High risk of severe haze for rest of 2026 amid El Nino, biofuel demand and Indonesia budget cuts: Report

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This audio is generated by an AI tool. Koh Wan Ting Koh Wan Ting 24 Jun 2026 12:00PM (Updated: 24 Jun 2026 12:06PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST.

Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST SINGAPORE: Southeast Asia faces a high risk of severe transboundary haze for the rest of 2026, with conditions expected to peak between August and September due to a strong El Nino bringing about hotter and drier conditions, a Singapore think-tank warned on Wednesday (Jun 24).

The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) said it has issued a rare "red" warning in its 17-page Haze Outlook 2026 report, which signals a high risk of severe transboundary haze affecting Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the remaining months of this year.This is only the second time SIIA has issued its highest-risk rating since it launched the annual outlook in 2019, following a similar assessment in 2023.Haze returned to Singapore that year as hotspots surged in parts of Sumatra amid El Nino-driven dry conditions.

Transboundary haze largely arises from forest and peat fires in the region. CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less For 2026, SIIA said the heightened risk this year comes as shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz have increased cost pressures on the agricultural sector, in part due to fuel shortages and the spike in fertiliser prices.At the same time, the growing demand for biofuels has raised concerns that some producers may expand their plantations by turning to cheaper but unsustainable land-clearing methods, such as the use of fire.

The high-risk season also coincides with tightening budgets amid global economic uncertainty. In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto will be facing his first high-risk dry season, the report noted.Budget challenges in Indonesia were also flagged in the report, which stated that the country's Ministry of Forestry and provincial governments had warned that budgets for fire management are "under pressure" amid cuts to public spending.

The potentially severe dry season this year will serve as a "stress test" for fire prevention an