Why Singapore can’t afford a hazy October each year
The Republic’s selling point is reliability. The cost can be enormous if every dry season carries the risk of bad air.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Singapore measures its air every hour, and it should also measure the bill, says the writer.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Xinming Du
The haze returned in force in October and many parts of Singapore recorded unhealthy or worse 24-hour PSI readings for weeks at a stretch, with the west, central and east at times in the very unhealthy range. The Formula 1 race and a run of major conferences went ahead under unhealthy air, while low visibility forced flight diversions at Seletar Airport.
These disruptions matter because Singapore does not compete on cheap land or cheap labour. Its comparative advantage lies in reliability and connectivity, from a port and an airport that keep to schedule to a base for regional headquarters, a financial centre, a calendar of international events, and a workforce drawn from around the world. Most of these depend on people who choose to come here, and air quality impacts those choices.