Ministers to talk about smog problem

Ministers to talk about smog problem

SINGAPORE (Reuters): ASEAN environment ministers will meet in
Singapore this week to discuss the smog that covered much of
Southeast Asia from August through October, Singapore said
yesterday.

Singapore's Ministry of the Environment said ASEAN ministers
would "discuss the smoke haze problem that has affected much of
the Southeast Asian region this year" when they met today and
tomorrow.

Brush and forest fires in Indonesia caused the smoke, which
damaged the health of thousands, sent some residents fleeing to
unpolluted points abroad, and kept tourists away in droves.

Hotel and resort operators in the region say that while
monsoon rains cleared the smog away in November, tourists have
yet to get the message. Environmentalists fear that without
strong action, the problem will return with next year's dry
season.