GEC Newsletter

GEC Newsletter
News from April to June 2013
Quarter 2, 2013
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Dear friends,
In this issue:
Half the year has passed, spring has turned to summer, and the weather has heated up even in sunny
Southeast Asia. We hope that the year has been productive so far. If you have been wondering what GEC
has been up to in the past quarter, do read on!
Stop the Haze
Campaign
1
GEF-NGO
Coordination
1
Wa l k i n g f o r t h e E n v i r o n m e n t
2
Property developer SP Setia raised a total of RM31,931 for GEC
through registration fees for a walkathon. The 2013 Setia Eco
Walkathon was held in Setia Alam on 23rd June and joined by
2000 participants who gamely walked the 5 km route despite the
haze. SP Setia also organized awareness activities in its other
townships to promote sustainable living. Thank you for your kind
support and we look forward to our continued cooperation.
Committee (CC) Meeting
RoLPOP TOT for
RIVER Ranger and
SMART Ranger
HSBC Water Day
2
GEC welcomes
Bangladeshi delegates
3
Peer learning: Best
3
Management Practices
on Peatlands for
Communities
North Selangor Peat
Swamp Forest
3
Scientific Biodiversity
Expedition 2013
Peatland Forest
Ranger Programme
4
Activity
4
Musa Forest Reserve
“Be Our Eco Hero”
Awareness Campaign
April to June was rather dry for us this year in Malaysia.
And in June, the heat was joined by a bad haze, the
worst since the crisis in 1998. If previously the smoke
came from Kalimantan, this time the hotspots centered
in Riau, Sumatera, especially in Dumai.
To help stop this problem, GEC launched a Stop the
Haze Campaign on 28th June 2013. The campaign provides a channel through which the public and
companies can help to solve the recurring haze problem. To achieve this, GEC will be looking for
solutions to the haze by working with project partners in Selangor and Riau. GEC will also be
providing regular reports on the haze and fire situation plus haze safety tips.
Find out how you can help.
GEF-NGO Network-44th GEF Council Meeting
(PFRP) Outdoor
Rehabilitation
Programme At Raja
Those Hot, Dry and Hazy Days
5
The 44th GEF Council Meeting was held in
Washington DC from 15 – 20 June 2013. GEC’s
Director, Faizal Parish who is the current Central
Focal Point of GEF-NGO network had played a
key role in the meeting.
This meeting was important as a number of key
decisions were made including welcoming
Government of Mexico’s proposal to host the
next GEF Assembly, approving a work program
totaling $369.82 million, expanding the roster of
GEF Partner Agencies, and approving initial
funding for the new Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Click here to view the summary report of GEF-NGO Network Activity and Achievement.
2013 Q2 Newsletter
River Care Programme : RoLPOP TOT for RIVER Ranger and
SMART Ranger
On 23-24 April 2013, GEC, DID and other stakeholders
organized a RIVER Ranger and SMART Ranger Training of
Trainers under the RoL POP project. The RIVER Ranger
programme was held in SMK Taman Melawati while the
SMART Ranger training was held in SK Klang Gates.
"When we heal the
earth, we heal
ourselves."
- David Orr
RoL POP ~
River of Life
Public Outreach
Programme
The River of Life (RoL)
is a project that aims to
transform the Klang
River into a vibrant and
livable waterfront with
high economic value.
The first phase of
RoLPOP was initiated by
DID Malaysia and is
b ein g imp lemen ted
through ERE and GEC.
The aim of this initiative
is to reduce pollution
and improve water
quality in the Klang River
by improving attitudes
an d ch an gin g t h e
mindset of people living
within the project area.
A hundred students and twenty four teachers from twelve
schools namely SMK Wangsa Melawati, SK Wangsa Jaya,
SMK Taman Melawati, SJK (1) Taman Melawati, SK Taman
Melawati (1), SK Taman Melawati (2), SK Klang Gate, SK
Taman Permata, SMK Lembah Keramat, SK Taman Keramat
(1) and SK Taman Keramat (2) attended the programme.
