TITLE: ASEAN Ministers to Confront Haze Crisis in Manila Meeting
Southeast Asian foreign ministers will gather in Manila next month, with the escalating transboundary haze crisis, fueled by intensifying fires in Indonesia, dominating their agenda. This urgent November meeting follows the most severe regional haze outbreak in 11 years, which has shrouded parts of Southeast Asia in a thick, acrid pall of smoke.
The Philippines, currently holding the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has confirmed that the perennial environmental blight will be a primary focus, signaling a renewed push for more effective regional solutions. The crisis has disrupted daily life, imperiled public health, and strained diplomatic ties across the region, particularly impacting Singapore and Malaysia with plummeting air quality, widespread school closures, and flight cancellations. Millions face respiratory illnesses and economic losses as the persistent pollution underscores the urgent need for a more robust, collective approach from the ten-member bloc.
The decision to elevate the haze issue to such prominence at the upcoming foreign ministers' meeting stems from a direct appeal by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan. He has been vocal in his assertion that ASEAN's existing mechanisms, designed to address natural disasters like floods or volcanic eruptions, are insufficient and do not adequately encompass the unique challenges posed by transboundary haze. “We already have an ASEAN mechanism for natural disasters, but haze is not included or classified as a natural disaster,” Mohamad Hasan stated, emphasizing his intent to personally champion the issue with his counterparts.
This sentiment has found resonance across the bloc, with Philippine Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dominic Xavier M. Imperial confirming the inclusion of transboundary haze in the preparatory foreign ministers’ meetings ahead of the main ASEAN summit. This highlights a growing consensus within the bloc that the recurring environmental blight requires a dedicated and recalibrated regional response.
At the heart of the current crisis are widespread forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, particularly on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. These fires are often linked to agricultural land clearing, a practice that becomes far more dangerous and difficult to control under prevailing climatic conditions across the region.
The region is currently experiencing strengthening El Niño conditions, which are predicted to bring below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures across much of the Maritime Continent and parts of mainland Southeast Asia through the end of the year. This combination creates an exceptionally dry environment, intensifying the risk of fires and making their suppression exceedingly difficult.
Experts warn that this confluence of factors means the elevated hotspot and smoke haze situation is likely to persist, with the dry season extending later than usual, possibly through early November. The prolonged dry spell exacerbates the challenge, prolonging the suffering for affected populations.
Indonesia has reportedly deployed a formidable force of approximately 60,000 personnel in a concerted effort to combat the blazes. However, their efforts have been severely hampered by a multitude of challenges. Thick smoke itself restricts aerial firefighting operations, grounding planes and helicopters vital for water bombing and surveillance.
Furthermore, many burning areas are remote and difficult to access, often compounded by limited water supplies in affected zones. The insidious nature of underground peat fires, which can smolder for weeks or even months beneath the surface, also presents a significant obstacle, frequently reigniting surface fires even after initial suppression.
Amidst this struggle, Indonesia’s refusal to declare the prolonged forest fires a national disaster has drawn criticism from neighboring countries and environmental groups. Critics argue that such a declaration could unlock greater resources and international assistance, providing a crucial boost to overwhelmed local efforts.
The human toll of the current haze outbreak is stark. Singapore has reactivated health subsidies for haze-related medical conditions, a measure not seen since the last major crisis in 2015, highlighting the severe public health impact on its citizens.
In Malaysia, the crisis has already forced the closure of schools across several states, disrupting the education of hundreds of thousands of students. Flight cancellations, including those by Malaysian carriers to international destinations, underscore the significant economic and logistical disruptions now gripping the region.
ASEAN has a history of attempting to address this recurring problem. The Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (ATHP), adopted in 2002, was a landmark regional agreement aimed at preventing and monitoring transboundary haze. Indonesia, despite being the primary source of the haze, was the last ASEAN member state to ratify the agreement, doing so only in 2015.
The ATHP outlines obligations for member states regarding cooperation, environmental monitoring, fire control, and preventive measures. However, the persistent nature and increasing severity of the haze outbreaks raise serious questions about the agreement’s effectiveness and enforcement, particularly given Malaysia’s recent call for a re-evaluation of how haze is categorized within ASEAN’s disaster response framework.
The diplomatic implications of the haze are considerable. Beyond the immediate environmental and health concerns, the recurring crisis strains trust and cooperation between member states. Malaysia has previously offered assistance to Indonesia to combat the fires, demonstrating a willingness to collaborate, yet the problem persists. The sheer scale of the current devastation, leading to respiratory illnesses, economic losses from canceled tourism and disrupted commerce, and a diminished quality of life for millions, underscores the urgent need for a more robust, collective, and proactive approach.
As the foreign ministers prepare to convene, the regional community will be watching closely for concrete outcomes that move beyond mere acknowledgement of the problem. This might include strengthening the existing ATHP, developing more specific operational protocols for haze emergencies, or reclassifying transboundary haze within ASEAN’s disaster management framework to unlock greater shared resources and coordinated responses. The November meeting presents a critical opportunity for ASEAN to demonstrate its commitment to environmental stewardship and regional solidarity in the face of a crisis that, for too long, has cast a suffocating shadow over Southeast Asia.