Volunteer for Heron Watch: training registration closes 8 Dec
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
16 Dec (Sat): "Unsure of what lives in our murky waters?" - a talk by Our Singapore Reefs
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
24 Dec (Sun): Christmas Paddle to St John's Island with Kayakasia
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
Wildlife rescue group Acres receives four to five reports a week of bats getting stranded in housing estates
Ang Tian Tian The New Paper 1 Dec 17;
Ms Tan Yilin has moved three times - from Yishun to Yio Chua Kang then to Sembawang - and each time, bats have flown into her home.
The make-up artist, 24, said: "I usually try to steer the bats to the window or balcony so they can fly out."
Last Saturday, she found a bat nestled underneath a patio umbrella on her balcony. She clapped her hands loudly to scare it off.
She said: "I am used to the bats by now."
Bats flying into homes is a common occurrence in Singapore.
On average, wildlife rescue group Acres receives four to five reports a week of bats flying into homes or getting stranded elsewhere in housing estates, at void decks or covered walkways.
Acres deputy chief executive Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan, 31, told The New Paper that highly urbanised landscapes and green spaces like rooftop gardens have given rise to such cases.
According to Dr Benjamin Lee, director of the National Parks Board (NParks), there are at least 25 species of bats in Singapore that roost in natural and man-made habitats.
These habitats range from fallen logs, trees and bamboo hollows to the underside of bridges, culverts, buildings and abandoned bunkers.
Mr Kalai said the two species that commonly roost in housing estates are the lesser dog-faced fruit bat and insectivorous whiskered bat.
These nocturnal creatures usually fly into homes at night and are discovered in the day.
They may climb onto furniture and curtains or get stranded on the ground because they cannot take off from there.
Bats are also found in places with fruit trees.
Mr Lim Keng Tiong, 75, told TNP that more than 10 bats fly around the Punggol Coral resident's committee garden at night.
The volunteer, who grows more than five types of fruit trees in the garden, said the bats feed on the fruits.
Mr Lim said: "There is nothing much I can do about it. At least they are not dangerous."
At the Halia restaurant in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, bats add to the experience.
Restaurant manager Mae Paguirigan, 31, said: "Once or twice a month, a few fruit bats fly into the restaurant, but customers are okay with it."
If you find a bat at home and do not know how to handle it, call the 24-hour Acres hotline at 9783-7782.
What to do when a bat is indoors
INDOORS
According to a spokesman from Acres, a bat found indoors is usually disorientated and has problems escaping.
Do not handle the bat with your bare hands. If you must, gather the bat up with a towel. Even though bats are not aggressive, they may bite in self-defence. If bitten, seek medical consultation.
Turn off all interior lights and open all windows and doors leading outdoors.
If a bat is unable to escape, wait for the bat to land and cover it with a box. Gently ease the bat into the box and release it outdoors at night.
OUTDOORS
When releasing a bat outdoors, wait till nightfall to release the bat as they are nocturnal animals.
Some bats cannot take off from the ground. If the bat is in a box, hold the box aloft and tilt gently to the side. Or hold the box against a tree branch until the bat clings onto the bark.
- ANG TIAN TIAN
Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB will spend S$500 million over the next two to three years to upgrade existing drains, so as to better cope with more intense storms in Singapore.
Upgrading works for drains and canals at 16 locations will also start next year, PUB said in a media release on Thursday (Nov 30).
“With climate change, we expect more intense storms to occur more frequently in Singapore," said Mr Ridzuan Ismail, PUB’s director of catchment and waterways.
He added that PUB would continue to tackle this by deepening and widening drains.
"However, due to competing demands for land use, there is a limit to this measure," he said.
A more "sustainable approach" would be to manage stormwater where it falls and at areas where stormwater could flow to, by putting in place measures to slow runoff into public drains and protect developments from floods, he added.
The Government has invested about S$1.2 billion on drainage improvement works since 2011.
Since 2012, drainage improvement works have been completed at 325 locations, while drains and canals at another 75 locations are undergoing expansion, said PUB.
Works at these 75 locations are expected to be completed over the next two to three years, and include enhancements at Bedok Canal, Kallang River and Sungei Pandan Kechil.
Works on the Stamford Diversion Canal which - together with the Stamford Detention Tank - is meant to alleviate flooding in an area which includes the Orchard Road shopping belt, will be completed by the third quarter of 2018, said PUB.
In addition, expansion of the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal, a 3.2km canal running from Bukit Timah Road near Maple Avenue to Clementi Road, will be completed by the end of next year.
It will enhance flood protection for the Upper Bukit Timah catchment area including Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Beauty World Plaza and Sime Darby Centre.
“These drainage projects will reduce flood risks but in more extreme storms, floods may still occur," said Mr Ridzuan.
He said that PUB will update the public on flood situations through its social media accounts and mobile app MyWaters.
Source: CNA/kc
S$500 million to be pumped into upgrading drains over the next 3 years: PUB
LOUISA TANG Today Online 30 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE — As part of ongoing efforts to shore up defences against floods due to increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions, the Government plans to spend S$500 million over the next three years to improve drainage across the island. Canals and drains at 16 locations will be upgraded next year.
National water agency PUB said in a press statement on Thursday (Nov 30) that this “continual drainage improvement is part of PUB’s strategy to enhance Singapore’s ability to cope with higher-intensity storms”.
Mr Ridzuan Ismail, PUB’s director of catchment and waterways, explained that with climate change, more intense storms can be expected to occur more frequently in Singapore.
The Meteorological Service Singapore told TODAY that rainfall statistics “show an increasing trend in (the) frequency of heavy rainfall events over Singapore”. There has been almost one more day of very heavy rainfall — with maximum hourly rainfall exceeding 70mm — per decade since 1980, it added.
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Flash floods have occurred on 14 days this year so far, compared to 10 last year and six in 2015.
In managing floods, Mr Rizuan said that a more sustainable approach is needed, because deepening and widening drains would take a toll on Singapore’s limited land use.
Apart from PUB’s efforts, property developers can also do their part by making sure measures are in place to slow down rainwater run-off into public drains and to protect developments from floods, he added.
