WorldIndonesia says it will conduct field checks to gather information for a joint task force with Singapore investigating companies linked to forest and land fires behind the transboundary haze. Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat said burned areas have been found within the concession areas of 356 companies.
WorldIndonesia is enduring its worst fire season in a decade, with wildfires burning nearly 2 million hectares. Smoke has blanketed the region, including Malaysia and Singapore. The persistent toxic haze has sparked protests in Indonesian cities, where demonstrators are urging President Prabowo Subianto to declare a national emergency. His government is pursuing criminal charges against companies it says are responsible.
BBC News
WorldHundreds of Indonesian students and civil society groups protested in several cities, including Jakarta, on Wednesday over ongoing forest fires and President Prabowo Subianto’s policies. Indonesia is experiencing its worst fires and resulting haze in 11 years, worsened by El Niño, with respiratory illnesses rising and air pollution affecting neighbouring countries.
Global News
SocietySingaporean leaders met executives from 10 companies potentially linked to fires causing haze, outlining government expectations and plans to strengthen laws to hold polluters accountable. K Shanmugam said haze results from fires, which he attributed to irresponsible business practices.
SocietySingapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu met executives from 10 companies potentially connected to fires causing haze. They outlined government expectations and plans to strengthen laws to hold those responsible for haze pollution accountable.
PoliticsSingapore plans to strengthen its haze laws to address enforcement gaps and increase corporate accountability. Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said the country also aims to improve its ability to investigate transboundary haze and act decisively against those responsible. The National Environment Agency has issued notices to 10 Singapore-registered companies and 10 in Indonesia.
WorldSingapore and Indonesia will establish a joint task force to investigate companies linked to forest and land fires that cause transboundary haze. Indonesia’s foreign minister, Arrmanatha Nasir, said Jakarta would work with Singapore and others to bring those responsible to justice. The countries will also set up a ministerial hotline to manage differences.
PoliticsSingapore and Indonesia agreed to form a joint task force to act against companies linked to forest fires and transboundary haze. In talks, the foreign ministers also addressed Indonesia’s gas supply cuts and cross-border air pollution. Singapore’s minister reaffirmed ties, while his Indonesian counterpart said the relationship was mature enough to accommodate differences.
WorldIndonesia is intensifying efforts to contain forest and land fires at Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, Sumatra, as haze continues to affect neighbouring countries. The disaster management agency is coordinating with other authorities to bolster firefighting operations.
PoliticsSingapore Prime Minister and People’s Action Party secretary-general Lawrence Wong addressed haze caused by fires in neighbouring Indonesia at the party conference on Sunday. He said Singapore needs cooperation from other countries but will not stand by, and will strengthen its response and work with partners to tackle the problem.
SocietySingapore is widening scrutiny of companies in Singapore and Indonesia over possible links to haze. Some are connected to everyday goods such as cooking oil, tissues and toilet paper. More than a decade after the severe 2015 haze, the investigation asks how much sustainable sourcing promises have achieved and whether products in shopping baskets could be contributing to the pollution people breathe.
SocietyTen Singapore-registered companies in the palm oil and forestry sectors must provide details of their links to Indonesian plantations and steps taken to prevent and fight fires. The National Environment Agency said it issued the orders under Section 10 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act while investigating firms that may have contributed to haze in Singapore.
WorldSingapore’s National Environment Agency issued preventive-measure notices to seven companies suspected of land burning in Indonesia on Friday (Oct 16), followed by notices to three more on Monday (19). The Straits Times found tangled ownership links and asks why responsibility remains difficult to establish despite satellite-detected hotspots.
SocietyWildfires in Indonesia are generating toxic haze, prompting protests and legal action over the government’s response. Residents and activists want more resources, medical care for affected communities and prosecution of those behind illegal land clearing. Under mounting pressure, the government has suspended permits for 32 companies, while wildlife centres rescue displaced orangutans.
SocietyPalangkaraya, on Indonesia’s island of Borneo, has been shrouded in toxic wildfire haze for weeks. Residents are dealing with persistent coughs, reduced incomes and interrupted education.
WorldNew data show that fires have burned more than 1.9 million hectares in Indonesia during its worst wildfire season in a decade. Toxic smoke has spread across much of Southeast Asia, prompting school closures and contributing to a rise in respiratory illnesses.
WorldSingapore says it is widening its effort to hold those responsible for haze accountable, targeting not only potentially linked firms but also larger businesses and people behind them. It says it may apply financial pressure and change laws against those who refuse to cooperate. Three more Indonesian companies received notices, bringing the total to 10.
SocietySingapore will use all available legal, regulatory and economic tools against companies responsible for the haze and pursue them for as long as necessary, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said Monday. He warned that firms may deny responsibility and assume they can evade scrutiny because evidence is hard to obtain.
WorldToxic smog covering wide areas of Indonesia has now reached the Philippines. The wildfires behind it are a recurring problem. DW’s Nicole Frölich speaks with Kiki Taufik of Greenpeace’s Indonesia Forests program about whether the government has been slow to act.
WorldMassive wildfires in Indonesia show no sign of easing. The environmental disaster is becoming a pollution crisis across Southeast Asia, with toxic haze from the fires spreading to neighboring countries.
SocietySingapore’s National Environment Agency says signs suggest smoke from fires on land owned or occupied by seven Indonesian companies may have reached Singapore. The firms received notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act and must act immediately to tackle the fires. Singapore renewed its offer to help Indonesia.
SocietyHaze in Singapore may worsen before easing. Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu warned it could persist for some time and reach hazardous levels, describing conditions as fluid, with air quality expected to fluctuate with the weather.
SocietySingapore’s haze could worsen before improving. Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu warned it may persist for some time and could reach hazardous levels.
SocietySustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said Singaporeans should prepare for haze that could persist for several weeks, with air quality possibly becoming hazardous before improving. She advised checking the 24-hour PSI forecast when planning outdoor activities and the latest one-hour PM2.5 readings before going out, and gave an update on mask distribution.