eight mature rain trees to the front of the national monuments.
Elaborating on the rejuvenation of the Civic District, Mr Khaw said: “We want an integrated art, culture and lifestyle precinct set in a lush, green environment.”
Other initiatives include reinstating five Angsana trees at the Esplanade Park. In October, the NParks and URA will be transplanting five mature trees back to the park, where a fungal disease called “Fusarium” struck down the original five in the 1990s.
This would bring back memories of many young couples who used to sit under the shade of the five trees, said Nparks Director (Streetscape) Oh Cheow Sheng.
90-tonne raintree transplanted to Civic District
Samantha Boh The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 May 15;
An eighth raintree was successfully transplanted to a new location in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall yesterday, adding to a row of seven other raintrees that had been moved there earlier as plans to pedestrianise the Civic District progressed.
With the nearby Old Parliament Lane paved over to turn it into a pedestrian path by July, walking in the Victoria Theatre and Asian Civilisations Museum area will be even more of a breeze.
Stepped waterfront plazas and a playground will be built at Esplanade Park.
The walkway in front of the National Gallery will also be widened.
Writing in the Ministry of National Development's blog yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: "We are putting a lot of thought and passion into the rejuvenation of the Civic District. We want an integrated art, culture and lifestyle precinct set in a lush, green environment."
The eighth raintree, which weighs 90 tonnes, was the second largest and final tree to be transplanted.
The process took two weeks to complete, which included having the tree pruned to minimise stress from water loss.
The seven other trees transplanted earlier are in good health, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).
Other works are also under way around the Civic District to enhance its greenery, including the installation of structural cells at Queen Elizabeth Walk, which are being placed under roads and paved surfaces.
They allow tree roots to branch out wider and deeper without becoming obstructed. From mid-this month, biostimulants will be applied to mature trees to improve soil structure, among other benefits.
NParks is also reinstating five Angsana trees to Esplanade Park in October. The place was a popular meeting place for couples between the 1960s and 1980s.
The five Angsana trees were removed in the 1990s as they were affected by a fungal disease that also killed many mature Angsana trees elsewhere in Singapore, Mr Khaw said in the blog.
New Angsana trees that are genetically resistant to the disease have since been propagated by NParks' horticulturists.
The five new Angsana trees at Esplanade Park will be from among these trees.
During a media tour of the area yesterday, Mr Bernard Chan, senior architect at URA's conservation and urban design group, said there are also plans to provide infrastructure such as electricity and water at the new lawn in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.
Antara 7 May 15;
Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - The Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) announced that 28 hotspots have been detected across Sumatra Island, including seven in Riau Province on Thursday.
"Based on the satellites monitoring on May 7, 2015, at 5 a.m. local time, in Riau, maximum hotspots were detected in Pelalawan and Rokan Hilir districts, Head of the BMKG Pekanbaru Chapter Sugarin stated.
In the province, two hotspots were respectively found in Pelalawan and Rokan Hilir, and one each in Kampar, Indragiri Hilir, and Siak.
The agency had earlier alerted the Riau provincial government regarding the possible re-emergence of forest fires in late May.
"Beginning May, Riau will experience dry season until September 2015," he remarked.
Wind is forecast to blow from the South to the Northeast and North directions, which implies that the haze originating from forest fires might cross over to neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.
"If there is haze due to the forest fires, for sure, it will reach the neighboring countries," he stated.
Therefore, he lauded the Riau provincial government for declaring an emergency status until October 2015 to enable the authorities to implement the necessary measures.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)
Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s moratorium on deforestation will soon come to an end
Kennial Caroline Laia Jakarta Globe 7 May 15;
JAKARTA — Environmental activists have called on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to extend and strengthen a forest-clearing moratorium that runs out this month.
The moratorium on issuing permits to clear peat and primary forests was introduced on May 20, 2011, by then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and slated to run for only two years. Mr Yudhoyono extended it in 2013 on a temporary basis for a further two years, and activists say Mr Widodo now has the chance to make a lasting positive impact by giving the moratorium a firmer legal basis.
Any extension to the moratorium “must stipulate punitive measures for people or companies that violate it”, Mr Zenzi Suhadi, a forest campaigner for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, or Walhi, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday.
