10-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) As the El Nino weather phenomenon approaches, Malaysia has taken a proactive step to establish an early warning monitoring and fire prevention system for its ASEAN neighbors. The primary objective is to mitigate the occurrence of hot spots and reduce the risk of fires in vegetation and other vulnerable areas.
Known as the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS), this advanced system has the capability to assess fire hazards and predict fire behavior up to seven days in advance. It leverages satellite data to differentiate heat sources, distinguishing between industrial areas, oil and gas wells, and burning vegetation. Additionally, it incorporates data from 459 ASEAN weather stations within the Global Telecommunication System, providing valuable information on weather conditions, temperatures, and hot spots. The Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change of Malaysia, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, revealed these details during an interview with The Straits Times after a productive two-day meeting with representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
In addition to the FDRS implementation, Minister Nik Nazmi announced the drafting of a new roadmap for ASEAN cooperation in Transboundary Haze Pollution Control. The objective of this roadmap is to enhance collaborative efforts among ASEAN member states in combating the transboundary haze issue. Seeking public input, a webinar is scheduled for mid-June to gather feedback before the roadmap is finalized during the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, set to take place in Laos in August.
The ongoing collaboration among senior officials responsible for environmental protection in the five southern ASEAN countries, characterized by similar weather patterns, will persist. Minister Nik Nazmi emphasized the importance of maintaining sub-regional meetings to ensure focused discussions on the specific challenges faced within southern ASEAN.
Reflecting on the progress made by the five countries in tackling the haze problem, Minister Nik Nazmi highlighted Malaysia’s investments in water infrastructure, such as storage facilities and drainage dams to retain water in the event of fires. The country has also established watchtowers to monitor fires on agricultural land. However, he acknowledged that forest fires present greater challenges due to their isolated nature and limited accessibility compared to agricultural areas.
Both Minister Nik Nazmi and Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, acknowledged the relatively haze-free conditions experienced in the region over the past few years. They attributed this improvement to favorable weather conditions influenced by La Nina, which brings increased rainfall to Southeast Asia.
However, the impending El Nino phenomenon raises concerns of drier weather conditions. Minister Fu highlighted that the announcement of the dry season for the southern ASEAN region was made earlier than in previous years, as indicated by the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre. To address this issue, Indonesia is exploring climate modification technology, including artificial rain production and the strengthening of water reserves to prevent peatland fires, as stated by Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, during the Ecosperity Week sustainability conference in Singapore.
By implementing the Fire Danger Rating System and fostering regional cooperation, Malaysia aims to proactively address the challenges posed by the approaching El Nino weather pattern, demonstrating a commitment to combating the haze issue and safeguarding the well-being of Southeast Asia’s nations.
