This year's Singapore haze is predicted to be worse than 2013.
The country is now proposing a new law to penalize lands that cause air pollution even outside its borders. Officials are looking at Indonesia in particular, because of fires from its plantations that lead to excess smog.
Singapore is now covered in heavy pollution that increased the city's smog record to a hazardous level. The government blamed its neighbor, Indonesia, because of its forest clearing activities.
Deforestation is defined as the removal of the forest or clearing of plantation lands by setting the area on fire. Fires usually go on for several weeks, due to peat deposits found beneath the land's surface. In Sumatra, Indonesia, fires continue to burn, despite outcries from Singaporean environmental groups.
While the ASEAN 2002 Agreement on Transboundary Haze awaits approval from the Indonesian government, Singapore has reportedly decided to take matters into its own hands. Lawmakers drafted a bill proposing punishments against companies in neighboring countries adding to air pollution, Reuters reported.
Legal experts described the bid as a bold decision, since implementation would not be easy for Singapore. Lack of evidence, such as maps showing ownership of burning lands, could make identifying the offenders difficult. Both Indonesia and Malaysia declined to submit an updated report on land use and concession.
Another problem that could contribute to the haze this year is the likelihood of El Niño. Weather forecasts pointed out that Singapore and parts of Indonesia and Malaysia would experience El Niño-like weather this year. Intense levels of haze should be expected for months that could damage health and hinder business, especially tourism.
"If we get four to six months of dry period in Southeast Asia starting from June, we could be in for a very difficult period, if companies' and people's behavior do not change," said Singapore Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in a conference, as quoted by Reuters.
