Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

ASEAN ministers push for joint haze monitoring system

KUALA LUMPUR — ASEAN environment ministers today (July 17) agreed to recommend the adoption of the Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System as a joint monitoring system for approval by ASEAN leaders at October’s Leaders’ Summit.

KUALA LUMPUR — ASEAN environment ministers today (July 17) agreed to recommend the adoption of the Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System as a joint monitoring system for approval by ASEAN leaders at October’s Leaders’ Summit. However, the digitised land-use maps and concession maps of fire-prone areas that cause transboundary haze are to be shared on a Government-to-Government basis, the environment ministers said in a joint statement issued after today’s meeting in Kuala Lumpur. During a joint press conference, Indonesian Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuya said that "it's a matter of business" why concession maps cannot be published publicly but denied that his government was afraid of legal repercussions from companies. He also added that Indonesia's concession maps of fire prone peat land will be shared on a "case by case" basis. The ministers acknowledged the need for better early warning systems and to be better prepared to anticipate any fires in future, so that immediate mitigation actions could be undertaken even before the fires get out of control. Ministers who are on the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution also affirmed their offer of assistance for emergency response should the situation warrant. Malaysia and Singapore extended offers to renew existing bilateral collaboration projects and extend these activities to other provinces in Indonesia’s Sumatra island. The offers failed to get a firm commitment, with Indonesia saying it is currently identifying the areas of cooperation which will maximise and bring “mutual benefits” for all the parties concerned, according to the statement. Singapore's delegation at the meeting is led by Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. The participating countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Singapore. The meeting had originally been scheduled for next month, but was brought forward after air quality in several countries soared to record hazardous levels last month due to plantation fires in Sumatra. Speaking in Parliament last week, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore will seek four outcomes at the meeting. Besides the maps, Singapore hopes that Indonesia will agree to renew the collaboration that we have successfully had in Jambi and in other provinces, if possible; and that Indonesia commits to ratify the ASEAN Transboundary Haze Pollution Agreement as soon as possible. Singapore will also seek a date for the public launch of the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System platform that will enable the identification of errant companies, he told the House. When asked how he felt the talks went, Dr Balakrishnan said it is "not an acceptable situation", but acknowledged that compromises, including government to government sharing of fire prone land areas "is one step forward".

Related topics

haze

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.