Lesson for ASEAN<\/p>\n
Raging forest fires in Indonesia, many set by plantation firms
\nclearing land, have cast a pall of haze over much of peninsular
\nMalaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's environment ministers have long paid lip service to
\nthe notion of regional cooperation. In January, the ministers
\ngathered in Phuket and released a statement which \"expressed
\ntheir appreciation of Indonesia's efforts on the issue of haze
\npollution\".<\/p>\n
The haze has been occurring for years, so why wasn't action
\ntaken earlier? Because even within most ASEAN countries -- much
\nless between them -- polluters are still not held accountable for
\ntheir actions.<\/p>\n
Environmental problems are allowed to fester until a crisis
\noccurs. Only then do leaders muster the courage to bang some
\nheads together and implement stopgap measures.<\/p>\n
These delays make problems even more serious, increasing harm
\nto people and the environment and raising the cost of finding a
\nsolution.<\/p>\n
In this case, the drought brought on by El Nino has stoked the
\nforest fires, making the haze worse than ever. Perhaps this time,
\nASEAN will learn its lesson.<\/p>\n
-- The Nation, Bangkok<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lesson-for-asean-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }