Assessment of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) from Forest Fire and Open Burning in the Lower Mekong Sub-region to Support the ASEAN Haze Control

The Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation (ASEAN Haze-Free Roadmap 2022-2030) was adopted in August 2023. However, the final review of the previous roadmap (Haze-Free Roadmap 2016-2020) identified shortcomings in Strategy 8, "Reducing health and environmental risks and protecting the global environment," which was rated as "Low-Medium." 

This indicated a lack of comprehensive data on the impacts of haze. The recommendations included the introduction of a more robust and standardised socio-economic analytical assessment approach for each strategy, covering impacts, cost-benefit analyses, and platforms for environmental, health, and social protection. 

Additionally, a common database to correlate public health impacts with haze was recommended for the 2022-2030 roadmap. Moreover, Thailand proposed the "CLEAR Sky Strategy" to ASEAN, which emphasizes the exchange of information and the implementation of legislative measures. A key cross-cutting issue remains the establishment of a common database on the health impacts of haze. 

The success of this initiative will require collaboration, with standardised methods and criteria for assessing and monitoring the health, economic, social, and environmental impacts of haze, including those related to climate change and global warming. The new roadmap aims to build on the lessons learned from the 2016-2020 version, focusing on addressing key gaps, including the lack of robust data on the socio-economic, environmental, and health impacts of haze pollution. 

This project emphasises: 

• Strengthening the ASEAN Haze-Free Roadmap 2022-2030 and the CLEAR Sky Strategy. 

• Developing a comprehensive emissions database for air pollutants, greenhouse gases (GHG), and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) from open burning and forest fires in LMS countries (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam). 

• Providing  recommendations on how to utilise the database to achieve the roadmap’s targets.