An ASEAN Haze Fund could discourage deforestation - The Straits Times

Penalties alone cannot stop the forest fires causing the haze.

Firefighters in Sematang Borang on the outskirts of Palembang, South Sumatra, on Oct 15.

Clean air and clear skies have returned to Singapore and parts of South-east Asia, thanks to timely rainfall and intensive firefighting efforts by thousands of people across several Indonesian provinces.

Over the past few weeks, smoke from burning peatlands across Sumatra and Kalimantan had sent air quality plummeting across Singapore and Malaysia. Estimates of the area burned across Indonesia range from 200,000ha to 600,000ha, while Singapore and parts of Malaysia saw unhealthy air quality levels.