“This is needed to curb (the illegal) issuance of licences for forest exploitation, whether for mining or for large-scale plantations,” he added.
He noted that the moratorium as enforced by the Yudhoyono administration was for all practical intents toothless, noting that the Forestry Ministry issued mining and agriculture concessions for 12 million ha of forest land, much of it ostensibly off-limits under the moratorium, between 2011 and last year.
“During this period, there was no punishment for the violators,” Mr Suhadi said. “The next moratorium should include punitive measures to ensure that no one hurts the environment.”
He also said it was important that the moratorium be supported by a new agency “to supervise its implementation as well as enforce the law”.
Mr Suhaidi urged the government to consider extending the moratorium period as a two-year moratorium is not as effective as expected.
The original moratorium was enacted as part of a deal that would see Norway provide up to US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in funds for climate change mitigation projects in exchange for demonstrable protection on Indonesia’s part of high conservation value forests, including peat forests, which store enormous amounts of carbon dioxide.
As part of the agreement with Oslo, Jakarta agreed to set up a Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) management body. But the body was folded into in the Forestry and Environment Ministry in January, prompting critics to question Mr Widodo’s commitment to combat deforestation and climate change.
In the time since the moratorium went into force, nearly 970,000 ha of peat forest have been cleared, half of that total coming from the heavily logged Sumatran provinces of Riau and Jambi, showed a study by Walhi and environmental non-governmental organisation Kemitraan.
The study also found that in some regions, up to four-fifths of the primary and peat forests identified as off-limits for new concessions are already protected under prevailing zoning regulations, hence the moratorium is doing little to expand the scope of forest protection.
Progressive revisions have also seen the map of areas protected under the moratorium shrink, with dozens of concessions issued across the country for land that was at one point included in the moratorium map, says Mr Hasbi Berliani, Kemitraan’s programme manager for good governance.
“It is really crucial for the government to strengthen (a) few points in the moratorium to protect other areas (that) haven’t been included within. As long as the moratorium doesn’t include it, it’s useless,” Mr Berliani said.
Mr Suhadi echoed the sentiment, saying that what Indonesia really needed was not a moratorium on new concessions, but a termination programme for existing licences. “The situation is critical,” he said, noting that when the moratorium was renewed in 2013, it included new concessions for energy and food production, thanks to what he called corporate lobbying. “This cost the country 1.2 million ha.”
“This year, there’s the possibility of intervention from the biofuel and food lobbies, and exemptions for border regions,” Mr Suhadi added.
The Forestry and Environment Ministry says it wants to extend the moratorium as part of a wider programme to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 26 per cent by 2020, and has welcomed suggestions of environmental groups in drafting an extension. THE JAKARTA GLOBE
Associated Press Yahoo News 7 May 15;
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions failed, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, said countries were ahead of schedule in negotiating a landmark agreement on curbing greenhouse gases that can be adopted at a Paris summit in December.
"We're in a very, very different position to Copenhagen not just from a procedural point of view, but from many other points of view," Figueres told reporters during a visit to Australia.
Figueres, who became the U.N. climate chief in 2010 following the Copenhagen summit's failure to reach agreement on cutting emissions, said technological advances were the first of several factors that had created "a very changed political environment."
The price of solar panels has plummeted 80 percent since Copenhagen. Panels are also 40 percent more efficient, thanks to technologies that include Tesla batteries that can store solar electricity in homes.
The cost of solar power was already the same or cheaper than power from the grid in at least 60 countries, she said.
Investments in solar, wind and geothermal energy technologies have increased massively since Copenhagen, demonstrating "confidence that the investment into clean technologies is viable and is profitable," she said.
Last year, a record $271 billion was invested in renewable energy, with the growth of renewable electricity capacity outpacing the growth in fossil fuel-fired capacity, she said.
The number of laws and regulations around renewable energy and climate change had increased 20-fold since Copenhagen, indicating that the world's regulatory framework was headed toward a cleaner energy mix, she said.
U.N. negotiators in February produced an early draft of what eventually should become a landmark climate deal in Paris. The draft was produced four months ahead of schedule. The latest version has just 47 pages.
"That is remarkably different to where we were in the lead up to Copenhagen where we did not have an official negotiating text, where we had 300 pages of compilation of texts, but certainly no negotiating text," Figueres said.
