Lee Lam Thye urges Asean to strengthen regional haze response
KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said Asean must stop treating recurring transboundary haze as a seasonal inconvenience and adopt a permanent regional mechanism to tackle the environmental, public health and economic threat.
Veteran social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye has urged Asean to strengthen its response to regional haze, warning that the recurring transboundary haze issue cannot be treated as a seasonal inconvenience. Despite more than 20 years of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, the region continues to experience cycles of fires, deteriorating air quality, health problems, and economic disruptions.
Lee, chairman of the Alliance for a Safe Community, emphasized that the situation is particularly concerning due to warnings from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre about the potential increase in hotspot risks and transboundary haze in southern Asean due to strengthening El Nino conditions, below-normal rainfall, and prevailing winds.
He argued that Asean must shift from a reaction-based approach to prevention, cooperation, and permanent preparedness, and urged the strengthening and review of the agreement's implementation, including setting clear targets to prevent fires and reduce hotspots. Lee also called for stronger accountability mechanisms against those responsible for open burning and illegal land clearing, as well as the establishment of a permanent regional haze response mechanism involving satellite monitoring, joint firefighting capabilities, and clearly defined responsibilities.
He stressed the need for greater cooperation on peatland and forest management, transparency in information sharing, and the convening of an urgent high-level review of the transboundary haze agreement by Asean leaders.
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