Teamwork vital to prevent fires

Teamwork vital to prevent fires

SINGAPORE (DPA): Southeast Asian non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) are set to gather in Singapore next month to
discuss battling the region's forest fires and the resulting haze
that periodically blankets the region, a news report said
yesterday.

The Singapore Environment Council is hosting the closed-door
conference in a bid to unite industry groups and NGOs, and
stimulate them to take coordinated action to prevent the fires.

The fires, which are raging out of control in parts of
Indonesia and Malaysia, have covered large areas in Southeast
Asia with thick, foul-smelling smoke haze.

Delegates from NGOs, international aid agencies and think
tanks are scheduled to attend the Singapore meeting.

"There are a lot of individual efforts now. We are looking at
how we can work with them," the Straits Times newspaper quoted
the Singapore Environment Council's executive director, Penelope
Phoon, as saying.