Singapore tops global air pollution ranks again, rolls out haze subsidies

Haze is air made unhealthy by smoke and fine pollution from fires. It matters because people breathe this polluted air, and the effects can spread far beyond the burning area. In this case, fires on Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra islands created toxic haze across Southeast Asia.

The pollution was severe, not merely uncomfortable. IQAir ranked Singapore as the world’s most polluted city on Monday, while the fires created unhealthy air across Singapore and Malaysia. The article reports tens of thousands of respiratory illness cases linked to the haze.

The fires became especially intense because this year’s El Niño weather phenomenon was unusually strong. El Niño contributed to drier conditions during Indonesia’s fire season, helping fires spread and continue. The article describes it as potentially one of the strongest El Niño events in four decades of comparable records.

When haze remains unhealthy, people can develop breathing and other health problems. The article links the pollution to tens of thousands of respiratory illness cases, including asthma, bronchitis, and upper respiratory infections. Poor air also affects ordinary routines and public services.

Singapore responded by activating a subsidy scheme for medical treatment linked to the haze. The measure makes care more affordable while air pollution remains unhealthy. It covers several respiratory, eye, and allergy-related conditions and their complications.

The previous major crisis occurred in 2015, when smoke from Indonesian forest fires covered Southeast Asia in toxic haze for weeks. The prolonged pollution increased illnesses and disrupted daily life across the region.

El Niño is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation. Its effects vary by region, but it can make parts of Southeast Asia drier. That matters because Indonesia already faces wildfires during the dry season.