Haze Remains Problem For Asean Leaders To Solve

News Focus - HAZE REMAINS PROBLEM FOR ASEAN LEADERS TO SOLVE By Andi Abdussalam Jakarta, Oct 10 (Antara) - While some parts of Kalimantan were shrouded by haze as a result of forest fires, leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei Darussalam on Wednesday agreed on a haze monitoring system. Haze has posed a headache to the members of the regional association due to the annual transboundary smog problems over the last 10 years. As an ASEAN member, which has vast forest areas, Indonesia has been blamed for exporting smoke to its neighbours as a result of forest fires, both due to natural causes and by slash-and-burn practices by nomadic farmers or by large companies opening oil palm plantations. According to the Ministry of Forestry, about 90 percent of the forest fires are caused by humans or negligence, while the remaining 10 percent occur due to natural causes such as strikes by lightning. In the last ten years, Indonesia has about 144 million hectares of forest cover but it has declined significantly today. About 77.8 million hectares are designed as production forests, yet some 48 million hectares of the production forests are being neglected. According to shnews.co online media, Kalimantan, home to one of the country`s largest areas of forests, had 300,525 square kilometres (sq km) of forests in 2000; now it has lost some 14,212 sq km. Now, when the ASEAN leaders are discussing the haze problem in the region, the people in Kalimantan are being disturbed by smog. In Central Kalimantan, particularly in Sampit, Kotawaringing District, the haze has reached an alarming level, forcing residents to use face masks. "The haze condition this morning was bad; my children and I had to put on face masks because the haze impeded our breathing," Rosita said on Monday. Vehicles have to turn on their headlights to avoid collisions, particularly in the mornings. But visibility at the Mentaya River remains low during the daytime. "I am afraid the smoke will become thicker in the next few days and it may affect the daily activities of locals," said Hardi, another resident of Kota Waringin. Kota Waringin District Head H Supian Hadi urged the people to help prevent land fires. "If you want to burn your land, you will have to report it to the neighbourhood chief so that it could be controlled, without spreading to other areas. I am convinced that farmers know the importance of heath," the district head said. Haze problem also takes place in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. Forest fires sent smokes to blanket the West Kalimantan provincial capital. "Smog here seriously affected residents` activities because it happened not only in the morning but also in the afternoon," Supriadi, a Pontianak resident said. The same concern was also raised by another resident Masdar. "If it is not so important, I will just stay at home. I am reluctant to carry out activities outside the home due to the thick smog present in the last two days," Masdar noted. He said that the presence of the haze was ironical as rains had fallen in the previous week. "Now, it is the rainy season, isn�t it? But the weather is still hot and the air is foggy, with dust particles reducing the freshness of the air," he added. Last week, South Kalimantan was also shrouded by haze that affected the daily activities of the local people. Based on Antara`s observation, the visibility in the area was low. Thick smog blanketed almost every part of the city. In the resettlement areas in the city, visibility was about 100-300 metres, lower than the normal 500 metres. In the suburbs, there are still many open spaces where visibility is even shorter � around 50-100 metres. "When I woke up this morning, I found myself having breathing difficulties. After I opened the door of my room, I found that the house was full of haze and bad odour," Mrs Wita said. Apart from Kalimantan, haze also hit Riau province in Sumatra. Even in June this year, Riau exported its haze to Singapore and Malaysia. Haze returned again to Riau last week. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite detected eight hotspots in the province. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) also confirmed that the eight hotspots were detected in five districts in Riau, namely the districts of Pelalawan, Kuantan Singingi, Indragiri Hulu, Rokan Hulu, and Kampar. The haze polluted the air in Pekanbaru city. "It smells bad. This means that the air is polluted," Hendra, a city resident, said. According to the data published by Riau province`s Health Department, about 10,382 citizens in Riau Province suffer from acute respiratory infections (ISPA) due to haze from the forest fires that had hit the area last June to August. Around five thousand hectares of land were also burnt during this period. The Riau haze did not only affect Pekanbaru city but also blanketed Kualanamu Airport in North Sumatra Province, disrupting several flight schedules because of the low visibility in the area. "The fog has led to low visibility, with a range of 300 meters, around the airport. Trees in the area have increased the density of the fog," said General Manager of Airnav at Kualanamu Airport Susanto. However, Susanto noted that the fog had become thinner at 8:30 a.m., and several flights could land properly. Last month, eight citizens of Pekanbaru city, along with representatives of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), filed a class action against the government following the forest fires and haze in the area two months earlier. The haze was also affecting people in neighbouring countries, namely Malaysia and Singapore. Therefore, the ASEAN leaders discussed the haze problem again in their two-day meeting in Brunei Darussalam since Wednesday. According to Reuters, Southeast Asian nations agreed on Wednesday to adopt a new system to improve the monitoring of smog caused by fires, an attempt to make plantation companies more accountable, following the region`s worst air pollution crisis in 16 years. Thick haze, mostly from land-clearing fires in Indonesia, blanketed Singapore and Malaysia earlier this year, stoking diplomatic tensions as air pollution climbed to the most hazardous levels since a similar crisis in 1997. The 10-member ASEAN has been criticised in the past for not taking stronger actions to prevent the chronic pollution problem. Even with improved monitoring, critics say the region lacks the legal mechanisms or strong institutions to enforce compliance. "ASEAN leaders have approved the Haze Monitoring System. We hope the respective ministries will upload the digitized concession maps as soon as possible," Singapore`s Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan was quoted by Reuters as writing on his official Facebook page.