ASEAN is on the brink of the regional wildfire season, which usually peaks in August and September, according to this article by CIFOR. There are concerns that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could boost the incidence and severity of uncontrolled fires, if mobility limitations...
Southeast Asia is not a stranger to the transboundary haze, a recurring air problem that poses serious health hazards and contributes significantly to climate change. In our recent Haze Outlook report, the SIIA warns that a severe transboundary haze remains a risk this year because...
As part of the Ecosperity Conversations series, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) partnered with Temasek to organise a webinar, Infrastructure of the Future: Financing Sustainable Growth in ASEAN, on 14 August 2020. Speakers included Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of the SIIA, Ms....
The Haze Outlook report released by the SIIA in late June forecasts a moderate risk of a severe transboundary haze incident this year. One reason for the forecast is that resources to prevent and mitigate the fires would largely be diverted to the government's efforts...
While many companies are remaining committed to sustainable practices despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the SIIA believes that regulators, financial institutions and NGOs also have important roles to play to ensure that companies uphold good standards of environmental protection, engagement with workers and suppliers, and supply...
The SIIA released its annual Haze Outlook report in June, warning that a severe transboundary haze in 2020 remains a risk because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is rated amber on a scale of green (low risk), amber (moderate risk) and red (high risk). As...
The People’s Movement to Stop Haze (PM Haze) held a webinar, “Clear the Air 2020”, on 1 July 2020, to discuss the causes of the transboundary haze problem and potential solutions. Ms. Meixi Gan, Assistant Director of Sustainability at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs...
By Meixi Gan and Aaron Choo For The Straits Times Although the Covid-19 pandemic has dominated headlines in 2020, it is unfortunately not the only danger to public health that Singapore and Southeast Asia face this year. With the return of the dry season, there is a...
In the SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 Report, it was found that many hotspots in Indonesia occurred outside of known company concessions during the peak of the 2019 dry season. This was according to data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) Fires. As fires in Indonesia are...
The risk of severe transboundary haze is amber this year. In addition to weather conditions, which usually are the biggest contributing fact to severe transboundary haze, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit Indonesia as hard as anywhere else in the world, presents an additional fire...