These could be “source” measures to manage rainwater where it falls, for example, by having detention tanks to collect the water at buildings, as well as “receptor” measures at the areas receiving rainwater flow, for example, by installing barriers at flood-prone areas.
ONGOING WORKS
Since 2011, the Government has invested some S$1.2 billion on drainage improvement works. PUB has also completed drainage improvement works at 325 locations to increase the capacity of drains and canals from 2012.
At present, drains and canals at another 75 locations, including the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal, are undergoing expansion. These improvement works will be completed over the next three years.
The expansion of the 3.2km-long Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal — which runs from Bukit Timah Road near Maple Avenue to Clementi Road — has been carried out in three phases. The first phase was completed last year, while the second phase will be done by the first quarter of next year.
The canal was expected to be ready by 2016, but several challenges cropped up. Mr Simon Chin, PUB’s principal engineer of catchment and waterways, told reporters on Thursday (Nov 30) that the difficult terrain, hard rocks in the ground, and a redesign of the original plans for the drains delayed the works.
As the canal is located on hilly terrain, works had to be progressively carried out. More time was also needed to remove existing rock in the ground and stabilise the slopes, he added.
When fully completed by the end of 2018, the canal will be able to take up to 30 per cent more rainwater.
This will enhance flood protection for the Upper Bukit Timah catchment, which covers areas such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Beauty World Plaza, Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Sime Darby Centre. In 2009, the overflowing of rainwater from the canal caused major traffic congestion, as well as flooding that reached knee level.
Other major upgrading works are being carried out at Sungei Pandan Kechil, Bedok Canal and Kallang River.
Works on the Stamford Diversion Canal will also be done by the third quarter of next year. The Stamford Diversion Canal and Stamford Detention Tank will alleviate flooding in the Stamford Canal catchment, which covers the Orchard Road shopping belt.
The detention tank to collect and store water from storms will be ready by the second quarter of next year, with PUB testing the pumps next month.
Mr Rizuan said: “These drainage projects will reduce flood risks but in more extreme storms, floods may still occur. We will do our best to update the public on flood situations through various channels such as the PUB Facebook page and Twitter, as well as our mobile app MyWaters.”
To report incidents of flooding, members of the public may call PUB’s 24-hour call centre at 1800-2255-782.
New Straits Times 30 Nov 17;
KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts are being made to restore forests across Peninsular Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Ir Hamim Samuri said the Forestry Department has implemented measures to curb deforestation caused by over-exploitation.
"Among the measures implemented is the 'Pemulihan Kawasan Hutan Terosot' (Dwindling Forest Restoration) programme.
"The programme has been designed to ensure the conservation of permanent forest reserve areas in Peninsular Malaysia.
"Under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015), 4,477 hectares of degraded forest land in forest reserves had been replanted with various species of trees.
"In the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), RM100 million has been approved to rehabilitate 1,640 hectares of permanent forest reserves and fringe areas," he said in reply to a question from Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut) during the Minister's Question and Answer (MQT) session.
The deputy minister added that the allocation is also used to finance research and development, assistance to non-governmental organisations and awareness-raising programs.
In Malaysia, trees are logged for their high economic value.
Non-sustainable forest opening or development has led to environmental problems, namely soil erosion, landslides and flooding.
The major causes of the decline in forest area and quality include commercial logging, agricultural development, dams and resettlement.
In 2015, Malaysia’s forest area is 22,195,100ha or 67.6% (more than two-thirds) of the land area according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) report.
In comparison, the coverage area was 21,591,000ha in 2000.
The forest area has also risen by 14,000ha per year between 2010 and 2015.
Reporting by FERNANDO FONG, VEENA BABULAL and ARFA YUNUS
Bambang Muryanto The Jakarta Post 30 Nov 17;
Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono has declared a state of emergency following several days of flooding, landslides and strong winds that have claimed five lives. The status will be in place until Jan. 30.
“Emergency funds will be disbursed to assist evacuees,” the governor said during a visit to residential areas affected by landslides in Tegal Panggung subdistrict, Yogyakarta, on Thursday.
The province was hit with stormy weather earlier this week following the formation of a tropical cyclone on the southern coast of Java.
Meanwhile, Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti said the municipality had allocated Rp 2 billion (US$ 140,000) to provide aid to evacuees.
The cyclone has caused landslides and flooding in Yogyakarta city, Sleman, Bantul, Gunungkidul and Kulon Progo regencies. (rin)
Yogyakarta declares emergency alert status following natural disasters
Antara 29 Nov 17;
Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - The Yogyakarta Special Autonomous Provincial Administration has declared an emergency alert status following natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and whirlwinds, that hit the region.
The National Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency had reported that extreme weather will continue for three days, but Yogyakarta has declared an emergency status for a week, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, the governor of Yogyakarta, stated here, Wednesday.
The decision to declare the emergency status was taken during a coordination meeting on disaster mitigation attended by officials of the Yogyakarta disaster mitigation office.
By declaring the emergency status, district and provincial authorities could use the reserve funds for disaster mitigation efforts.
Krido Suprayitno, head of the Yogyakarta disaster mitigation office, noted that the extreme weather was triggered by the Cempaka tropical cyclone.
The Yogyakarta finance office has allocated Rp14 billion for disaster mitigation efforts.
According to data from Yogyakarta city`s disaster mitigation office, landslides hit nine locations and whirlwinds also affected nine locations, claiming the lives of three residents.
In Bantul District, whirlwinds struck 67 locations, landslides occurred in 45 sites, and floods ravaged 31 locations, affecting 4,756 people and claiming one life.
In Kulon Progo, 20 locations were hit by whirlwinds, 27 by landslides, and six by floods, affecting 58 people, injuring three, and leading to two others going missing.
In Gunung Kidul District, one person died, two were injured, and 3,276 others affected by whirlwinds, landslides, and floods.
In Sleman District, 214 people were affected by hydrological disasters that frequently occurred during the rainy season.
