JAKARTA, ASEAN Secretariat, 10 Mar - Members of the ASEAN working groups on subregional firefighting arrangements for Sumatra and Borneo have agreed to intensify early warning efforts and surveillance activities starting in March to September 2002. 

The Singapore-based ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre has reported the gradual warming of the sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean.  This signals the possibility of the onset of a weak to moderate El Niño episode to return later this year bringing in drier weather conditions over the region, especially during the months of June to September. 

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have also agreed to ban open burning in plantation and forest areas, especially timber estate areas during the period of June to September, when increased occurrence of slight to moderate haze is expected.  Enforcement agencies will be on guard to enforce controlled burning for small-scale farmers and local community during this dry period, including regulating the timing for burning.  Guidelines to implement zero burning and controlled burning policies are being drawn up. 

ASEAN will continue to develop fire suppression mobilisation plans in fire-prone areas of the region.  ASEAN will also implement a pilot project in West Kalimantan to develop a model for community-based fire prevention groups.   

On law enforcement, a training programme for prosecutors and investigators of open burning is being organized in Malaysia.  Finally, aimed at creating greater public awareness on the problem of and responses to transboundary haze pollution, ASEAN will be hosting an international conference and exhibition on land and forest fire hazards on 10-12 June 2002 in Kuala Lumpur. 

The above measures are implemented within the long-term and broad framework of the Regional Haze Action Plan, adopted by the ASEAN Environment Ministers in the wake of serious haze episodes between 1997 and 1998, which caused about US$9 billion loss in terms of agricultural production, transportation, tourism, and other economic endeavors. 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.