ASEAN plans on pollution control

ASEAN plans on pollution control

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened talks here yesterday on cross-border pollution controls after being plagued in recent years by hazy skies and polluted seas.

"ASEAN member countries are fully aware that a unified, concerted and coordinated action is very much needed to enhance the effectiveness of each member country's capability to combat such pollution," said Law Hieng Ding, Malaysia's minister of science, technology and environment.

ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Brunei. Their environmental experts will meet for four days with counterparts from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand and the United States to develop a regional pollution plan, officials said.

Law said the developed countries would provide technical expertise and financial aid to deal with environmental disasters. Last year, thick smoke and haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia blanketed Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand, causing a marked increase in respiratory problems.