Continuing haze points to failure of Asean agreement

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

Activists call for tighter controls over contract farming activities of food firms

 

THE FAILURE in the implementation of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) has led to the prolonged and severe haze season in the northern region of Southeast Asia, while the goal of a haze-free Asean by 2020 was far from achievable, environmentalists said yesterday.

 

Greenpeace called for tighter regulations to control the overseas operations of big food companies, as it highlighted that contract farming through the subsidiaries of the multinational corporations was a major factor behind the high number of haze hotspots this dry season in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia as well as the severe seasonal haze in the north of Asean.

 

 

Despite a slight improvement in air pollution from the accumulation of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in the North of Thailand yesterday, PM2.5 daily average levels in some areas such as Chiang Mai and Lampang were still above the country’s safe average. Unusually, the haze problem in the North this year is more severe at this time of the year as compared to previous years.

 

The air pollution monitoring stations of the Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported yesterday that Chiang Mai and Lampang still had a problem with the harmful level of air pollution. The PM2.5 daily average level of these provinces reached 66.56 micrograms per cubic metre of air and 58.47 micrograms respectively, which was higher than the safe standards of both Thailand and the World Health Organisation.

 

The PCD’s safe standard for PM2.5 daily average level was 50 micrograms, while the WHO safe standard was set at 25 micrograms. The Chiang Mai University Climate Change Data Centre said that the smog problem in the North was not only the result of increasing open burning activities within the region after the 60-day ban on burning ended. He said the hotspots outside the country also contributed to transboundary haze that also affected Thailand.

 

Greenpeace country director for Thailand Tara Buakamsri said the ongoing air pollution over the northern part of Southeast Asia and also in the North of Thailand pointed to the failure of the AATHP implementation and uncontrolled expansion of monoculture farming in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia through the contract farming system. 

 

 

“Asean’s haze agreement cannot prevent or solve the problem of transboundary haze in the region, because it lacks the power to force the member countries to take constructive measures to tackle transboundary haze,” Tara said. However, he pointed out that the main reason for the recurrence of the haze problem in northern Asean was the result of expansion of monoculture farming and rapid deforestation in these countries.

 

“From the satellite data of Nasa, it was seen that Cambodia has the highest rate of deforestation in Asean. This is partly the result of contracted farming investment in the country, which in turn increases the number of hotspots from open-burning activities in agricultural sector,” he said.

 

“A similar problem has also been noticed in Laos and Myanmar, as big food companies continue to invest through subsidiaries and expand monoculture farming in these regions. This requires burning during the dry season to clear leftover material on the field to prepare for the new crop in the rainy season.”

 

He called for control over contract farming in these countries through tighter regulation, similar to how Singapore had imposed strict rules on multinational palm oil companies that invested in Indonesia. Otherwise the regional goal to be haze-free by 2020 will be impossible.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343974

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-26

Why are they calling the smoke from fires haze?

The smog is from uncontrolled burning of anything and everything,not a difficult one.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

This requires burning during the dry season to clear leftover material on the field to prepare for the new crop in the rainy season.”

 

Developed countries don't burn the leftover material.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, he pointed out that the main reason for the recurrence of the haze problem in northern Asean was the result of expansion of monoculture farming and rapid deforestation in these countries.

I have a big garden with lemons, mangoes, bananas, herbs and a few assorted other plants. Because I dont wish to spray chemicals near my home well, I hoe out the weeds and its a long hard slog. Hill farmers (and many are not true farmers) have very big areas of degraded forest which they then plant with corn, a large harvest needed to provide an income for a couple of families. The cheap, quick and convenient way is fire. No hard work and no expenses involved. Burma, Laos and Cambodia have the same problem. Prices for crops are low, big fields are planted and no one wants to spend any more than they have to. The smoke is a result of poverty farming which needs to be replaced by a better sustainable system that composts all materials and feeds more mouths.

A good report, thankyou,.

It identified the problem very well and outlines the real sources and reasons for the high PM 2.5 levels. In the last 48 hours the monitoring station near my home reached 195.

I hope we see more reporting like this that appears at least to have some scientific rigour.

Agreement and association will never work, everyone only think about ownself.

I know the thai government was "trying" to get farmers to bury their organic refuse instead of burning it. Perhaps they should make it law.

Edited April 26, 20188 yr by Aspaltso

4 hours ago, Aspaltso said:

I know the thai government was "trying" to get farmers to bury their organic refuse instead of burning it. Perhaps they should make it law.

Pointless.

If the goverment is to do anything usefull it would be to enforce legislation upon the big agribusiness to ensure their subcontractors do not burn the vast quantities of waste from corn and suger monoculture.

 

This is raised in the report.

In the interim i choose not to use car fuel with alcohol in it.