Reported by Luqman Hakim
(f001/INE)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/B/H-YH)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
4 die as extreme weather hits Wonogiri
Ganug Nugroho Adi The Jakarta Post 30 Nov 17;
Four people died amid flooding and landslides in Tirtomoyo and Manyaran districts in Wonogiri, Central Java, on Wednesday.
Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) personnel and search and rescue (SAR) volunteers have recovered the bodies of the victims. “Two victims were found in Tirtomoyo while two others were discovered in Manyaran,” SAR Wonogiri operations division head Ashari Mursito Wisnu told The Jakarta Post.
Two victims identified as Aditya, 15, and Painem, 56, died after they were dragged by floodwaters that swept Batusari village, Manyaran. Two victims buried by a landslide have yet to be identified.
Separately, BPBD Wonogiri head Bambang Haryanto said around 2,000 Wonogiri residents across 14 districts were forced to leave their homes as high intensity rains hit the area from Tuesday morning until Wednesday, causing several rivers to overflow and inundate their surrounding areas.
“Fourteen of 18 districts in Wonogiri were hit by flooding,” Bambang said.
On Tuesday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urged people, especially those in Java, to be on alert over the potential of extreme natural events in the next three days related to a tropical cyclone called Cempaka, which had formed on the south coast of Java on Monday.
BMKG head Mulyono Rahadi Prabowo said on Tuesday that the cyclone would bring heavy rains in most areas of Java, especially south Banten, southwest Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and Bali.(hol/ebf)
Thousands of Gunung Kidul residents evacuate following floods
Antara 30 Nov 17;
Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Flooding in the Gunung Kidul District of Yogyakarta Province has forced thousands of people to temporarily shift to evacuation shelters.
"According to the preliminary data, the count of evacuees reaches 2,911 people. The figure can increase, as the disaster is still occurring," Executive Head of the Gunung Kidul Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency Ruti Sulastri noted here on Thursday.
Joint mitigation officers also evacuated several people after some houses were damaged due to the landslide and flooding.
The evacuees also stayed at their relatives` houses and the village hall office.
The evacuation shelters are located in a total of 14 areas.
Sub-districts, such as Nglipar, Semanu, Gedangsari, and Patuk, have suffered the worst brunt of the disaster.
The largest number of evacuees has been reported in the sub-districts of Nglipar and Semanu.
Sulastri said the Gunung Kidul administration has issued an official statement on the disaster emergency status from Nov 28 to Dec 8.
"We are still calculating the total damage caused to residences and road infrastructure," she added.
Meanwhile, Deputy District Head of Gunung Kidul Immawan Wahyudi said the administration is still gathering information on the damaged infrastructure that can be repaired immediately.
The administration has prioritized key infrastructure to be repaired, including road access.
Bad weather occurred in the southern area of Java Island due to the Cempaka tropical cyclone forming in the southern waters of Java Sea.
Heavy rains and strong winds occurred in the southern areas in West Java Province, Central Java Province, Yogyakarta, and East Java, thereby causing floods.
(Uu.B019/INE)
(UU.B019/B/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Indonesia braces itself for floods, as heavy rains continue
Straits Times 30 Nov 17;
JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Indonesian government has strengthened measures to deal with the potential hazards of floods and landslides as the nation braces for heavy rainfall, which is estimated to sweep the country over the next three months.
The move came amid mounting concerns of Cyclone Cempaka, which hit Java Island with heavy rains and wind earlier this week, causing floods and landslides that turned deadly in several areas on Tuesday (Nov 28).
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Puan Maharani gathered a number of representatives from related ministries and state institutions in a meeting to discuss the risk of floods and landslides, particularly during peak rainfall in December, January and February.
Speaking after the meeting, Puan said the government has been preparing for disaster mitigation.
"Local administrations will also be informed so they can start anticipating (floods and landslides) in the coming months of heavy rain," Puan said, adding that the Home Ministry was tasked with leading the campaign to disseminate information.
Floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Cempaka, which hit at least 13 villages in Pacitan, Kebonagung and Arjosari, East Java, have claimed 11 lives with 4,000 people reportedly in dire need of evacuation.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had previously issued a warning of the cyclone hitting Java and Bali islands. The cyclone's winds reached 65 kilometres per hour on Tuesday, affecting at least 21 regencies and municipalities.
As the heavy rain and strong winds continued on Wednesday, floods and landslides occurred in dozens of villages in several municipalities on Central Java.
In Surakarta, hundreds of houses were inundated following heavy rainfall from Tuesday morning to Wednesday at dawn, causing thousands of residents to flee their homes for shelter.
Similar incidents also occurred in two villages in Weru district in Sukoharjo, and eight villages in Bayat district in Klaten. The floods reportedly hit hundreds of houses and covered hundreds of hectares of paddy fields.
In Wonogiri, the Search and Rescue (SAR) team recorded dozens of floods and landslides in 14 districts following hours of heavy rainfall.
Two people died in a landslide in Tirtomoyo district and two more were killed in a flood in Manyaran district in the worst such disaster in the area in the last 10 years.
In 2007, 17 residents were killed after 2-metre-high floodwater swept an area in Tirtomoyo.
"At least 2,000 residents have been evacuated. They are now taking refuge in tents," Wonogiri's Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Bambang Haryanto said.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has found that at least 60 million Indonesian citizens live in flood-prone areas, 40 million in landslide-prone areas and 4 million in tsunami-prone areas.
As of Nov 20, the BNPB recorded 545 landslides and 689 floods across the country, making the latter the most frequent natural disaster until almost the end of 2017.
The agency has prepared any possible measures, ranging from an early warning system to emergency funds, to mitigate the effects of the disasters and to take care of residents who fell victim to floods and landslides, BNPB head Willem Rampangilei said.
"At the same time, we will conduct assessments of all damage (caused by the disasters) to accelerate the repair work," Willem added.
Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said her office has prepared 278 tons of rice to be delivered to shelters across the country to reach people affected by the floods and landslides across the country.
The BMKG has detected a potential new cyclone that has formed off the southwest of Bengkulu in the Indian Ocean, and was moving to the east toward West Java and Banten provinces.
