Photo: Indonesian worker from a private palm oil concession company extinguishing a forest fire in Kampar, Riau on June 29, 2013; AFP / Romeo Gacad
Singapore has taken a proactive stance against the persistent transboundary haze affecting the region by offering assistance packages to neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia.
With illegal land clearing and ‘slash and burn’ agricultural practices — especially in Kalimantan and Sumatra — identified as the main culprits behind the haze-causing fires, Singapore has offered Indonesia up to three C-130 aircrafts for cloud-seeding operations and ferrying Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire-fighting assistance teams. Another SCDF team will also be on standby to provide assessment and planning assistance, along with high-resolution satellite pictures and hotspot coordinates to aid our Indonesian counterparts in their fire-fighting efforts.
Similarly, the Singapore government will be on hand to provide assistance to Malaysia should the need to combat land and forest fires arise across the Causeway.
A traditionally-occurring problem during the dry season between June and October, Singapore experienced its worst haze episode in 2013 when the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit an unprecedented high of 246 on June 20.
The likelihood of the El Nino weather phenomenon affecting our region this year has also threatened to exacerbate the haze plight, should nothing be done to nip it in the bud.
Read Also: Singapore may experience the occasional slight haze: NEA
Photo: Indonesian worker from a private palm oil concession company extinguishing a forest fire in Kampar, Riau on June 29, 2013; AFP / Romeo Gacad
Singapore has taken a proactive stance against the persistent transboundary haze affecting the region by offering assistance packages to neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia.
With illegal land clearing and ‘slash and burn’ agricultural practices — especially in Kalimantan and Sumatra — identified as the main culprits behind the haze-causing fires, Singapore has offered Indonesia up to three C-130 aircrafts for cloud-seeding operations and ferrying Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire-fighting assistance teams. Another SCDF team will also be on standby to provide assessment and planning assistance, along with high-resolution satellite pictures and hotspot coordinates to aid our Indonesian counterparts in their fire-fighting efforts.
Similarly, the Singapore government will be on hand to provide assistance to Malaysia should the need to combat land and forest fires arise across the Causeway.
A traditionally-occurring problem during the dry season between June and October, Singapore experienced its worst haze episode in 2013 when the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit an unprecedented high of 246 on June 20.
The likelihood of the El Nino weather phenomenon affecting our region this year has also threatened to exacerbate the haze plight, should nothing be done to nip it in the bud.
Read Also: Singapore may experience the occasional slight haze: NEA