IN FOCUS: How a devastating oil spill has sparked new fears about Southeast Asia’s gas ‘feeding frenzy’

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The crisis that may occur, which sparked a crisis that has persisted to this day, was illustrative of the growing fear among the medical community, environmental organizations, and energy analysts. & nbsp,

In particular, a regional rush to expand the fossil fuel industry, particularly in the form of liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) hubs and possibly many more activated oil and gas fields, is endangering the environment, climate, and livelihoods of the local population.

According to Mr. Ivan Andres, the assistant head of research and policy from the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development( CEED ), a non-governmental organization in the Philippines that focuses on lasting energy, industry and management,” more and more tankers – LNG ships will be able to go through the area.”

” Of course, there are more possibilities of capsizing and fatal events like the one we saw in Oriental Mindoro given the increased number of these containers in the area.”

Big delivery and possibly hazardous cargoes are one of the signs of that industry’s expansion. The development of offshore oil and gas boring has also drawn more attention, as has the leak of heavy metals into waterways.

In the Philippines, Batangas, a town to the south of Manila in southern Luzon, is the hub of business activity. There, new or rebuilt power plants and LNG stations are being quickly put online as part of the country’s infrastructure.

The MT Princess Empress had been traveling through lakes in and around Batangas that were frequently used by tankers and cargo ships. LNG ships are becoming more and more prevalent.

They are the same waters used for generations by small-scale fisherfolk from places like Pola, the community worst hit by the oil spill, toNaujan, the epicentre of the disaster response activities for the weeks and months that followed after the incident.

These developments, beginning with the oil spill, the local growth of fossil fuel and LNG, as well as the numerous problems being faced by the coastal communities and fisherfolk, are unquestionably a wake-up call for increased safety and safeguarding of the Verde Island Passage, Mr. Andres said.

The factual data indicate that the Verde Island Passage’s value and health are deteriorating. It serves as evidence that its latest laws and policies are inadequate.

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Deep-sea solution seeding hope for struggling but essential seaweed farming industry

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Despite the administrative difficulties, Prof. Largo is in favor of efforts to concentrate on deeper water gardening. However, he added that a national focus should also be increased in jellyfish development and research.

Well, it’s bad news for the Philippines because we’re not really innovating with the right algae strains that can withstand the elements. But some scientists are truly significant. Those who are still intact are on the verge of retiring, he claimed.

And the rising temperatures haven’t actually subsided. We’re also conducting business as usual. It’s a really challenging factor to power, regardless of what we’re doing as scientists. You want to implement cutting-edge farming techniques.

Dr. Jayvee Saco of Batangas State University’s VIP Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life Sciences & nbsp is more upbeat about the ongoing research his team and others are conducting on seaweed strains with higher yields, greater resilience, and advantageous functions. & nbsp,

” I believe we need to close the gap between the producers and the findings of our knowledge, and we’re now it.” Additionally, the majority of farmers are quite open to the technology we are offering. Because, first and foremost, that is how they make a living, he said.

They continue to be among the poorest. Therefore, we must improve their ability to make enough money.

He claimed that the uses for seaweed and its by-products are numerous and frequently unappreciated. If Philippine producers can satisfy the demand, markets are prepared to get more exploited.

Dark seaweed extract known as carrageenan is an example of a common food antioxidant used in people’s daily lives all over the world.

” It can be found in ice cream, bread, cakes, sausages, beer, milk, napkins, diapers,” gel pens, and makeup ,” according to the article. It can be found anywhere. Therefore, using algae has a lot of possibility. How we can use them will determine how, according to Dr. Saco.

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China expands climate change surveillance on Himalayan peak

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BEIJING: To check the effects of climate change on Asia’s” liquid tower,” China has built weather stations on Cho Oyu, the sixth-highest mountain in the world on the Tibetan-Nepalese border. The Himalayas, which are home to the planet’s tallest mountains and the source of water for the river that hundredsContinue Reading

India’s monsoon rains hit 5-year low due to El Nino

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Rainfall over the country during June to September was 94 per cent of its long period average, the lowest since 2018, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. The IMD had anticipated a rainfall deficit of 4 per cent for the season, assuming limited impact from El Nino.Continue Reading

IN FOCUS: Water is power on Thailand’s Koh Samui, as island destination runs dry amid tourism boom

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At the same time, PWA said it has received a 24 per cent increase in the number of customers it is meant to service this year, due to the dry conditions.

“Some residents on Samui are not our customers; they use water from their own deep well or shallow well. But once the drought comes, we have to provide our services to all of them as well because their wells are dry,” Mr Prateep said.