"(The cyclone) is continuing to move to the east and probably will come to the southwest of Sukabumi in West Java, causing at least strong winds until Dec 2," BMKG researcher Muhammad Iip said.
Indonesia at risk of landslides, floods amid heavy rain
Cyclone Cempaka kills 11; govt prepares for hazards as rainfall expected to last 3 months
Straits Times 1 Dec 17;
JAKARTA/PATTANI • The Indonesian government has made preparations to deal with the potential hazards of floods and landslides as the country braces itself for heavy rainfall, which is estimated to sweep the country over the next three months.
The move came amid mounting concerns over Cyclone Cempaka, which hit the island of Java with heavy rain and wind earlier this week, causing floods and landslides that turned deadly in several areas on Tuesday.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Puan Maharani gathered a number of representatives from related ministries and state institutions in a meeting to discuss the risk of floods and landslides, particularly during peak rainfall in December, January and February.
Speaking after the meeting, Madam Puan said the govern-ment has been preparing for disaster mitigation.
"Local administrations will also be informed so they can start an-ticipating (floods and landslides) in the coming months of heavy rain," she said, adding that the Home Ministry was tasked with leading the campaign to disseminate information.
Floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Cempaka, which hit at least 13 villages in Pacitan, Kebonagung and Arjosari in East Java, have claimed 11 lives, with 4,000 people reportedly in dire need of evacuation.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had previously issued a warning of the cyclone hitting Java and Bali islands.
The cyclone's winds reached 65kmh on Tuesday, affecting at least 21 regencies and municipalities.
21 Number of regencies and municipalities affected when the cyclone's winds reached 65kmh on Tuesday.
As the heavy rain and strong winds continued on Wednesday, floods and landslides occurred in dozens of villages in several municipalities in Central Java.
In Surakarta, hundreds of houses were inundated following heavy rainfall from Tuesday morning to dawn on Wednesday, causing thousands of residents to flee their homes for shelter.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has found that at least 60 million Indonesian citizens live in flood-prone areas, 40 million in landslide-prone areas and four million in tsunami-prone areas.
As of Nov 20, the BNPB recorded 545 landslides and 689 floods across the country, making the latter the most frequent natural disaster until almost the end of this year.
The agency has prepared many possible measures, ranging from an early warning system to emergency funds, to mitigate the effects of the disasters and to take care of residents who fell victim to floods and landslides, BNPB head Willem Rampangilei said.
"At the same time, we will conduct assessments of all damage (caused by the disasters) to accelerate the repair work," he said.
Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said her office has prepared 252 tonnes of rice to be delivered to shelters across the country to reach people affected by the floods and landslides across the country.
The BMKG has detected a potential new cyclone that has formed off the south-west of Bengkulu in the Indian Ocean, and is moving to the east toward West Java and Banten provinces.
"(The cyclone) is continuing to move to the east and probably will come to the south-west of Sukabumi in West Java, causing at least strong winds until Dec 2," BMKG researcher Muhammad Iip said.
Meanwhile, heavy floods also swept into southern Thailand this week killing five people, the authorities said yesterday as photos of waterlogged and damaged roads spread on social media.
The worst-hit provinces are located in the deep south on the border with Malaysia, a restive hot spot where Muslim insurgents have engaged in clashes with the central government. More than 380,000 people from eight southern provinces have been affected by the rising waters in the southern Thailand but no formal evacuation plan has been announced.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Dames Alexander Sinaga Jakarta Globe 30 Nov 17;
Jakarta. The UK-based Body Shop on Monday (27/11) donated Rp 1.8 billion, or $126,000, to non-profit environmental agency Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari to save the population of a newly found species of orangutan in North Sumatra.
The species, Tapanuli orangutans, or Pongo tapanuliensis, were confirmed by scientists in early November.
The primate is currently under assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be categorized as a critically endangered species.
According to scientists, the Tapanuli orangutans currently number less than 800. Their habitats are fragmented by the Great Sumatran fault, which might lead to inbreeding among isolated groups of the orangutans.
Aryo Widiwardhono, chief executive of The Body Shop Indonesia, said his company has invited its customers to participate in the conservation project by making donations that will be used to finance the construction of a bridge and forest corridors to allow for easier movement of the Tapanuli orangutans.
"The Body Shop Bio-Bridge in Batang Toru forest [North Sumatra] will facilitate the breeding of the Tapanuli orangutans. It is hoped that it will prevent them from extinction,” Aryo said in a statement received by the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.
Ian Singleton, director of the environmental agency, said the presence of the bridge is essential for the repopulating the orangutans and to conserve their habitats.
Singleton explained that the species population is currently split into two main areas, which are the western and eastern blocs of Batang Toru located near the fault.
"And there is also a small population [of Tapanuli orangutans] which is situated in the Sibual Buali Natural Reserve in the southeast of the western bloc," he added.
Batang Toru forest is an area of approximately 150 thousand hectares, 142 thousand hectares of which is the primary forest.
Reliefweb 30 Nov 17;
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 30th November 2017, (NNT) - The South of Thailand has continued to experience heavy rain, which has triggered flash floods and rain water runoff in several areas. A number of provinces have declared disaster zones in various districts.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, officials of Khao Luang National Park in Phrom Khiri district have temporarily closed access to Phrom Lok Waterfall, Ai Khiao Waterfall and three other waterfalls under their jurisdiction, following heavy runoff in the park. The officials urged nearby residents to beware of flash floods.
The province has declared disaster zones in seven districts: Cha-uat, Bang Khan, Chian Yai, Chulabhorn, Phipun, Thung Song and Pak Phanang. Officials have been dispatched to distribute animal feed to agriculturalists who are struggling to provide for their livestock.
The Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial administration has also set up an emergency flood response center to coordinate relief from various sectors. Local residents are urged to closely follow the latest information from the center.
Similarly in Songkhla, the province has established an emergency flood response center in Thepa district, after the Thepa Canal overflowed into the surrounding community. Officials have handed out food to residents of the hardest hit areas. Governor Doldej Pattanarat recently visited the district to give survival kits to flood victims, while instructing relevant authorities to monitor the situation around the clock.
