Haze back in Singapore as 50 hot spots detected in Sumatras appears 'hands-off'

Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia 6 Aug 09;

SINGAPORE: The haze is back in Singapore and you can expect more hazy days ahead. Smoke haze shrouded Singapore on Thursday morning, with an acrid burning smell hanging in the air.

And the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), which measures the air quality in Singapore, was around 60 on Thursday. Though this is still in the moderate range, it is however slightly higher than Wednesday's reading of 52.

Smoke haze has been blowing into Singapore and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that over the past few days, its satellite pictures detected significant hot spots with moderate to dense smoke.

The hot spots are mainly in the Sumatran provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra. On Wednesday alone, 50 hot spots were detected in Sumatra.

NEA added that with prevailing dry weather in the region and the wind direction expected to remain the same in the next few days, hazy conditions can be expected in Singapore over the next few days.

Doctors have cautioned against outdoor activities if the situation worsens, especially for those with respiratory illnesses.

Dr Chuah Li Li, a general practitioner from My Family Doctor, said: "Usually the discomfort is felt in the eyes, where people will feel there is a little bit of the smarting discomfort or a dry sensation. The other thing that you might feel is throat discomfort.

"For people who have lung problems - chronic obstructive lung disease and asthma - there might be... a little bit of difficulty in breathing and a chest tightness or cough.

"Elderly people with pre-existing lung condition or children with asthma should actually cut down on outdoor activities, especially strenuous activities like playing basketball and football."

But members of the public are currently not too concerned about the situation.

"At the moment, still not so serious. Maybe if it gets serious, we will do some precautionary measures," said a member of the public.

Singapore has expected the haze to return this year as the El Nino weather phenomenon develops, bringing with it hotter and drier weather. The situation is expected to worsen in the coming months, especially when the dry weather peaks in September.

The haze is the result of smoke from slash and burn activities in Indonesia, when farmers clear their lands to make way for new crops. Hot and dry weather can also cause dry twigs and leaves to burst into flames spontaneously.

On July 24, Singapore handed over three air and weather monitoring stations to Jambi Province in Sumatra to help calculate the risk of fires starting and spreading in the surrounding areas during dry weather.

- CNA/ir

Shifting winds bring haze
Dry weather will see smoke lingering over Singapore, experts warn
Amresh Gunasingham, in Singapore & Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, in Jakarta
Straits Times 7 Aug 09;

THE haze is back in Singapore, fuelled by raging fires in Sumatra.

Smoke blanketed large parts of the island, from the Central Business District to Sengkang, causing the 24-hour pollution standards index (PSI) to peak at 60 yesterday.

Though still in the moderate range, yesterday's PSI was the highest recorded here in almost two years. Visibility in the morning ranged from 3km to 6km, but improved in the afternoon to 5km to 7km.

The National Environment Agency's (NEA's) Meteorological Services Division said 50 hot spots were detected in Sumatra yesterday, although there might have been more - cloud cover prevented satellites from giving a clearer picture.

There has been a spike in the number of fires burning in Sumatra since June, but Singapore was spared the haze because of favourable wind conditions.

But over the last two days, winds blowing from the south and south-west blew the smoke this way.

Parts of Indonesia and Malaysia have also been badly affected. In Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, the Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport was shut for two hours yesterday morning as visibility fell to 300m, far below the 1km safety mark.

In Malaysia, several areas, one in Kuala Lumpur, were plagued by unhealthy pollutant levels, said The Star newspaper.

Satellite images also showed dense smoke over parts of Sabah, Sarawak and of Kalimantan on Borneo island.

The almost annual haze episodes have led to complaints against Indonesia by its Asean neighbours, and comments made yesterday by Jakarta's Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban are likely to add to the stir.

In comments which the Jakarta Post newspaper called 'mind-boggling', Mr Kaban said the Indonesian government would only take firm action against those setting fires if flights were disrupted and protests erupted in neighbouring nations.

He said the issue 'was being exaggerated domestically', adding: 'Why should we care about domestic affairs? Our international image is what's important.'

