The primary mechanism for addressing this issue is the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP). Signed in 2002, this legally binding treaty was designed to stop smoke from peatland fires from crossing national lines. It requires member states to monitor fire hotspots, minimize land clearing through fire, and notify neighbors when fires break out.
However, the implementation faces hurdles. While the framework exists, enforcing rules across different sovereign nations proves difficult. Cooperation often relies on voluntary cooperation rather than strict legal penalties. This means that when haze moves from Indonesia to Malaysia or Singapore, the response depends heavily on diplomatic pressure and bilateral negotiations rather than a central enforcement agency.
Beyond regional agreements, many nations look toward domestic policies to support these goals. These include strict land-use regulations, peatland restoration projects, and improved satellite monitoring systems. Organizations like the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre play a practical role by providing data on air quality and fire locations. While these layers of policy exist, the effectiveness of the entire system hinges on every nation actually sticking to the agreed-upon monitoring and prevention steps. Success is not guaranteed, but the AATHP remains the foundational blueprint for regional air quality management.
