Kyoto, 19 Feb. High biodiversity – a blessing or a curse?
If you look carefully at a map of the world, you won’t fail to notice that the tropical belt around the equator, which have unrivalled biodiversity, is also the poverty belt. Exceptionally high biodiversity is synonymous with poverty.
What an irony. Extremely high biodiversity, hence abundant food year round and rich in resources, equal to underdeveloped status and high incidence of poverty. Many of the world’s killer diseases also originate from this green belt.
All the developed countries are temperate countries. With 4 seasons, one of which is bitterly cold. If you do not plan carefully for the winter, you could easily perish. In fact, in the old days, you would surely perish if you are not ready for the winter. All the great civilizations of history are in harsh climate.
The tropics. Not even one tropical country is developed (except city states such as Singapore which do not depend on bioresources).
Why are tropical countries underdeveloped? I can offer three possible explanations currently:
1. The sun energy is highest at the tropical belt, giving rise to the exceptionally high biodiversity. Hence, foods are plentiful year round. The lack of pressure to look for and stash food result in lower productivity, lower initiatives, which in turn translate to ‘underdeveloped’;
2. The warm (sometimes hot and humid) condition of the tropics is not ideal. People of such climate are lulled into sleepy stupor. Ever felt that way going from an air-conditioned conference hall then out in the full blast of the sun when in the tropics? Or from a warmed room into the full blast of winter outside when in a temperate part of world? Thinking is sharper when in the cold. When warm and cozy, maybe the brain is lulled into sleepy stupor;
3. The harsh climate of the temperate regions, which change four times a year keep its inhabitants always planning ahead to survive and make the most of the winter, spring, summer and autumn. Life keeps changing. People must adapt and keep looking for new ways to be one step ahead of the elements. In contrast, life is timeless in the tropical regions – it is hot, humid and green all year round.

What do you think?

Manila – 20 January.
Coral Triangle Business Summit.
Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) is all about marine life, coral, fishes, as well as about people – the coastal communities within the CTI region and the consumers (within and beyond the CTI boundaries).

CTI is a grouping of six countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste [arranged alphabetically as per the ASEAN practice]).

On paper, the CTI was started by SBY, the Indonesia President, but the real initiators and movers behind the scene are a consortium of three Non-Government Organizations (NGO), sometimes mockingly called BINGO (Big International NGO).
The 3 are: WWF, Conservation International (CI), and TNC (The Nature Conservancy. Yes, I am also asking why they put the T in the acronym).

The idea is very good, but the implementation can and has been problematic.
First, there is the disparity between the 6 nations.
The gap is very wide. No need to elaborate.
Secondly, there’s problem with distribution of funding.
Locals people and local NGOs are unhappy that the funding goes mainly to the 3 BINGOs and does not get to the ground.
Local NGOs and local communities in Indonesia and Philippines are demonstrating (at Manado in 2009 and in manila in Jan 2010).
Let wait and see how things develop.

I have another passing thought.
They/we are worried about the depleting fish stock/population.
Have we forgotten that fishing is a kind of hunting wild animals?
Since when is hunting for livelihood/food/total dependence sustainable?
Eventually, we will need to rear all the fishes for food.
Just as hunting wild cattle/dodo/games for food/livelihood were never going to be sustainable. WE need to wake up to the fact.
In say, 50 years time, all the fish on the dinner table of our children will be reared, not hunted wild…

Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, Philippines

Saya sangat gembira menerima khabar dari UNESCO kelmarin. Saya juga melihat laporan tersebut dalam akhbar. Jawatan Kuasa Tapak Warisan Dunia UNESCO yang sedang bersidang di Sevilla, Spain telah memutuskan untuk menerima usul menjadikan tambahan Tubbataha Reef Natural Park (TRNP) sebagai Tapak Warisan Dunia.

