Asean members have agreed to cooperate to tackle the problem of transboundary haze pollution, which is exacerbated by farmers burning large areas of land during the dry season, under a new "Clear Sky" strategy.
The agreement was made at the 18th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Vientiane, Laos, held on Wednesday and Thursday and attended by the group's environment ministers.
Pinsak Surasawadi, chief of the Department of Pollution Control who was also chief of the delegate team, said yesterday that the ministry has put strong efforts into promoting the "Clear Sky" strategy among Asean members by drawing support from the private sector to deal with the problem in a sustainable way.
It will include plans to increase the value of unwanted farming waste to disincentivise open burning, as well as encourage wider adoption of methods compatible with a Bio-Circular Green economy.
Moreover, he said that Thailand and South Korea will work together on better air projects, including improving air quality monitoring and report on and forecast systems, which would be extended to benefit all Asean members.
"Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have agreed with the Clear Sky strategy proposed by Thailand, and all will work together to prevent and reduce haze pollution from outdoor burning in a sustainable way under a co-action plan and knowledge exchange agreement," he said.
He further added that the meeting also adopted the second road map of Asean's 2023-2030 haze-free initiative, a strategic plan for swamp area management and private sector investment.
The meeting also noted the unusual drought pattern brought on by El Nino, as reported by weather experts from Asean.
Next year Thailand will be the host of the Asean environment ministerial meeting.