BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei Darussalam has urged Asean member states to strengthen their national preparedness and capacity to address the persistent issue of transboundary haze pollution.
Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development Dr Nor Imtihan Abdul Razak made this call at the 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COP-19) in Bangkok on Wednesday (Dec 18).
The permanent secretary also shared that Brunei Darussalam experienced haze impacts from local fires and transboundary haze during the fourth week of March this year due to low rainfall and a high number of fires in Brunei Darussalam, as well as transboundary haze pollution.
The situation resulted in increased air quality readings, with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reaching a moderate level (PSI 55 to PSI 78) across monitoring stations. However, occasional downpours helped to reduce and prevent hazy conditions from persisting in the country.
The meeting was attended by ministers, officials/representatives for the environment, land, forest fires and haze from Asean member states and the Deputy Secretary-General of Asean for Asean Socio-Cultural Community, under the Chairpersonship of Thai Vice Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Narapat Kaeothong.
The 19th Meeting of the Committee under the Conference of the Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COM-19) preceded the meeting.– Borneo Bulletin/ANN