The Paris agreement isn't expected to stop climate change, but would be the first time that all 194 countries agree to do something about it. Previously only rich countries have committed to limit their emissions of global warming gases, primarily carbon dioxide, from the burning of coal, oil and gas.
The slow-moving U.N. talks got a boost last year when top climate polluters China and the U.S. jointly announced emissions-limiting pledges for the Paris deal, which would take effect in 2020.
Scientists say the emission cuts are needed to make sure that global warming doesn't reach dangerous levels.
A total of 11 dams are planned along the Mekong, storing up trouble for millions of people, the world’s largest inland fishery and critically endangered species
Marc Goichot in Ho Chi Minh City The Guardian 6 May 15;
In a remote part of northern Laos, history is being made. Construction has begun on the final stage of the $3.5bn Xayaburi dam – the first dam to span the entire mainstem of the lower Mekong River. At the same time, in southern Laos, where the Mekong River’s braided channel flows languidly around thousands of sandy islands, preliminary work has begun on the roads and bridges needed to build the $300m Don Sahong dam.
This historic moment, however, is an ominous sign for the river’s 60 million downstream residents, some of the planet’s most endangered wildlife species and the world’s most productive inland fishery. With a total of 11 dams planned for the lower Mekong River, the future of this mighty waterway is in grave danger.
Harmful hydropower
Thailand has committed to increase its production of renewable energy to 25% of output by 2021 using a variety of sources, including hydropower. The Energy Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) will purchase over 90% of the power from Xayaburi dam and may purchase power from Don Sahong as it looks to bolster Thailand’s fast-growing demand for energy and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.
The Xayaburi dam is being developed by Thailand’s CH. Karnchang while the Don Sahong dam is being built by Malaysia’s Mega First Corporation Berhad. Both dams have met steadfast opposition from broad coalitions of environmental groups and local communities, which say the developments will be disastrous for the millions of people who rely on the river’s rich bounty of fish for their livelihoods and food security. A quarter of all the freshwater fish caught across the globe are pulled out of the Mekong and the river is second only to the Amazon for the number of fish species, with new species being discovered every year.
The growing scientific evidence against the proposed Don Sahong dam is stark. It will block the Hou Sahong channel, the main passage for dry-season fish migrations on the Mekong. This will put the world’s largest inland fishery at risk and threaten the spectacular torrent of water that rushes over Khone Falls, a popular tourist attraction.
What’s more, the dam builders intend to excavate millions of tons of rock using explosives, creating strong sound waves that could kill dolphins located only two miles away in neighbouring Cambodia. There will also be a damaging impact on other rare species, such as Mekong giant catfish and freshwater stingrays.
Taking action
For the Xayaburi dam, the impact could be felt as far away as the Mekong Delta in south-western Vietnam, which feeds half the country’s 90 million people and makes Vietnam the world’s second largest exporter of rice. Sand will be trapped behind the dam, threatening a delta that is already under extreme pressure from climate change, unsustainable sand-mining and existing Mekong dams in China.
Closer to home, Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court has agreed to hear a lawsuit from a group of villagers in Thailand who will be severely affected by the Xayaburi dam. The lawsuit contends that EGAT’s power purchase agreement (PPA) was unconstitutional due to the lack of environmental and social impact assessments and a failure to adequately consult with them – a key requirement of the Mekong River Agreement signed by the member states of the Mekong River Commission (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos). The PPA is the main guaranty for the lenders, thus its suspension could halt construction.
The Mekong River Commission has so far been unable to provide a platform to reach consensus on these projects. Downstream countries have consistently voiced objections to the dams and called for fully transparent, independent transboundary assessments of both the environmental and social impacts, along with a 10-year moratorium on mainstem dams until studies are completed. These calls have fallen on deaf ears as Laos ramps up construction.
Seeking solutions
A possible alternative to the dam is the Thako Water Diversion Project, which would produce almost as much energy as the Don Sahong dam but with much less damage. The Thako project would not involve a dam or reservoir across any of the channels of the mainstem Mekong River in the Khone Falls.
To date, the Thako project has never been seriously considered and is no longer on the table, but no explanation has been given for this.
