Outlook for The Haze Situation in Singapore and The Region

Mr Nicholas Fang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what is the outlook for the haze situation in Singapore and the region ahead of the traditional dry season for the southern ASEAN region in June and what is Singapore doing to work with its neighbours to address this long-term issue.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: For Singapore and the southern ASEAN region, the upcoming traditional dry season is expected to occur between June and October this year. With neutral conditions (neither El Nino nor La Nina) expected to prevail during the dry season, weather conditions in the region may be generally drier compared to the same period in 2011 which was a La Nina year. An increase in hotspot activities can be expected in the fire-prone regions of Sumatra and Kalimantan during extended periods of dry weather. Depending on the direction of the prevailing winds, Singapore may be affected by transboundary smoke haze.

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Since the 2006 haze episode, Singapore has actively promoted regional and international efforts to address the haze problem. Singapore initiated the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution comprising Environment Ministers and senior officials from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The MSC seeks to enhance haze collaboration in the southern ASEAN region, and closely monitors the hotspot situation in the region. It has met thirteen times since 2006; with the most recent meeting held in Brunei Darussalam on 8 May 2012. At this meeting, Singapore emphasised the need to remain vigilant and to implement timely haze prevention activities. Singapore also joined other member countries in urging Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, as Indonesia remains the only ASEAN country yet to do so.

Singapore is the current MSC Chair, for two years until October 2012. Under our chairmanship, we have encouraged closer cooperation among the MSC countries and also put in place measures to deal with the forest fires more effectively. These include enhancing haze control management through early warning and monitoring; improving fire prevention and fire suppression through the establishment of a fire danger rating system; and facilitating the sharing of expertise through a regional haze training network. In this area of training, Singapore conducted a course for MSC officials on satellite imagery interpretation in November 2011, and Singapore and Malaysia will be jointly conducting a course on haze and peatland management this month.

The MSC also organises forums to raise awareness among international organisations, non-governmental organisations and the private sector on the need to share expertise and offer resources in addressing land and forest fires. Singapore hosted the first forum in 2009. Recently, Singapore also provided strong support to Brunei Darussalam in hosting the second forum on 8 to 9 May 2012.

On the bilateral front, we have been collaborating with Indonesia in Jambi province since 2007. Nine action programmes, covering areas ranging from haze monitoring and assessment to fire fighting and suppression capabilities, as well as capacity building on sustainable land-farming practices, have been completed. My Ministry has conveyed to our Indonesian counterparts our willingness to continue with this collaboration. We are also looking into the possibility of replicating the good experiences gained from the Indonesia-Singapore collaboration in the Jambi province, to other fire-prone provinces.

It is important for Indonesia to take strong enforcement actions against the perpetrators responsible for the land and forest fires and to bring them to task, as well as enhance co-operation with ASEAN neighbours and the international community, in order to effectively tackle the transboundary haze problem.

Singapore will, on our part, continue to work with Indonesia, and the rest of the international and regional community, to enhance our expertise and capacity in haze prevention.

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