Bukit Kiara, last green lung in KL under threat

Source: The Malaysian Insider

Published on 19th July, 2015 by Dina Zaman

This December 2013 picture shows the start of major construction works and fencing around Bukit Kiara, which was gazetted a public park in 2006. – Pic courtesy of Friends of Bukit Kiara, July 19, 2015
 

Nine years after promises were made to turn one of Kuala Lumpur’s most popular walking and biking spots, Bukit Kiara, into a public “federal” park, nothing has moved.
Instead, the land has been hijacked by property developers and fencing now surrounds the park. There are multiple developers involved, each working on private land.

Had things gone as promised, Bukit Kiara would be a park like London’s Hyde Park, to be developed and managed by the National Landscape Department (JLN).

The Cabinet announced this on July 5, 2006, and JLN was assigned the management and supervision of the park in August 2010, after Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) approval.
But far from being a green and peaceful haven, Bukit Kiara today is a scene of destruction, barricaded by developers’ fences to demarcate public and private space.

The park is steadily being plundered by relentless bulldozers and developers in a hurry to build another luxury enclave.

Residents have to contend with traffic jams from Taman Tun Dr Ismail to Mont Kiara, and dust from construction of the Mass Rail Transit (MRT) line. The popular lookout area now overlooks a building being constructed. The park now feels smaller.

What was once a haven for nature lovers is fast becoming another casualty of corporate greed.

80ha of forest affected by border fire: Miri fire chief

Source: The Sun Daily

Published on 4th July, 2015

MIRI: About 80ha of forest are assumed to be affected by the fire which broke out yesterday near the Malaysia-Brunei border, according to the Miri Fire and Rescue Station.

Its chief, Law Poh King, said today firemen had the blaze under control and were fighting it round the clock.

He also said that motorists could proceed slowly to and from the Sungai Tujuh Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex located at the Miri-Brunei border despite the smoke.

“As of 11am today, the fire-fighting operation had moved to the central section of the blaze,” he said.

He said the area covered in smoke was two kilometres before the traffic lights junction to the Asean Bridge and one kilometre from the traffic lights to Jalan Kuala Baram Lama.

“It is a little dark at Jalan Kuala Baram Lama which is also obstructed in stretches by fallen trees. Work to clear the road is underway,” he added. – Bernama

5mil hectares needed for wildlife habitat

Source: The Star

Published on 17th June, 2015 by Yuen Meikeng

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 26 cases of illegal wildlife hunting were recorded between 2011 and April this year, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos Mamit said five cases were brought to court, four of which were being handed down sentences for the crime.

“No cases of illegal hunting for tigers were brought to court,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during question time.

Dawos was replying to a supplementary question by Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN – Bagan Serai) who asked about the extent of illegal hunting on tigers in the country.

The MP also asked whether the government had done any specific studies on the reproduction of tigers.

Dawos said there were between 250 and 340 tigers left in the wild in Malaysia based on a 2014 survey done in three main forests in the country.

He said the overall population of tigers would be known after the national tiger survey is done under the 11th Malaysia Plan.

“Research has been done by installing cameras in forests to see if the tiger bred in different habitats.

Mannan: Signs of El Nino phenomenon happening again

Source: Borneo Post

Published on 5th June, 2015

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Forestry Department has cautioned that there were signs of the El Nino phenomenon happening again, which will lead to the hot weather and prolonged drought in the state.

Its director Datuk Sam Mannan said the hot conditions that continued since February this year might threaten the safety of state forests, a repeat of 1997-1998 severe forest fires in Sabah which had destroyed over 130,000 hectares of permanent forest reserves.

“Preventative measures will be stepped up. Thus, the Forestry Department urged all parties, especially those living adjacent to permanent forest reserve areas to vigilant and take the necessary steps to ensure be no incident of forest fires that could destroy the forest reserves.

“They are requested not to carry out open burning because it is feared that such activities may spark wildfires. As a further reminder, activities such as poaching, shifting cultivation, cultivation and development of land adjacent to these permanent forest reserves are also  among key factors that  lead to forest fires,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Sam cautioned those living close to peat swamp forest areas such as Forest Reserves in Binsuluk and Klias in Beaufort and Kuala Abai in Kota Belud  that systematic preventive measures are crucial.

“This is because based on past events, forest fires in peat swamps are very difficult to extinguish,” he stressed.

Malaysian dam project opposed by tribes gets green light: report

Source: Asia One

Published on 16th May, 2015

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Construction of a Malaysian dam that will flood a rainforested area half the size of Singapore and displace 20,000 tribespeople was given the green light Saturday by the state government, local media reported.

“The construction will commence as soon as possible,” Adenan Satem, chief minister of the state of Sarawak on Borneo island, was quoted by The Star as saying.

The announcement will be a major disappointment for indigenous groups who have staged increasing demonstrations and road blockades in the rugged region to stop rampant logging and dam-building in the state, and have made blocking the dam on the Baram river a priority.

Peter Kallang, head of Save Rivers, a coalition of Sarawak NGOs and environmental groups, dismissed Adenan’s claim that the project had been blessed by local tribal leaders.

Activists allege authorities in the state have a history of buying off or pressuring community leaders to approve unpopular projects.

“How can the community leaders give their support when there has been no news on compensation and resettlement? They always will say yes to the government and there’s no transparency at all,” he said.

“Adenan should go and listen to what the poor indigenous people have to say, not the community leaders.” Occupying northern Borneo island, much of Sarawak is a jungled landscape crossed by untamed rivers.

