Trans-boundary Haze: Collective Victims,Collective Responsibility

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - If the problem of trans-boundary haze is to be sustainably resolved, collective responsibility for the problem must be borne by the multi-stakeholders, said Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, the Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister, speaking at the launch of the first Dialog on Sustainable World Resources in Singapore, on May 20.

He said that Singaporeans were not the only ones impacted by the polluting haze, which originate from forest fires on the Riau archipelago in Indonesia. He said the livelihoods of local and indigenous people were impacted worse as a result of the haze. "There are collective victims, so collective responsibility is needed," said Balakrishnan, in his keynote address at the event, which brought together members of the government the private sector and civil society from host country Singapore, from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

On June 21, 2013 Singapore suffered the worst haze episode when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) exceeded 400, according to the report From the Haze to Resources: Mapping a Path to Sustainability, by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, which hosted this first public dialog on sustainable world resources. That same week last year, the haze reached hazardous levels as well in Malaysia, specifically Johor, Malacca and Selangor.

Following the Ministerial Steering Committee Meeting on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution in Southeast Asia the following July, ASEAN leaders endorsed the Haze Monitoring System (HMS) to track those responsible for forest fires, although they failed to come to an agreement on sharing concession maps publicly. Access to land concession maps -- which Indonesia and Malaysia object to -- is vital for accurate data gathering in tracking illegal forest fires.

"There is increasing expectation for corporate executives, government leaders and law enforcers to do a better job," said Balakrishnan, in explaining that to prevent a repeat of the region's haze in more than a decade, consistent attention, persistent action and resources are needed.

Yuli Ismartono