The Meteorological Department has forecast that more rain is likely in the South. Low pressure cells from the Malaysian coast are moving into lower southern region and are expected to reach the Andaman Sea on December 1st. Several areas in the South may experience more flooding, with rough seas and two- to three-meter waves expected in the Andaman Sea.
Information and Source
Reporter : Nuppol Suvansombut
Rewriter : Rodney McNeil
National News Bureau & Public Relations : http://thainews.prd.go.th
Floods in southern Thailand kill five
AFP New Straits Times 30 Nov 17;
PATTANI: Heavy floods swept into southern Thailand this week killing five people, authorities said Thursday as photos of waterlogged and damaged roads spread on social media.
The worst-hit provinces are located in the deep south on the border with Malaysia, a restive hotspot where Muslim insurgents have engaged in clashes with the central government.
The flooding from the annual monsoon rains prompted residents to use small boats for transportation in Pattani province, according to an AFP photographer on site.
All five victims drowned, an official with the disaster management hotline told AFP.
Nearby in Songhkla province, a road collapsed under a car, forming a small ravine with the car stuck at the bottom. The driver was not injured.
More than 380,000 people from eight southern provinces have been affected by the rising waters in the southern Thailand but no formal evacuation plan has been announced.
Southeast Asia is frequently affected by seasonal downpours. In October, Vietnam struggled to deal with flooding that killed more than 70 people.--AFP
Floods in Southern Thailand spilling over to Kelantan
c.a. zulkifle and syed azhar The Star 1 Dec 17;
KOTA BARU: The southern Thai provinces of Narathiwat declared all its 13 districts disaster zones, even while flood waters continued to rise in Kelantan.
Kelantan Drainage and Irrigation Department director Kamal Mustapha said flood waters in southern Thailand were also pouring into Sungai Golok from 19 tributaries, worsening the situation in the Rantau Panjang area. Several low-lying areas in Tumpat, he said are expected to be affected by floodwaters for at least two weeks due to high water levels at Sungai Golok, in Rantau Panjang and Kuala Jambu.
He said Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang had risen above the 9m danger level to 10.66m, while the river at Kuala Jambu, Tumpat, had risen above its 2.50m danger level to 3.42m.
“Low lying areas will have stagnant water for more than 14 days and people there will have to stay at relief centres or alternative accommodation,” he said.
Kamal said that in the long term a 26km bund would be built at a cost of RM300mil to stop water flow into Sungai Golok from Pengkala Kubor to Tumpat.
He added that another RM1.1bil had been allocated to build a 60km long bund, in stages, from Bukit Bunga to Tumpat.
There are 13,539 Kelantan flood victims at 100 relief centres in nine districts reports Bernama.
Pasir Mas had the highest number of victims with 8,630 from 3,588 families in 44 relief centres.
In Terengganu, the number of flood victims dropped to 1,073 people from 284 families compared to 1,244 at 10pm the night before.
Only 28 relief centres, in six districts, are still open in the state.
In Petaling Jaya, Tenaga Nasional Berhad senior general manager (operations and assets) Roslan Abd Rahman said hydroelectric dams in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, and Sungai Perak, Perak were in perfect condition and capable of handling the high volume of water.
“We will release the water if it gets to danger levels,” he said.
He added that water would also be released according to a schedule to ensure dam capacity was stable.
The Conversation 30 Nov 17;
From knowing where animals live, to which plants provide what medicinal benefits, communities around the world hold expert levels of knowledge on their local environments.
In general, scientific investigations provide precise and measurable information, collected over short amounts of time. But this “local ecological knowledge” is made up of observations collected over very long time periods, which are often passed down through the generations. It can be simple things, like knowing the best places to fish, or can include rare or extreme events, such as floods or periods of bad weather.
For coastal communities dependent on ocean resources, this accumulated ecological knowledge is key to collecting food and maintaining livelihoods. But community ecological knowledge need not, and does not, stand alone from science. It has been repeatedly “tested” by scientists, and is now increasingly being recognised as a valuable asset in environmental management and conservation biology.
In recent years, wider recognition of its value has resulted in local knowledge being drawn on to support natural resource management. It has been used to help design marine protected areas, for example in Myanmar and the Philippines.
By combining the two, local knowledge can be a useful tool in data poor areas. Particularly when it comes to monitoring rare or endangered species.
Saving the dugong
The dugong is a large marine mammal that feeds almost exclusively on seagrass – itself a threatened plant species. At present the dugong is listed as “vulnerable to extinction” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red list. Major threats to dugong populations include habitat loss, coastal development, pollution, fishing activities, vessel strikes and unsustainable hunting or poaching.
Dugongs are thought to exist in only small fragmented groups outside of their primary population in Australia. Though dugongs are still found in the coastal waters of more than 40 countries throughout the Indo-West Pacific, accurate scientific information is scarce and often anecdotal. To properly support the protection of these vulnerable animals, we need to know where they are.
To monitor dugong populations, researchers typically use aerial surveys or unmanned aerial vehicles. But these techniques are costly, and often affected by difficult conditions such as cloudy water and glare. Additionally, they also provide only a narrow snapshot of what might be occurring in any particular area at a single time.
This is where local ecological knowledge can be hugely beneficial. If available, it has the potential to fill in the detail about the whereabouts and numbers of sighted dugongs.
Indonesian efforts
In Indonesia, dugongs are protected but there is limited accessible information on population numbers or their geographical range. Though the government appears committed to conserving the species, there is also growing evidence of the rapid decline of Indonesian seagrass meadows due to a suite of threats including overfishing.
But fishers are not the dugong’s enemy, rather they could be its saviour. Our recently published research used the knowledge of fishers to confirm the persistence of dugong in the Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia. The fishers, who take to the water daily, were able to relay precise times, dates and locations of multiple dugong sightings, going as far back as 1942. These fishers had knowledge that far surpassed any official research record and were able to describe previously unrecorded historical trends and population changes.
This is not the first time that this kind of locally-held ecological knowledge has been used to conserve species, nor will it be the last. Other examples include the conservation of the endangered Baleen whale poplulations in the Falklands, and rare freshwater fishes in the Mekong River.
