Thailand Proposes Establishing Haze-Free Peatland Areas In Asean By 2030

BANGKOK, Aug 19 (Bernama-VNA) -- Thailand has proposed the establishment of peatland areas in the ASEAN region as haze-free zones by 2030, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

The proposal was made by the country’s Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) Director-General Athapol Charoenshunsa at the ninth meeting of the ASEAN Task Force on Peatlands under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).

Athapol said Thailand is committed to working with member states on peatland areas by exchanging information to address transboundary haze pollution and review progress reports to establish ASEAN as a haze-free region.

He also expressed appreciation for the joint efforts under the second ASEAN peatland management strategy, which includes the development of various tools and mechanisms, such as a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, the second ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, and the ASEAN Investment Framework for Sustainable Haze-Free Management.

These initiatives will strengthen peatland management and help fix transboundary haze issues, thus reducing haze during the dry season, as evidenced by the rapid decline in hotspots in the southern ASEAN region, he added

The event, held in Bangkok on Aug 15, was attended by officials from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, as well as representatives from various agencies.

-- BERNAMA-VNA