Assessment of Transboundary Haze Episodes, and Review of Bilateral and Regional Haze-mitigation Measures

8 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the latest assessment of transboundary haze affecting Singapore; and (b) whether bilateral and regional measures to mitigate haze are being reviewed and strengthened.

The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, with your permission, my response to this Parliamentary Question (PQ), will also cover related questions raised by Members Joan Pereira, Fadli Fawzi and Elysa Chen regarding transboundary haze scheduled for Sittings on 24 February and later. The Members may wish to ask supplementary questions later and I will be happy to address them.

Mr Speaker: Please proceed.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Meteorological Service Singapore has assessed that hotspot activity could increase in the coming weeks over nearby areas due to wind patterns and drier conditions in the current dry phase of the northeast monsoon. This could result in hazy conditions affecting Singapore.

Cloud seeding for rain will not be effective, given our size and geography. Any induced rain might not fall on Singapore due to variable wind patterns.

Regional and bilateral cooperation are therefore essential to address transboundary haze and Singapore is committed to these efforts. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore provides regular updates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states on the weather and haze situation, including hotspot information and early warnings to support their respective haze prevention and response efforts.

Singapore also engages our neighbours through platforms, such as the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) and the Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution. We strongly support Indonesia's efforts to operationalise the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, to be based in Indonesia. The Centre will enhance regional preparedness and response to transboundary haze by facilitating cooperation and coordination in managing the impact of land and forest fires that cause haze pollution.

Our 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings have remained in the "good" to "moderate" range this year, with a peak PSI reading of 69 on 8 February, well within the "moderate" range. Hence, at this stage, the haze has not reached such levels that warrant investigation under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

We will continue to monitor the ongoing haze situation closely. Should the haze situation worsens, the Haze Task Force (HTF), led by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and comprising 28 Government agencies, will implement measures to safeguard public health, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with chronic lung and heart diseases. These measures include the issuing of advisories to minimise outdoor activities and ensuring sufficient supply of N95 masks. Indoor air purifiers will also be deployed in premises where vulnerable groups are likely to congregate, such as schools, public hospitals, nursing homes and polyclinics. Members of the public may stay updated through NEA's website, the MyENV app and the dedicated haze microsite at haze.gov.sg.

Mr Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): I thank the good Minister for the comprehensive reply and also put on record my thanks to the officers who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

My question is one born out of history. We debated in this Parliament the Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill and we saw – Mr Speaker, l will get to my point soon – a great increase in air quality. And I think there has been a lot of cooperation from the south. I have read reports that this deluge of potential pollution came not from the south.

So, I would like to understand how we, as a Government, as a Ministry, is engaging the people creating this air pollution to reciprocate the domestic efforts of Singaporeans, reciprocate the domestic efforts of our Government agencies, such that, on both sides, we do not emit pollution.

And here I speak from some degree of experience. Having done my home visits, in or around the time to my constituency, and I felt and I breathed not all that high quality of air. So, I seek reciprocity in the region for all our efforts – and this is a humble request.

Mr Speaker: I think we could smell it throughout Singapore. Minister Fu.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I do share the Member's concern for Singaporeans' well-being and indeed, that has been an issue for us to pay significant attention to, both in terms of getting our own domestic regulations in place, such as the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, as well as to work very closely with our own agencies for preparedness. We do not wish it to recur, but if it does, we believe that we have developed a scientifically-based hierarchy of responses, catering to different segments of the society and we stand ready to activate them.

Having said that, I do share the Member's wish to see if we can, in a more effective way, go upstream and to have neighbours also paying attention to their management of air pollution. And I would like to say that my experience in this area has shown that actually the air quality has improved. The incidents of transboundary haze has actually reduced over the years. This is in no small way, due to the efforts made by our neighbours in managing their own regulations and also their own communities domestically, but also cooperating regionally at the ASEAN level.

So, I would just reaffirm the suggestion of working closely with our neighbours. We do that in a few ways: we provide information; we provide capability building; we supply forecasts regularly, quarterly, half-yearly. When we see that we are getting into a potential dry season, we will step up the communications. We share our models very closely. We even have some of the officers attached to the ASMC, so as to build up trust and also common understanding of how forecasting works.

At the ASEAN level, this is a constant platform for meetings and discussions. At the sub-regional level, we meet up with our neighbours regularly to go through past data and also go through forecasts, so as to get everyone ready for the weather that is coming our way.

So, I would like to assure Members that this is really an area of focus, an area that we pay attention to and we will do our very best to get regional cooperation in managing transboundary haze.

Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Speaker and I thank the Minister. I have two clarifications for the Minister. I understand that there is a lot of support in kind in collaborating with our cross border counterparts to tackle fire hotspots, as the Minister mentioned. But how about some financial assistance for countries, if they require it? Second, whether these have been activated recently, in view of the very dry weather and windy conditions?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, I would like to say that, in my past encounters with my counterparts at the ASEAN level, the issue of finance has not arisen, because I do not think our neighbours are looking for financial assistance. They have capabilities and they are aware of their own accountability to their people. So, there is no discussion about financial assistance from Singapore.

As I mentioned earlier in my reply, meeting with them, the discussions on forecasting, a review of the hotspots in the past six months, 12 months, it is an ongoing process that we have with them and it is not triggered by the recent dry period.

So, what I am trying to summarise is that the effort to put transboundary haze on the agenda is continuing and it has achieved its outcome because we have seen haze incidents declining over the years. Having said that, we should not be complacent, because we are dealing with changing weather patterns and we expect climate change will bring about drier conditions, at the same time hotter temperatures, which make them good conditions for more potential wildfires.

So, I just want to assure Members that we are doing our utmost to have that discussion at the regional level. But even with all good intentions and all good efforts by all parties involved, including our neighbours, climate change effects are being felt and we cannot rule out more wildfires contributing to haze conditions. Therefore, even as we try to manage upstream, we must also be prepared downstream to deal with hazy days when they arrive.

Mr Speaker: Mr Fadli Fawzi.

Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. Sir, I would like to ask a few supplementary questions. Firstly, will any firms, inside or outside Singapore, be investigated under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act of 2014, in relation to the recent pit fires in Johor that have caused Singapore to be impacted by the haze, and if not, why not?

Secondly, can the Minister update this House whether there has been any prosecution brought under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014, in its 12-year history? If not, can the Minister share some of the challenges bringing these cases to Court?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I thank the Member. For the first question, the answer is no. As I have explained in my reply, we have not crossed the threshold of a haze episode, because the PSI reading has been well below 100.

The second supplementary question, we have an investigation that is open at this moment, with four companies under investigation. We will continue to work hard to get to some conclusion on these investigations.

Mr Speaker: Ms Elysa Chen.

Ms Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Speaker, and I would also like to thank the Minister for acknowledging the additional risks faced by vulnerable groups.

With the current haze persisting since late-January and doctors flagging out the elderly, children and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions as disproportionately affected, has the Inter-Agency Task Force been convened for the current episode? And at what PSI threshold will the Government activate the distribution of N95 masks and the opening of haze sanctuaries, particularly for seniors, children and vulnerable families in non-air-conditioned rental flats who may not have access to air purifiers?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I have explained earlier in my reply and also in my reply to the supplementary questions, we have not reached the threshold for a haze pollution episode. But we are monitoring closely and if we get close to that threshold, we will activate the plans.

Mr Speaker: Sorry, Mr Christopher de Souza, I am moving on. Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim.