Singapore: Singapore will push for stronger regional cooperation against transboundary haze pollution when it assumes the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2027, following a severe outbreak of smoke pollution across parts of Southeast Asia last month.
Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, announced the plans in Parliament on Tuesday, saying the country would work with other ASEAN members to strengthen the implementation of the regional agreement on transboundary haze pollution.
A key part of the initiative is the proposed establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control in Indonesia. The centre is intended to improve cooperation between member states in preventing and responding to forest and land fires that produce smoke affecting neighbouring countries.
Fu said Singapore would submit its instrument of ratification for the agreement establishing the centre within the next few days. Singapore will also encourage other ASEAN members to complete their ratification processes. She added that some member states had indicated that they would raise the haze issue at upcoming regional meetings.
The establishment agreement requires ratification by at least six ASEAN member states before it can come into force. The proposed centre is expected to facilitate regional coordination during fire outbreaks, support information sharing and improve cooperation in managing transboundary pollution.
Singapore's announcement comes after a particularly serious haze episode in October, when fires in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan regions sent smoke across neighbouring countries.
Singapore experienced unhealthy air quality on seven days and very unhealthy conditions on three days between October 16 and 28. The situation improved towards the end of the month as weather conditions changed and rainfall increased.
According to Singapore's environmental authorities, air quality had returned to the moderate category by November 3. However, smoke plumes continued to be observed in parts of southern Sumatra and Kalimantan, indicating that the regional threat from fires remained.
The October outbreak also affected communities in Indonesia, where thousands of people sought medical attention for respiratory problems. Indonesian authorities had reported more than 283,000 respiratory illness cases across seven provinces since August 18, according to figures available by October 13.
The recurring haze problem has remained a major environmental challenge in Southeast Asia despite the existence of a regional agreement for more than two decades.
The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was signed by the ten ASEAN member states at the time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 10, 2002. It entered into force on November 25, 2003, establishing a framework for regional cooperation to prevent and control smoke pollution caused by land and forest fires.
Indonesia was the last ASEAN member to ratify the agreement, completing the process in January 2015. The proposed coordinating centre represents another effort to improve the practical implementation of the regional commitments.
The latest initiative also follows a new agreement between Singapore and Indonesia to strengthen cooperation in investigating companies potentially connected to forest and land fires.
On October 27, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir announced plans to establish a joint task force to investigate companies that may be linked to the fires.
The proposed task force will support information sharing, financial intelligence cooperation and the collection of evidence across the two countries. It is also expected to help authorities examine corporate activities and possible links to fires in Indonesia.
Singapore has separately taken action against companies potentially connected to the October fires. Its National Environment Agency issued two different sets of notices under Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.
Seven Indonesian companies received preventive measure notices on October 16 relating to fires in Sumatra, while three additional companies received similar notices on October 19 concerning fires in Kalimantan. The notices were issued under Section 9 of the Act and required the companies to take steps to prevent or extinguish fires on land they owned or occupied.
Separately, ten Singapore registered companies received statutory notices under Section 10 of the Act. These notices required them to provide information and documents about their operations, land concessions, corporate relationships and fire prevention measures to support investigations into possible links to the haze.
The notices do not establish that the companies caused the fires. Further investigations and evidence are needed to determine whether individual companies contributed to the pollution.
Singapore has also announced plans to strengthen investigations into companies potentially responsible for transboundary haze. The government intends to use a panel of specialist experts to assess corporate operations, supply chains and business relationships. The companies will be expected to appoint independent assessors from the panel at their own expense.
Fu has also indicated that the government intends to introduce amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act at the next parliamentary sitting to strengthen the legal framework for these measures.
The Singapore government has highlighted the importance of addressing the main causes of recurring fires. These include poor land management, the burning of agricultural land and inadequate protection of peatlands.
Peatlands are particularly vulnerable to fires during dry periods. Fires can spread beneath the surface and continue burning for extended periods, making them difficult to detect and extinguish. They can also release large quantities of smoke and carbon emissions.
Weather conditions have contributed to the severity of the latest outbreak. Hot and dry conditions associated with El Niño increased the risk of fires spreading in parts of Indonesia. However, weather conditions alone do not establish the causes of individual fires, which may also be linked to land clearing and other human activities.
Singapore has said it respects Indonesia's sovereignty and its assessment of whether outside assistance is needed to tackle the fires. It remains ready to provide help if the Indonesian government requests it.
The two countries have nevertheless faced disagreements over the handling of the haze crisis. Their October agreement to establish a joint task force reflects an effort to improve cooperation despite these differences.
ASEAN has set a broader objective of achieving a transboundary haze free region by 2030. Existing regional initiatives include cooperation on sustainable peatland management, fire prevention and weather monitoring.
Singapore's 2027 chairmanship will provide an opportunity to bring these efforts together and encourage stronger action among member states.
The effectiveness of the proposed coordinating centre will depend on how quickly ASEAN countries complete the ratification process and how effectively they cooperate in preventing fires, sharing information and supporting investigations into those responsible for environmental damage.
Although the improvement in Singapore's air quality offers some relief after October's severe pollution, the continuing presence of smoke in parts of Indonesia shows that the wider regional challenge remains unresolved.