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In recent years, the severe haze from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia has adversely affected Singapore, typically peaking between July to October. The fires are caused by the burning of peatlands, a cheap but illegal land-clearing method for an expanding palm oil trade. The haze it produces usually spreads to surrounding Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and …
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: The Economic Impact of Haze Read More »
Singapore’s first Climate Rally was held on 21st September 2019 at Hong Lim Park. The event attracted more than 1,700 participants who called for the Singapore government to take action to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change. Participants called for the government to signal a credible commitment towards tackling climate change through higher carbon …
The haze is a well-known environmental problem that has become a regular occurrence in Singapore and the surrounding region. Transboundary haze in Southeast Asia is most often caused by forest fires in Indonesia and often poses significant disruptions to people’s daily lives. These fires are largely the result of industrial slash-and-burn practices by multinational corporations. …
Hybrid Governance of Transboundary Commons: Insights from Southeast Asia Read More »
Assistant Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia (NUS History) was recently awarded the EuroSEAS Humanities Book Prize 2021 for his first book, Monks in Motion: Buddhism and Modernity across the South China Sea (Oxford University Press, 2020). The EuroSEAS Humanities book prize is awarded to the best book on Southeast Asia published in the humanities. …
Yen Pei: Humanistic Buddhism in the Chinese Diaspora Read More »
Istana Kampong Glam is recognized as the historic seat of Malay royalty in Singapore. In his 1822 town plan, Sir Stamford Raffles designated Kampong Glam to the Malays, Bugis, and Arabs. Sultan Hussein Shah, who was officially recognized by the British as the Sultan of Johore, relocated his whole family and hundreds of his …
Locating “Malay Places” and Ethnic Identity Making in Singapore Read More »
In land-scarce Singapore, the clean air we enjoy is mostly contributed by forests in neighbouring countries. We rarely think of clean, smoke-free air as something that has a price tag fixed on it. Yet in reality, other than the price we pay for masks, air purifiers, air conditioners and other tangible costs, we also experience …
Are we willing to pay for ecosystem services provided by others? Read More »
Dementia refers to a decline in general mental ability to the extent that it impairs daily life. While commonly used interchangeably, Alzheimer’s is actually a specific disease that causes dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day is commemorated on the 21st of September every year. The event brings people together from all over the world to raise awareness …
Singapore has historically been home to high levels of immigration and cross-cultural marriage and partnering, with more than 20% of marriages in Singapore now classified as inter-ethnic. The term Eurasian in the Singaporean context is used to refer to those of mixed European and Asian origin. On 21st September 2019, the Eurasian Heritage Gallery (EHG) …
The vast majority of families in Singapore possess a multitude of digital devices for their young children to use. The usefulness of these devices has proved to be prominent, especially in the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, there exists a constant struggle in managing young children’s use of these devices so that they …
Mind the gap – income divide in children’s use of digital devices Read More »
On 10 September 2019, Prudential Singapore organized the ‘Healthy for 100’ roundtable discussion (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/turning-silver-into-gold-as-singaporeans-live-longer). The session was moderated by Ms Salma Khalik, (Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times). At the dialogue, the team of panellists comprising Dr Amy Khor (Senior Minister of State for Health), Mr Wilf Blackburn (Chief Executive of Prudential Singapore), Associate …
Lifelong Education for Aging Productively (LEAP) in Singapore Read More »