Today marks World Wetlands Day. 

The swamp forests, reedbeds and flooded grasslands of the Lower Mekong basin form one of the most biologically important regions on the planet. But these ecosystems are vanishing at an alarming pace, along with riverbank collapse, which has led to coastal communities losing their homes.

Researchers believe that this is because the Vietnam Mekong Delta is currently being robbed of its very foundations - sand. 

On this episode of Climate Connections, Rachel Lau, Research Assistant, National Institute of Education, Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU and Assistant Professor Edward Park, National Institute of Education & Principal Investigator, Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU weigh in on why the Mekong Delta is drowning in 'sand debt'.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar

Photo credit: NTU

Music/sound credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors 

Today marks World Wetlands Day. 
The swamp forests, reedbeds and flooded grasslands of the Lower Mekong basin form one of the most biologically important regions on the planet. But these ecosystems are vanishing at an alarming pace, along with riverbank collapse, which has led to coastal communities losing their homes.
Researchers believe that this is because the Vietnam Mekong Delta is currently being robbed of its very foundations - sand. 
On this episode of Climate Connections, Rachel Lau, Research Assistant, National Institute of Education, Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU and Assistant Professor Edward Park, National Institute of Education &amp; Principal Investigator, Earth Observatory of Singapore, NTU weigh in on why the Mekong Delta is drowning in 'sand debt'.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (<a href="mailto:ykaiting@sph.com.sg">ykaiting@sph.com.sg</a>)
Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar
Photo credit: NTU
Music/sound credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

A special segment on Money FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

A special segment on Money FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

Climate Connections

Get a head start to your work day with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek from 6am to 9am. 

Listen to insightful discussions on the stories and issues that matter the most to you and be apprised of the markets and the companies to watch.

Get a head start to your work day with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek from 6am to 9am. 
Listen to insightful discussions on the stories and issues that matter the most to you and be apprised of the markets and the companies to watch.

Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

A special segment on MONEY FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history, and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

A special segment on MONEY FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history, and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

Climate Connections: Why the Vietnam Mekong Delta is drowning in 'sand debt'

Despite being highly threatened, only a few langur populations have been studied in detail, owing to their elusive nature, arboreality and the challenging terrains where they inhabit. As a result, conservation of these species has been challenging.

Over 85 per cent of Asian langurs are threatened with extinction, making them one of the continent’s most threatened primate groups. 

A new landmark Asian langurs (Presbytis) Conservation Action Plan 2024-2034, combining the efforts of international primate experts and conservationists, has just been launched, in a bid to galvanise conservation for Asian langurs across Southeast Asia.

On this episode of Climate Connections, lead of the initiative, Dr Andie Ang, Head, Primate Conservation & Singapore Programmes, Mandai Nature shares her first-hand insights on putting together the conservation plan and her experience out in the field.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar
Photo credits: Andie Ang
Music/Sound credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors, Ecology Asia| Sophia Sak Baker

Despite being highly threatened, only a few langur populations have been studied in detail, owing to their elusive nature, arboreality and the challenging terrains where they inhabit. As a result, conservation of these species has been challenging.
Over 85 per cent of Asian langurs are threatened with extinction, making them one of the continent’s most threatened primate groups. 
A new landmark Asian langurs (Presbytis) Conservation Action Plan 2024-2034, combining the efforts of international primate experts and conservationists, has just been launched, in a bid to galvanise conservation for Asian langurs across Southeast Asia.
On this episode of Climate Connections, lead of the initiative, Dr Andie Ang, Head, Primate Conservation &amp; Singapore Programmes, Mandai Nature shares her first-hand insights on putting together the conservation plan and her experience out in the field.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar Photo credits: Andie Ang Music/Sound credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors, Ecology Asia| Sophia Sak Baker

Climate Connections: Monkey Business - How Singapore's "Jane Goodall" is pushing for langur conservation in SEA through the first genus action plan

Platinum group metals (PGM) - a group of precious metals - such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, are traditionally recovered through underground and open pit mining within a linear economy, where the ore is mined, transformed into products and then disposed of as waste at the end of their lives. These metals are often used in catalytic converters for cars, buses, trucks, and other industrial processes. 

However, the process of mining for these precious metals could directly or indirectly lead to environmental impacts including deforestation, water pollution, and habitat destruction.

With the aim of creating a circular economy while fulfilling the high demand for these finite precious resources in a sustainable way - one company called BR Metals is recovering these metals from metal scraps and reintroducing them into the supply chain.

On this episode of Climate Connections, Frank Chen, Founder & Managing Director, BR Metals shares more about how his company is recovering precious metals from car scraps and his latest ventures into the gold and silver space. BR Metals was also crowned Champion in the Business For Good category at this year’s Brands for Good Awards.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: BR Metals
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Platinum group metals (PGM) - a group of precious metals - such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, are traditionally recovered through underground and open pit mining within a linear economy, where the ore is mined, transformed into products and then disposed of as waste at the end of their lives. These metals are often used in catalytic converters for cars, buses, trucks, and other industrial processes. 
However, the process of mining for these precious metals could directly or indirectly lead to environmental impacts including deforestation, water pollution, and habitat destruction.
With the aim of creating a circular economy while fulfilling the high demand for these finite precious resources in a sustainable way - one company called BR Metals is recovering these metals from metal scraps and reintroducing them into the supply chain.
On this episode of Climate Connections, Frank Chen, Founder &amp; Managing Director, BR Metals shares more about how his company is recovering precious metals from car scraps and his latest ventures into the gold and silver space. BR Metals was also crowned Champion in the Business For Good category at this year’s Brands for Good Awards.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Audrey Siek Photo credits: BR Metals Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

Climate Connections: Turning trash to cash - How one business is recycling spent catalytic converters into precious metals

To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C  - as called for in the Paris Agreement - emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

But as the days pass, the world is staring at a growing emissions gap. 

Back in 2021, Speed & Scale - a global initiative aimed at pushing leaders to act on the climate crisis - built a plan based on 10 objectives, each with its own set of milestones, or “key results” - to zero out the world’s 59 gigatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions, before it’s too late. 

And just recently, Speed & Scale released a global progress report, tracking where the world is making good headway on the road to net zero and where it’s lagging. Most importantly, it points to where we need to go from here in the transition to clean energy, in scaling renewables and cleantech and also in phasing out fossil fuels. 

On this episode of Climate Connections, Anjali Grover, Managing Director, Speed & Scale shares more about their blueprint, challenges in tracking some key areas and strategies that can be undertaken to push the world ahead. 

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar
Photo credits: Speed & Scale
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C  - as called for in the Paris Agreement - emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
But as the days pass, the world is staring at a growing emissions gap. 
Back in 2021, Speed &amp; Scale - a global initiative aimed at pushing leaders to act on the climate crisis - built a plan based on 10 objectives, each with its own set of milestones, or “key results” - to zero out the world’s 59 gigatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions, before it’s too late. 
And just recently, Speed &amp; Scale released a global progress report, tracking where the world is making good headway on the road to net zero and where it’s lagging. Most importantly, it points to where we need to go from here in the transition to clean energy, in scaling renewables and cleantech and also in phasing out fossil fuels. 
On this episode of Climate Connections, Anjali Grover, Managing Director, Speed &amp; Scale shares more about their blueprint, challenges in tracking some key areas and strategies that can be undertaken to push the world ahead. 
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar Photo credits: Speed &amp; Scale Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

Climate Connections: Why the Vietnam Mekong Delta is drowning in 'sand debt'

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