Freshwater quality and biodiversity for primary schools (9, 13 Nov 2009)

Primary schools are finally getting into the act of water quailty monitoring! (Thanks to Audrey for the link-up.) I have always felt that the water quality in our natural areas and man-made water bodies (e.g. reservoirs, canals) can never be taken for granted. While Public Utilities Board (PUB) has done an excellent job in monitoring and maintaining the water quality in reservoirs, the rest of our water bodies are poorly monitored, or neglected altogether. We really do not know what is going on inside all these waters!

The other activity that I feel strongly about is education. If done right, education can solve many of today's problems - environmental, social or otherwise. And you can never start education too young. Given proper exposure, the children of today will grow up with a sound awareness of the environmental issues challenging our world and become staunch stewards of the environment tomorrow. However, without good old hands-on experience, how do you expect them to appreciate the importance of good water quality and acknowledge their connectivity to the environment?

Over a period of 2 days, Queenstown Primary, New Town Primary and Pei Tong Primary have their students participating in my course on freshwater quality and biodiversity. I must admit that facilitating primary school students is very different from facilitating secondary school students and more so compared to polytechnic students. But this adds to my overall learning experience so no complaints here.

If you are expecting to see 40 kids running around the field with their teachers (and me) shouting to keep them from hurting themselves (e.g. falling into the water), you are not too wrong. But it is exactly this infectious energy that fuels their enthusiasm and unprejudiced questioning. To them, curiosity is asking about what they do not know without fear of ridicule or embarassment. Their attitude is a refreshing change from the reserved nature of older students.

As always, field work is a must for my courses. There is no substitute for real world experience. However, the less predictable nature of the field is also present, culminating in a heavy downpour during our field trip. With some quick thinking, the field session was salvaged by substituting with an outdoor lesson under a nearby highway bridge. (We were pretty safe as the whole area under the bridege was concretised.)

Figures (L-R, T-B): Inspecting leeches (again!) under the shelter of a highway bridge; Andrew conducting a lesson on water ecology under the same bridge; in brighter weather, Andrew does the same lesson next to the pond; students checking out aquatic life at the pond; on-site testing of water quality; the mandatory classroom photo at the end; downpour!

IWA-Aspire Conference 2009 on water (Taipei, 18-22 Oct 2009)

Here is a my poster presentation for the recent International Water Association (IWA) - Asia Pacific Regional Group (Aspire) 2009 Conference on water issues in Taipei. It touches on "Starting a water quality monitoring programme in the nature reserves of Singapore". The "nature reserves" are Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR), Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) and Nee Soon freshwater swamp. The time period stretched from 2006 - 2008.

Some highlights of the presentation:

1. At SBWR, the water quality was either relatively unpolluted or weakly polluted. However, some concerns were raised regarding the low levels of DO (minimum of 2.5mg/L) and relatively high levels of phosphorus, nitrogen (ammonia and nitrate) and E. coli.
   
2. The waters in BTNR were relatively clean except for the high levels of acidity (minimum of 1.7) at all three sampling stations and incidences of low DO (minimum of 3.2 mg/L).
   
3. Similarly, in Nee Soon Freshwater Swamp, incidences of low DO (minimum of 1.9) and pH
   (minimum of 1.1) have been recorded. Such a low pH was unusual even for an acidic swamp like Nee Soon.

Shades of green: Beijing (13-27 Sep 09)

Saying that my study tour to Beijing was an enriching experience is an understatement. It was overwhelming should one opened his senses and thoughts to the surroundings. Keeping within the scope of this blog (not to mention some very private episodes and opinions), I will only touch upon the environmental aspects of the trip. (No, this trip has nothing to do with water so do not expect to see photos of field trips to exotic lakes and rivers.)

1. No vehicle engines were kept idling. I would say we Singaporeans became acutely aware of this practice each time we boarded a transport to find that the air conditioning was off. No exceptions. The driver only turned on the engine (and air-con) when he was ready to move.
   
   
2. No plastic bags were given. You have to pay RMB20-30 for a plastic bag. I initially could not believe that this could be implemented for such a large city. In contrast, Singapore's efforts in promoting this habit have been insipid at best.
   
   
3. Despite the increasing number of cars, the bicycle was still commonly used, no doubt encouraged by designated bicycle lanes on certain roads. Electric bicycles were also common as they could be easily recharged overnight using the house mains.
   
   
4. Street have few lights. Walkways were lighted by road lights for vehicles rather than for pedestrians. In most cities, this constitutes a risk to personal safety but in Beijing, lots of people still walked about in the semi-darkness, apparently acclimatised. In the campus I stayed at, lights in buildings were sparingly turned on, making most corridors rather dark (and spooky). These procedures would certainly save energy though I am not sure the compromise in safety (perhaps missing a step on the stairs) is acceptable.
   
   
5. Beijing has its own haze too. Unlike Singapore, the haze took on a weekly cycle. Sunday - Wednesday: clear, blue skies. Thursday: the haze appeared by sun rise and grew worse each day till Saturday. Look out for it if you ever go there. It can really spoil your plans for crisp outdoor photography from Thu - Sat.
   
   
6. Spitting is now a "minor" problem which only the older folks passionately engage in. Still, the characteristic gurgle followed by the ear splitting excretion of oral fluid can be unbearable to the uninitiated.
   
   
7. Smoking is a "major" problem, from underaged youngsters to toothless old folks. It is everywhere. Yes, even in air conditioned areas (this is NOT a crime over there). With the weekly haze and the smoothering cigarette smoke for comparison, I am thankful that we have strict air pollution control laws in Singapore. (Smokers out there, you are welcome to disagree.)

Figures (L-R, T-B): A typical thoroughfare shared by motors vehicles and bikes; an exception to the semi-darkness on most streets - the symbolic Bird Nest sports stadium; another exception t the low light rule - the Water Cube swimming centre; solar power is very common on street lamps - check out the solar panel at the top; the inescapable weekly haze