By Social Activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
KOTA KINABALU: The recurring transboundary haze crisis in Southeast Asia is no longer something ASEAN can afford to treat as a seasonal inconvenience.
It is a serious regional environmental, public health and economic problem, and the time has come for ASEAN to acknowledge that its collective response has not been effective enough.
The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was signed in Kuala Lumpur on 10 June 2002 and entered into force in 2003.
More than two decades later, we are still witnessing the same cycle: fires occur, smoke crosses national borders, air quality deteriorates, schools are affected, people suffer respiratory problems, economic activities are disrupted, and governments then rush to respond.
This is not an acceptable situation after more than 20 years of a regional agreement.
The present situation is most deplorable.
The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre has warned that strengthening El Niño conditions, below-normal rainfall and prevailing winds could increase the risk of hotspots and transboundary haze in the southern ASEAN region. (ASMC)
We cannot simply blame El Niño. El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon.
The real question is why we continue to allow human-caused forest and land fires to become a regional crisis whenever dry conditions occur.
ASEAN must therefore move from reaction to prevention, from cooperation in principle to enforcement in practice, and from annual firefighting to permanent regional preparedness.
I would urge ASEAN and the governments concerned to take several urgent measures.
First, the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution must be strengthened and reviewed.
ASEAN should establish clear, measurable targets for preventing fires, reducing hotspots and eliminating recurring sources of transboundary pollution.
Second, there must be much stronger accountability for those responsible for open burning and illegal land clearing, including companies or individuals whose activities cause fires.
Where fires cross borders and cause damage to neighbouring countries, there must be mechanisms for investigation, evidence-sharing and enforcement.
Third, ASEAN should establish a permanent regional haze response mechanism with real-time satellite monitoring, rapid sharing of hotspot information, joint firefighting capabilities and clearly defined responsibilities when a serious haze episode occurs.
Fourth, ASEAN countries should develop joint prevention and early-warning systems before the dry season begins, rather than waiting until the Air Pollutant Index reaches dangerous levels. The current climate forecasts give us advance warning. We must use that warning to act.
Fifth, there must be greater cooperation on peatland and forest management, particularly in areas repeatedly affected by fires. Prevention must begin on the ground, not only when smoke has already crossed international borders.
Sixth, we need greater transparency. Information on hotspots, fire sources, companies operating in affected areas and enforcement action should be shared openly among ASEAN countries. Regional cooperation cannot work effectively if information is incomplete, delayed or withheld.
Malaysia and other affected countries should also be prepared to raise the issue firmly at the highest ASEAN level.
This is not about blaming one country. It is about protecting the health and well-being of more than 600 million people in Southeast Asia.
We have had more than two decades to learn from the haze problem. We have had agreements, action plans, committees, meetings and declarations. What we now need is results.
If we continue to experience the same haze crisis year after year despite having a regional agreement specifically designed to address it, the public has every right to question whether ASEAN’s mechanisms are working effectively.
I therefore urge ASEAN leaders to convene an urgent high-level review of the transboundary haze agreement and establish a stronger, time-bound and enforceable regional action plan before the situation deteriorates further.
We must stop treating haze as an annual ASEAN ritual.
Haze is not merely a weather problem. It is a governance, environmental, public health and regional responsibility problem.
After more than 20 years, ASEAN must move beyond promises and demonstrate that regional cooperation can actually protect the people of Southeast Asia.
Tacking the serious haze problem among the countries involved is not about interference in the affairs of any country but about ensuring the health and well-being of all.
