KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Asean leaders have been urged to conduct an urgent high-level review of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and adopt a stronger, time-bound and enforceable regional action plan to prevent the haze situation from worsening.
Social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the recurring transboundary haze crisis could no longer be treated as a seasonal inconvenience, saying that Asean must move from reaction to prevention and strengthen regional preparedness.
He said the agreement, signed in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2002 and came into force in 2003, had been in place for more than two decades, yet the region continued to grapple with recurring fires, cross-border smoke and deteriorating air quality.
“We must stop treating haze as an annual Asean ritual. Haze is not merely a weather problem. It is a governance, environmental, public health and regional responsibility problem.
“After more than 20 years, Asean must move beyond promises and demonstrate that regional cooperation can actually protect the people of Southeast Asia,” he said in a statement today.
Lee said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre had warned that strengthening El Niño conditions, below-normal rainfall and prevailing winds could increase the risk of hotspots and transboundary haze in the southern Asean region.
However, he said El Niño should not be used as the sole explanation for the problem, as it is a natural climate phenomenon, while human-caused forest and land fires continue to turn dry conditions into a regional crisis.
Among the urgent measures he proposed were strengthening and reviewing the implementation of the regional haze agreement, including setting clear, measurable targets to prevent fires, reduce hotspots, and eliminate recurring sources of transboundary pollution.
He also called for stronger accountability for companies or individuals responsible for open burning and illegal land clearing, as well as mechanisms for investigation, evidence-sharing and enforcement when fires cause cross-border damage.
At the same time, Lee proposed a permanent regional haze response mechanism involving real-time satellite monitoring, rapid sharing of hotspot information, joint firefighting capabilities and clearly defined responsibilities during serious haze episodes.
He said Asean countries should also establish joint prevention and early-warning systems ahead of the dry season, strengthen cooperation on peatland and forest management, and improve transparency in sharing information on hotspots, fire sources and enforcement action.
Malaysia and other affected countries, he said, should be prepared to raise the issue firmly at the highest level of Asean, stressing that tackling the problem was not about blaming or interfering in the affairs of any country but about ensuring the health and well-being of all. — Bernama
