Mekong Region On Alert To Tackle Transboundary Haze As Urban Heat Rises

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, June 29 (Bernama) -- With soaring temperatures and the approaching El Niño increasing the risk of forest and peatland fires across the Mekong region, governments are intensifying cross-border efforts to avert another episode of transboundary haze.

Rising urban temperatures -- from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City -- are prompting policymakers to implement urgent measures, as transboundary haze poses mounting risks to agriculture, public health and the regional economy.

“Forest fires and transboundary air pollution have become major threats across the subregion.

“They have caused losses in biodiversity, negatively affected public health and inflicted significant economic damage throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion,” warned Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, reported Vientiane Times today.

The issue of air pollution was raised at the 14th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-Region.

The regional meeting was held on June 25 in Vientiane, Laos.

The rising hotspots are worrying regional governments. From December 2025 to May 2026, the hotspot count rose by about eight per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the meeting’s statement posted on the ASEAN Secretariat website. 

In recent weeks, major cities across the region have been grappling with severe, hotter weather despite the arrival of the monsoon season in the Mekong region, with unpredictable and limited rainfall in some parts.  

Ho Chi Minh City is experiencing an intense heatwave despite the rainy season, while Bangkok is suffering from acute heat — all due to the effects of climate change and El Nino patterns, according to weather scientists.

The Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has warned of the possible impacts of the El Nino phenomenon during this rainy season.

Authorities predict that temperatures in some areas could rise to between 35 and 38 degrees Celsius, with irregular rainfall, prolonged dry spells and reduced water levels in certain regions reported the Lao News Agency. 

This could increase risks of drought, water shortages, forest fires, and damage the agriculture and livestock sectors.

During the meeting in Vientiane, ASEAN member states pledged to reduce fire hotspots and control transboundary haze pollution in the Mekong Sub-Region during the dry seasons.

The issue of air pollution was raised at the 14th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-Region.

Weather scientists have also cautioned that a possible Super El Niño event may develop this year.

-- BERNAMA