Transboundary haze: indonesia steps up regional coordination through asean mechanisms
JAKARTA: Indonesia continues to coordinate with neighbouring countries and utilise Asean mechanisms to address transboundary haze, while intensifying domestic efforts to control forest and land fires as smoke spreads across parts of Southeast Asia.
JAKARTA — Indonesia is stepping up its regional coordination through Asean mechanisms to tackle transboundary haze, while simultaneously ramping up domestic efforts to control forest and land fires, as smoke continues to spread across parts of Southeast Asia. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vahd Nabyl emphasized the significance of collaboration with neighboring nations and preserving amicable bilateral relations, especially when addressing environmental issues that transcend borders, such as haze.
In a statement on Saturday, Nabyl indicated that Indonesia is heightening its awareness of dry weather patterns associated with current climate conditions.
The haze originating from Indonesian fires has extended to neighboring countries, impacting Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. Malaysia declared a state of emergency in Serian Division, Sarawak, on Friday after the Air Pollutant Index (API) crossed the 500 threshold, with several other regions in the state registering hazardous or very unhealthy air quality.
Nabyl disclosed that Indonesia is leveraging the Asean framework to tackle the haze, utilizing the established Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) mechanisms and conducting regular meetings to deliberate on the matter and coordinate subsequent actions. The Asean Secretariat, serving as the Interim Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), has maintained Alert Level 3 for the region since August 26, mandating Asean member states to submit daily Situation Reports, including haze trajectory maps, for dissemination to national focal points.
Nabyl confirmed that Indonesia has adhered to all daily reporting obligations and mandatory actions under Alert Level 3 in line with Asean's Monitoring, Assessment, and Joint Emergency Response procedures, encompassing proactive data provision on hotspots, environmental conditions, haze movement indications, and forest and land fire control initiatives.
Indonesia is also striving to fully operationalize the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control.
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