When asked about his comments, Mr Kaban told The Straits Times: 'What I said was that this haze issue was being exaggerated domestically. Why are we ourselves making the noise? Even they (Singapore, Malaysia, other neighbours) are keeping quiet.'

Meanwhile, experts here said yesterday the haze might linger over Singapore for a while, due to the prevailing south-west monsoon season conditions, which typically last till late October.

Said Associate Professor Matthias Roth from the department of geography at the National University of Singapore (NUS): 'The south-west winds that bring the smoke can vary from day to day, but generally, we have to be ready for haze in the coming months.'

An NEA spokesman said hazy conditions can be expected over the next few days due to the prevailing dry weather in the region and the wind direction.

A developing El Nino weather pattern, which leads to hotter and drier conditions, could make the situation worse.

Asked if any public advisories would be issued here, an NEA spokesman said: 'When the air quality is in the good and moderate range - that is, a PSI reading of 100 or less - there is no need for the public to take any special precautions.'

However, doctors warned that people with respiratory conditions could find their symptoms worsening because of the haze. Asthmatics could be hit especially hard because of the H1N1 epidemic.

Already, some are feeling the effects. Mr Chew Hock Chuan, 41, a public relations executive, decided against a morning walk yesterday. 'I will not be able to take my daily brisk walk if the haze gets worse. My eyes have already started tearing,' said the nose cancer survivor.

Haze forces Riau airport to close
But Indonesia Forestry Minister's approach to fires appears 'hands-off'
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Straits Times 7 Aug 09;

JAKARTA: As the haze worsened yesterday, the airport in Pekanbaru, capital of Riau province, was closed temporarily in the morning as visibility fell to 300m. Visibility of 1,000m is required for safe landing and take-off.

The return of the haze is also affecting Indonesia's neighbours Malaysia and Singapore.

But Indonesia's Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban was quoted as saying in a local newspaper yesterday that firm action would be taken only if flights were disrupted and neighbouring countries mounted protests.
Riau, which is located near Singapore, is the worst-affected province in Sumatra. Hot spots and dense haze were also detected in Sarawak and parts of Kalimantan in Borneo.

'The winds coming from the south-east and south-west are blowing towards Malaysia and Singapore,' weather official Aristya Ardhitama at the meteorological office in Pekanbaru told The Straits Times by telephone.

Satellite images showed that the number of hot spots in Sumatra had risen from 44 on Wednesday to more than 60 yesterday. A hot spot is defined as a fire covering a hectare of land or larger.

Mr Kaban, whose comments the Jakarta newspaper described as mind-boggling, was quoted as saying: 'We must accept the fact that haze might reach other regions, like Batam and other parts of Sumatra.'

He added: 'Why should we care about domestic affairs? Our international image is what matters.'

Asked about his comments yesterday, the minister told The Straits Times: 'What I said was that this haze issue was being exaggerated domestically.

'Why are we ourselves making the noise? Even they (Singapore, Malaysia, other neighbours) are keeping quiet.'

He said in the phone interview that Indonesia's regional governments were responsible for tackling the fires, not the central government, and that they should not wait until neighbouring countries start protesting before doing something about the situation.

The fires, caused by slash-and-burn farmers who are clearing land for planting, have led to complaints from Indonesia's neighbours since smog started to envelop the region almost annually in the past 12 years.

Mr Kaban, when told that the haze has reached some parts of Malaysia and Singapore, said there were also hot spots in Sabah and Sarawak.

Other officials said yesterday that there had been no let-up in the smog, which smelt of burnt leaves and wood, in Sumatra.

Before the closure of Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru yesterday, the Dumai Airport in the same province was also closed temporarily due to poor visibility.

Yesterday, in the Siak Regency in Riau, the local government ordered all schools to be closed at least until Aug 8 after visibility fell to only 50m, Vivanews.com reported, citing Mr Arfan Usman, the regency's head of education.

'At first, on Aug 3, we decided to send home only the Year 3 primary students as the younger kids are obviously more susceptible,' Mr Arfa was quoted as saying. But as the situation worsened, the authorities decided to stop all classes, the online news portal reported.

There is a possibility that the haze could be prolonged this year.

Mr Aristya said that Indonesia will likely see the rainy season coming only in January - four months late - because of the the impact of the El Nino phenomenon.

