Too many air quality indicators may complicate public messaging for haze: Grace Fu

Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, warned on Nov 3 that too many air quality indicators could make public messaging during haze episodes confusing for the public. Fu explained that the government's use of a 24-hour forecast PSI and hourly PM2.5 readings has been effective. She stated that including additional 12-hour, 24-hour or 48-hour PM2.5 forecasts would only complicate messages.

Fu responded to questions from WP’s Fadli Fawzi about providing PM2.5 forecasts for planning daily activities. Fu stressed that the NEA's forecast and advisory messages should remain clear and easily understandable for people to manage their activities. The NEA currently provides two indicators: a 24-hour PSI forecast and hourly PM2.5 readings.

The PSI forecast predicts expected air quality over the next 24 hours and aids in planning, while PM2.5 readings reflect current air quality based on 23 monitoring stations nationwide. Fu emphasized that people should use PM2.5 values for immediate activity planning and PSI forecasts for next-day planning. Fu noted that NEA will review its forecasting and public information services to enhance guidance.

She also addressed questions from Nadia Ahmad Samdin on the impact of prolonged haze on agriculture and food imports. Fu assured that Singapore's food supply has not been adversely affected and that wholesalers have not identified significant risks. Local farms reported minimal impact, with operations returning to normal after air quality improved.

Fu noted that while hawker centres and markets experienced reduced footfall due to haze, this was offset by increased take-away orders. The NEA will continue monitoring the impact on hawkers and does not plan to provide financial assistance specific to haze-related issues.