Hansard Explorer

Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether early measures have been taken to contain hot spots in Kalimantan and Sumatra in past months under the environmental cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Singapore signed in June 2026; (b) if so, what are the early measures taken; and (c) what forms of assistance will Singapore offer to Indonesia in fighting the forest fires and their expected effectiveness.

Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether concrete action has been taken under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) in response to the current haze episode; (b) if so, what those actions are; (c) whether joint emergency responses and cross-border firefighting assistance have been activated; and (d) what obstacles have delayed or prevented such action and how Singapore will seek to address them.

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government will engage affected countries and offer assistance when hotspots first emerge, in advance of any escalation in haze levels; and (b) how will Singapore's 2027 ASEAN Chairmanship drive stronger regional accountability, earlier intervention and measurable commitments towards preventing future haze episodes.

Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how the Ministry assesses the respective roles of climatic conditions and human activities in the October 2026 forest fires and transboundary haze; and (b) what further measures Singapore is pursuing with Indonesia and other ASEAN Member States to strengthen upstream fire prevention and enforcement and accelerate progress towards the shared goal of a transboundary haze-free ASEAN by 2030.

The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, may I address Question Nos 45 to 48, and written questions Nos 43 and 46, on today's Order Paper? The response to this question also addresses a related Parliamentary Question filed by Member Ms Hany Soh for the Sitting on 4 November 2026.

Mr Speaker: Please proceed.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Members have asked about the relative contributions of climatic conditions and human activities that caused recent peatland and forest fires, as well as transboundary haze. Healthy peatlands are wet ecosystems that do not burn spontaneously. Human activities, such as draining of peatlands and slash-and-burn practices, are the primary sources of fires. The challenging El Nino conditions this year led to a longer dry season in our region, making fires easier to start and worsening their intensity.

Singapore has been working closely with our neighbours, bilaterally and through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to address transboundary haze.

The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) is the key framework for ASEAN member states to work collectively to prevent, monitor and mitigate land and forest fires and the resultant haze. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) hosted by Singapore since 1993, provides ASEAN member states with regional weather, climate and smoke haze assessments, and disseminates satellite imagery and hot spot information.

In line with the ASEAN agreed operating procedures, the ASMC advises on regional alert levels between zero representing no risk of transboundary haze and level three representing high risk of severe transboundary haze.

We had also acted ahead of this year's dry season. In May, in view of the heightened risk of transboundary haze, Singapore alerted ASEAN member states to step up vigilance and strengthen regional coordination. We reiterated this at the Sub-Regional Ministerial Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in July, where Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand highlighted their respective national preventive measures, and reaffirmed their commitment to remaining vigilant and taking appropriate measures during the dry season.

As conditions subsequently evolved, ASMC advised the activation of Alert Level 2 on 3 August as hotspot activity and haze increased, and upgraded the Alert to the highest level on 26 August as the risk significantly increased given the hotspot conditions.

Where preventive measures fail, Singapore stands ready to assist Indonesia where needed and welcomed. We have communicated this at various levels to our Indonesian counterpart. Singapore's offer included civilian assistance to support Indonesia's firefighters and operational support for cloud-seeding.

Our continued bilateral cooperation on transboundary haze pollution is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding that Singapore signed with Indonesia on Environmental Cooperation in June this year.

On 19 October, Indonesia informed us that it was able to handle the situation and did not require foreign assistance. Singapore respects Indonesia's sovereignty and its assessment of its needs, including whether the establishment of a joint regional firefighting task force would be helpful.

As Singapore assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, we will work with ASEAN member states to strengthen the implementation of the AATHP, including working towards the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) in Indonesia, which will strengthen cooperation and coordination in managing land and forest fires and transboundary haze. This will only come into force after six ASEAN member states have ratified the Establishment Agreement of the ACC THPC. Singapore will submit our Instrument of Ratification for the Establishment Agreement in the next few days and we will strongly encourage other ASEAN member states to do so.

Beyond the AATHP, we will work with other ASEAN member states to enhance the implementation of relevant initiatives in other ASEAN sectoral pillars that tackle the root causes of transboundary haze, such as sustainable land and peatland management, and guidelines on crop burning.

Some ASEAN member states have indicated that they will be raising the transboundary haze issue at the upcoming ASEAN meetings. Singapore will support these discussions and share how we intend to act against companies responsible for the haze.

Mr Speaker: Dr Choo Pei Ling.

Dr Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, I have two supplementary questions. For the ASEAN Investment Framework for Haze-Free, Sustainable Land Management, how much of the US$1.5 billion funding target has been secured and deployed? And what is Singapore doing to help translate funding commitments into prevention projects in the highest risk areas?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Matters relating to ASEAN implementation, including the sources of funding and application of the funds, are matters that the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta will manage. I do not have the specific information that the Member has requested. If she will file a separate Parliamentary Question, I will be happy to provide an update.

Mr Speaker: Ms Poh Li San.

Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang West): Thank you, Speaker and I thank the Minister. The warning signs were actually given quite early; as early as July this year, when meteorologists warned of a worsening situation for haze, given a twin impact of a super El Nino and also the Indian Ocean Dipole. Were there any additional measures that may have been taken, given the early warning, and were there any ways that this situation with the haze could have been prevented upstream?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, I have provided the updates that we have taken at the ASEAN and the regional fora. I believe that due notices have been given, and also support and information has been provided by our technical experts. We will look forward to working more closely with our ASEAN member states to see how we can learn from this lesson and to do even better.

Mr Speaker: Ms Hazlina.

Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast): Thank you, Speaker and I thank the Minister. Two quick supplementary questions from me. One is, it has been a decade since the 2015 haze episode. How would the Minister assess the level of cooperation? How is it changed over this decade, and how has that affected the progress of our efforts? And also, with advancement in satellite monitoring and other investigative technologies, how has that also fast tracked all of these investigations and our capabilities to strengthen our ability to identify the parties responsible?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, indeed, I think the technology, in terms of satellite imagery as well as modelling, has improved significantly over the last decade. It gives us better handle on information that we can derive from meteorological sources. But when it comes to pinpointing the exact party that is responsible at the specific locations, we will still need a lot of official information and records from the host countries.

Mr Speaker: Last supplementary question. Mr Gerald Giam. You have a written question for today's Sitting.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, an Indonesian official had mentioned that they would prefer ground personnel as opposed to just aircraft, in terms of assistance. If Indonesia were to accept Singapore's offer, does Singapore have all the necessary equipment and assets to deploy firefighters on the ground, including to fight peat fires?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you. As I mentioned in my reply, we stand ready to offer our assistance. But Indonesia is a huge country with vast land mass and our assistance must work hand-in-hand with them. We do not want to offer help when they do not need or impose ourselves. So, we will continue to have that conversation with our Indonesian counterpart and see how we can complement their efforts, where it is appropriate.