SINGAPORE, June 24 (Reuters) – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei face a high risk of severe haze this year due to hot and dry weather conditions, biofuel demand and economic pressures, a research institute said Wednesday.
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs said it was the second time it had issued a red risk rating since launching its Haze Outlook report in 2019. The previous red risk rating was in 2023.
Here are some details:
• August to September is the peak danger period for haze in the Southeast Asian region, driven by the El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole weather phenomena, the report said.
• The return of El Niño is expected to create a longer and stronger dry season at a time when fire preparedness could be adversely affected by economic uncertainty and cost pressures.
• The SIIA said rising costs of fertiliser and fuel as a result of the Iran war could lead to unsustainable activity such as the use of fire rather than machinery to clear land and dispose of waste.
• Land use could also intensify as demand for biofuels rises due to energy supply disruptions.
• “This trend will continue even if the US-Iran agreement holds, as countries now want energy independence,” said SIIA associate director Khor Yu-Leng.
• ASEAN cooperation and sustainable land management will be critical to reducing risks, the report said.
(Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by John Mair)
