JAKARTA (Reuters): Southeast Asia is once again dealing with the issue of transboundary haze, as Malaysia’s environment minister wrote to the Indonesian government this week, urging a regional response to the toxic smoke affecting his country. This development comes shortly after countries in Southeast Asia pledged to achieve a haze-free region by 2030.
Over the past few weeks, air quality in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia has deteriorated, with indexes consistently showing readings above 150, indicating potential health effects. In some areas of Borneo island, visibility was reduced to less than 10 meters, and schools have been closed in both countries to protect young children from the health impacts. Malaysia has attributed the haze to smoke from forest fires originating in Indonesia. “Slash and burn” land clearing for oil palm, pulp, and paper plantations, which occurs every few years during the dry season, poses a threat to public health, education, and industries like tourism.
Efforts to address the issue
Despite Malaysia’s requests to not normalize the haze, Indonesia has denied any responsibility. The Indonesian environment minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, stated that forest fires had decreased and no haze was detected moving towards neighboring countries. Indonesia has been combating the fires through water bombing using helicopters. In the past, Indonesia has taken legal action against companies suspected of illegal burning, but the problem persists each year with varying severity. In 2015 and 2019, Indonesia experienced catastrophic blazes that burned millions of hectares of land, resulting in record-breaking emissions and toxic smoke engulfing some areas.
The reasons behind recurrent haze
Indonesia allows small-scale local farmers to practice burning on a maximum area of two hectares as per the country’s laws, provided necessary prevention measures are in place. Large-scale plantations are required to comply with sustainable palm oil standards, which prohibit burning. However, small-holder farmers, who heavily rely on cheap land clearance methods, continue to use slash and burn techniques and voluntary compliance to standards. Opaque supply chains, overlapping land claims, and regulatory loopholes contribute to large companies, sometimes owned by firms in Malaysia and Singapore, avoiding responsibility for illegal land clearance.
Regional responses to the issue
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently established a coordinating center for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC). The center aims to assist member countries in preventing, mitigating, and monitoring transboundary haze, aligning with ASEAN’s commitment to achieving a haze-free region by 2030. ASEAN agriculture and forestry ministers have also agreed to take collective action to minimize and ultimately eliminate crop burning.
The impact of climate change
Environmentalists emphasize the need for the Indonesian government to take further action, as climate warming intensifies and increases the frequency of forest and land fires, which, in turn, exacerbate the climate crisis. Indonesia, with the world’s third-largest rainforest area, is currently experiencing heightened dry conditions due to the El Nino weather pattern.
The significance of palm oil
Palm oil, utilized in various products such as cookies, candles, and cooking oil, is experiencing significant global consumption growth. It is the most widely used edible oil worldwide, accounting for 60% of global vegetable oil exports. For Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer globally, the product ranks among the top export earners after coal, generating $39.28 billion in export earnings in 2022 according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Association.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia and Kate Lamb, Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina; Editing by Naveen Thukral and)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