Q&A WITH INDONESIA'S FORESTRY MINISTER M.S. KABAN
'Don't ask the central government to do everything'
Straits Times 7 Aug 09;

# Straits Times: We saw a report quoting you as saying the government would take firm action to control fires only if the haze disrupted flights and sparked protests in Malaysia and Singapore.

Kaban: What I said was that this haze issue was being exaggerated domestically. Why are we ourselves making the noise? Even they (Singapore, Malaysia, other neighbours) are keeping quiet.

# But the haze has reached Malaysia, and to some extent Singapore. And some residents there have blamed Indonesia.

There are also hot spots in Sabah and Sarawak.

It is a matter of what direction the wind is blowing in. They need to base it on an investigation to say the haze came from Indonesia.

# How about Singapore, which is near Riau?

Like I said, it depends on what direction the wind is blowing.

# What is the government doing to try and reduce the forest fires?

That (task) is technically under the domain of the regional governments. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told regional governments to act fast.

Don't ask the central government to do everything. The central government is only helping.

The national police have sent helicopters. The Forestry Ministry also has permanent teams working on the ground.

# What is your advice for people in Sumatra and Kalimantan?

People need to be assisted by the regional governments. They need to be given adequate tools so they will not do slash and burn...

There are a few success examples like the one in Oki area in South Sumatra.

# Must we wait for protests from abroad and flight delays before doing anything?

It shouldn't be like that. Like I said, it is mainly the responsibility of the regional governments.


NOT CONCERNED YET

'Why should we care about domestic affairs? Our international image is what matters.'

Indonesian Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban, saying Jakarta would only take firm action to control fires if the haze disrupts flights and sparks protests in neighboring countries.


In Malaysia Haze thickens; Health Minister warns it may worsen H1N1 situation
Hazlin Hassan, Straits Times 7 Aug 09;

KUALA LUMPUR: The thick haze blanketing some parts of Malaysia could worsen the Influenza A (H1N1) situation by triggering more respiratory illnesses, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai has said.

Experts have warned that the current forest fires in Indonesia and Sarawak, if left unchecked, may bring about the region's worst haze in 10 years.

Malaysia has reported 14 H1N1 flu-related deaths and about 1,426 infections.

'The H1N1 virus attacks the lung cells directly. It then causes serious pneumonia. Those with respiratory ailments have weaker immune systems and the attack can be more serious,' Datuk Seri Liow was quoted as saying by The Star daily.

Meanwhile, many residents in Kuala Lumpur complained about the smell and discomfort they have to put up with because of the haze.

Forty-year-old personal assistant Anita Abdullah said she had dry eyes and an itchy throat this week. 'Every year it comes in July and August. I can smell it, and I can see it. I'm just wondering why they can't tackle it,' she said yesterday.

Said investment manager Fiza Mohamad, who has asthma: 'Yesterday was a bit tough, and I coughed non-stop.'

Environment Department director-general Rosnani Ibrahim said the number of hot spots has gone up since Sunday, caused by a combination of the dry weather and open burning activities.

'We hope that it will improve. It depends on whether it will rain, and how hard they will fight the fire,' she told The Straits Times.

Mr Faizal Parish, director of the Malaysia-based Global Environment Centre, said there were fears of a repeat of the haze crisis that hit the region in 1997-1998 and caused an estimated US$9 billion (S$13 billion) in economic losses.

'The situation is likely to get worse,' he told The Straits Times.

'Because of the drought, it could potentially develop into the worst haze seen in 10 years or more,' he said.

On Wednesday, Malaysia was hit by the worst haze this year as 'unhealthy' levels were recorded in Cheras, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Kuantan in Pahang. Bintulu, Samarahan and Sibu in Sarawak were similarly hit.

Air quality is considered unhealthy when readings are in the 101-200 range, very unhealthy, in the 201-300 range, and hazardous if the reading exceeds 300. A reading of 0-50 is deemed good and is moderate if it is within 51-100.

An official with the Meteorological Department said yesterday that visibility was down to 2km in Selangor and Malacca.

Malaysia Airports senior general manager Azmi Murad said flights have so far not been disrupted despite decreased visibility.

