Singapore, Indonesia working on plan to prevent fires at hotspot

The Straits Times, March 7, 2007
By Goh Chin Lian



SINGAPORE is working with Indonesia this week to devise a master-plan to prevent fires - and the dreaded haze - at a spot in central Sumatra.

The preventive measures will be rolled out in the regency of Muarao Jambi, one of nine divisions in Jambi province, and roughly nine times the size of Singapore.

The plan comes as Indonesia last week declared its commitment to halve the number of fire hotspots this year, Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim told Parliament yesterday.

He did not cite any figures, but over 15,000 hotspots in Indonesia were detected in September and October last year.

The haze was a hot topic in the House as four MPs, including Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC), asked for an update on efforts to prevent a repeat of the acrid smoke blanketing Singapore last year. It had caused air quality to hit the very unhealthy range.

The Indonesian government's attempts to tackle land and forest fires have to be complemented by a bottom-up approach, noted Dr Yaacob.

Hence, Singapore's offer to work with the regency in Jambi, which kicked off in January when officers here visited the area to suss out ground conditions.

Officials from the Indonesia State Ministry of Environment and the Jambi provincial government are also meeting here this week to work out the plan.

It will cover fire prevention and suppression; legislation and enforcement; early warning and monitoring; regional and international collaboration and will work in tandem with Indonesia's national fire plan.

The measures will be managed by the Jambi government, said Dr Yaacob, noting: 'We are in Singapore. They will have to manage it and work with the plantation owners and the kampungs.'

The hope is for the plan to be in place by the second half of this year. It could be a model for other districts if it works, said Dr Yaacob.

But he added that political will at the local and central government levels would be critical to its success.

It was fortunate that Jambi governor Pak Zulkifli is 'an old friend of Singapore, a hands-on person and very keen'. He is due to attend the meeting here.

Indonesia had budgeted 700 billion rupiah (S$110 million) a year for its national fire plan, he noted. Its plan to halve the number of hotspots was commendable, Dr Yaacob said.

'The regional smoke haze problem can only be effectively addressed by sustained efforts and strong political will from Indonesia,' he added.

Singapore also hoped Indonesia would ratify the Asean Haze Agreement to combat the pollution, now before the Indonesian Parliament.

Dr Yaacob said he was more optimistic that Indonesia was prepared to do its part this time than last October, when Singapore expressed its disappointment with the recurring haze brought on by the fires there.

Asked by Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) if Indonesia's export ban on sand would affect cooperation on the haze, Dr Yaacob said it was in Singapore's interest to work with its neighbour on the haze as it affected people here.