Using science and the ecological knowledge of local people does more than save just one species at a time, too. The ocean is an ecosystem, and each plant, animal or other creature relies on one another. Dugong and seagrass conservation, for example, go hand-in-hand. To acquire better information on the population distribution of dugongs, we also need to know the distribution and status of seagrass. And by integrating these kinds of information, we can start saving the oceans.
Authors
Leanne Cullen-Unsworth
Research Fellow, Cardiff University
Benjamin L. Jones
Researcher at the Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University
Richard K.F. Unsworth
Research Officer, Swansea University
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Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE: In a quiet neighbourhood in eastern Singapore, a 47-year-old woman was developing a rash, fever and conjunctivitis. Had the symptoms developed separately, her General Practitioner would have barely batted an eyelid.
But together, the symptoms were indicative of the Zika virus, an illness that was spreading quickly around South America.
Patient A, as she became known, would be the first case of locally transmitted Zika in August 2016. As more people were diagnosed with the disease, which is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, authorities sought to control the mosquito population through regular fogging.
By the end of the year, about 450 people here were confirmed to have caught the virus.
“You have to have all of the stars lined up before you have that kind of transmission that you did last year,” said Emeritus Professor at Duke-NUS’ Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme Duane Gubler.
Prof Gubler told Channel NewsAsia that epidemic transmission is a “complicated interaction between the virus, the human host and the mosquito”, and all three “lined up” to propagate the virus quickly in a span of four months.
But just as quickly as new clusters appeared, Zika numbers dwindled globally as well as locally.
For scientists and infectious diseases experts, understanding the impact of the virus is a work in progress. With current research maturing over the next six months, Prof Gubler said the hope is to eventually be able to provide more answers than questions.
Until then, the focus for vulnerable countries needs to be on controlling the mosquito population.
FACTORS BEHIND LACK OF MICROCEPHALY IN SINGAPORE
Having circulated silently across Africa and Asia since the 1960s, Zika’s large outbreak was first reported on Yap Island, west of French Polynesia.
Prof Gubler said with some 5,000 reported cases, there were no signs of neurological diseases associated with Zika. They include microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with a smaller head due to abnormalities in the development of the brain. Another neurological disease linked to Zika is the Guillain-Barré syndrome, which causes temporary or permanent paralysis.
“When the virus got to French Polynesia with over 30,000 cases, then they started to see a few cases of microcephaly,” Prof Gubler said.
By the time it got to Brazil where it infected hundreds of thousands of people, Prof Gubler said the number of babies born with microcephaly rose even more.
Prof Arijit Biswas, a Senior Consultant at the National University Hospital's Women's Centre said there appears to be a link between Zika and microcephaly in a developing fetus.
In Singapore, the Health Ministry told Channel NewsAsia that of the 17 women who were diagnosed with Zika during their pregnancies in 2016, two had their pregnancies terminated while one had a miscarriage.
The reasons behind this were not linked to Zika.
It added the other 14 women gave birth to babies with no signs of microcephaly. Last year, the Health Ministry announced it would monitor the development of these babies until the age of three.
“So far, none of the babies evaluated under the surveillance programme have shown signs of abnormalities and are developing well,” MOH said.
Prof Biswas, who who is also the lead of the Health Ministry's Clinical Advisory Group on Zika and Pregnancy, said the small number of pregnant women affected in Singapore also lowers the probability of having a baby with microcephaly.
Prof Gubler agreed, saying this could explain why in places like Brazil where hundreds of thousands are thought to have been exposed, doctors started to see a rise in the number of microcephaly cases.
Both he and Prof Biswas added another reason for the lack of microcephaly cases in Singapore could be due to genetic variances in the Zika strains.
In September 2016, health authorities and researchers concluded that the Zika virus strains found in the first two locally transmitted cases in Singapore were not imported from the South American strain.
“To our surprise, the Zika strain causing the local outbreak was derived from a local version that has been circulating in South-east Asia since the 1960s,” A*Star’s Bioinformatics Institute’s (BII) Sebastian Maurer-Stroh was later quoted in a publication.
A*Star said an analysis of the strains suggest Singapore’s strain diverged in early 2010, before the rapid spread through Brazil.
The Agency's BII said Zika strains prior to 2013 have not been linked to severe neurological complications.
While there is research to suggest a mutation in the strain circulating in South America could have been the reason for the high rates of microcephaly, Prof Biswas cautioned there is insufficient data on the microcephaly rates among different strains.
DOES THE THREAT REMAIN?
For infectious diseases expert Dr Leong Ho Nam, the drastic decline of cases this year came as a surprise. He said he expected the number of cases to rise. Instead, Zika activity, like in the rest of the world, has been low.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said this year’s Zika clusters were contained in “small localised areas” through intensive and targeted vector control operations and community awareness.
After the last Zika cluster in Serangoon North Avenue 1 closed in September, Zika cases have been sporadically appearing after weeks of inactivity. For example, after more than six weeks, a new case was highlighted in the Health Ministry’s weekly infectious diseases bulletin last week, bringing the total to 67 this year. This is a sharp decline from the 453 Zika cases this time last year.
Both Dr Leong and Prof Gubler expect the virus to continue to spread, though it is unclear how rapid its spread will be.
Prof Gubler said he expects Zika to go the way of Dengue and Chikungunya epidemics. All three are transmitted by the aedes mosquito.
“Chikungunya caused a major epidemic in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s and then disappeared and then reappeared in 2004 and spread again over several years,” Prof Gubler said.
“Dengue has done the same thing- it comes and goes. After several years of epidemics, the virus goes underground and it becomes “a silent transmission”, characterized by mildly asymptomatic cases that are not recognised as Zika or as Dengue or as Chikungunya.”
Prof Gubler said that’s because the viruses undergo genetic mutations that cause them to have a lower potential for epidemics and infectivity.
But Dr Leong offered a different explanation, saying that the likely reason for the lack of Zika cases in Singapore could be due to a better control of mosquito breeding. He pointed out there were about 2,500 cases of Dengue this year, compared to more than 12,600 last year.