There is unlikely to be any major relief to the situation soon. While September and October are the usual wet months on Koh Samui, the onset of El Niño climatic conditions is expected to result in warmer temperatures and less rainfall.

The onset of climate change could result in permanent changes to seasonal weather patterns and prolonged hotter periods, providing less certainty around local water availability.

“Regarding the El Nino effect, this year is just the beginning. But next year will be more serious,” he said.

While a second pipeline to Koh Samui is being planned, it will likely not be operational before 2025. And a proposal to upgrade pipelines on the island itself to improve water delivery – a lack of pressure means any highland areas cannot receive water at present – has a price tag of THB1.5 billion (US$42 million).

Mr Prateep said his team has also been ordered to repair a desalination plant on Koh Samui that remains out of working order.

Given it has not been operational for several years, it needs major repairs for which there is no budget approved. The plant is normally too expensive and energy intensive to run.

Another reservoir at Chaweng Beach that could feasibly help ease the burden on the water shortage situation cannot function due to saltwater intrusion. 

“Actually the government has its master plan and each agency concerned is coordinating with each other but the budget of each agency is being allocated at different times, which makes it look like it’s a lack of collaboration between state agencies,” Mr Prateep said.

Authorities have resorted to cloud seeding operations to induce rain over the island in previous dry years. But the idea is generally dismissed even by those requesting it due to its unpredictability.

“It did not work well because the rain mostly missed the target as it dropped into the sea, not on the island,” he said.Continue Reading

Private sector crucial in the battle against climate change: ADB special advisor

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Many of the world’s poorest countries are the least responsible for climate issues, but are bearing the brunt of the crisis. They are struggling to cope with natural disasters devastating infrastructure and livelihoods, and extreme temperatures affecting livestock and crops.

“Most of our developing member countries contribute virtually nothing to the climate problem. They are low emitters, per capita and national. However, they’re feeling the impacts,” he said.

“Helping them to move towards net zero is not about their commitment to low carbon but rather, energy security and better air quality in their cities.”

Where governments may have failed to act, Mr Evans is, however, optimistic about increasing interest from the private sector on investing in sustainable developments, green initiatives and climate-friendly adaptations.

“My optimism is not based on what governments are doing, but rather, based on what the private sector is doing,” he said.

“The interest of the private sector in working with us and with other multilateral development banks, to use the sovereign funding and the public sector money that we have, to help enable them to invest in climate actions, is making tremendous progress right now.” 

ASIA PACIFIC PLAYS CENTRAL ROLE

The ADB has said the battle against climate change will be won or lost in Asia Pacific.

The region is home to 60 per cent of the global population – some 4.3 billion people, and includes the world’s top two most populous countries India and China.

It has five of the 10 largest emitters in the world – China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea – and accounts for about 45 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Asia Pacific is also where 40 per cent of the world’s climate-related disasters have happened since the start of the century, with increasing frequency and intensity.

Hence, the region plays a central role in global climate efforts.

The ADB said the battle against climate change will be costly, with an estimated US$1.7 trillion needed every year to invest in infrastructure in the region.

FUNDING PLAN TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

The bank recently launched a new funding programme to support lending efforts that help the region reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build infrastructure resilient to the impact of climate change.

Known as the Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), wealthier nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Japan and South Korea will guarantee some loans and shoulder losses in cases of default.

The initial target is US$3 billion in guarantees. The bank believes this will help to generate five times as much – some US$15 billion – in new climate loans.

“The IF-Cap works by taking guarantees from donor countries and using that to essentially carve out part of our existing sovereign portfolio. These are existing loans that developing countries take with ADB that have sovereign guarantees. We have a very, very low risk of default for these kinds of loans,” said Mr Evans.

The plan will support projects that address mitigation with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation with an aim to build resilience against the impacts of climate change.

The bank said these investments could cover a wide range of sectors, such as transportation, energy, urban, and agriculture.

While the lender has made progress in multiple areas including increasing resilience to flooding, cooling efforts in cities with high temperatures, rehabilitating wetlands, promoting renewable energy including wind and solar, more needs to be done, said Mr Evans.

“We have in both the urban sector and rural sector, a number of initiatives that are paying back dividends now, in terms of building resilience. We have many success stories, but we’re not at the scale we need to be. We need to bring this all together and scale it up,” he said.

“The risks from climate impacts are severe. Every greenhouse gas emission reduced is important. Every household can play a role in that. Not so much in the poorer countries, but in the middle income countries, and in the richer countries, every household needs to play a role in reducing their carbon footprint.”

On Friday, the bank unveiled new capital reforms to boost lending by US$100 billion over the next decade as part of its continued mission to tackle climate change.

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