{"id":97367,"date":"2026-11-03T20:50:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T12:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=97367"},"modified":"2026-11-03T20:50:01","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T12:50:01","slug":"too-many-air-quality-indicators-may-complicate-public-messaging-on-haze-grace-fu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=97367","title":{"rendered":"Too many air quality indicators may complicate public messaging on haze: Grace Fu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"text-primary article-summary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/live-singapore-parliament-november-2026?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\"><b>Follow our live coverage here.<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013<!-- --> Having too many air quality indicators may complicate the Government\u2019s messages for the public during haze episodes, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Nov 3.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The use of forecast <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/multimedia\/graphics\/2026\/09\/singapore-haze-2026\/index.html?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) for planning, and hourly PM2.5<\/span><\/a> for taking decisions has worked well, Fu told Parliament.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe don\u2019t think there is a need to include 12-hour, 24-hour or 48-hour PM2.5 forecasts as having too many indicators may complicate our public messages,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">She was responding to a question from WP\u2019s Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who had asked if the National Environment Agency (NEA) under her ministry could  provide PM2.5 forecasts to help Singaporeans plan their daily activities during haze.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cI\u2019m very minded that\u2026 our forecast and advisory are clean, succinct, (allowing) people to (easily) manage activities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fu was among<!-- --> <!-- -->five political office holders<!-- --> <!-- -->who fielded questions on the Government\u2019s response to the haze situation \u2013 the worst experienced in Singapore in over a decade since the 2015 crisis \u2013 over an hour-long debate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fu <!-- -->had <!-- -->also highlighted how Singapore will, during its ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, work with member states<a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/politics\/spore-will-work-with-asean-members-to-establish-haze-centre-tackle-root-causes-of-haze-grace-fu?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\"> to establish a haze centre<\/span><\/a> and tackle the root causes of the pollution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming responded to questions on haze safeguards at pre-schools, especially facilities without air-conditioning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/politics\/employers-should-bear-cost-of-haze-related-work-suspensions-not-employees-dinesh-vasu-dash?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\"> impact of the haze on vulnerable workers<\/span><\/a> \u2013 including those who work outdoors \u2013 and the protections available to them were also addressed by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Overall, Singapore experienced more than seven weeks of haze in 2026. Air quality first entered the unhealthy range on Sept 4, and the Republic was hit with bouts of haze until air quality<a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/haze-in-singapore-air-quality-improves-as-pm2-5-readings-in-3-regions-return-to-normal?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\"> improved from around Oct 26<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The situation also raised questions about the air quality indicators in Singapore and if they were sufficient in helping people plan their activities.<\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"responsive-iframe-base st_visuals st_visuals-embed\" title=\"st_visuals embed\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/multimedia\/graphics\/2026\/08\/singapore-haze-widget\/index.html\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer;falseclipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;\" loading=\"eager\" data-testid=\"responsiveIframe\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The NEA provides two indicators of air quality to help people plan their activities: a PSI forecast for the next 24 hours, and an hourly PM2.5 reading.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">PM2.5 are small particles that are the dominant pollutant during transboundary haze episodes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The 24-hour PSI forecast indicates what the air quality is expected to be in the next 24 hours and can be used to plan activities ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The forecast takes into account the prevailing air quality, local and regional weather conditions, and the regional hotspot and haze situation assessed through satellite imagery, said Fu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Meanwhile, PM2.5 readings refer to concentrations of the dominant pollutant particle during haze episodes. It provides a more reflective indicator of current air quality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It is based on the readings from  23 air quality monitoring stations installed across the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">People should refer to the PM2.5 values for planning their immediate activities, and to the PSI forecast if they are planning an outdoor activity the next day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The NEA will continue to review how its forecasting and public information services can be enhanced to provide more useful guidance, said Fu, adding that providing timely and reliable information is an important part of her  ministry\u2019s public health response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fu also said that NEA releases fortnightly forecasts but noted that the forecasts are  less accurate as the horizon of the forecasts increases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The one-hour PM2.5 readings provide the shortest possible forecast and is the \u201cmost accurate\u201d in giving the public a sense of the air quality before conducting an activity, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On masks, Fu said the priority of the two distribution exercises had been Singaporeans who are more vulnerable to the health effects of haze, or who may have limited means in collecting free haze masks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">These include seniors, pregnant women, children, individuals with specified medical conditions, holders of Community Health Assist Scheme Orange and Blue card, those with Medical Fee Exemption Card, and those who are on ComCare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cThis ensures that assistance reaches those who need more support,\u201d she said in response to several MPs who had asked about the considerations involved in determining mask eligibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">N95 or equivalent masks are generally not required when a person is indoors, or outdoors for short periods, such as when commuting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In the case of haze, there is no risk of people-to-people transmission which would have required all Singaporeans to be masked up as soon as possible, said Fu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The criterion  for eligibility  to collect the masks was expanded in the second round that started on Oct 23, with all Singaporeans aged 60 and above allowed to pick up the face coverings. In the first round, only seniors aged 67 and above were <!-- -->eligible<!-- -->.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Close to one-third of Singaporeans are eligible under the expanded criteria, she said, adding that close to 30% of them had collected their masks as at Oct 29.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe will continue to review the scale and eligibility of distribution as conditions evolve, and are prepared to expand support if necessary,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) also raised questions on whether the ministry has assessed the impact of prolonged haze on agricultural productivity locally and in Singapore\u2019s food import sources, and if there are risks to  food supply resilience and affordability here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fu said that the recent haze has not affected Singapore\u2019s food supply.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cSingapore imports food from more than 180 countries and regions. Sourcing broadly helps to reduce concentration risks and enables industry to switch to alternative sources when needed,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">While wholesalers have given feedback that prolonged haze may impact vegetable growth, Fu said that for local farms, the overall impact has generally been \u201cminimal\u201d, with operations returning to normal following the recent improvement in air quality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Singapore Food Agency will continue to monitor the impact on food supply and implement measures to address concerns as necessary, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Fu also noted that while the haze has affected footfall at hawker centres and markets, this is  compensated by increase in takeaway orders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">She added that NEA will continue to monitor the impact on hawkers, although there is currently no plan to introduce additional haze-specific financial assistance.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Transboundary Haze Pollution Act: Can it stop the haze?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w0jVUCCuvpo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/politics\/too-many-air-quality-indicators-may-complicate-public-messaging-for-haze-grace-fu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE \u2013 Having too many air quality indicators may complicate the Government\u2019s messages for the public during haze episodes, said&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}