Haze from forest fires is Indonesia's annual headache
Eliswan Azly, Antara 6 Aug 09;

akarta (ANTARA News) - The chronic haze problem in Indonesia has to many people become like the classic puzzle of which came first into the world: chickens or chicken eggs.

Indonesia as the world`s largest archipelagic country with vast forest areas is routinely suffering from forest fires which the power elite consider a headache but are unable to solve once and for all.

This year, more severe forest fires are expected to happen in Indonesia because of an extended dry season, Blucer Dolok Pasaribu, the head of the meteorology agency in Riau`s provincial capital of Pekanbaru, said recently.

A rise in the flow of choking smoke blowing across neighboring countries in August was also unavoidable creating problems with those countries, he said. "As well as being unhealthy, the smog can cause major economic disruptions costing the tourism, transport and farming sectors billions of dollars."

"Haze is like an immune and incurable headache in Indonesia which always happens every year," he said.

With the peak of the dry season (in Riau) between June and August, the number of hotspots would automatically increase. The haze could even travel to Malaysia and Singapore with the wind coming from Australia to Asia.

In addition, haze and fog on Tuesday (Aug 4) were also reported to have blanketed Pekanbaru city, Dumai, Siak, Pelalawan, Indragiri Hulu, Rokan Hilir and Bengkalis in Riau province.

The thick fog which covered the city before noon had also lowered visibility and was affecting human health.

"The air which smells like smoke is also affecting our breath. Our eyes become irritated," Nasir (46), a civil servant working for the provincial administration said.

A resident, Nasir, was suffering so seriously of breathing problems and cough he had to seek medication at the Petala Bumi General Hospital.

"It seems many people are suffering from breathing problems and cough. No one can stand this dirty air," Nasir said.

Another resident, Anita from Bagansiapi-api, the Rokan Hilir district`s capital also complained about fog which again blanketing her residential area after a few days of free from weather problem.

"The thick smoke again permeats the air and reduces visibility," she said.

Meanwhile, haze and fog also blanketed the industrial town of Dumai due to forest and land fires. Ash particles were clearly flying in the air over the town, she said.

Thick fog also blanketed land traffic in the eastern part of Sumatra linking Pelalawan, Pekanbaru with North Sumatra.

In the meantime, Muaro Jambi, occupying a tenth of Jambi province on Sumatra Island, is an epicenter of the annual fires set to bushes as part of seasonal land clearing activity.

The practice of razing the land, which also takes place in Kalimantan (Borneo) is what gives rise to the smoky haze that has often choked Indonesia and neighboring countries over the past decade.

Indonesia has lost US$9 billion (RM32 billion) in tourism revenue and flights delayed or cancelled because of poor visibility.

But Indonesia`s argument has consistently been that it lacks the money and technical expertise to prevent or control the fires across its vast archipelago.

Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin said slash-and-burn farming is practised out of necessity. It is a cheaper way for poor farmers to clear land for planting.

To make things worse, the country`s peatland releases carbon dioxide as it dries out. When set alight in the dry season, thick smoky plumes result.

The chief of the Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Center, Didy Wurdjanto, said local officials have found it difficult to convince farmers to stop the burning, especially when they cannot afford to buy machines to clear the land.

Equipment such as excavators and tractors can cost up to 1 billion rupiah, and the typical small-scale farmer makes at most only 2 million rupiah a year, said Afdhal Mahyuddin, a communications officer of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) in Riau, another fire-prone area in Sumatra.

Mahyuddin noted that while Indonesia has been effective in punishing small-scale landowners, companies with larger land concessions continue to get away with it.

Environmental groups say at least 70 percent of Sumatra`s forest fires come from land owned by plantation and paper-pulp companies.

But despite calls on Jakarta to impose stiffer penalties, few companies are prosecuted because of lack of evidence.

Environmentalists have also long alleged collusion and corruption between government officials and the companies.

According to Mahyuddin, the country`s headache becomes worse with the export of haze to Malaysia and Singapore as its neighbors.

The situation of haze in Riau had reached a serious level and strong winds blowing from the southeast to the northeast may bring the haze to Malaysia and Singapore.