“But if you look beyond it and postulate and guess, is it because the Zika virus is not able to grow so well in Singapore?” he said.
“If Singapore is very good in controlling mosquito populations, my assumption would be that Indonesia and Thailand may not have set up the tremendous efforts Singapore has. Why aren’t they getting huge outbreaks of Zika?”
Compared to dengue, Dr Leong also pointed out that Chikungunya also does not spread as quickly.
“It thus suggests that the mosquitoes here are not quite adapted to Chikungunya and Zika transmission as compared to Dengue,” he said.
“We must not assume that the mosquito will treat Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya equally. We will assume that like us, some would like to eat more fruits, some would like more meat and some would like more vegetables. So there will be a different propensity for the virus.”
Prof Gubler noted that a Zika vaccine could be about three years from being approved if all goes well.
Aside from the development of a vaccine, Prof Biswas said another interesting outcome of research on the virus is the unravelling of the "mechanism of nerve cell destruction, particularly nerve stem cells".
"One suggested mechanism is the destructive effects of the virus on neural stem cell which play a very active role in the development of fetal brain," Prof Biswas said.
This, he said, could explain how microcephaly characteristics of a small brain can develop in fetuses infected with Zika.
But this same understanding is being explored by researchers in treating other diseases.
"Researchers are also exploring the possibility of using Zika virus in the treatment of brain tumors, utilizing the same nerve cell destruction properties of this virus," Prof Biswas added.
CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE IS CRITICAL
Until then, both experts agreed that mosquito controlling efforts need to be maintained on the island.
To that end, NEA told Channel NewsAsia it conducted more than 575,000 inspections between January and June this year. It said some 1,900 households were fined for mosquito breeding.
It said construction sites found to be breeding mosquitoes dropped from 11 per cent in 2013, to 6 per cent as of June this year, as a result of working with stakeholders.
Still, it said more than 20 Stop Work Orders were issued in the first half of the year.
“With more exposure, the viruses and mosquitoes will learn to adapt to each other. So if you are hungry and there is nothing to eat except vegetables, you end up adapting and liking vegetables,” Dr Leong said.
Another reason for eradicating the mosquito population is the worry that there are other viruses out there that could be transmitted through the aedes mosquito.
“I estimate there’s probably five or six viruses out there that can be transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti that will respond to the same type of pressures- urbanisation and global travel,” Prof Gubler said.
“That can move those viruses around the world. So the only way to prevent the epidemic of those viruses if they emerge is to have good mosquito control because we don’t have vaccines for them, we don’t have other antiviral drugs.”
Source: CNA/mo
Aw Cheng Wei Straits Times 29 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE - One of the first things Ah Boi plans to do when he gets home is to apologise to his father and to spend more time with him.
"I used to fight with him whenever I did something wrong, came home late or disturbed my younger brother," said Ah Boi, 15, using a pseudonym. .
He described himself as someone who would stay out late with some of his friends from a gang, about 10 to 15 of them.
They would "lepak" at places such as Sentosa, shopping centres and coffeeshops, he said, using a colloquial term used for loitering aimlessly.
On Wednesday (Nov 29), Ah Boi completed a 1½ day camp at Pulau Ubin, organised by the Criminal Investigation Department's Secret Societies Branch to teach at-risk teenagers the dangers of joining gangs.
A talk during the camp, called All Can Escape (Ace), motivated him to mend his relationship with his father.
He heard former inmate Michael Teoh, 52, who shared the story of how he rebuilt his relationships with his stepfather and biological father after he was released from prison in 1988.
Mr Teoh said that his stepfather had kneeled down and asked him for forgiveness for abusing him physically as a child.
He also tracked down his biological father who cried and apologised to him for neglecting him when he was a child.
Mr Teoh's descriptions left Ah Boi with powerful images.
"I want to be a better person who spends more time with my family," Ah Boi said.
He took part in the camp as part of a voluntary six-month rehabilitation process called the Streetwise Programme for youths associated with gangs or their activities.
The police identified him as a youth at-risk in May after an image of a gang insignia was posted on his social media account.
According to the Societies Act, it is illegal to join gangs or participate in their activities or pretend to be a gang member.
Ah Boi said that he wanted to join a gang because it was "step cool" - which refers to the act of pretending to be popular. "I was bored," he added.
Another participant, who wanted to be known only as Adam, said that he questioned the friendships he made in a gang after attending Camp Ace.
The Secondary 3 student said that he was not sure if they would support him if he ran into problems with the law.
He heard Mr Teoh recount how his former gang mates would cheat him of his share of a robbery that they had planned.
Adam said: "They will not care about you, they might betray you." He does not plan to contact the members of his former gang any more for fear that he might be drawn into their illicit activities such as running gambling dens.
Both teenagers found the camp's activities tiring but fun. Their favourite part was an obstacle course on the first day, saying it helped them build confidence to face their fears and how to work in a team.
Adam said: "In the past, I had never learnt how to help each other."
Mr Teoh, who is taking part in the camp for the first time, said that he is happy that his experience helped the two boys.
Currently a swim coach, he was charged with first degree murder after a robbery he planned with his friends went awry. Eventually, the charge was reduced to robbery with hurt. He was 17 when he first went to prison.
The father of two said that he has made it his mission to help youths "get back to the right track" after he was released from prison.
He said: "At their age, they are prone to gangs, illegal things that will hurt their future careers."
"I understand their struggles. I've been there. I want to help them understand life better and change their current perspective," he added.
In a statement, a police spokesman urged parents and guardians to guide their children or wards to stay away from wrong company and be wary of negative influences on social media.
He reminded youths that they would be committing a crime whenever they are involved in gang-related activities such as chanting gang slogans and poems.
Those found guilty could be punished with a fine not exceeding $5,000 or be jailed for a period not exceeding three years or both.
Those who want to leave gangs or suspect that someone might be in a gang can call the Secret Societies Branch on 6435-0000.
Today Online 30 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE — Describing how children are more sheltered and have fewer chances to “rough it out” these days, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that they can learn to be more tenacious and resourceful by going for outdoor adventures with the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS).