What happens to the Mekong River has global implications, whether it is to fish stocks, rice exports, sand supplies or climate regulation. Furthermore, it is essential that the demand for energy and economic development be balanced with the need to keep this iconic, culturally significant and environmentally bounteous river as intact and free-flowing as possible.
Balance is the key word if countries like Thailand are to achieve energy security and protect natural resources and livelihoods. What’s needed is an energy mix that includes increasingly affordable solar power, wind power, geothermal power and sustainable hydropower that leaves the smallest footprint possible.
Marc Goichot is lead for WWF’s sustainable hydropower work in the Greater Mekong. He lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Reducing Marine Trash in Singapore
Green Future Solutions
“Operation WE (coastal) Clean Up” – 30 volunteers remove 892kg of trash @ Lim Chu Kang Beach
News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
Pelagic Survey on the Singapore Strait – 3 May 2015
Singapore Bird Group
An evening with the Bishan otter family
Francis Yap Nature Photography
A tale of two Changeable Lizards
Bird Ecology Study Group
Win a pair of tickets to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum!
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
But they must show AVA they have plans in place to cope with future incidents
CAROLYN KHEW Straits Times 7 May 15;
FISH farmers who had their stock wiped out in the plankton bloom in February and March will receive government help to get back on their feet. But the aid comes with a condition - the farmers need to show that they are able to cope with future plankton blooms.
The plankton bloom affected 75 fish farms in the East and West Johor Strait, resulting in mass fish deaths. About 500 to 600 tonnes of fish died.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it will cover 70 per cent of the farmers' cost of restocking fish fry. But the farmers have to develop operationally ready contingency plans to show that they are prepared for recurring blooms.
Last year, the AVA co-funded 70 per cent of the cost to buy fish fry and co-funded the same amount for cost of new equipment. This time, AVA said farmers can tap the Agriculture Productivity Fund to purchase the equipment for contingency plans. They may receive co-funding support of 50 per cent, up to a cap of $50,000.
The requirement for contingency plans will help farms "build resilience through the development of a deployable contingency plan to handle similar future incidents", the AVA told The Straits Times. "During the recent incident, farmers who heeded AVA's alert and advice took quick actions to save their fish stocks and were able to avert significant losses," the spokesman said.
The AVA alerted fish farmers to elevated plankton levels about two weeks before the bloom. They were advised to take precautions, like using canvas bags to protect the fish from the external environment, harvesting fish early and moving them to unaffected areas.
Mr Gary Chang, 58, whose fish farm is located near Pulau Ubin, lined his net cages with canvas bags and used a simple filtration system to maintain the water quality during the plankton bloom. He managed to cut losses this year to $30,000, compared to $300,000 last year.
"In the long run, you'd need to do something more than that. We could study what other countries have done to deal with the recurring plankton blooms," he said.
Canvas bags are not without their shortcomings. For one thing, preparation is needed ahead of the transfer of fish from cages to bags, said Mr Chang. The fish need to be starved a week beforehand to reduce the amount of waste they produce, which will accumulate in the bags and become harmful to the fish.
President of the Fish Farmers Association of Singapore Timothy Ng said while the AVA condition this year has "good intentions", the effectiveness of the backup plans has to be proven, especially when huge quantities of fish are at risk.
The AVA said it will conduct training on what makes a good contingency plan and how to tap mitigating measures.
Last month, the association sent the AVA a proposal listing possible solutions to tackle the effects of a plankton bloom.
They include clay flocculation - the spraying of clay particles into the water so that they can bind to the plankton before they clump together and sink to the sea floor.
The AVA said it is reviewing the proposal, and will "explore the possibility of conducting studies on the proposed options with agencies and experts".
Fish farmer Frank Tan, who lost 120 tonnes of fish in the last incident, said the help is good news. "The Government wants to push farmers to have higher resilience. Everyone has to play a part," he said.
The New Paper AsiaOne 7 May 15;
Energizer Singapore Night Trail 2015: a good number of international tourists from Europe, USA, Israel, Japan, Australia and the southeast Asian countries participating in this year’s trail.
More than 5,000 people ran, jumped and climbed through obstacles and trails on Saturday, near the Singapore Zoo.
Participants as young as six took part in the Singapore Night Trail race at Mandai, organised by Energizer Singapore.
It was split into six different events, including a 3km open obstacle race and an 18km trail race.
