ASEAN calls for international help in fighting haze
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called for international support yesterday to help fight haze which has created havoc among some of its members.
ASEAN welcomed any "international cooperation and assistance to strengthen ASEAN's capability to combat transboundary pollution, including haze," its environmental ministers said in a declaration issued at the end of their three-day meeting.
The ministers agreed to foster intra-ASEAN cooperation and to help one another "prevent and control all domestic sources of pollution and activities that could contribute toward transboundary pollution, including haze formation".
Haze from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have clouded many cities and towns in Indonesia and neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Initially, the thick smoke disrupted flight services, but lately it has become a health hazard in some of the affected towns.
President Soeharto apologized to the affected neighbors when he opened the meeting on Tuesday and said Indonesia was doing all it could to contain the disaster.
Attending the meeting were Bruneian Minister of Development Pengiran Indera Wijaya, Indonesian State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Laotian Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Siene Saphangthong, Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Law Hieng Ding, Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Victor O. Ramos, Singaporean Minister of Environment and Health Yeo Cheow Tong, Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment Kasem Snidvong and Vietnamese Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha.
Sarwono said at a media conference that the meeting was distracted by the "unfortunate circumstances" of the forest fires.
He expressed Indonesia's gratitude to Malaysia and Singapore "for bearing with us the great harm caused by the fires".
The ministers in their 12-point declaration called for ASEAN efforts to achieve long-term environmental goals for "ambient" air and river quality by 2010 as declared in their meeting in 1994 in Bandar Sri Begawan.
Each member country should strive to bring the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), which measures air pollution, to below 100. An index of 0 to 50 is considered good and 51 to 100 is modest.
In some towns in Malaysia, the air quality has surpassed a PSI level of 300 over the past three days because of the haze.
In their recommendations, the ministers called for initiatives to identify the sources of pollution, formulation of strategies, and development and implementation of comprehensive programs to control air and water pollution.
They said progress of such initiatives would vary among member countries because of geographical, cultural and climatic differences, and different stages of economic development.
The ministers agreed to adopt three flagship projects -- ASEAN Environment Year 2000, the ASEAN Environment Award and the ASEAN Regional Center for Biodiversity Conservation.
"ASEAN Environment Year 2000 shall carry the theme, 'Our Heritage, Our Future'. The objective of the ASEAN Environment Award is to give recognition to ASEAN environmentalists for outstanding contributions in protecting and bettering the environment," the ministers said in a joint statement.
The declaration also called on developed countries to fulfill their 1992 promise to provide additional resources and transfer of technology and to commit themselves to the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, the ministers held informal discussions on global environmental issues with officials from Australia, including environmental minister Robert Hill, as well as officials from Japan, Canada and the United Nations. (aan)