ASEAN calls for international help in fighting haze

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)