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New Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
First forest helipad, tube well in Malaysia to boost wildfire response
GERIK: Malaysia has launched its first forest helipad and tube well site to improve wildfire prevention and response. The project near the Kenderong Forest Reserve is a joint effort by the Forestry Department, Perak Minerals and Geoscience Department and Fire and Rescue Department. Perak Forestry Department assistant director (forest plantation and innovation section) Mohamad Farhan Sukiman said this was the first initiative of its kind in Peninsular Malaysia, designed for fire prevention in a forest reserve. "The tube well was vital throughout the process, from site selection based on geological studies to drilling and water yield assessments," he said after the first helipad site trial. The tube well was constructed based on strict technical standards and has a pump, protective enclosure and safety system. "The Fire and Rescue Department recommended adding a helipad at the site because previous firefighting efforts were delayed by long travel times. "It can take more than 10 minutes from the Gerik airstrip to fire sites, not counting the time to fetch water. With this new infrastructure, travel time to affected areas is now just three minutes," he said. Construction of the tube well began in August last year and was completed by September. It will serve as a water source for wildfire response in Gerik and Kupang in Perak, as well as Baling in Kedah while reducing reliance on external water sources such as Sungai Perak and Tasik Banding. It occupies about 0.2ha of a former timber collection site and as the area had already been cleared, no trees were felled for the project. The helipad and tube well site, which is located in the Central Forest Spine ecological corridor, is also only fenced for safety and does not obstruct movement of wildlife such as elephants. Perak Fire and Rescue Department acting operations chief Shazlean Mohd Hanafiah said the tube well solved challenges in securing water sources for firefighting and would significantly reduce response time. Forest fires in the area are seasonal, typically occurring once a year. In 2020, helicopters needed to carry water from Tasik Banding to the top of Gunung Kenderong for firefighting, leading to delays and high costs.
Borneo Post
41 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
Global volunteers join hands to help preserve China's heritage
Global volunteers help with restoring ancient buildings in Pingyao County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhihao) TAIYUAN (Aug 13): Amid the scorching summer heat of north China, 17 Chinese and international volunteers huddle beside the gatehouse of an ancient residence in the historic Pingyao County in Shanxi Province, carefully restoring bricks under the watchful guidance of seasoned professionals. From Aug. 1 to 13, the Shanghai Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation, together with Pingyao County, is hosting a volunteer camp focused on architectural heritage conservation in Dongquan Village, a traditional settlement in northern China. Over two weeks, the volunteers will help restore the gatehouse and surrounding walls of the centuries-old residence under the guidance of master craftsmen. They will visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pingyao Ancient City, along with historic sites like Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple. The itinerary also includes meeting inheritors of local intangible cultural heritage, from traditional puppet performers to artisans of Pingyao's famed lacquerware craft. Among the 17 participants, six are from France. Leading the French group is 26-year-old Aurore Franche, a model with a deep passion for cultural heritage preservation. She sees it as a tangible link to the past, and joined the program to gain firsthand experience with traditional Chinese craftsmanship. 'Chinese architecture is so beautiful, especially the incredible mortise and tenon structure,' she said. 'It's amazing how the pieces can fit together so securely without glue or nails. That reflects the wisdom of ancient Chinese builders.' Sara Zuniga, a university student from Mexico with a long-standing fascination for history, said her studies are fueled by a desire to understand the brilliance of past civilizations. 'Unfortunately, many of Mexico's historical sites have been damaged over time as development progressed. This makes me feel regretful and motivates me even more to protect what remains,' she added. For Zuniga, China — halfway across the globe — had always felt like a mysterious and captivating place. 'Before coming here, my impression of China was limited to what I had seen in films and reports from Western media. I wanted to see this ancient country for myself.' At the restoration site, a young man fluent in Chinese quickly caught the attention of fellow volunteers. Herwann Rocrou, 23, is an archaeology student in France and a passionate enthusiast of Sinology. In his spare time, Rocrou studies Chinese and has traveled to cities like Shanghai and Suzhou. He's also explored ancient Chinese cultures, including the Yangshao culture and Shang and Zhou culture. He said that he joined the Pingyao volunteer program to deepen his understanding of how traditional Chinese architecture is preserved and restored. 'I love Chinese history and culture, and it's my dream to one day live in China with my girlfriend.' During the volunteer program, international volunteers teamed up with skilled masons in Dongquan Village, a nationally recognized historic site. They also visited ancient structures and relics in Liangcun Village and explored Pingyao at night, one of China's best-preserved and inhabited ancient walled cities. According to Ding Feng, secretary general of the Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation, the foundation has organized 48 volunteer camps across Shanxi, Guizhou, Fujian, Yunnan and other provinces since 2010. More than half of these activities have taken place in Shanxi, a province famous for its ancient architecture and home to over 28,000 historic structures, with nearly 1,000 international volunteers taking part over the past 15 years. 'Our goal is to give the public, especially young people, more opportunities to get directly involved in heritage protection,' Ding said. 'By working with their hands, they form a physical connection to traditional architecture, which deepens their emotional ties and sparks greater enthusiasm, initiative and awareness for preserving cultural heritage.' – Xinhua architectural China cultural heritage volunteers
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
South Africa marks World Elephant Day with renewed conservation pledge
CAPE TOWN, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Africa celebrated World Elephant Day on Tuesday with a renewed commitment to elephant conservation through high-level dialogue involving key stakeholders. World Elephant Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 12. This year's commemoration, themed "Matriarchs' and Memories," coincided with the Southern African Elephant Indaba, hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment in KwaZulu-Natal, home to the country's second-largest elephant population. "Our elephants are a national treasure, a keystone species, an integral part of our heritage," said Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Narend Singh in a statement. According to the statement, South Africa is home to about 44,000 African savanna elephants, with numbers continuing to grow -- a major conservation success compared to declines seen in other countries. Over the past four decades, elephants have expanded their range, with most living in protected areas such as Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park, and Tembe Elephant Park. An additional 89 smaller, fenced reserves also host elephant populations, while about 6,000 elephants are privately or community-owned, said Singh. However, Singh noted that success brings challenges. "As elephant numbers and ranges expand, encounters between people and elephants have increased, particularly in rural communities living near protected areas," he said. "Human-elephant conflict can result in crop losses, damage to infrastructure, and in some cases, injury or loss of human life." The deputy minister stressed the need for innovative solutions to promote coexistence, such as improved land-use planning, early-warning systems, community-based monitoring, and benefit-sharing initiatives that recognize the costs of living alongside elephants. He also said that conservation efforts must address threats such as habitat loss, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict through a whole systems approach that values community voices, scientific expertise, indigenous knowledge, and partnerships. "It is therefore imperative for South Africa to harness collaboration, co-learning, and co-working so that our collective wisdom, capacity, and actions bring forth a flourishing world and thriving life," he said.