The obstacle courses saw participants climbing through hurdles made from string, and crawling under large nets.
The trail events had them running up and down slopes through the mud, thanks to the previous day's rain.
It is the fifth time the annual race has been held here.
The flag-off for the first event was at 3pm. The whole race ended at about 10.30pm.
The event is part of Energizer's global initiative to make a positive impact on the environment by supporting charities and spreading awareness as part of their corporate social responsibility programme.
Energizer Singapore also donated $11,000 to SportCares Foundation's beneficiary and youth ambassador, Mr Ashiq Arshad, in support of the foundation's sports programmes for the underprivileged and at-risk youth.
Mr Perry Sim, 38, a businessman, took part in the 3km parent-and-child obstacle race with his son, Aurelius, seven.
He said: "The obstacles were fun for the children, although they were too easy for the adults.
"But the distance was just nice. It took us less than an hour."
He said that his son cried because he was afraid of one of the obstacles at first.
But that did not stop them from enjoying themselves.
"It's a good event that not only allowed us to bond but also helped him overcome some of his fears.
"He said he wanted to come back again the next time. Hopefully, I can bring my other son as well," said Mr Sim.
Another participant, Mr Lim Lip Pheng, 48, an IT consultant, took part in the same event with his wife and son Joshua, nine.
He said: "It was a little bit of cross-country mixed with obstacles.
"We managed to clear everything, and we had a lot of fun.
"The morning after, the first thing Joshua said to me was 'I want to do it again'.
"So I guess we'll be back next year."
Channel NewsAsia 6 May 15;
SINGAPORE: The Republic’s first pop-up urban beach will be appearing in the heart of Marina Bay next month, complete with a pool, palm trees and a beach bar, said DBS Bank on Wednesday (May 6).
The beach, measuring 50-by-50 metres, will also include a pool where activities such as stand-up paddling and yoga will take place, it added in the press release.
DBS said creating a man-made beach will be “no mean feat” - 28,000kg of sand will be brought in and that is expected to take up to 300 man-hours. The beach can hold up to about 250 people, together with 30 deck chairs and one beach bar.
“The sand will be laid onto a protective ground sheet that covers the entire area of the beach. A raised edge will help to contain the sand, and grass lining the perimeter of the beach will ensure that the sand remains within the beach’s boundaries,” the bank said.
Karen McGregor, Senior Vice President of Group Strategic Marketing and Communications at DBS said: “With this year being Singapore’s Jubilee year, and having the 28th SEA Games Traditional Boat (Dragon boat) and Sailing races take place in conjunction with the DBS Marina Regatta, we wanted to celebrate this landmark occasion by igniting the bay with even more transformative experiences.”
In addition to SEA Games Sailing races, the DBS Marina Regatta - an annual water sports festival - will also see an estimated 2,500 paddlers competing at across nine categories.
The beach will be located at The Promontory@Marina Bay from Jun 13 to 14.
- CNA/ct
Singapore's first-ever pop-up beach at Marina Bay
AsiaOne 6 May 15;
SINGAPORE - Visitors to Marina Bay in June will get to enjoy a pop-up urban beach complete with palm trees, deck chairs, and a beach bar.
The initiative by DBS Bank is part of the DBS Marina Regatta. Tapping on the growing trend of urban beaches across the world, DBS aims to transform Singapore's new financial district and to bring more people down to the bay to watch the 28th SEA Games races.
The beach will also serve to present a fun, relaxed yet innovative side of Singapore to SEA Games visitors.
Measuring 50 metres by 50 metres, the beach will be located at The Promontory@Marina Bay during the third weekend of the DBS Marina Regatta from June 13 to 14, 2015. The beach will also feature a 25m by 15m pool where a host of activities including stand-up paddling and stand-up yoga will take place.
Said Ms Karen McGregor, Senior Vice President of Group Strategic Marketing and Communications at DBS: "Urban beaches have proven to be a popular concept around the world, transforming urban landscapes in major cities such as Paris, Berlin, Prague, Brussels, and Toronto - and now Singapore.
"With this year being Singapore's jubilee year, and having the 28th SEA Games Traditional Boat (Dragon boat) and Sailing races take place in conjunction with the DBS Marina Regatta, we wanted to celebrate this landmark occasion by igniting the bay with even more transformative experiences.
