The environment in the news wednesday, 22 August 2007 unep and the Executive Director in the News
Borneo Bulletin : Brunei has strong forest management policy: Asean report
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Borneo Bulletin : Brunei has strong forest management policy: Asean reportBy Sonia K Brunei Darussalam has a strong forest management policy and law enforcement, and its people place great concern and value on the importance of protecting the resources of the forest, according to a report released by the Brunei Forestry Department, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR). The report, which was delivered during the recent 10th meeting of the Asean Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF), was conducted by the "Assessor Team" comprising forestry officers from Cambodia and the Philippines. It was part of a pilot Asean Peer Consultation Framework (PCF) exercise, which was conducted between January and June, to evaluate the forestry policies and practices of Brunei Darussalam. The report gave the assessment and recommendations on future considerations with regard to the Sultanate's forest resources and related policies, institutional aspects, sustainable development, as well as international commitments and cooperation. "Brunei Darussalam's forests are in an excellent state and offer a wide array of socio-economic and environmental benefits," the report said. "About 76 per cent of the land area of Brunei is currently covered with forests, and at least 55 per cent will be gazetted for permanent forest cover for the future... thus, making the country one of those in the world with a high percentage of primary forests." "The forests are well protected by legislation and the forest depletion rate is insignificant," it added. Meanwhile, it was highlighted that Brunei manages its forest resources in a sustainable manner, while striving to augment the contribution of the forest sector towards diversification of the national economy. The country may also consider assuming a catalytic and facilitative role in the recently declared tri-national Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative towards promotion of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in the region, including addressing trans-boundary illegal logging and other issues in the area, while creating economic benefits for the country through sustainable eco-tourism, it added. Among the good practices by Brunei for mutual learning purposes among Asean member countries are: performance monitoring with a target-oriented "balanced scorecard" approach, embedding forestry in its NDPs, and implementing low-impact utilisation of forests, which includes a reduced-cut policy and value-adding biotechnology industries. The Sultanate is also considering implementing forest management certification, as well as chain-of-custody verification, the report said. However, Brunei lacks an institutionalised mechanism to coordinate and help achieve consensus on forestry and cross-cutting issues among the concerned national institutions, although consultations on case-by-case basis on these matters are currently ongoing. The report also pointed out a list of factors Brunei should consider such as increasing the forestry contribution to the GDP, as well as maximising the sustainable utilisation and management of its forest resources. The report also recommended Brunei to consider institutionalising a national mechanism to coordinate and help achieve consensus on cross-cutting issues in forestry among national stakeholders. Among the other things, which Brunei was recommended to do were: to secure designated forest areas by legislation; develop a national forestry research agenda; strengthen capacity building, including specific expertise and academic exchange; institutionalise Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures to ensure ecological sustainability; explore options for tapping the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); and, consider membership in international organisations such as the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO). While some member countries might feel uncomfortable and sensitive to invite others to review and comment on their internal policy matters, Brunei has shown its openness and enthusiasm to embrace this peer review approach for the improvement of its policy in forest resources management and conservation. The next step would be for Brunei to follow-up on the recommended actions contained in the PCF report and integrate them into its National Development Plan. The exercise has promoted a new "modality of cooperation" in forestry in Asean in which member countries involved would engage each other more closely and directly than previous cooperation activities in discussing and consulting on forestry matters, especially on SFM, which has been clearly projected in the Asean Vision 2020 statement on cooperation in forestry. http://www.brunet.bn/news/bb/tue/aug21h10.htm ............................................. ABS-CBN : SE Asia grapples with nuclear power safety, costsSINGAPORE - A drive by some Southeast Asian countries to join the global revival in nuclear power may be running into new obstacles as costs expand and neighbours grow anxious over their safety in a region exposed to earthquakes. Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam -- all of which have said they hope to develop atomic power by around 2020 -- will have the chance this week to allay concerns arising after a July 16 quake in Japan caused a small water leak at the world's biggest nuclear plant, forcing its indefinite closure. Energy ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), who will meet in Singapore on August 22-24, are already taking note of the nuclear vogue, fuelled by a need to meet rapidly rising power demand with minimum pollution. "For the first time, Singapore will propose the establishment of the ASEAN nuclear energy safety subsector network", to explore the issue of nuclear power plant safety, said Weerawat Chantanakome, head of the ASEAN Centre for Energy. For countries like Indonesia, located like Japan on the "Ring of Fire" that causes frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the possibility of a natural disaster looms large. For others like Thailand, environmental opposition is a major issue, while Vietnam has struggled in the past to fund major energy projects. Malaysia, ASEAN's biggest net oil exporter and No. 2 natural gas producer, has also voiced an interest in nuclear power, as has the military junta running Myanmar. The energy officials from Japan, which draws a third of its power from nuclear plants but has a history of safety scandals, as well as China will be on hand to lend advice. Led by China and India, Asia is already the driving force behind a worldwide renaissance in nuclear power, as energy supply concerns and the urgency to fight climate change help overcome years of opposition after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. There are currently 109 nuclear power reactors operating in six Asian countries. Of 29 reactors under construction worldwide, 18 are in Asian nations, which face the pressures of economic growth, scarce natural resources and booming populations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. By year-end, 26 of the last 36 reactors to have been linked to the grid will be in Asia. Singapore is the only Asia-Pacific country other than New Zealand without a research test reactor, according to the Australian Uranium Association. COSTS AND SAFEGUARDS With power demand projected to double to 233,000 megawatts by 2020 and most countries already heavily reliant on imported oil and natural gas, some analysts say southeast Asia has little alternative to nuclear power. "It's going to be vital for ASEAN nations to have a significant amount of nuclear in their energy mix because of high fossil fuel prices," said John Price, a nuclear power expert at Australia's Monash University. But it will come at a price. The IAEA estimates that building a nuclear power plan can be up to three times more costly than a fossil-fuelled plant and take at least two more years to build. Demand for tighter safety norms in the wake of recent incidents, regular maintenance checks and the disposal of nuclear waste add to the financial costs. While analysts say the ultimate decision on whether to build the plants will rest with national governments, a pan-ASEAN pact governing nuclear fuel import, use and disposal could go a long way toward easing any regional anxieties. But even that could be problematic. "Can ASEAN ensure that member states implement the measures, and if they don't, what sanctions can there be?" Andrew Symon managing director of consultancy Menas Asia Pte. Ltd. said. - Reuters http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=89320 ……………………………………. 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