Saya telah dilantik oleh IUCN/UNESCO sebagai pakar penilai untuk cadangan negara Filipina ini pada penghujung tahun 2008. Saya telah dihantar ke TRNP untuk melihat sendiri, membuat perbincangan dan menilai. Saya telah melihat sendiri (melakukan 6 selaman SCUBA), mengadakan perbincangan dengan Park Manager, Rangers, Para penguasa Tempatan termasuk Gabenor Palawan dan beberapa pemimpin nasional, saya telah membuat rekomendasi kepada Jawatan Kuasa WH UNESCO.

TRNP ini memang indah dan unik. Atol yang berada di tengah-tengah Laut Sulu. Stesyen Rangernya di atas air (sebab tiada tanah daratan). Tapi terumbuk karang dan hidupan marin di situ sangat luarbiasa – kaya dan pelbagai. Setiap selaman, pelbagai ikan, penyu, pari, jerung (blacktip, whitetip, tiger shark) banyak kelihatan. Coralnya berwarna-warni dan belum terusik oleh manusia.

Pasti sekali saya membuat rekomendasi positif kepada IUCN/UNESCO. Pada hemat saya, tapak ini layak disenaraikan sebagai tapak warisan dunia. Walau bagaimanapun, pihak IUCN dan sekretariat Tapak Warisan Dunia UNESCO mempunyai pelbagai isu dan persoalan. Kebanyakannya mengenai keupayaan negara tersebut melindungi secara berkesan TRNP. Saya tetap berpendapat pengisytiharan tidak harus ditunda. Saya gembira kerana UNESCO bersetuju dengan rekomendasi saya.

Tubbataha memang layak menjadi tapak warisan dunia. Keindahan, kekayaan, keunikan dan kepelbagaian hidupnya menakjubkan. sebagai tempat menyelam SCUBA, ianya setanding dengan Sipadan. Mujurnlah ianya jauh dari daratan dan untuk melawat, perlu menaiki kapal ’live-aboard’ beberapa malam.

Tubbataha Reef Natural Park – a worthy World Heritage Site!

USA Trip , 28 May – 22 June 2009.

Today’s exactly a week after I returned home from touring the United States.
I have refrained from blogging earlier to screen out the emotions.

Of all the overseas trips I have had (hundreds of trips to some 30 countries), this one is easily on the top three. The trip impacted me on more ways than one.

As we say in the training world, there are three ways people learn: hear, see and experience (auditory, visual and kinaesthetic). During the trip, I had loads of all three, making the trip an experiential learning trip for me.


The trip brought me to Chicago (1 night), Washington DC (5 nights), Miami (6 nights), Corpus Christi, Texas (3 nights), Houston, Texas (3 nights) and Honolulu (4 nights).

The theme of the study visit? Coastal management and Marine environment management. This enabled me to visit and discuss with various people in NOAA, various universities, local government, NGOs (of better known as NPOs in the US), and individuals. I was also able to visit coastal (including famous beach areas). Examples are the Chesapeake Bay, Maiami Beach, Florida Keys, Gulf of Mexico in Corpus Christi, Galvastan area (the on ravaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008) in Houston, and the world-famous Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

There were 8 of us (2 from Malaysia, 2 from Indonesia, 2 from Thailand, 1 from the Philippines and 1 from Hong Kong); with 2 accompanying officers (called English Language Officers) contracted by the Dept of State. I t was such a memorable 3 weeks.

I thank the Government of the United States through the Department of States and the US Embassy in Malaysia for selecting me and sponsoring this whole trip.

Washington DC
May 31st - June 4th 2009.

It's amazes me how major cities int he developed world seem to change very little over the years.

I first visited DC in 1992.
Was there for 3 days and spent almost all the time at the various museums, esp the museum of natural history of the Smithsonian Institution. Was totally engrossed at all the exhibits.

Now, here again after some 17 years.
It is still as I remembered it.
I can remember the streets. The museums, the mall, the various buildings. and I can still say - woww.

Good to be back.
visited most of the ususal stops - the white house, the mall, the capitol, the monuments, and the shopping mall.

Thank you Dept of State, for inviting me over...