Media Release of the Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (25th MSC)
July 3, 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
The Twenty-fifth Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (25th MSC) was held on 3 July 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Meeting was attended by Ministers, senior officials and/or representatives for land, forest fires and haze, from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat, under the Chairpersonship of H.E. Pol. Gen. Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand. Timor-Leste also attended as Observer. The Twenty-fifth Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Transboundary Haze Pollution (25th TWG) preceded the Meeting.
The Meeting noted the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre’s (ASMC’s) weather and smoke haze review, as well as outlook for the southern ASEAN region. The hotspot counts for the region in 2023 was around three times higher than in 2022 due to the prolonged dry season, contributed by El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). As a result, smoke haze was observed in parts of this region on some days in 2023. ASMC reported that the ENSO status is currently neutral (neither El Niño nor La Niña), and is expected to remain neutral till July 2024, with a potential for La Niña conditions thereafter. Based on latest climate outlooks, ASMC expects above-normal rainfall over most parts of the southern ASEAN region in the coming months. Nonetheless, there continues to be a risk of transboundary haze occurrence as hotspots with smoke plumes/haze can still be expected over fire-prone areas, particularly during periods of drier conditions. The Meeting further noted ASMC’s continuous efforts to improve its products and services which support fires/haze monitoring, assessment and early warning, weather and climate prediction in the ASEAN region, as well as providing regional capability-building programme. ASMC shared upcoming changes to satellite tools for fires and haze detection in the region and presented on the use of the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) for aerosol observations, as well as the development of burnt area products.
The Meeting noted the information presented by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) on the capacity building of the Southeast Asia Fire Danger Rating System (SEA FDRS) among AMS and National Meteorological Services (NMS) that was held on 5 and 6 December 2023 with the objectives (i) sharing the new features of SEA FDRS developed in 2022; (ii) strengthen the technical capacity of AMS to utilize the new SEA FDRS; and (iii) sharing best practices of sustainable peatland monitoring and management with applied FDRS approaches combine with the Internet of Things (IoT). The Meeting noted MET Malaysia continuously improving and strengthening the operationalisation of SEA FDRS by acquiring additional servers for backup and setting up a new automatic weather station in the peatland area in Malaysia by the end of this year. The Meeting supported the initiatives by MET Malaysia and will continue the cooperation and promote the usage of SEA FDRS.
The MSC countries reiterated its pledge to stay vigilant and intensify their fires monitoring and haze preventive efforts to minimise the occurrence of transboundary smoke haze during drier periods. The MSC countries reaffirmed their readiness to provide assistance such as deployment of technical resources for firefighting assistance on emergency response situation, if requested, and to collaborate among MSC countries with enhanced cooperation and coordination to mitigate land and forest fires, when necessary. The Meeting acknowledged that climate change, intensifying heat, and extended drought, are key drivers in the increasing the risk and extent of forest fires and agreed on the importance of taking strong action to improve vigilance, preventive measures, and immediate fire suppression procedures to mitigate land and forest fires and to minimise the occurrence of transboundary haze during periods of drier weather.
The Meeting commended the various initiatives and actions by MSC countries on the implementation of the Strategic Review of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee Programmes and Activities which includes, among others: enhancing haze control management through early warning/monitoring and fire prevention; and building capabilities for fire suppression at the local, national and regional levels. The Meeting welcomed the improved plan for capacity building of ASEAN Member States under the revised Regional Haze Training Network and called for greater coordinated efforts of ASEAN Centres and relevant agencies in providing support to enhance regional, sub-regional, national, and local capacity on fire prevention, preparedness, and mitigation.The Meeting noted the finalisation of the review on the Terms of Reference of the MSC Technical Task Force (MTTF).
The Meeting reaffirmed its commitment at the 18th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COP-18) on 23 August 2023 in Lao PDR and welcomed the adoption of the Second Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation (Haze-Free Roadmap) 2023-2030 and the Second ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) 2023-2030 to further strengthening, intensifying, and comprehensively addressing the root causes of transboundary haze pollution, as well as the endorsed ASEAN Investment Framework for Haze-free Sustainable Land Management to enhance multi-stakeholder partnerships and securing resources at local, national and regional levels to promote sustainable land management and effectively address transboundary haze issues. The Meeting appreciated the ongoing works to kick-off the implementation of the Second ASEAN Haze-Free Roadmap and the Second APMS and the development of their M&E frameworks.
The Meeting commended the successful conclusion of the Establishment Agreement of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC). The Meeting noted Indonesia’s preparation in setting up the ACC THPC offices in Jakarta and Bogor. The Meeting acknowledged, with appreciation, the good progress made on signing the Establishment Agreement and encouraged the remaining ASEAN Member States to expedite the signing to complete the full establishment and operationalisation of the Centre.
The Meeting expressed appreciation to Germany and IFAD for their strong commitment and valuable cooperation on sustainable peatland management and regional multi-stakeholder coordination for sustainable land and haze management through Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN (SUPA) and Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia (MAHFSA), respectively. The Meeting reiterated the importance of continued partnerships and cooperation in support of the ASEAN Investment Framework, and emphasised the need to work together with Dialogue and Development Partners to develop new funding programmes to support ASEAN’s work in sustainable peatland management to prevent fires and haze. The Meeting looked forward to further deepening the cooperation with Partners and any key stakeholders in enhancing transboundary haze pollution cooperation, strengthening local, national and regional cooperation framework for a haze-free ASEAN.
The Meeting looked forward to the convening of the 19th Meeting of the Committee under the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COM-19) and the 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COP-19) in 2024 in Thailand.
The Meeting expressed their appreciation to the Kingdom of Thailand for hosting the 25th MSC Meeting and the excellent arrangements made. The 26th MSC Meeting will be held in Brunei Darussalam in 2025.
