In a haze over forest fires

Once again, a pall of haze is hanging over much of Malaysia and drifting across Southeast Asia, caused by forest fires in Indonesia.

It is small comfort that the latest satellite shots show a reduction in the number of hot spots in Sumatra, especially when the weather is expected to remain dry for the next few days. It is also small comfort that this is not as serious as in 1997- 1998. The haze has become an unwelcome annual event which should not be happening at all, considering the time, effort and resources put in by the affected countries over the past seven years to prevent its recurrence.

Since a Regional Haze Action Plan was drawn up in 1997, ASEAN ministers and officials have met frequently to devise measures and establish mechanisms to deal with the problem at ministerial meetings, technical task forces, working groups on sub-regional fire-fighting arrangements, legal groups on law and enforcement, and regional climate reviews. Moreover, with the coming into force on Nov. 25 last year of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, there is now a comprehensive blueprint for tackling the hazard.

Needless to say, these have obviously been ineffective. Although the problem transcends national frontiers, local rather than regional solutions hold the key to eradicating the root causes of forest fires. As Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pointed out at the World Conference on Land and Haze Forest Fire Hazard in 2002: "From past experience, if early action can be taken at the national level in respect of surveillance, monitoring, enforcement, preventive and mitigating measures, the impact of transboundary haze pollution can be much reduced or even avoided".

As the major source of forest fires, it is clear that Indonesia should play a leading role in implementing the ASEAN agreement. To demonstrate its goodwill and commitment to work with its neighbors in combating haze, Indonesia should ratify the accord. More crucially, it should follow up with effective action against the plantation owners, timber companies and agriculturalists who burn trees to clear the land.

-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur