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ENVIRONMENT
amended version of the Plan has been
approved by the Malaysian Cabinet
Ministers in June 2013.
“The amendment to the National
Haze Action Plan is to ensure
actions taken by the key agencies
such the National Security Council,
Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Health, Department of Environment,
Meteorological Department and other
relevant government departments are
implemented at early stage according
to the air quality status and current
weather condition.
“The amended Plan will enable the
agencies to take more practical and
proactive measures in dealing with
recurrent deterioration of air quality and
haze as well as to prevent the air quality
from worsening.
“The action lines will also ensure
the public to get accurate information
on the air quality status and thus be
more alert to take preventive measures
in their health care during the haze
particularly to the high risk people
such as the elderly, children, patients
with respiratory problem and asthmatic
patients,” said Palanivel.
Under the auspices of the
Agreement, ASEAN over the years has
developed and implemented numerous
activities at the national and regional
level in the areas of prevention, monitoring
and mitigation of haze. Substantive
measures and concrete on-the-ground
activities to address land and forest fires
in the region include among others:-
1) implementation of the Regional Haze
Action Plan (RHAP);
2) implementation of ASEAN
Agreement on Transboundary Haze
Pollution;
3) implementation of ASEAN Peatland
Management Strategy (2006-2020)
to promote sustainable use of peatlands
and alternative livelihoods,
while preventing land and forest
fires as peatlands are a major source
of smoke haze in the region;
4) adoption of zero-burning /
controlled-burning policy and strict
enforcement of the policy;
5) establishment of Panel of
ASEAN Experts on Fire and Haze
Assessment and Coordination to
undertake rapid assessment for fire
suppression ; and
6) the establishment of ASEAN
Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering
Committee (MSC) on Transboundary
Haze Pollution in 2006 to oversee the
plan of action, foremost of which
to foster and strengthen regional
cooperation to effectively tackle
transboundary haze pollution
resulting from land and forest fires.
Palanivel said despite preventive
Hills surrounding FRIM
are shrouded in mist.
measures, Malaysia recognised more
concrete and well-coordinated procedures
for immediate fire suppression
need to be outlined and adopted
by ASEAN countries. In this regard,
Malaysia hosted the inaugural ASEAN
Task Force Meeting to Review Alert
Levels and Trigger Points on Fire
Suppression on June 11-12, 2014 in Kuala
Lumpur.
This ASEAN Task Force comprising
of Panel of Experts on Fire and Haze
Assessment and Coordination is established
pursuant to the Environment
Ministers’ decision at the 9th Meeting of
the Conference of Parties to the ASEAN
Agreement on Transboundary Haze
Pollution (COP-9) held on Sept 25, 2013
in Surabaya, Indonesia. The ASEAN Task
Force Meeting agreed to recommend to
the upcoming Meeting of Conference
of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement
on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COP)
in Lao PDR in September 2014 to adopt
the alert levels, trigger points and
actions on fire suppression to ensure
expeditious response in preventing the
occurrence of transboundary haze.
OZONE LAYER PROTECTION
Malaysia acceded to the Vienna
Convention and ratified the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that deplete
the ozone layer on 29 August 1989.
Kuala Muda Bird
Sanctuary.
Being classified as Article 5 country
under the Montreal Protocol, Malaysia
is qualified for financial assistance
from Multilateral Fund to the Montreal
Protocol and thus eligible for technical
assistance including transfer of technology
in phasing out ozone depleting
substances to the industries.
Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment, via Department of
Environment, is the focal point for
the Montreal Protocol in coordinating
the implementation of projects and
activities related to phasing out the
ozone depleting substances (ODS) in
the country. Under Multilateral Fund
financial assistance, ODS phase out
projects are implemented with support
from other international agencies
such as United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP),
United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation (UNIDO) and World Bank.
Malaysia took early action towards
controlling consumption of ODS with
prohibition on import of chloroflurocarbon
(CFC), halon and carbon since
1st January 2010. Prohibition of Methyl
Bromide used for non-Quarantine
Preshipment will prohibited by 2015.
The latest Malaysia’s obligation under
the Montreal Protocol is to phase out
hydrochlorocarbon (HCFC) by 2030
with the development of HCFC Phase
out Management Plan (HPMP).
The objectives of the HPMP’s
strategy are to facilitate Malaysia’s
compliance with control targets
for HCFC Consumption with
minimal impacts on the national
economy and environment. The
implementation involves combination
of interventions such as technology
transfer investment, policies and regulation,
technical assistance, capacity
building of industries and enforcement
officers, management coordination and
monitoring.
The HPMP is currently being
implemented with the support from
UNDP for HPMP Stage 1 (2012 – 2016) in
order to meet the 2013 freeze and 2015
reduction target of 10% of HCFC under
the Montreal Protocol. HPMP Stage 2
(2016-2020) is a way forward to address
further reduction of HCFC in Malaysia
until it reaches its total phase out by
2030. HPMP Stage 2 is still at its preliminary
stage and the proposal will be
submitted to the Executive Committee
of Multilateral Fund for approval on the
funding.
PART II: The Minister speaks about
Malaysia’s efforts in sustaining the
forest and tackling country’s water
woes
green+.2014, november-december 15