Southeast Asian nations coordinate to combat forest fires and haze

Southeast Asian nations are intensifying efforts to combat forest and land fires and the resulting transboundary haze, exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. Indonesia has deployed 52 aircraft for firefighting operations across priority provinces, including Kalimantan and Sumatra, utilizing methods such as water bombing and weather modification.

Malaysia and Brunei have agreed to utilize ASEAN mechanisms to address the haze issue. Malaysia has also received official permission from Indonesia to conduct cloud seeding operations within Indonesian airspace. Malaysian officials have expressed readiness to provide direct firefighting assistance to Indonesia if requested.

In South Kalimantan, the provincial government and the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) have distributed 20,000 masks to residents to mitigate health risks from smoke exposure. Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has urged neighboring countries to focus on collaborative prevention rather than assigning blame for the smoke. Some Indonesian lawmakers have also noted that foreign-owned plantations in Indonesia should play a more proactive role in fire prevention.