Transboundary Haze The problem of haze resulted from forest fire has been long and permanent problem

between Indonesia and its neighbors, Singapore and Malaysia. The forest fire usually

triggered by two types of causes: (i) human actions, deliberately or accidentally, such as

ignite the fire in order to clear the forest (slash-and-burn farming) or careless in handling

campfire or cigarettes, and (ii) natural cause such as underground hot spot turning into

fire during very dry season (ground fire), lightning struck during dry season, and volcanic

activity (the latter is rare case).

Figure X. Forest fire in Sumatra, March 7, 2014

Source: NASA In 2014, nearly 50,000 Indonesians were suffering respiratory, eye, and skin ailments due

to the haze, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency. The quality of air

was at dangerous level, that people were wearing face masks even indoors. The fires are

extensive in areas with deep peat soils, indicating heavy air pollution with high volumes

of carbon. All flights during a week of haze peak was cancelled and in subsequent week

only few could fly due to poor visibility. It is estimated that during February to March

2014, Riau province booked loss about $1.75 billion or about 30% of annual Riau’s GDP

due to haze problems1.

On June 21, 2013 Singapore hit the all-time record level at 401 of Pollutant Standards

Index (PSI) that described as potentially life-threatening to the ill and elderly people.

Malaysians especially those in Johor also shared the same suffers. At the peak, PSI

reached 383 (hazardous) in Muar, Johor.

Roughly half of the fire alerts in Sumatra appeared within under concession land to palm

oil, pulpwood, and timber. Much of the area burned in Riau is peat wetland, which can go

down to a depth of 30m. A fire doused on the surface might fume underground long after.

Indonesia legal system prohibits the action of burning peat but it just goes on. The June

2013 and March 2014 were the worst cases in forest fire that affected many people in

Sumatera, Singapore, and Peninsular Malaysia.

It is strongly suspected that there is collusion between the authorities and those illegally

clearing land, both of whom profit from the lucrative palm-oil business. On March 12th

2014, a former governor of Riau, Rusli Zainal, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after

found guilty of graft, including issuing logging licences that resulted in forest destruction.

The Global Forest Watch, jointly work with World Resource Institute, suggests that

current technology that is already applied in Indonesia is sufficient to address the

problem. There are some advantages of using the technology2:

1. Fires can now be precisely pinpointed in time and space and the imagery can serve as

powerful evidence of possible wrongdoing.

                                                                                                               1 According to The Head of Data, Information, and Public Communication of Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Negoro 2 http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/07/high-resolution-satellites-help-monitor-and-respond-fires-southeast-asia  

2. The impact of each fire can be precisely measured and mapped

Note: The image above is rendered in “false color”, which displays healthy vegetation as pink. Image location: Lat: -0.12331 / Long: 101.5838. However, the accuracy of the maps of concession data is still questioned. Thus, if

government releases the map of concession, many stakeholders can participate in

monitoring the problems of forest fire, including those of being part of government but

have no access to this information (for instance, Indonesia Science and Technology

Agency that has technology of monitoring, or Ministry of Environment). The companies

as well as the subnational governments will find themselves more accountable for public.

Since most of forest fire can be ignited both by wicked action and by lack of awareness

of poor farmers3, there should be comprehensive investigation to map the whole story and

causes, the stakeholders including big company and farmers, and the identification of

critical issues.

Certainly, educate the farmers and locals about the consequences of burning the forest is

essential, including the legal consequence. Equally important is putting the law firm in

implementation. In 2014, Indonesian Police had sent 130 suspects to the Riau court.

However, the sentences were disappointing, they got only 3 to 5 months in jail, out of the

maximum sentence of 15 years. The investigation was also shallow, that the real actors

behind the poor farmers were left untouched. There, Indonesia needs to collaborate with

authorities in Singapore and Malaysia, to conduct joint investigation. To do so, the three

countries should have a communal rules in handling this issue, including data and cost

sharing, locus of investigation and court, as well as legal consequences to be charged.

In 2014, Singapore’s Parliament has passed the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act that

allows prosecution of companies and individuals that cause severe air pollution in

Singapore by burning forests and peatlands in neighboring countries. With Indonesia has

just ratified an agreement on transboundary haze in ASEAN in September 2014, this

should be a good start to have actionable discussions, especially among Indonesia,

Malaysia, and Singapore.

 

                                                                                                               3 The Head of Data, Information, and Public Communication of Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Negoro, stated that around 99% of forest fire is deliberate action.