JAKARTA — Southeast Asian nations will discuss the management of transboundary haze caused by forest and land fires (karhutla) during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in November 2026.
The discussions will take place ahead of the ASEAN Summit, amid the expanding impact of Indonesian forest fires reaching neighboring countries.
The Philippines, holding the ASEAN Chairmanship, stated that the haze issue has been officially included in the preparatory agenda for the ASEAN foreign ministers.
Spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Dominic Xavier Imperial, confirmed the development on Tuesday (13/10). The month-long forest fires in Indonesia over recent weeks have caused thick haze to blanket parts of Singapore and Malaysia.
Last week, Malaysia was forced to close schools across several states after air pollution levels reached unhealthy categories. The fires, which primarily affected Sumatra and Kalimantan, are cited as the most intense in Indonesia in the past 11 years.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan previously stated that he would raise the haze issue within the ASEAN forum. According to him, the existing ASEAN mechanisms used for handling natural disasters do not yet adequately cover transboundary haze management.
Malaysia had also previously offered assistance to Indonesia to suppress the fires. However, firefighting efforts in several regions faced obstacles including poor visibility, difficult access to fire locations, and unfavorable conditions for cloud seeding operations. “Isu kabut asap masuk dalam agenda pertemuan,” said Imperial, referring to the preparatory meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers ahead of the upcoming November Summit.
