Southeast Asian foreign ministers will tackle the worsening transboundary haze affecting parts of the region during preparatory meetings next month, current ASEAN chair the Philippines announced on Tuesday.
The upcoming discussions come as persistent forest and land fires in Indonesia have triggered thick, hazardous smog in neighboring countries. In Malaysia, air pollution surged to unhealthy levels last week, prompting authorities to close schools across several states.
According to officials, the ongoing wildfires—concentrated primarily on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo—represent the most intense burning the country has experienced in 11 years.
Urgent regional response needed
Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial confirmed the inclusion of the crisis during Tuesday's briefings, noting that the issue is firmly on the agenda for November's preparatory foreign ministers' meetings ahead of the broader summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stated on Monday that he plans to formally raise the haze issue with ASEAN counterparts. He highlighted that the bloc's current framework for handling natural disasters does not explicitly cover transboundary haze.
Malaysia has previously extended offers of assistance to help Indonesia combat the blazes. However, Mohamad pointed out that firefighting efforts on the ground have been severely hindered by poor visibility, logistical accessibility issues, and unfavorable weather conditions preventing effective cloud seeding operations, based on his discussions with his Indonesian counterpart.
