Kuala Lumpur - ASEAN subregional ministers have expressed satisfaction at Indonesia`s efforts to address forest fires and haze pollution and called on ASEAN member countries to take joint preventive steps to face the dry spell probably in the third quarter of this year.
"We are satisfied at the progress made by Indonesia in coping with haze pollution. The number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan last year fell by 51 percent compared to 2006 based on data from the ASEAN meteorology and geophysics agency," Rachmat Witoelar, chairman of the fourth meeting of the sub regional ministerial steering committee on transboundary haze pollution held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, said on Tuesday.
The two-day meeting which opened on Monday was participated in by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand.
Based on its national plan of action on climate change, Indonesia had set itself the target of reducing the number of hotspots by 50 percent in 2009, 75 percent in 2012 and 95 percent in 2025 with 2006`s data as reference, said Witoelar, who is also Indonesian environment minister.
"These targets will serve as reference for the central and local governments in implementing their activities," he said.
ASEAN was also pleased with Indonesia`s decision to significantly raise the amount of budget allocations by Rp800 billion this year to cope with forest and bush fires, he said.
"We also have prepared steps to face the dry spell probably in the third quarter of 2008 which may increase the number of hotspots," he said.
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: enews.mcot.net (10 April 2008)