The Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-region held its 9th meeting online yesterday.

Representatives from Mekong Sub-Region countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – joined the virtual meeting.

Vice -Minister for Natural Resources and Environment of Laos PRD Dr Saynakhone Inthavong chaired the video-meeting, and Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Dr Ye Myint Swe acted as the deputy chair of the meeting.

At the meeting, Vice-Minister Dr Inthavong made an opening remark, followed ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre (ASMC)’s discussions on haze pollution conditions in Mekong region. The meeting approved the report discussed at 15th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Tranboundry Haze Pollution.

They also discussed the extension of the targets of hotspot counts in Mekong Sub-region countries not going beyond the limit of 50,000 up to 2025.

Cooperation among Mekong Sub-region countries and with international organizations on haze control management preceded the meeting.

They also reviewed the Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation (2016-2020) (Haze-free Roadmap) and ASEAN Pealand Management Strategy –APMS (2014-2020).

Myanmar, in cooperation with EU, IUCN, GIZ, GEC, CIFOR, and IFAD, will implement Sustainable Management of Pealand Ecosystems in Mekong Countries, ASEAN-EU Sustainable Use of Pealand and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN-SUPA), and Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia-MAHFSA) for pealand sustainability and reduction of haze pollution in ASEAN region.

Myanmar will host 16th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Transboundry Haze Pollution and 10th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-Region in 2021.

The meeting was concluded following the speeches of Mekong Sub-region countries and ASEAN Secretary-General Office.

The 15th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Tranboundry Haze Pollution was held at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in Nay Pyi Taw on 11 August.

MNA

(Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)

Photo: MNA

# The Global New Light of Myanmar