"Ultimately, we want to ensure everyone has a good time at the regatta. The urban beach is just one of many exciting new possibilities and experiences that the DBS Marina Regatta is bringing to the bay this year."
A logistical feat
The task of creating a man-made beach in the heart of one of the world's leading financial centres will be no mean feat as organisers bring in 28,000kg of sand in an operation that is expected to take up to 300 man-hours.
The sand will be laid onto a protective ground sheet that covers the entire area of the beach. A raised edge will help to contain the sand, and grass lining the perimeter of the beach will ensure that the sand remains within the beach's boundaries.
Today Online 6 May 15;
SINGAPORE — The National Heritage Board (NHB) will be launching its most comprehensive survey to date on Singapore’s tangible heritage in the middle of this year, said the statutory board today (May 6).
The survey — first announced by Minister for Community Culture and Youth, Lawrence Wong at the Ministry’s Committee of Supply budget debate in March — will cover buildings, structures, sites and landscape features of architectural, historical or cultural interest, including structures or sites completed before 1980. Sites and structures associated with historical events, as well as those that carry social, cultural or educational significance, will also be examined.
The NHB says it hopes to gain a more complete understanding of Singapore’s tangible heritage and their value through this process. The research and data garnered will be made available to other public agencies so that heritage considerations can be incorporated during decision-making and planning phases.
An eight-member Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP), comprising experts from fields such as anthropology and sociology, will be guiding the NHB on the survey’s methodology and implementation.
There will be two components to the survey: desktop research and field work. Desktop research involves consolidating existing information on the heritage sites through sources such as maps, newspaper records, archival materials and publications. Field work, on the other hand, captures information on the current conditions of the buildings, structures, sites and landscapes through descriptions, photographs and geographic coordinates.
“As Singapore’s population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage,” says NHB CEO Rosa Daniel. “This survey is a step forward to enhance our capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration.
NHB launches survey as part of stock-take on heritage landscape
Project is most comprehensive to be conducted yet, says National Heritage Board
Today Online 7 May 15;
SINGAPORE — A nationwide survey of the Republic’s heritage buildings and sites will be launched in the middle of this year, as part of a stock-take on the local heritage landscape.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) survey will cover buildings, structures, sites and landscape features of architectural, historical or cultural interest, including structures or sites completed before 1980. Research will also be carried out on buildings and sites associated with historical events that influenced the development of the nation or local community, as well as those with social, cultural or educational significance.
Apart from carrying out a stocktake on the current state of these buildings and sites, the survey also aims to develop a broad understanding of Singapore’s heritage landscape for the purpose of long-term heritage planning, the NHB said yesterday.
Mrs Rosa Daniel, CEO of the NHB, said: “As Singapore’s population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage.
“This survey is a step forward to enhance our capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration. The outcomes will also contribute to our land planning and development processes to preserve heritage and mitigate the loss of heritage value”.
The survey, described by the NHB as the most comprehensive to be conducted yet, comprises desktop research and field work.
Those involved in the desktop research will consolidate existing information from sources such as maps, newspaper records, archival materials and publications.
Field work involves capturing information on the current conditions of the buildings, structures, sites and landscapes, through descriptions, photographs and geographic coordinates.
The board will be tapping the expertise of the newly-formed Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP) to help it with the survey methodology and implementation. The panel comprises experts from various fields, such as architecture, geography, sociology, anthropology and history.
Professor Brenda Yeoh, who heads the HAP, said its members will be able to offer different perspectives on heritage issues.
“By combining documentary research with ground-level surveys, the aim is to build a comprehensive database that will stand us in good stead in supporting endeavours to enrich Singapore’s heritage,” said the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore.
NHB to launch nationwide survey on heritage buildings, sites
Channel NewsAsia 6 May 15;
SINGAPORE: The National Heritage Board (NHB) will launch a nationwide survey in mid-2015 as part of a stock-take on the current state of Singapore’s heritage buildings and sites.
The survey will cover buildings, structures, sites and landscape features of architectural, historical and cultural interest. The survey also aims to develop an understanding of Singapore’s heritage landscape for long-term heritage planning, said NHB in a news release on Wednesday (May 6). It is expected to be completed in 16 months.
