In a haze over forest fires

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