The programme offered students and teachers the
opportunity to learn about rivers and water quality, waste
management and recycling options. The 'Sg Klang-My Living River' Photo Contest was launched at
the opening ceremony.
Several of the student penned their experiences, which were published in the New Straits Times.
The article is available here. The activity was also reported in Berita Harian, a Malay daily. Please
visit our news page for more event coverage.
HSBC Water Day
“The Water Day” was organized by GEC and HSBC Bank (M) with the support of DID Penang on
8th June 2013 at the Penang Botanical Garden, involving the Bayan Baru and Downing Street
Penang branches. The half day event was organised in conjunction with the World Environment
Day which falls on 5th June.
71 participants came from three orphanages—Crystal
Home (10), Ramakrishna (35) and St Joseph (26). Assistance
was given by volunteers from Traders Hotel and HSBC. The
main objective of this activity is to increase awareness about
nature conservation, especially regarding water resources.
The awareness message is brought to the children
interactively through activity and play.
Cleaning Up Klang River at the Source
On 22nd June 2013, 300 volunteers came bright and early to help clean a
stretch of river at Kampung Warisan near the Klang Gates dam, Hulu Klang.
The volunteers included staff of Yayasan Modal Insan Harta, Kg Warisan
community, university and school students, Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya,
Dept of Drainage & Irrigation, Dept of Environment, GAB Foundation,
Lanskap Malaysia, ERE Consult Sdn Bhd and GEC staff.
On the day, volunteers, cleared water weeds which were slowing down the river
flow, removed trash from the river and a field designated for an Open Classroom,
trimmed trees and planted 100 new seedlings. 50 bags of trash was disposed of,
while water weeds and other organic material were set aside for composting.
2013 Q2 Newsletter
GEC welcomes Bangladeshi delegates
On 16th April 2013, 11 delegates from The
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Bangladesh
visited Hutan Simpan Raja Musa and met with
SHGSU members in Kg. Ampangan. The purpose of
the study visit was to learn about climate change
efforts in Malaysia and discuss mutually beneficial
areas of cooperation.
During the visit, the visitors were briefed on the
RMFR Forest Rehabilitation Programme,
introduced to the SHGSU and their livelihood
programme. They also planted 15 Kelat Paya
(Eugenia sp.) trees at our project site.
On 6th June, another 11 delegates from the
Sundarban Environmental & Livelihoods Security
(SEALS) project came to Malaysia for similar
reasons. They were briefed at the Kuala Selangor
Nature Park.
Sahabat Hutan
Gambut Selangor
Utara (SHGSU)
Activities
This community group
helped spread awareness
on peatland conservation
through several public
exhibitions held in 2013.
Other
than
the
Biodiversity Expedition,
the SHGSU also took
part in a forest transect
study and the socioeconomic survey for Raja
Musa Forest Reserve.
In dry seasons, they play
an important role in
patrolling
susceptible
forest
areas
and
monitoring water levels.
They also raise the alarm
and help put out fires
when necessary. We
should thank the unsung
heroes of the North
Selangor peatland forests.
Peer learning: Best Management Practices on Peatlands for
Communities
From 16th to 19th June 2013, four
members of the Sahabat Hutan
Gambut Selangor Utara attended a 4
-day workshop on BMPs in South
and Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The objective of this workshop was
to showcase the best management
practices in Indonesia for
communities living on and
dependent on peatlands for their
livelihood. Fifty five participants
from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Philippines and Thailand attended
this workshop. The programme was
jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment Indonesia (KLH) and Bogor Agricultural Institute
(IPB), and supported by the APFP and SEApeat projects.
North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest Scientific Biodiversity
Expedition 2013
In May and June 2013, the Forestry Department of Peninsula Malaysia (FDPM) as the project
executing agency for APFP in Malaysia organized an expedition to the North Selangor Peat Swamp
Foreest, led by the Malaysian Nature Society and joined by many researchers from all over the
country. GEC and SHGSU also took part in this expedition which ran from 15th – 26 May 2013
and 24 June – 6 July 2013.
2013 Q2 Newsletter
Peatland Forest Ranger Programme (PFRP) Outdoor Activity
The PFR annual camping activity for 2013 was held from 14th to 16th June 2013. This is the 3rd
activity to be organized this year for PFR students.
The venue for this 3 day 2 night camp was the Sg. Sireh Homestay in Kg Ampangan. Participants
included 50 students, 10 teachers, 19 HSBC staff, 10 members from SHGSU Kg. Ampangan and 10
GEC staff. The schools involved were SMK Sultan Sulaiman Shah, SMK Raja Musa, SMK Rantau
Panjang, SMK Teknik Kuala Selangor and SK Bukit Belimbing.
Among the activities conducted were a visit to the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill, kampung tour and
kayaking in Sungai Sireh as well as planting mangrove trees at Kg. Dato Hormat, Sabak Bernam.
There was also a prize-giving ceremony for inter-school drawing and essay writing competitions
held prior to this activity.
The camp provided the students an opportunity to learn more about the environment, understand
the inter-relation of different ecosystems and biospheres, and realize the importance of co-existing
elements in a balanced ecosystem.
The students had a whale of a time at the camp, and we hope they can share what they have learnt
with their family and friends.
Joining Forces
GEC's Forest
and
Biodiversity team has
now combined with the
Peatl ands
grou p ,
forming a larger Forest
and
Peatland
Conservation team.
Kayaking on the canal.
Trekking into the peat swamp forest.
Rehabilitation Programme At Raja Musa Forest Reserve
Three monthly tree-planting programmes were held on 20th
April, 18th May and 22nd June 2013 respectively at the
rehabilitation site in Bestari Jaya. The programme aims to
create awareness among local communities and volunteers
while rehabilitating the degraded forest. It is supported by
APFP, SEApeat, HSBC Bank (M) Berhad and Bridgestone Tyre
Sales Sdn Bhd.
To date, 3 hectares of degraded peatland forest area has been
replanted with 900 Euodia roxburgiana seedlings and 530
Eugenia sp. trees. The seedlings were supplied by members of
the Sahabat Hutan Gambut Selangor Utara.
More tree planting activities were held on 18th April, 11th and
21st May 2013 at Forest Compartment 99 of the Forest
Reserve. Those involved were Timberland Lifestyle Brand
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, FedEx Malaysia Sdn. Bhd and Bridgestone
Tyres (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. 625 Euodia sp trees were planted
and two canal blocks were built by the volunteers.
2013 Q2 Newsletter
“Be Our Eco Hero” Awareness Campaign
GEC took part in the “Be
Our Eco Hero” Awareness
Campaign, organized by
Spritzer from 15 April to
31 May 2013. The objective
of this campaign was to
educate the public on the
environment, recycling,
water quality and encourage community participation. 33,767 empty bottles, weighing 493 kg, were
collected from participating GSC and AEON outlets in Pavilion, One Utama, Mid Valley Megamall
and Paradigm Mall. The campaign was also assisted by Spritzer’s Eco Buddies group.
A Spritzer mobile truck came to AEON Big Kepong, AEON Bukit Tinggi, Cheras Leisure Mall, Giant
Hypermarket Shah Alam, IKANO Power Centre, One Utama, and Fahrenheit 88. RM750.00 was
raised from the campaign and donated to GEC at a closing ceremony on 5th July 2013.
New Staff
GEC welcomes the following staff to the family:-
Fuad Shariff
Coordinator,
Forest and Peatland
Conservation
Global Environment
Centre
2nd Floor, Wisma Hing,
No. 78 Jalan SS2/72,
47300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor D.E., Malaysia
Tel: +603 7957 2007
Fax: +603 7957 7003
www.gec.org.my
outreach@gec.org.my
Mohd Raihan bin
Tukiman
Junior Accounts
Officer
Contribute
One of GEC's Stop The Haze Campaign missions is to provide regular reports to public on haze and
fire situation and haze safety tips through educational materials and outreach activities. To do this,
we need a constant supply of funds! Help us make a better environment today by donating to our
funds! You can help by making a donation to GEC’s “Stop the Haze” Campaign through CIMB Clicks
donation portal.
*All contributions to GEC are tax deductible.
Click here to download the form.
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