Introduction
Smoke haze had affected Southeast Asian countries during the dry seasons in 1991, 1994 and 1997. From July to October 1997, ASEAN countries in particular Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, were badly affected by smoke haze caused by land and forest fires. The Philippines and Thailand were affected to a lesser degree. The severity and extent of the smoke haze pollution was unprecedented, affecting millions of people across the region.
2. The economic loss suffered by countries during this environmental disaster was enormous and has yet to be fully determined. Several economic sectors, including air, water and land transport, shipping, construction, tourism, forestry and agriculture, have been severely affected. The haze pollution has also resulted in considerable health impact on the people of the countries affected and the long-term health effects have yet to be determined.
3. ASEAN Environment Ministers had in June 1995 agreed on an ASEAN Co-operation Plan on Transboundary Pollution. The Co-operation Plan contains broad policies and strategies to deal with transboundary pollution. In light of the latest haze experience, the ASEAN Environment Ministers have agreed on this Regional Haze Action Plan, which sets out co- operative measures needed amongst ASEAN member countries to address the problem of smoke haze in the region arising from land and forest fires.
Objectives
4. The primary objectives of this Plan are :
Preventive Measures
5. ASEAN countries recognise the need to strengthen national policies and strategies to prevent and mitigate land and forest fires. While some member countries have already developed their national policies and strategies, others are in the process of advancing them based on their own development needs, priorities and concerns.
6. ASEAN countries will develop National Plans to encapsulate their policies and strategies to prevent and mitigate land and forest fires. The National Plans should contain the following common elements:
7. These National Plans would be completed by March 1998. An ASEAN workshop will be conducted in April 1998 to facilitate cross-comparison of the National Plans and exchange of information, including the exchange of legal experience in managing land and forest fires.
Regional Monitoring Mechanisms
8. The Plan will strengthen the region's early warning and monitoring system to provide an alert of the first outbreak of land and forest fires, an assessment of meteorological conditions, a prediction of the spread of smoke haze, a systematic tracking of the control and spread of fires and haze, and the necessary data to support enforcement action. As part of this effort, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) will be further streamlined and strengthened. ASMC will serve as a regional information centre for compiling, analysing and disseminating information derived from satellite imagery and meteorological data necessary to detect and monitor land and forest fires and the occurrence of smoke haze.
9. ASMC will operationalise, by March 1998, an "intranet" among the relevant ASEAN meteorological service and enviromental agencies to improve communications and enhance the effectiveness of existing early warning and monitoring systems. Information that will be made available on the intranet will include the following:
10. In early 1998, the ASMC will conduct a regional workshop involving meteorological experts from within and outside ASEAN to discuss the climate prediction for the region in 1998/99. In the longer term, ASMC will further enhance the intranet system by including, among others, the following :
Fire Fighting Capability
11. National and regional land and forest fire-fighting capability will be strengthened through the following measures:
12. ADB's assistance will be sought to provide consultancy services in support of the Plan.
13. The Haze Technical Task Force will meet monthly to review the progress of implementation of the Regional Haze Action Plan. The ASEAN Environment Ministers will meet regularly to provide guidance on the implementation of the Plan.