Officials uncover “mass grave” of illegal timber in Malaysia forest reserve

Source: Environmental 360

Published on 26th May, 2015 by Gabriel Cohn

Malaysian authorities have uncovered timber “mass graves” where illegal loggers attempted to conceal valuable timber following a government crackdown on unlawful logging that started in February. The sites, located in the Belum-Temengor forest reserve, were revealed after the recent excavation of patches of land roughly the size of football fields, beneath which an estimated two stories of felled trees were stacked.

“We believe that about 400 tons of logs worth more than RM1 million ($250,000 USD) were buried at the three locations and the culprits are waiting for the right time to dig them out and sell them,” says Anuar Mohd Noh, assistant commissioner for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which conducted a joint operation with the country’s forestry department to track down illicit logging activities.

The high-grade timber will be extracted from the sites so forensics teams can determine how long it has been buried, then the logs will be sold at an auction. In addition to these logs, 1,700 others were seized in a statewide raid earlier this month as part of a major crackdown nicknamed “Ops Gergaji,” which has seen the bank accounts of 400 notable figures (including one state assemblyman) frozen. MACC’s efforts follow on the heels of the February discovery of false tagging and documentation of illegal timber sourced from the area.

Malaysia ranked near bottom of the class by environmental democracy watchdog

Source: Asia One

Published on 21st May, 2015 by Patrick Lee

 

PETALING JAYA – Malaysians has been ranked poorly in environmental democratic rights, coming in 69th of 70 countries surveyed worldwide.

Scoring an overall 0.58 out of three points on the US-based World Resources Institute’s Environmental Democracy Index, narrowly beating Haiti.

Lithuania scored highest worldwide, with an overall score of 2.42, followed by Latvia at 2.31 and Russia at 2.25. The global average score is 1.42.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia came out tops with a score of 1.8, followed by Thailand at 1.38 and the Philippines at 1.35.

There was no score given for Singapore and Brunei.

The index tracks a country’s progress in coming up with national laws to promote transparency, accountability and public engagement.

It measures how well these laws are in giving the public information, allowing public input in decision-making and the seeking in enforcement of environmental laws or compensation for damages.

Malaysia was given very poor mark marks in transparency and public engagement, with only a fair score where justice was concerned.

Sustainable forest plan for interior Sabah

Source: Asia One

Published on 11th May, 2015 by Ruben Sario

Giluk Falls is one of the pristine nature spots in interior Sabah.

 
KOTA KINABALU – A comprehensive plan is being drawn up for the sustainable use of land in Sabah’s interior that is about 10 times the size of Penang island.

The ambitious plan would place an area of at least 260,000ha, including key conservation areas as well as land being used as forest and oil palm plantations, under a “common and integrated” strategy.

The Forestry Department recently placed advertisements calling for consortiums or companies to provide experts specialising in landscape modelling and environmental economy for the project.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the project was crucial as it encompassed a land mass connecting three key protected areas.

These are the 105,443ha Maliau Basin, Danum Valley (42,800ha) and Imbak Canyon (16,750ha).

WWF-Malaysia lauds Forest Bill but calls for third party audit

Source: Borneo Post online

Published on 27th April, 2015

KUCHING: World Wide Fund for Nature – Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) welcomed the revision of the Forest Ordinance and the passing of the Forest Bill 2015, as the law has some positive changes that augur well in better protecting, conserving and managing Sarawak’s rich natural resources.

The organisation said the Bill has incorporated some elements that take into account the changing environment and needs, and if fully implemented, can help towards achieving sustainable forest management (SFM), and eventually certification. This will address environmental concerns in the state, particularly unsustainable and illegal logging.

At the same time, WWF-Malaysia noted that some interpretations could be further improved, particularly on forest reserve and protected forest; and payment for ecosystem services (PES) for better clarity and future reference.

“Through PES, there is a focus to consistently maintain an ecosystem service while in return the beneficiaries of ecosystems services pay to the providers of such services. It is commendable that the Bill gives recognition that our ecosystems do provide valuable services, but the mechanism has to be properly and adequately understood,” said WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma.

“This can be addressed by carrying out an evaluation of our forests and its ecosystem services. The Bill lacks any mention of this. Nonetheless, the Bill shows that Sarawak is diligently seeking to address issues of sustainability of the state’s timber resources.”

Reclamation works put Penang green lung in peril

Source: Malay mail online

Published on 9th May, 2015 by Athi Shankar, V. Sivaji, Jennifer Tham and Mohamed Basyir

At low tide, the seagrass becomes visible, resembling a huge verdant carpet. ― Malay Mail pic

GEORGE TOWN, May 9 ― The Middle Bank reclamation project in Penang Channel is part of the state government’s proposed RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (TMP).

The project is to be carried out near the Sungai Pinang river mouth between the ferry terminal and the Penang Bridge.

Middle Bank is near Gazumbo Island, a small patch of sandy land populated with trees, and is visible from the Penang Bridge.

Gazumbo Island emerged in the 1970s when sand was dug up to build the bridge.

A third of Middle Bank is covered with seagrass, the second largest in the country after the Sungai Pulai estuary near Tanjung Kupang in the Straits of Johor.

Middle Bank covers about 607ha, almost twice as big as Pulau Jerejak. It is the only seagrass bed in Penang waters and among only a handful in the Straits of Malacca. It is considered a green lung.

At low tide, the seagrass becomes visible, resembling a huge verdant carpet near the Sungai Pinang river mouth.