In a quest for blue sky and clean air, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) has called on the governments of Asian countries to take a tougher stance on open burning, one of the major causes of air pollution in the region.
By coincidence, the appeal came on Sunday as the Pollution Control Department closed forest areas in the North and haze over Mae Hong Son caused delay of at least one flight from Bangkok. (Details below)
"Governments need to push the right regulations, because in developing countries the private sector in cities continue to push their own agenda through government agencies and sometimes it's not what the city truly needs," Burt Fabian, programme officer of UN Environment, said at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership (Apcap) Joint Forum, held in Bangkok last week.
The forum focused on initiatives listed under the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI).
Apart from discussions on how to promote fuel efficiency and electric cars, the forum also examined the emerging problem of open burning — the practice of clearing farm land for new harvesting.
In 2015, the World Bank estimated the total economic cost of the haze and fires caused by clearing forests for palm oil harvesting accounted for 2% of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP), and more than twice the cost of the 2004 tsunami. Northern parts of Thailand, such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Payao and Lampang, frequently suffer from seasonal air pollution caused by the practice.
Similar problems with air quality have also been reported in India and Nepal.
Harjeet Singh Dhaliwal, director of the Punjab Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute in India, said at the forum that countries must find new solutions that are relatively simple to implement.
"Rice is the main crop for Himalayan countries, and India alone produces 39 million tonnes of rice residue which farmers burn to get rid of. Only 20% is handled in a sustainable way. Such a backward method releases an immense amount of carbon dioxide, sulphur and methane into the atmosphere. We need cost-effective solutions that can be implemented over a short period of time," he said of the open-burning problem that is faced by Himalayan countries.
Andreas Köck, managing director of Scheuch, a company which sells air-pollution prevention technology, said there are solutions to open burning and other air pollution related issues. What has been lacking, explained Mr Koch, is political will.
"It costs between 0.5 and four million euros (19-154 million baht) for pollution-control systems in a variety of industries that cause a lot of emissions through activities such as dry-cleaning, brick disposal, and open burning. But it is hard to enforce their use without drafting strict policies," Mr Köck said.
For Thailand, environmental minister Surasak Kanjanarat has mandated seven measures to reduce open burning and curtail haze. Most are focused on enforcing laws to deter farmers from the custom, rather than on innovations to help them find new ways to deal with clearing waste.
Gen Surasak Karnjanarat, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, says Thailand is fully behind establishment of a 'Green Thailand' by 2036. (File photo)
The non-profit sector in Thailand has introduced technology to address the issue. In 2016, the Rotary Club of Lampang developed a portable biomass shredder with 60 blades. The club donated two of these machines to local farming communities, according to Boonkoom Boonyasopath, an energy engineer and member of the board.
The club is currently in talks with the Lampang administration to produce another 20 biomass shredders for local communities in Lampang and Chiang Mai, Mr Boonkoom told the Bangkok Post.
He said the best way to solve open burning is to offer farmers realistic alternatives. After receiving the free shredders, villagers are taught how to make organic fertiliser from the waste which they can also sell at markets.
At Mae Hong Son on Sunday, forest areas were declared off-limits as part of preventive measures against haze caused by slash-and-burn farming in the northern province.
The temporary closure will continue until Saturday in a bid to reduce the level of harmful airborne particulate matter which experts consider to be a danger to public health.
The move came after the Pollution Control Department on Sunday reported dust particle levels of 136 microgrammes per cubic metre (µcg) in the province, which is above the international safety limit of 50 µcg.
Nevertheless, a source at a local agency voiced opposition to the measure, saying the forest closure was not a solution to the pollution.
Locals, particularly poor highlanders, who rely on income from selling forest products, will struggle to make ends meet during the ban, said the source.
In addition, the source said a large portion of annual state budget was allotted to measures against wildfires but only 10% had been used practically to address the problem.
Poor visibility also caused a delay to Sunday's Nok Air flight DD8214 on the route from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son. Arrival time was pushed back from 9am to 10.30am.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, more than 10 rai of roadside farmland in Khong district was enveloped by thick smog as a result of slash-and-burn in preparation for off-season paddy cultivation.
Haze also resulted in poor visibility for motorists along 500 metres of a highway linking the district to Bua Yai district in the northeastern province.
In Muang district, rice stubble on over 100 rai of farmland was also burnt by local farmers, forcing disaster prevention and mitigation officials into action to help prevent the fire from spreading to nearby residential areas.