WASHINGTON (August 5, 2014)—Singapore’s Parliament passed theTransboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014which allows regulators to prosecute companies and individuals that cause severe air pollution in Singapore by burning forests and peatlands in neighboring countries. The legislation was first proposed after fires in Indonesia spiked in June 2013, engulfing Singapore in haze. As the pattern of fires has continued, demand for action has increased and the issue has become a national priority for Indonesia, Singapore, and the other countries in the region.

WRI providesongoing analysisand data on the fires throughGlobal Forest Watch-Fires, an online platform for monitoring and responding to forest and land fires in Southeast Asia using near real-time information.

Following is a statement from Dr. Nigel Sizer, Global Director, Forests Program, World Resources Institute:

“Singapore’s transboundary haze law marks a new way of doing business for governments and companies seeking to address forest and peat fires. It sends a powerful message that those who burn land and forests illegally will be held accountable. In particular, any companies caught using fire illegally now face the massive reputational risk of being dragged into court in Singapore as soon as their executives step foot on the island. Their customers, bankers and insurers will surely shy away from doing business with them.”

“东南亚的火灾和雾霾的原因是复杂且难以解决的。数十年来，这些大火一直用于清除土地，以将农业扩展到森林和泥炭地，并作为公司与土地社区之间冲突的工具。在过去的两年中，尤其是印度尼西亚Riau省的高浓度大火，在人类健康，环境退化和经济损害方面造成了巨大的损失。”

“Although the new law alone will not address all the deep-rooted causes of the fires, it contributes to a larger positive trend in the way governments and companies are dealing with the fires. The Indonesian government, for example, has made serious investments in their national Karhutla (Land and Forest Fires) Monitoring System. This includes a ‘situation room’ where fires and weather conditions are monitored in real time using tools likeGlobal Forest Watch-Fires. Ultra high-resolution satellites aredocumenting个人火灾并收集可能不当行为的高质量证据。结果，油棕，木材和纸浆公司正在做出重大的无生命和禁止供应承诺。”

“The message is becoming increasingly clear for individuals and companies that burn land illegally—playing with fire has serious consequences.”

Read WRI’s series of analyses on fires in Southeast Asiahere.