ARTICLES

17 Sep 2026

Regional Haze Casts a Pall on ASEAN’s Influence

Melinda Martinus

The return of smoke haze underscores a sobering reality: while ASEAN has policies designed to combat it, the problem continues to occur.

Indonesian police officers try to extinguish wildfire in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatera, Indonesia on September 12, 2023. Southeast Asia could see the return of transboundary haze later this year, as Indonesia battles an increased number of wildfires amid a prolonged dry season. Haze in Southeast Asia due to forest fires in Indonesia has been a perennial issue over the past decades. (Photo by Muhammad A.F / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)

11 Oct 2023

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Haze and Climate Change in Southeast Asia

Sharon Seah|Helena Varkkey

Transboundary haze has reared its ugly head again, no thanks to peatland burning and the compounding effects of the El Nino phenomenon and climate change. It is high time to break the vicious cycle of haze and climate change.

Climate Change Haze Indonesia Pollution

25 Apr 2016

Cooperation Necessary to Eradicate the Haze

Lee Poh Onn

The forest fires in Indonesia is a multilateral and transboundary issue that requires the cooperation of ASEAN in developing and implementing measures to prevent environmental and economic costs to affected countries. Indonesia needs to mitigate and assuage fears of a repeat of the 2015 haze incident.

ASEAN Haze Indonesia

25 Apr 2016

Transboundary Haze Pollution in ASEAN is a Shared Responsibility at all Levels

Moe Thuzar

Indonesia's non-ratification on ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2014 has hindered the effectiveness of tackling the recurring haze problem. The decentralised governance structure and weak central coordination among its agencies make implementation at the ground level difficult.

ASEAN Haze Indonesia