Meeting On Haze In Brunei

SINGAPORE, May 7 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will attend two meetings on transboundary haze in Brunei Darussalam this week. Dr Balakrishnan is scheduled to attend the 13th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (13th MSC Meeting) and the 2nd Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Forum (2nd MSC Forum) from Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, the Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The MSC was mooted by the Sub-Regional Ministerial Meeting on Transboundary Haze Pollution (SRMM) in Pekanbaru on October 2006. Singapore is chairing the MSC from 2010 to 2012. The ministry said Dr Balakrishnan will also meet his counterparts from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to review and enhance measures to monitor, prevent and mitigate land and forest fires in the southern Asean region. The forum was first convened in 2009 as a platform for provincial authorities to share their efforts and challenges in addressing forest and peatland fires, as well as for non-governmental stakeholders to share their experiences in mobilising local communities to help in early warning and fire prevention efforts. The ministry said Dr Balakrishnan would also attend the 6th Annual Exchange of Visits between Brunei's Ministry of Development and Singapore's Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (6th BSAEV). -- BERNAMA