ASEAN environment ministers to meet in Myanmar

ASEAN environment ministers to meet in Myanmar
www.chinaview.cn 2003-12-02 13:24:55

YANGON, Dec. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- A meeting of environment ministers of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be heldhere on Dec. 16, a
local press reported in its latest issue. 

Quoting the Myanmar National Commission for Environmental Affairs, the Myanmar
Times said the implementation of the ASEAN agreement on trans-boundary haze
pollution will top the agenda. 

The agreement was signed in 2002 by the regional members and came into force on
Nov. 25 this year after being ratified by Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore,
Vietnam and Thailand. 

The agreement, which is known as world's first regional one to tackle haze
problem, provides for ASEAN to set up a coordination center for haze pollution
control which will use satellite monitoring to enable quick response to forest
fire. 

The agreement has been acknowledged by the United Nations Environmental Program
as a global model for tackling trans-boundary environment and pollution issues.


Myanmar claimed that it has no serious problems with forest fire and haze
pollution. However, it said that the monitoring system to be established under
the agreement would help ensure such problems never occur.

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