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.