The existing data on haze showed the number of hotspots in Sumatra based on satellite surveillance had fallen to 28 as of Sunday from 99 last week after rain, but on Kalimantan island the number of hot spots rose to 69 from 17 last week.

"If the weather remains dry, they (hot spots in Borneo) will gradually increase just like in Sumatra and will cause haze," Endarwin, head of extreme weather at Indonesia`s meteorology agency said.

The agency has so far not issued recommendations to stop flights because visibility was still above minimum level of 1,000 metres (3,280 ft), he said.

Maitar of Greenpeace criticised a government move earlier in the year to end a moratorium on allowing palm oil plantations and pulp companies to operate in peatlands.

Environmentalists are particularly concerned over an increasing trend towards converting peatland forests.

Once these areas are drained, peat soil is highly flammable, producing more smoke and carbon emissions than other soil types.(*)

El Nino and land clearing aggravate peat fires
Amy Chew, New Straits Times 7 Aug 09;

THE haze in Malaysia is not expected to ease any time soon as forest fires continue to blaze in Indonesia from the clearing of land by large plantation companies and the local communities.

The Indonesian Forestry Ministry listed the total number of hot spots as of Aug 5 at 300.

"The fires are likely to worsen as local communities and plantation companies are conducting open burning to clear the land," said World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) fires officer Dedi Hariri.

The occurrence of El Nino, the weather phenomenon which brings about extreme weather conditions, including drought, is expected to further fan the burning flames.

"El Nino is predicted to occur in the later part of this year and is expected to last until next year.


"It will prolong the dry season, making it easier for the land to burn and more difficult for the fires to be extinguished," Hariri added.

The worst fires are currently burning in Riau province in Sumatra, which faces Peninsular Malaysia, and West and Central Kalimantan which borders Sarawak.

"The fires are burning on peat land which gives out a lot of smoke and which is also very difficult to put out as the fire rages beneath the ground," said government fire investigator Bambang Hero Saharjo.

Peatland stores billions of tonnes of carbon which is released into the atmosphere when set alight, contributing to greenhouse gases which change the climate.

Riau's peatlands are estimated to store 14.6 billion tonnes of carbon, according to Greenpeace.

Satellite data for the first six months of this year shows Riau province had the largest number of hot spots in Indonesia totalling 4,782 hot spots, according to Eyes on the Forest, a coalition partner of WWF.

"Nearly one quarter of the Riau fires happened within concessions affiliated with Sinar Mas Group's Asia Pulp and Paper company, more than in any other single company's concessions," Eyes on the Forest reported.

"Forest and peat fires are a major threat to Indonesia's public health, biodiversity, regional economy and global climate.

"They are often deliberately set as a quick and easy way to clear land after clear-cutting natural forest and before establishing plantations," the group added.

According to WWF, plantation companies and local communities continue to burn their land as few of them ever get caught.

"The people continue to burn the land despite the fires of the past. And even if they are caught, no one is given a heavy penalty," said Hariri.

On a journey between Central Kalimantan's district of Kumai to the provincial capital of Palangkaraya, a distance spanning some 500km last Saturday, red flames reaching several metres high could be seen from the road.

The fires were blazing on grassland and bushes which had grown over forests that had been chopped down by illegal loggers.

The Indonesian Forestry Ministry said 2,500 personnel spread across the nine worst affected provinces is on standby to fight the forest fires.

Jambi not happy with Riau’s haze
The Jakarta Post 6 Aug 09;

Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin has criticized neighboring province Riau for doing little to stop the fires causing haze that is now affecting his province.

The governor said he was sure that the haze was coming from “neighboring provinces” as Jambi does not have a significant fire problem, unlike Riau.

"Based on our reports, Jambi has only 49 hotspots, while Riau has thousands of hotspots," Zulkifli Nurdin said, as quoted by state news agency Antara.

Nurdin added that he had discussed the issue of the worsening haze with Riau Governor Rusli Zainal.

Nurdin said, the worse forest fires were burning in peat lands, which were difficult to extinguish.

Nurdin further said that his administration had asked all regencies in the province to allocate special funding to fight forest fires.