Indonesia is stepping up regional coordination through ASEAN mechanisms to address transboundary haze, while intensifying domestic efforts to control forest and land fires as smoke spreads across parts of Southeast Asia.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl said Jakarta continued to work with neighbouring countries and maintain good bilateral relations, particularly on environmental issues with cross-border impacts.
He said Indonesia was also increasing vigilance over dry weather linked to prevailing climate conditions across the region.
The haze from fires in Indonesia has affected Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, as well as parts of the Philippines. In Malaysia, an emergency was declared throughout Serian Division in Sarawak on Friday after the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeded 500. Several other areas in the state also recorded hazardous or very unhealthy air quality.
Against this backdrop, Vahd said Indonesia was using existing ASEAN mechanisms under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) to coordinate the regional response. Regular meetings are also being held to assess the situation and agree on follow-up measures.
The ASEAN Secretariat, acting as the Interim ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), has maintained Alert Level 3 for the region since Aug 26. Under the alert, ASEAN member states are required to submit daily Situation Reports, including haze trajectory maps, to national focal points.
Vahd said Indonesia had fulfilled its daily reporting obligations and mandatory actions under Alert Level 3 in line with ASEAN’s Monitoring, Assessment and Joint Emergency Response procedures.
As part of those measures, Indonesia has been sharing data on hotspots, environmental conditions, haze movement and efforts to control forest and land fires.
Vahd said Indonesia also continued to push for the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control to become fully operational.
