The Programme on “Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia” or MAHFSA is a five-year joint initiative between ASEAN and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to support efforts to reduce transboundary haze pollution and its impact in Southeast Asia.
Building on the IFAD-Global Environment Facility (GEF) supported ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP 2009-2014), MAHFSA seeks to strengthen existing ASEAN regional coordination mechanisms to facilitate a more harmonised response to tackling the transboundary haze pollution problem and for promoting sustainable forest management and peatland conservation.
MAHFSA is systematising data and information management and operationalising a flexible regional coordination platform for building capacity, harmonising programmes, and projects, coordinating activities of stakeholders engaged in combating haze, and channelling multiple sources of finance to address the haze challenge.
MAHFSA also supports the review of the implementation of the Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards the Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation (Haze-Free Roadmap), as well as develop and operationalise the 10-year investment framework that will enable enhanced and coordinated implementation of haze and peatlands projects/programmes towards the haze-free ASEAN.
The expected outcomes of MAHFSA are:
- Strengthened capacity of ASEAN to use information and results management systems for sustainable land and haze management;
- Improved availability and usage of knowledge products on peatland and haze management; and
- Enhanced ASEAN regional multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms and partnerships related to sustainable land and haze management.
Total budget of MAHFSA is USD 3.5 million for a duration of 60 months (2019-2024), and is implemented collaboratively by the ASEAN Secretariat, Global Environment Centre (GEC), and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
The latest expected activities and output each component of MAHFSA Programme compromise as follows:
| Component | Output | MAHFSA Publications or Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Component 1 Enhancement of data, information and results management systems for sustainable peatland management and haze control Facilitated by GEC | Output 1.1 Capacity building package for data and information collection/sharing and regional results management developed Output 1.2 Capacity building undertaken at country and regional levels for improved data and information gathering and results management | Publications – Capacity Development Needs and Gap Analysis (CDNGA) Main Report Publications – CDNGA Annexes |
| Component 2 Data Information and results analysis for strategic knowledge products development Facilitated by CIFOR | Output 2.1 Collation and development of knowledge products for informing different stakeholder groups | Publications – Knowledge Stocktake Analysis (KSTA) Main Report Publications – KSTA Brochure Publications – Communication Strategy |
| Component 3 Enhancement of regional coordination mechanisms | Output 3.1 Multi-stakeholder platform strengthened and broadened for regional coordination and partnership | Publications – Regional Stakeholder Analysis Peatland and Haze Management in ASEAN Factsheet – ASEAN Investment Framework |
