ASEAN nations urged to strengthen response to transboundary haze crisis

Stakeholders across Southeast Asia are calling on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to escalate coordinated efforts against regional haze pollution, warning that existing frameworks have proven insufficient to protect public health in the face of recurring air quality crises.

The push for stronger action comes as transboundary haze—predominantly caused by agricultural burning and industrial emissions—continues to affect air quality across multiple ASEAN member states. Health professionals report rising incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases correlated with periods of severe air pollution, raising alarm bells among medical communities and environmental agencies throughout the region.

Current ASEAN mechanisms, including the Regional Haze Action Plan, have faced criticism for lacking enforcement mechanisms and relying heavily on voluntary compliance. Advocates argue that more stringent emissions standards, real-time monitoring systems, and coordinated regional response protocols are essential to addressing what has become a chronic transboundary environmental challenge affecting millions of residents.

Experts emphasize that effective solutions require strengthened regional cooperation, including enhanced information sharing between member states, joint enforcement operations targeting pollution sources, and increased investment in alternative agricultural practices to reduce burning incidents during high-risk seasons.

The issue remains particularly acute during dry months when smoke from land-clearing activities in some ASEAN nations spreads across borders, creating hazardous air quality conditions that strain healthcare systems and impact economic productivity throughout the region.

Photo: Satellite view of smoke from fires in Kalimantan blanketing Borneo during the 2019 Southeast Asian haze, September 2019. Joshua Stevens, NASA Earth Observatory, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).