RI to speed up ratification of ASEAN haze accord

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed on Thursday to speed up preparations for the ratification of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accord to tackle the annual choking haze problem.

State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim said the action was necessary since other ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei had expressed their readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in handling the smoke.

"Principally we agreed to ratify the agreement immediately," he told reporters after a hearing with the House Commission VIII on energy, science, technology, and environment affairs.

As part of efforts to combat the haze problem, environment ministers from the 10-member ASEAN agreed in June to increase the capacity of each state to ratify the treaty on "transboundary haze pollution".

The agreement binds members to cooperate in helping Indonesia prevent haze by controlling fires, establishing early warning systems, exchanging information and technology and providing mutual assistance.

The agreement also calls for the establishment of an ASEAN Coordinating Center for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control and a supporting ASEAN fund, details of which have yet to be determined.

The pact can only be enforced 60 days after being ratified by six eligible signatories with no time frame or penalties for the failure to adhere to the terms.

Liana Bratasida, deputy minister of environment for environmental preservation, said Thursday that Indonesia would be ready to ratify the accord by mid-2003 at the latest.

Nabiel said he would ask other ASEAN countries to help Indonesia implement a plan to give local farmers certain lands to be cultivated so that they would not carry out land clearing any longer.

"Malaysia has given us a positive signal that it will help our program to give farmers land and train the farmers because Malaysia had successfully done the program ten years ago," he said.

Liana said the government would also propose Pontianak, West Kalimantan as ASEAN's anti-haze center.

"The center will have a role ranging from researching, monitoring, to preventing the haze from recurring," she said.

According to Lina, Indonesia would designate certain forests to be researched and monitored, and provide land for an anti-haze center, while other countries would earmark funds and other facilities.

"International donors are also expected to assist us, including funds," she said.

Since 1997, Indonesia has suffered choking haze annually due mainly to forest fires triggered by prolonged drought and land clearing.

The smoke has caused serious problems not only at home but also other ASEAN countries. Symptoms include respiratory problems, eye irritation, flight cancellation and other environmental damage.

Financial losses have reportedly reached in the billions of U.S. dollars each year.