Mekong sub-region countries need to work together to control transboundary haze pollution, starting by addressing the issue of forest fires, a conference heard yesterday.

Head of the Meteorological Network, Earthquake Monitoring and Telecommunications Division of the Meteorology and Hydrology Department Mr Singthong Pathoummady said yesterday Laos did not have forest fires within its borders, but was affected by forest fires from neighbouring countries every year.

Mr Singthong was speaking at the 5th Technical Working Group Meeting on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Vientiane .

“Lao farmers may use slash and burn methods for crop cultivation, but this does not affect other countries. In any case, the government has a clear policy to eradicate slash and burn farming and encourage rice cultivation in lowland areas,” he said.

Cooperation between countries in the sub-region is necessary to lower the incidence of forest fires caused by human activity. Even though officials can work towards reducing the number of man-made fires, there are other problems that need to be addressed, especially natural forest fires.

In Laos , the Meteorology and Hydrology Department must inform the government in the event of a forest fire in Laos or a neighbouring country, so the government can take measures to protect the health of the population.

Mr Singthong said controlling haze pollution is very important because it can impact on human health and aerial communication. In the past, Thailand has had numerous problems with forest fires. Some northern provinces of Laos have experienced transboundary haze pollution from fires in Thailand .

During the two-day meeting, representatives from Cambodia , Laos , Myanmar , Thailand and Vietnam shared their experiences of forest fire incidence and discussed measures to solve the problem. In addition, they agreed to inform their neighbours immediately in the event of a forest fire.

Deputy Director General of the Forest Protection Department of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Nguyen Hun Dung, said Mekong sub-region countries were suffering from the El Nino phenomenon.

This refers to a change in Pacific Ocean currents which affect rainfall in the region, leading to dry periods and increased incidences of fire.

“For this reason, we have to be prepared to cope with forest fires. Ten days ago, Vietnam experienced a major forest fire, which caused haze pollution in China and Laos ,” he said. The meeting also aims to focus on updating National Action Plans for Haze Control in the current dry season as well as reviewing the Regional Action plan.