Event poster by Yale-NUS Data Science
The haze really hit home this year, affecting millions of people here in Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. In September, PSI levels reached new highs since 2015, choking lungs and stinging eyes, while more than 1600 hotspots were recorded in parts of Borneo and Sumatra—the result of fast-spreading, man-made forest fires. In Indonesia’s Jambi province, skies flashed a fiendish red, like a dystopian scene from Blade Runner. Meanwhile, governments continue playing the blame game, with little being done to reign in the widespread fires and deforestation.
Given the urgency and intractability of the transboundary haze, students from the Yale-NUS Data Science group have decided to organize their annual flagship Datathon around the issue. At this year’s event, aptly titled ‘Beyond the Haze’, participants will not only get to sharpen their data analysis skills but also gain an appreciation of the political and environmental nuances surrounding the Southeast Asian haze. Using a variety of data sets from palm oil concessions to PSI measurements, participants will get to explore connections and test correlations in the hopes of finding new ways to look at the problem. They will also have the chance to interact with notable mentors and guest speakers.
Combining data science with environmental themes is exactly the kind of work we do and support. Data-Driven Lab is proud to partner Yale-NUS Data Science once again in the upcoming Datathon. We would also like to acknowledge Dr. David Gaveau of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) for his invaluable data and insights. Sign up for the event here.
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