Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BANDARSERIBEGAWAN80
2007-03-07 01:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:
ASEAN ENVIRONMENT MINSTERS POSITIVE AFTER BRUNEI MEETING ON
how-toVZCZCXRO7665 RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHBD #0080 0660112 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 070112Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3739 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000080
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV PREL PGOV BX
SUBJECT: ASEAN ENVIRONMENT MINSTERS POSITIVE AFTER BRUNEI MEETING ON
REGIONAL HAZE PROBLEM
UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000080
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV PREL PGOV BX
SUBJECT: ASEAN ENVIRONMENT MINSTERS POSITIVE AFTER BRUNEI MEETING ON
REGIONAL HAZE PROBLEM
1. (U) ASEAN Environment Ministers met in Brunei February 28-March 1
to discuss regional plans to combat haze in advance of the dry
season. This year's session had added urgency as the forcast effect
of the expected El Nino surface ocean temperature rise could lead to
a hot-dry March-August creating conditions for a bad haze season.
2. (U) Press reports indicated that the attendees were pleased with
actions Indonesia has taken to develop an action plan to deal with
the worst hot spots at both the national and local levels.
Indonesia's stronger law enforcement efforts and advance planning
and budgeting for response efforts were singled out for praise, as
was Singapore's assistance to one region to help it develop a master
plan.
3. (SBU) Minister of Development Pehin Abdullah, who represented
Brunei at the ministerial, told Ambassador it had been a productive
session. Discussion had centered on controlling seasonal forest
fires in Indonesia, the main source for the widespread regional haze
(really smoke from burning forests) that reaches as far as Singapore
and peninsular Malaysia. There had been some mild criticism of
Indonesia's lack of action in the past, but the ministers spent most
of their time on practical steps to tackle the problem in the
future, such as enforcement of "no-burn" zones.
4. (SBU) Abdullah thought that in the long run it would be possible
to gain control of the widespread fires. In the short run, however,
he expected the problem to continue. The ministers had been briefed
that the El Nino effect world probably lead to less than average
rainfall for Borneo in 2007. That, in turn, would cause a lowering
of the water table under the island's peat swamp forests, drying out
the upper layers and making them more prone to catching fire. Such
peat swamp forest fires could smolder for months and were almost
impossible to extinguish. Moreover, they produced high amounts of
particulate emissions. Given climatic conditions, Abdullah expected
that forest fires and the resulting haze would return to the region
later this year.
FRIEDMAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV PREL PGOV BX
SUBJECT: ASEAN ENVIRONMENT MINSTERS POSITIVE AFTER BRUNEI MEETING ON
REGIONAL HAZE PROBLEM
1. (U) ASEAN Environment Ministers met in Brunei February 28-March 1
to discuss regional plans to combat haze in advance of the dry
season. This year's session had added urgency as the forcast effect
of the expected El Nino surface ocean temperature rise could lead to
a hot-dry March-August creating conditions for a bad haze season.
2. (U) Press reports indicated that the attendees were pleased with
actions Indonesia has taken to develop an action plan to deal with
the worst hot spots at both the national and local levels.
Indonesia's stronger law enforcement efforts and advance planning
and budgeting for response efforts were singled out for praise, as
was Singapore's assistance to one region to help it develop a master
plan.
3. (SBU) Minister of Development Pehin Abdullah, who represented
Brunei at the ministerial, told Ambassador it had been a productive
session. Discussion had centered on controlling seasonal forest
fires in Indonesia, the main source for the widespread regional haze
(really smoke from burning forests) that reaches as far as Singapore
and peninsular Malaysia. There had been some mild criticism of
Indonesia's lack of action in the past, but the ministers spent most
of their time on practical steps to tackle the problem in the
future, such as enforcement of "no-burn" zones.
4. (SBU) Abdullah thought that in the long run it would be possible
to gain control of the widespread fires. In the short run, however,
he expected the problem to continue. The ministers had been briefed
that the El Nino effect world probably lead to less than average
rainfall for Borneo in 2007. That, in turn, would cause a lowering
of the water table under the island's peat swamp forests, drying out
the upper layers and making them more prone to catching fire. Such
peat swamp forest fires could smolder for months and were almost
impossible to extinguish. Moreover, they produced high amounts of
particulate emissions. Given climatic conditions, Abdullah expected
that forest fires and the resulting haze would return to the region
later this year.
FRIEDMAN