Thailand tackles smog crisis with door-to-door campaigns against agricultural fires

[webfact]

 

In a bid to combat the country's seasonal air pollution crisis, national parks in Thailand have taken to door-to-door campaigns to educate locals on the dangers of using fire to clear plantations and agricultural waste.

 

The Forest Protection and Fire Control Office at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has reported a 38% decrease in manmade forest fires this year compared to 2023, thanks to enhanced cooperation from local communities.

 

Manmade fires are identified as the main cause of smog in rural areas, with research showing that millions of hectares of land are burnt due to seasonal fire-lighting practices. Efforts to tackle the smog crisis have improved, but more proactive measures are needed to fully resolve the issue, according to experts.

 

The Royal Forest Department's budget for preventing forest fires arrived late this year, impacting operations to extinguish fires during the peak smog season. Local administrative bodies have taken over monitoring forest reserves, but challenges remain in securing necessary funding for these efforts.

 

In response to the ongoing smog crisis, initiatives like the FireD application developed by Chiang Mai University aim to manage fire control more efficiently by reviewing and approving outdoor fire-lighting requests based on weather conditions and air quality. The application is part of efforts to contain outdoor fires in the most effective manner.

 

The worsening air pollution in Thailand has raised concerns about its impact on public health, with a growing number of cases of lung cancer attributed to heavy smog. The dangers of PM2.5 fine dust have become more apparent, prompting calls for stricter measures to mitigate the health risks associated with poor air quality.

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has made several work trips addressing the smog crisis this year, while the government has set up a committee for sustainable solutions to air pollution. Provincial commands and volunteer checkpoints have been established to support efforts to prevent forest fires and protect conservation areas.

 

With various measures in place to combat the smog crisis, Thailand is working towards reducing the impact of agricultural fires and improving air quality for its citizens. The door-to-door campaigns are just one aspect of a larger strategy to address the root causes of the country's enduring smog issues.

 

TOP: Chiang Mai file photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-05-13

 

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[bamnutsak]

Time to shelve this problem, will revisit it next February.

 

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

The door-to-door campaigns are just one aspect of a larger strategy to address the root causes of the country's enduring smog issues.

 

- Spit Take- "Strategy", uhm, yea, sure.

 

 

[BE88]

 

 

Committee work strong everyday included 

[stoner]

why no lock downs and mandatory mask wearing ? seems strange considering the volume of people dying from this. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

Just arrest all those arsonists. Then the problem will be solved quickly.

But obviously that won't happen. Too many influential people are involved. 

[Georgealbert]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Just arrest all those arsonists. Then the problem will be solved quickly.

But obviously that won't happen. Too many influential people are involved. 

 

Think the reason why more people are not charged is the limitations under Thai law.
 

There are 2 problems;

 

1. It is not arson if you are burning your own property/land section 217 Thai criminal code.

 

2. The definition for the penalties for arson under Thai law,  section 218, Thai criminal code, does not even include land.

 

The crime may be classed as fire by negligence, section 225, Thai criminal code, but that is defined as “Whoever, causing fire by negligence and causing the fling belonging to the other person to be damaged, or likely to cause damage to the life of the other person.”

 

(Translation copied from Thai Law Library)

Edited May 13 by Georgealbert

[OneMoreFarang]

56 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

 

Think the reason why more people are not charged is the limitations under Thai law.
 

There are 2 problems;

 

1. It is not arson if you are burning your own property/land section 217 Thai criminal code.

 

2. The definition for the penalties for arson under Thai law,  section 218, Thai criminal code, does not even include land.

 

The crime may be classed as fire by negligence, section 225, Thai criminal code, but that is defined as “Whoever, causing fire by negligence and causing the fling belonging to the other person to be damaged, or likely to cause damage to the life of the other person.”

 

(Translation copied from Thai Law Library)

Thanks

Ok, I know, arson was not exactly the correct word.

But I would think there are laws against pollution. Or not? 

[Rampant Rabbit]

The way it works round here (prachuap) is  if the falang wants to burn  his crop he cant, if the locals want to burn theirs they can and are even told to do it after 6pm as  no one will be there to check

[Georgealbert]

33 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks

Ok, I know, arson was not exactly the correct word.

But I would think there are laws against pollution. Or not? 

Was just trying to say the legal position seems to be allowing these fires to continue every year. In the UK, where I am from, the arson laws does cover land, but again, even in the UK you cannot be charged with arson for burning your own property/belongings.
 

That is also a good question about pollution laws, but is outside my field of knowledge, but I would be surprised if these fires would be covered.

Fire by negligence, section 225, would cover these fires, but most fires are not causing damage to other’s belongings, so would a Thai court uphold that any of these individual fires had or likely to cause damage to the life of another person?
 

