With drier weather conditions and an increase in fire hot spots in Sumatra over the past few days, the haze is back again. So, how bad will it get?
The haze is back in Singapore, with the air quality index reaching unhealthy levels in some parts of the city.
Due to the possibility of these two phenomena happening at the same time, it is likely that there will be some degree of transboundary haze in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the surrounding region, according to the report. It could also be due to the slowdown in economic activity because of Covid-19, says Associate Professor Helena Varkkey from the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya. Fires are more prone to occur on sensitive landscapes such as peatlands - which is soil composed of partially decayed organic matter - when there is activity on the ground. But
In 2013, when Singapore experienced its highest PSI level recorded on June 24, the hot spots were mostly in Riau, the closest Indonesian province to Singapore.In 2015, however, most of the fires were in South Sumatra…There were still fires in South Sumatra but fewer than in 2015. This was also one of the factors why Singapore wasn’t as badly impacted by the haze in 2019 compared with neighboring countries, says Dr Santo.
In Indonesia, land is designated to companies or individuals for specific purposes such as agriculture, mining and forestry. These plots are called concession areas and are typically regulated by the Indonesian government through permits and licences. One such example is making the provisional moratorium on forest clearance permanent. The moratorium, which was introduced in 2011, aimed to halt the conversion of primary natural forests and peatlands into other land uses.Fires are not intentionally started by humans nowadays, explains Dr Varkkey. “A lot of people are watching concessions very closely,” she adds. “But the very fact that these concession areas are present on these very sensitive landscapes makes the fire risk higher.
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