RI told to curb forest fires

RI told to curb forest fires

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (Reuters): Southeast Asian environment ministers urged Indonesia on Saturday to take steps against forest fires which sparked a regional smog crisis in 1997, with dry weather was expected again next year.

The ministers also said ASEAN was preparing a Transboundary Haze Pollution pact, expected to be finalized within a year, to tackle the smog problem. No details were available.

"Meteorologist in the region have predicted the La Nina wet weather is reaching its tail end and that there is a 30 percent chance of El Nino returning next year," they said in a joint statement.

"The ministers urged Indonesia to take effective enforcement measures to tackle plantation and forest fires in order to prevent a repeat of the 1997 regional haze."