Singapore plans to strengthen regional efforts under the 2002 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution during its upcoming leadership term. The government is moving to ratify an agreement establishing an Indonesia-based coordinating center, which requires approval from six member states to begin operations. In parallel, a bilateral joint task force was established with Indonesia on Oct. 27 to investigate companies tied to active forest fires. Singapore also confirmed its readiness to deploy operational assistance should partner nations welcome future support.
Key points
Setting up the coordinating centre in Indonesia requires formal ratification from at leas…: Setting up the coordinating centre in Indonesia requires formal ratification from at least six ASEAN member states to take effect.
Singapore and Indonesia formed a joint task force on Oct. 27 to investigate corporate ent…: Singapore and Indonesia formed a joint task force on Oct. 27 to investigate corporate entities responsible for forest fires.
Regional anti-haze strategies will prioritize establishing sustainable peatland managemen…: Regional anti-haze strategies will prioritize establishing sustainable peatland management practices and clear guidelines against crop burning.
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Singapore will ratify an agreement to establish a regional haze control centre in Indonesia, after Jakarta declined its offer of firefighting assistance in October.
SINGAPORE: Singapore will work with other ASEAN states to strengthen the implementation of the region’s transboundary haze agreement as it assumes the bloc’s chairmanship in 2027, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Tuesday (Nov 3).
Responding to parliamentary questions on the ongoing haze pollution in parliament on Tuesday, Ms Fu said some member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have indicated they will raise the transboundary haze issue at upcoming regional meetings.
“Singapore will support these discussions, and share how we intend to act against companies responsible for the haze,” she added.
As incoming ASEAN chair, Singapore will also work towards establishing a coordinating centre in Indonesia to strengthen cooperation and coordination in managing the fires and transboundary haze, said Ms Fu. The centre will come into force only after six member states ratify the agreement to establish it.
“Singapore will submit our instrument of ratification for the establishment…
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During its upcoming 2027 regional chairmanship, the city-state plans to fast-track an Indonesia-based facility designed to orchestrate emergency responses and share firefighting resources across borders. The initiative comes after slash-and-burn plantation fires caused widespread air quality deterioration across Southeast Asia throughout September and October. Regional leaders are targeting institutional agreements alongside stricter peatland management guidelines to curb the chronic environmental crisis.