Smoke-haze: A transboundary air pollution issue in Southeast Asia

The UNEP Foresight Brief “Smoke-haze: A Transboundary Air Pollution Issue in Southeast Asia” (2018) provides an in-depth assessment of the recurring smoke-haze pollution episodes affecting the ASEAN region. The publication explains that transboundary haze pollution, primarily caused by land and forest fires in peatlands, has become an almost annual occurrence in Southeast Asia since the late 1990s. It identifies Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam as the most affected countries, with impacts extending to Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Philippines during severe years. The report attributes the phenomenon to rapid land-use change, agricultural expansion, and unsustainable slash-and-burn practices exacerbated by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which creates prolonged dry conditions conducive to fires. Peatland fires, often ignited during agricultural land clearance, emit vast quantities of particulate matter, toxic gases, and carbon dioxide, contributing simultaneously to air pollution and climate change. The economic costs of haze-related events are estimated to exceed US$16 billion for Indonesia during the 2015 crisis alone, while associated health impacts include premature deaths, respiratory illnesses, and reduced productivity. The publication notes that haze exposure led to approximately 100,000 excess deaths across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore during the 2015 episode, doubling the mortality of the 2006 event. Ecological consequences include peatland degradation, biodiversity loss, and damage to protected areas such as Kalimantan’s Kutai National Park. The Foresight Brief highlights the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (2002), the first regional environmental treaty of its kind, and subsequent policy mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Haze Action Plan (1997) and the 2016 Roadmap toward a haze-free region by 2020. It also describes Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (2014), which empowers legal action against companies responsible for fires abroad, representing an innovative example of extraterritorial environmental governance. The report reviews regional initiatives for peatland management, including the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (2006–2020) and the ASEAN Programme on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems (2014–2020), as well as Indonesia’s establishment of the National Peatland Restoration Agency (2016) tasked with rehabilitating two million hectares of degraded peatlands. The Brief emphasizes the role of the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in providing real-time fire, haze, and hotspot monitoring and calls for enhanced use of scientific data in policymaking. It recommends stronger political leadership, intergovernmental coordination, and public awareness to sustain momentum beyond major haze events. The publication also references complementary regional frameworks such as the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), the Malé Declaration for South Asia, and the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum, which promote cooperative air quality management across subregions. Overall, the Brief portrays transboundary haze as both an environmental and governance challenge that demands integrated policy responses, regional solidarity, and long-term commitment to sustainable land and peatland management practices in Southeast Asia.