Some areas of historical interest the NHB will look into include Joo Chiat, Balestier and Mount Pleasant.
The survey includes structures or sites completed before 1980, those associated with historical events which influenced the development of the nation or local community and those with social, cultural or educational significance, NHB added.
Apart from the name and address, the survey will also capture information such as typology, geographical coordinates, architecture and physical condition of the site.
Researchers will study maps, newspaper records, archival materials and publications, as well as information on current conditions of the structures.
When there is limited information on the site, interviews with locals and other informants will be conducted to get more details.
The survey will be guided by members of the newly-formed Heritage Advisory Panel, which comprises experts in fields such as architecture, geography, sociology, anthropology and history. The panel has come up with guidelines on how analysis of places of historical interest will be conducted.
"The criteria will look at some factors such as the age of the building - whether it's associated with any historical events or whether notable people have visited or lived in the place, as well as community or social memories associated with the place," said Mr Yeo Kirk Siang, Deputy Director of Impact Assessment and Mitigation at NHB.
The research data and findings will be made available to other public agencies so that heritage considerations can be incorporated during planning phases.
NHB’s CEO Mrs Rosa Daniel said: “As Singapore’s population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage. This survey is a step forward to enhance our capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration.”
The survey was first announced by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong during this year’s Committee of Supply debate in March.
Apart from the survey on tangible heritage, another nationwide survey covering the intangible heritage of Singapore - such as traditional trades, crafts, festivals, rituals and cultural practices - will be launched at the end of the year.
- CNA/fs/dl
NHB survey on heritage sites gets the thumbs up
Melody Zaccheus My Paper AsiaOne 7 May 15;
THE first survey of Singapore's heritage sites and structures will kick off within "the next two months".
The National Heritage Board (NHB) yesterday revealed more details of the project, which will study places of architectural, historical, cultural, social or educational significance. It will also include sites or structures completed in or before 1980.
The survey aims to do a stock-take on the current state of heritage buildings and sites here, and was first announced by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong in March.
The effort is expected to cost approximately $1 million.
NHB said that the exercise will have two components.
The first involves "desktop research", which will tap on maps, newspaper records, archival material and other publications to consolidate data about a place.
The second involves field work, which will document and photograph the geographic coordinates, typology, and physical condition of the structure or site.
If information is limited, interviews with the community and other stakeholders will be conducted. The survey is expected to take about 16 months.
The board will use its findings to work with the Urban Redevelopment Authority at each stage of land planning. This includes the 10-year Concept Plan or the five-year Master Plan.
Significant buildings and structures identified through the survey could undergo further research for possible preservation or conservation.
NHB chief executive Rosa Daniel said the exercise is a step forward in enhancing the country's capabilities in research, documentation and commemoration.
"As Singapore's population grows, it is important to ensure that in tandem with intensified development, there are increased efforts to preserve our heritage," she said.
NHB said that it adapted the heritage survey from similar ones done in other cities.
The board cited Hong Kong's 1996 survey, in which more than 8,800 historic buildings built before 1950 were identified. This was followed by more in-depth research and assessment to identify buildings of greater heritage value.
Singapore's version will be guided by members of a newly formed eight member Heritage Advisory Panel comprising architecture, geography, sociology, anthropology and history experts.
They include Brenda Yeoh, dean of the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Eric Chin, director of the National Archives of Singapore; and Zahidi A. R. Arkitek's principal architect, Zahidi Abdul Rahman.
The heritage community welcoms the survey as it represents the first step towards a more long-term strategic plan for heritage issues.
Kevin Tan, president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Singapore, said that, for the survey to be effective, the criteria for what constitutes a heritage building should be "crafted as widely as possible".
For it to be truly comprehensive, he believes that surveyors should comb every square metre of the Republic.
"Such a scan will help the authorities consider everything in an area as comprehensively as possible, to help them uncover new stories and things they didn't know about places before," he said.
Heritage enthusiast and editor Choo Lip Sin believes the survey will help the authorities make more informed decisions.
He hopes there will be space for public input to be factored into the exercise, "beyond what the authorities value as heritage".
A separate survey on the country's intangible heritage, spanning cultural activities and traditional trades or businesses, will be launched at the end of the year.
Posts
visitors since Nov 07