Why Do We Put Up With Haze?

Every year we face the uncontrolled open burning in Indonesia. It is like facing a certain part of the year as natural as summer or autumn. But this is man-made not seasons in a year that nature endows.

A Reuters news report suggests there were over 6,000 hotspots in Kalimantan. The number seems to be on the rise daily. This situation is worrisome for those in Kalimantan, Sarawak, Sumatera and the western part of Peninsular Malaysia.

The cost of the crisis since 1982 has been significant for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. In 1997, the cost was estimated at USD9 billion, in 2015 it was estimated at USD35 billion or more. Then there are people suffering from the acrid fumes. More than 30 million people in Indonesia are likely to be impacted. Another 15 million at least, in other neighbouring countries are affected.

Malaysia will send a diplomatic note demanding immediate action by Indonesia. Then there is the inter-governmental committees who will look at preventive steps and cooperative actions to tackle haze. But is this enough?

Perhaps, we need people’s movement (like “Bersih”) to bring Governments to act – or something like the Hong Kong protestors?  We could distribute N95 masks to school children and others involved in outdoor activities; air-purifiers for homes at subsidised rates and a press briefing daily for updates on the situation. We need a series of penalties on companies doing this for planting or replanting of oil palm. We need a permanent “Watch Tower” and “Action Unit” that is ASEAN represented to act on the issue. We need new technologies to detect and combat fires in a dry season. There must be more urgency and interest to find short and long-term solutions. Otherwise, we are resigned to fate or “takdir” when we are the real culprits.

Reference:

1. Haze in Malaysia to Persist until end September, The Straits Times, Sept 8 2019

2. We shouldn’t have to put up with the haze, The Star, 7 Sept 2019             

3. $47b? Indonesia counts costs of haze? The Straits Times, 11 Oct 2015