Overview
During the1980s and 1990s, ASEAN experienced major episodes of fire and transboundary haze pollution. One of the most damaging haze pollutions in recorded history happened between 1997-1998. It affected Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and is estimated to cost the region more than USD 9 billion in economic, social and environmental losses. Environmentally, it released an estimated 1-2 billion tonnes of carbon[1].
One of the major contributors to the transboundary haze pollution in ASEAN region is peatland fire. ASEAN is home to 56% of global tropical peatlands but more than 3 million hectares of peatlands area in Southeast Asia have been destroyed by the fire. Over 70% of total peatland areas in Southeast Asia are in Indonesia, while the remaining are found in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam[2].
Peatland fires has negatively impacted human health, food production and biodiversity as well as contributed to global climate change. Peatlands of the region are thought to store up to 5% of all carbon stored on the world’s land surface[3]. The practice of draining and land clearing have caused the fragile ecosystems of the region’s peatlands to turn from carbon storage to carbon emitter.
Priority Areas of Cooperation
ASEAN Member States (AMS) signed the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) on 10 June 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to prevent and monitor transboundary haze pollution as a result of land and/or forest fires, through concerted national efforts and intensified regional and international cooperation. To further operationalise the implementation of the AATHP, in 2016 AMS developed the Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation, which sets out eight (8) key strategic components that translate the principles of the AATHP into concrete and collective actions. ASEAN is actively collaborating both regionally and internationally to improve technical, legal and institutional capacities of member countries to prevent and handle transboundary haze pollution.
AATHP mandates the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) to facilitate co-operation and co-ordination among the Parties in managing the impact of land and/or forest fires and its associated transboundary haze pollution. The 1st Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to AATHP (COP-1) was held on 11 November 2004 and it welcomed Indonesia’s offer to host the Centre. COP-11 held on 29 October 2015 further endorsed Indonesia’s intention to host the ACC THPC. The discussion among the Parties is currently ongoing to finalise the necessary legal documents for its establishment.
To prevent peatland fires and shift the unsustainable management of peatland, the ASEAN Environment Ministers developed the ASEAN Peatland Management Initiative (APMI) in cooperation with various partners in 2003 under the ambit of the Agreement. Subsequently, the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) covering the period 2006-2020 was developed and endorsed by AMS in 2006 and updated in 2013 to guide actions to sustainably manage peatlands and reduce fires and its associated haze in the region.
Peatland management, land and/or forest fires as well as transboundary haze pollution are cross-sectoral issues that need to be addressed collaboratively. Hence, there is an urgent need to strengthen the cross-sectoral and cross-pillar coordination within ASEAN Member States, local communities, non-governmental organisations, farmers, private companies, as well as research institutions.
ASEAN in collaboration with various partners and stakeholders are implementing several ASEAN Haze and Peatlands Programmes, namely, the ASEAN-EU Sustainable Use of Peatlands and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN (SUPA); ASEAN-IFAD Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia (MAHFSA); and the GEF-6 Project on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Mekong Countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar) (the Mekong Peatlands Project).
Through initiatives and actions, the region envisions a haze-free ASEAN benefiting from good air quality as well reduced number of hotspots. Moreover, the sustainable management of peatlands will contribute to achieving a clean and green ASEAN, with sustainable use of natural resources, and improved livelihood of its community.
[1] Qadri, S. T. (2001). Fire, smoke, and haze: The ASEAN response strategy. Asian Development Bank.
[2] http://haze.asean.org/about-us/information-on-fire-and-haze/
[3] Koh, K. L. (2009). ASEAN Environmental Law, Policy and Governance: Selected Documents. Volume 1. World Scientific.
Major Sectoral Bodies/Committees
Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC); develop, implement and monitor operational work programme to support the implementation of the Agreement; and provide advice to COP on management of the ASEAN Haze Fund. The COM meets back-to-back prior to the COP meeting. COP and COM meet at least once a year. The 1st Meeting of COP (COP-1) was held on 11 November 2004 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam adopted the Rules of Procedure for the COP Meeting and prepared the financial rules for the ASEAN Transboundary Haze Pollution Control Fund.
Considering the different circumstances and weather patterns in the southern ASEAN and Mekong regions, sub-regional institutional frameworks have been established to address the fire and haze situations in the respective regions, namely the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (MSC), comprising Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand; and the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-region (MSC Mekong), comprising Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Both Ministerial Steering Committees are supported by a technical working group (TWG and TWG Mekong). Regular media release from these meetings serves to communicate the ASEAN collective response and mutual support in the prevention and mitigation of land and/or forest fires and haze to the people of ASEAN and the broader global community.
The ASEAN Task Force on Peatlands (ATFP) was established in September 2013 to assist the Committee under the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COM) in monitoring and supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS 2006-2020). The main role of the ATFP is to realise the objectives of the APMS through oversight of the design and implementation as well as monitoring of the ASEAN Programme on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems (APSMPE 2014-2020) and other relevant programs/projects and facilitate cooperation with relevant partners, and to report the progress of the implementation of the APMS to COM. ASEAN in collaboration with various partners and stakeholders are implementing several ASEAN Haze and Peatlands Programmes, namely, the ASEAN-EU Sustainable Use of Peatlands and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN; ASEAN-IFAD Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia; and the GEF-6 Project on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Mekong Countries.
Figure 1. Institutional Framework of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
Under the Agreement, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) was established to facilitate cooperation and coordination among the Parties in managing the impact of land and/or forest fires in particular haze pollution arising from such fires.
A Standard Operating Procedure for Monitoring, Assessment and Joint Emergency Response was developed to outline the procedure for regular communication of data between the ACC THPC and National Monitoring Centres (NMCs) / National Focal Points (NFPs), and to coordinate requests and offers of assistance as well as to handle the reporting of joint mobilization of resources. Guided by the SOP, currently the Interim ACC THPC is performed by the ASEAN Secretariat for coordination of joint emergency response, donor funding and assistance, development of the SOP, and development and maintenance of database; and ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) for monitoring and assessment of land and forest fires and the resulting smoke haze.
The ASEAN Transboundary Haze Pollution Control Fund (Haze Fund) was established in 2007 to implement the AATHP. The ASEAN Member States have agreed that each country as Party to the AATHP will contribute to the Fund to achieve an initial seed fund to support relevant activities to implement the AATHP and for emergency uses.
Key Documents
- ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP)
- Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation
- the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS)
- ASEAN Haze and Peatlands Programmes,
- ASEAN-EU Sustainable Use of Peatlands and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN (SUPA);
- ASEAN-IFAD Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia (MAHFSA)
- ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS 2006-2020)
- ASEAN Programme on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems (APSMPE 2014-2020)
- Standard Operating Procedure for Monitoring, Assessment and Joint Emergency Response
- ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC)
Further information on the haze and peatlands, including publications, strategies, guidelines, and media releases, is available at https://haze.asean.org
