BruneiTimes.com - THE Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre forecasts below average rainfall until early October during the current dry season in the southern part of the region with the possibility of land and forest fires escalating during that period.

The Jakarta-based Asean Secretariat says that Asean member countries should remain vigilant and intensify their efforts to suppress the fires and reduce the unwanted pollution that crosses borders in the form of unhealthy haze.

It said the Panel of Asean Experts on Fire and Haze Assessment had been put on standby for deployment to the affected areas should the situation deteriorate.

As well as Indonesia's own efforts in cloud-seeding, Singapore was ready to provide a C-130 aircraft to help Indonesia carry out cloud-seeding operations in Sumatra while Malaysia was willing to consider providing support.

As for the recent haze pollution, which started with the dry season in July, the Asean centre said that for the first time, it deployed a panel of experts to Riau, Sumatra, from August 9 to 11 where a significant number of hotspots was observed.

The panel concluded that the land and forest fires had been brought under control by the Indonesian authorities and there was no requirement for outside assistance.

The Asean centre reported that since July, there had been a significant increase in the number of hotspots, particularly in Sumatra and Borneo, and that several parts of the region reported sporadic periods of unhealthy air quality.

However, the situation was under control, mainly because of the action taken by the Asean member countries, it said. Guided by the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, Asean countries have activated bilateral and regional mechanisms to facilitate the timely exchange of information and offer assistance.

The Asean centre noted that Indonesia, where most of the hotspots were found, had taken various actions, including ground-checking for hotspots in Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan and South Sumatra to immediately suppress the fires and increase public awareness.

Indonesia had also mobilised 10 fire brigades, including 1560 firefighters across 10 provinces, established 247 community fire brigades in Sumatra and Kalimatan composed of 3610 personnel, and developed demonstration sites for zero-burning in 10 provinces, along with successful water bombing and cloud seeding.


As many as 20 private companies suspected of involvement in clearing land using fires were now being investigated and Indonesian authorities had also arrested several farmers and community groups for their involvement in slash-and-burn activities, which were outlawed, the Asean centre reported.