ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
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The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution is an environmental agreement signed in 2002 between all ASEAN nations to bring haze pollution under control in Southeast Asia [1]
The agreement is a reaction to an environmental crisis that hit Southeast Asia in the late 1990s. The crisis was mainly caused by land clearing via open burning in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Satellite images confirmed the presence of hot spots throughout Borneo, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and several other places. Malaysia, Singapore and to a certain extent, Thailand and Brunei were particularly badly affected.
From Sumatra, monsoon winds blew the smoke eastward and hence creating negative environmental externalities on other Southeast Asian nations. Thick haze covered much of Southeast Asia for weeks and caused noticeable health problems among the populace.
As of June 2007, eight countries have ratified the agreement.
Contents |
[edit] Parties to the Agreement
| Member State | Date of Ratification/Approval | Date of Deposit of Instrument of Ratification/Approval with the Secretary-General of ASEAN |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | December 3, 2002 | February 18, 2003 |
| Singapore | January 13, 2003 | January 2003 |
| Brunei Darussalam | February 27, 2003 | April 23, 2003 |
| Myanmar | March 5, 2003 | March 17, 2003 |
| Viet Nam | March 24, 2003 | May 29, 2003 |
| Thailand | September 10, 2003 | September 26, 2003 |
| Lao PDR | December 19, 2004 | July 13, 2005 |
| Cambodia | April 24, 2006 | November 9, 2006 |
[edit] References
- ^ ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. Extracted October 12 2006