Speaking at the institution’s 50th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday (Nov 29), he pointed out that its mission now is “more relevant than ever”, which is to “develop mentally and physically rugged youth to be active citizens inspired to serve the community”.
When former Cabinet Minister Goh Keng Swee set up the school in 1967, he thought it would help to build ruggedness and resilience in young Singaporeans in the early days of nationhood, PM Lee recalled.
Fast forward to today and the need for such training has not waned.
“Our children are growing up in a much more developed and urbanised environment,” Mr Lee said. “There are fewer opportunities to rough it out in the outdoors, and shelter from bad weather is usually just a few steps away. Parents, teachers and schools are also more protective. When our children go ‘camping’ now, they often sleep in the school hall or the classroom, or sometimes on the Floating Platform at Marina Bay. So that sense of nature, the outdoors and adventure is not quite the same.”
While the boys will eventually do National Service, it is “much better if they are already fit, toughened and confident before they are called up”, he added. “We want all our young people — girls as well as boys, to be rugged and tenacious, adaptable and resourceful.”
To that end, the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth developed the National Outdoor Adventure Education Masterplan last year. Part of the plan is for OBS to build permanent facilities on Coney Island to take in more students.
OBS has already started some activities on the island, PM Lee said, adding that with the expanded facilities, “every schoolgirl and schoolboy will have the opportunity to go through OBS at least once in their school years”.
Recounting his own experience at the school when he was 15 and among one of the first intakes of students in 1967, Mr Lee said that “OBS was ‘rugged’ in every sense of the word”.
The British Army had been organising holiday adventure camps on Pulau Ubin since the late 1950s before the People’s Association took over. Dr Goh was the association’s deputy chairman then.
The British Army continued to run first official OBS courses and two British majors headed the operations. Many of the instructors were non-commissioned officers from the British Army recruited here, and there were other Singaporean volunteers seconded from the civil service and Vigilante Corps.
The facilities and equipment were very basic and the dormitories were “makeshift”. “We had canoes, sailing dinghies, prismatic compasses and topographic maps, some simple rope and obstacle courses, but not much else,” Mr Lee said.
Pulau Ubin was even more rural then, unlike what it is now with better amenities such as paved roads.
“My coursemates and I found OBS a challenging experience, but we also enjoyed ourselves immensely. Our course lasted 17 days, longer than most of the courses OBS now runs... (We) had to get fit, to learn new skills, to encourage one another along on exercises and adventures. We did map reading and orienteering, and often got hopelessly lost. And we went canoeing (to Coney Island) and sailing (to Pulau Seletar), through sun and rain,” Mr Lee said of that period which “had a lasting impact” on the group and him.
“We were pushed to our limits, physical and as well as psychological. We gained self-confidence, became more resilient, and learnt to work with one another as a team. I think that was what Dr Goh intended.”
Noting that these are lessons that are hard to teach in the classroom, he added: “If OBS does its work well, Singapore will always have rugged youth who embody the OBS spirit ‘to serve, to strive, and not to yield’.”
Pioneer recalls OBS early days as it celebrates 50th year of founding
Noor Farhan Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE: While the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) campus in Pulau Ubin features impressive obstacle courses these days, it was far more spartan when it began 50 years ago.
As one of the pioneering instructors at OBS during its founding days, Mr Mathias Chay has seen the campus evolve.
“My fellow instructors and I would go into the swamps and chop trees, branches and so on to build obstacles,” said Mr Chay, who is in his 70s.
They placed these so-called "agility courses" near the sea so that if trainees were to fall, they would land in the water.
"It was all built by us, made up of the natural elements found around us. I suppose it was not as sophisticated but it did the job,” said Mr Chay at the OBS 50th anniversary celebrations on Pulau Ubin on Wednesday (Nov 29).
“The quarters where the students would stay were actually labourers' quarters. They were built for the workers of the granite quarry nearby,” he added.
Mr Chay also recalled the time when sea expeditions were done using sailboats given to them by the British Army.
“It was one of those old fibreglass boats that were very rudimentary. We called them bathtubs as they were very clumsy,” he reminisced.
PULAU UBIN “LIKE A LARGE, UNKNOWN CONTINENT”
One of Mr Chay’s adventure trainees at OBS was none other than Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“The facilities and equipment were very basic. We had canoes, sailing dinghies, prismatic compasses and topographic maps, some simple rope and obstacle courses, but not much else,” recalled PM Lee in his speech at the anniversary celebrations.
"Pulau Ubin then was even more rural than today. There were prawn ponds, granite quarries, a few kampongs, old rubber plantations, lots of mangrove swamp and a bit of a beach. To us, it seemed like a large, unknown continent,” he said.
He said that the 17 days he and his camp mates spent there had a lasting impact on him.
"Today, the mission of OBS – to develop mentally and physically rugged youths to be active citizens is more relevant than ever," Mr Lee added.
TEACHING YOUTHS RESILIENCE
Since OBS was formed in 1967, more than 500,000 Singaporeans have been through the course.
OBS instructor Melvin Lam said that current trainees are taught skills like kayaking, trekking, setting up tents and cooking in the outdoors.
“They also stay overnight in the forest. The environment we put them in puts them out of their comfort zone," he said.
Putting the trainees in an unfamiliar environment improves their endurance and resilience, said the 28-year-old, who has been instructing at OBS for a year.
It was such skills which student Haikal Chew learnt on his recent stint at OBS. His fondest memory was leading his team of 60 to kayak around Pulau Ubin.
“The most memorable was the sea expedition, where I was the sea expedition leader. (It) was tough but we made it to our destination and it was meaningful,” said the secondary three student at Woodlands Ring Secondary School.
CEO of National Youth Council David Chua said that there will be more team-based challenges in the high adventure elements of Coney Island when the expanded camp opens there around 2020.
“In the future we can look forward to new programmes not just from Coney Island but to expeditions that will be designed in the northern parts, Eastern parts and southern parts of Singapore,” he added.
At the event, PM Lee also launched the OBS50 anniversary book. It recounts the memories and experiences of former instructors and students at OBS.
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