For nearly two years, China has been reclaiming land in the Spratly Islands and it is causing permanent damage to the marine environment. In an interview for Earth Island Journal, National Scientist Edgardo Gomez holds that China’s land reclamation activities have several immediate effects including the “total destruction of productive coral reefs, seagrass beds, and other shallow marine ecosystems” and “the smothering of areas adjacent to the dredged and filled areas.” Land reclamation or land fill is the process of creating new land from a waterway or wetland such as an ocean, riverbed or lakebed through, according to the article, “massive dredging of sand […]
Reefs unlikely to recover from the effects of China’s construction activities in the Spratly Islands
UP researchers uncover the roots of the water sector’s sorry state
(This article originally appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 12 with the title “Who really owns water? Managing PH water supply better.”) DAYS BEFORE his final State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Aquino revealed something about water governance that should have given Filipinos pause. “The water sector was so complicated when I assumed office. I discovered that no less than 30 agencies take part in regulating the water sector,” Mr. Aquino recounted saying this when he visited Angat Dam in Bulacan on July 22. “What made that situation worse was these institutions acted independently, their respective plans were Made […]
Newton Fund Researcher Links Travel Grants now open to applicants with master’s degrees
The British Council Newton Fund Researcher Links Travel Grants are now open to researchers with master’s degrees. Researchers with the following qualifications are encouraged to apply: – have practical experience (including research) closely related to the research topic and at an equivalent level to a PhD, over a number of years; – have a publication track record, specifically three published articles or a book. Researcher Links Travel Grants provide financial support for early-career researchers to undertake an international research placement in the UK, to strengthen links for future collaboration, build research capacity and enhance the researcher’s career. Deadline is 28 September 2015. For inquiries, […]
IPA Recipients for August 2015
Arvin B. Vista Department of Agricultural Economics College of Economics and Management UP Los Baños Estimating the Recreational Value of Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Philippines using Benefit Transfer. Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 18 (1): 22-32, June 2015. Catchy title of research: Recreational Value of Taal Volcano Protected Landscape. Benefit transfer methods are increasing used to aid decision-making, especially when time and resource constraints the conduct of primary study. It has many potential applications in developing country, wherein collecting data is significantly constrained by limited financial resources. This paper provides evidence on the total value of recreation at TVPL for visitors […]
New engineering lab created through Balik PhD grant
Within two years, a team of researchers from the UP Diliman College of Engineering was able to build a working research laboratory and produce from it six ISI-listed journal articles and 12 papers for local and international conferences. Within this period, too, nine BS students and four MS students—all of whom were able to graduate this June— benefited from the laboratory for their theses. The success story is one that can make any lead researcher proud. Such is the case of Dr. Rinlee Butch Cervera, head of the project Fabrication and testing of an advanced nanoceramics synthetic apparatus for energy storage and alternative […]
Internationally recognized scientist Dr. Rhodora Azanza receives the Pantas Award
Marine Science Institute professor and former UP Diliman College of Science dean Dr. Rhodora Azanza was presented with the 2015 Pantas Award by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Every year, the council confers the Pantas on an outstanding scientist or researcher who has made exemplary contributions for the advancement of agriculture, aquatic and natural resources in the Philippines. Azanza, fondly known to students and colleagues as The Red Tide Lady, is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on seaweeds and harmful microalgal biology, coastal environment management and […]
