Malaysia proposes sustainable fund to tackle transboundary haze

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has proposed Science Diplomacy and a Sustainable Haze Fund to strengthen implementation of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).

Science Diplomacy would allow Asean countries to jointly use scientific data, research and expertise to develop more effective measures to tackle transboundary haze.

The Sustainable Haze Fund would provide continuous funding for monitoring, fire prevention, research and efforts to tackle haze.

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the proposals were put forward at the 27th Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution meeting in Bali, Indonesia, recently.

He said the meeting agreed that the Asean Secretariat should study the feasibility of Science Diplomacy and ways to increase contributions to and use of the Asean Haze Fund under the AATHP.

He said the approach was expected to strengthen regional cooperation and support science- and evidence-based policy and decision-making.

Arthur said a long-term solution required the cooperation and commitment of member states under the AATHP, which was signed 24 years ago.

He said the AATHP was based on Asean cooperation, mutual respect, national sovereignty and consensus-based decision-making, rather than punishment.

He said every member state must carry out its responsibilities, particularly in preventing and controlling fires in its country so they do not affect other member states.

Arthur said Malaysia would present a stronger position on the issue at the Committee Meeting and Conference of the Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Vietnam this November.

He said the annual meeting was attended by environment ministers and senior officials from all Asean member states to discuss the situation and preventive measures.

Meanwhile, Arthur said the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) would be established to help Asean countries manage the impact of peatland and forest fires.

He said all 11 Asean member states had agreed that the bloc should have a regional coordination centre for the issue.

Indonesia, as the host country, is preparing for the operation of the ACC THPC.

This includes preparing the host country agreement, standard operating procedures, rules and procedures, a business plan and work programmes, as well as mechanisms to appoint the executive director and heads of divisions.

Arthur said Indonesia had proposed to lead the initial phase of the ACC THPC to ensure the centre was established smoothly, including by appointing an Indonesian national as its first executive director.

He said the proposal took into account Indonesia's role as host country and its experience in managing haze, forest fires and peatland fires.