Indonesia Strengthens ASEAN Cooperation to Address Haze

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Indonesia is continuing to strengthen communication and coordination with countries in the region in response to forest and land fires and the spread of haze observed in several parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday, September 5, 2026, that the government is continuing to strengthen domestic measures to control forest and land fires while promoting cooperation with neighboring countries to address cross-border environmental impacts.

“Indonesia consistently prioritizes cooperation with neighboring countries and maintains good bilateral relations, particularly in addressing environmental issues with cross-border impacts such as haze,” he said.

According to Nabyl, Indonesia and other countries in the region are also encouraging greater vigilance in dealing with dry weather conditions caused by climate-related factors. He said Indonesia is utilizing the ASEAN cooperation framework to ensure that the haze issue is properly addressed.

The ASEAN mechanism under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) is already in place to address transboundary haze. Regular meetings to discuss developments related to haze and coordinate follow-up measures are also continuing.

Nabyl explained that the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), serving as the Interim ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), has placed the region on Alert Level 3 since August 26, 2026.

Under the alert status, all ASEAN member states are required to submit daily Situation Reports(SITREP), including haze trajectory maps, which are then redistributed to all National Focal Points of ASEAN member states.

“Indonesia has consistently fulfilled all daily reporting obligations and mandatory Alert Level 3 measures in accordance with the MAJER SOP (Monitoring, Assessment, and Joint Emergency Response),” he said.

He explained that the measures include proactively providing data on hotspots, environmental conditions, indications of haze movement, and developments in forest and land fire response efforts.

In addition, Indonesia has carried out a national emergency response and extensive firefighting operations while intensifying cross-sector cooperation involving the government, private sector, and local communities.

All information and developments related to the response are submitted to the ASEAN Secretariat as the interim office of the ACC THPC.

“Indonesia continues to push for the acceleration of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC) to become fully operational,” Nabyl added.