Yes all the fires added together is causing a health hazard, but other than a campaign and education, I cannot see most getting any more than a slap on the wrist and a few thousand baht fine.

 

 

[McTavish]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

TOP: Chiang Mai file photo for reference only

Not a Chiang Mai photo.   It was 1st published by Thairath in 2022 along with a story about Chiang Rai/Mae Sai.

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

In a bid to combat the country's seasonal air pollution crisis, national parks in Thailand have taken to door-to-door campaigns to educate locals on the dangers of using fire to clear plantations and agricultural waste.

 

The Forest Protection and Fire Control Office at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has reported a 38% decrease in manmade forest fires this year compared to 2023, thanks to enhanced cooperation from local communities.

 

Manmade fires are identified as the main cause of smog in rural areas, with research showing that millions of hectares of land are burnt due to seasonal fire-lighting practices. Efforts to tackle the smog crisis have improved, but more proactive measures are needed to fully resolve the issue, according to experts.

 

The Royal Forest Department's budget for preventing forest fires arrived late this year, impacting operations to extinguish fires during the peak smog season. Local administrative bodies have taken over monitoring forest reserves, but challenges remain in securing necessary funding for these efforts.

 

In response to the ongoing smog crisis, initiatives like the FireD application developed by Chiang Mai University aim to manage fire control more efficiently by reviewing and approving outdoor fire-lighting requests based on weather conditions and air quality. The application is part of efforts to contain outdoor fires in the most effective manner.

 

The worsening air pollution in Thailand has raised concerns about its impact on public health, with a growing number of cases of lung cancer attributed to heavy smog. The dangers of PM2.5 fine dust have become more apparent, prompting calls for stricter measures to mitigate the health risks associated with poor air quality.

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has made several work trips addressing the smog crisis this year, while the government has set up a committee for sustainable solutions to air pollution. Provincial commands and volunteer checkpoints have been established to support efforts to prevent forest fires and protect conservation areas.

 

With various measures in place to combat the smog crisis, Thailand is working towards reducing the impact of agricultural fires and improving air quality for its citizens. The door-to-door campaigns are just one aspect of a larger strategy to address the root causes of the country's enduring smog issues.

 

TOP: Chiang Mai file photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-05-13

 

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Door-to-door-talks....yes, that will help. Finished talks in 2050 nationwide?🙏

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In a bid to combat the country's seasonal air pollution crisis, national parks in Thailand have taken to door-to-door campaigns to educate locals on the dangers of using fire to clear plantations and agricultural waste.

Useless people...

[Pla Simon]

And proxy of the moment, Baloo, with his perfectly fashioned eyebrows feigning perpetual surprise.

 

What's that you say ?

 

Really ?

 

Ever worsening seasonal air pollution ?

 

Ever worsening seasonal flood mitigation ?

 

Ever worsening seasonal water shortages, potable or otherwise ?

 

Ever worsening environmental damage ?

 

Ever worsening social divide / educational standards ?

 

Nevermind, at least we're allocating 500 billion to deflective hush money handouts, whilst appropriating hundreds of billions more for hubs and the like - hang the cost that your children will bear - monetarily, health and otherwise.

 

You know it makes sense.

[cardinalblue]

The root cause? The root cause of smog is burning….solution…ban burning 365 days 24/7….

 

you don’t need an educational campaign going door to door…you think the people are that stupid and even more stupid to okay I won’t burn to deprive me of making a scant living…

 

the gov need to subsidize the farmers and create other incentives not to burn

 

to say the budget arrived late meaning what? They know the farmers are going to burn so they are chasing around fires putting them out after they have already and conveniently burned their intended areas and more…what a crock of sh*t

 

The gov acts line seasonal burning catches them off guard every year when in-fact they know exactly what days burning begins, how long it lasts and when the end period is….

 

how about Feb 10th as the date that AP is well over 100 and then stabilizing in 150-200 range every day in March-April and finally ending May 10th after a few rain showers clean the air 

 

My prediction - more or less the same next year…the only variable will be rains come sooner, the same or even later in May

the only thing that is a constant is the gov praying for rain every April-May 

 

 

 

[Stargeezr]

Thailand has to go next door to Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Vietnam, and even Malaysia, and all have to

agree not to let their farmers etc. burn their fields anymore. Thisw is an Asian problem, not just a Thailand problem.

  Most of us already know this sadly. Thankfully it is not CO2s problem alone. 

[Utalk2mutt]

Every year let’s pay this a bit more lip service and then…..do nothing about it. Go door to door all you want I somehow think the perpetrators will just ignore everything being said and just burn anyway. Same old same old.