With the annual or “customary” transboundary haze this time around expected to persist right into the first quarter of next year due to the El Nino phenomenon, Malaysia is suffering what could be the worst- ever natural and environmental adversity in living memory.
Time and again, Malaysians had to put up with the blanketing of our skies with smoky matter resembling some apocalyptic scenario.
And yet, no sustainable and practicable solutions that offer lasting resolution to the haze problem seem to be in sight. And, of course, haze destroys the land, water and air environment even if ever so “temporarily” and as a “means” rather than “goal”.
Haze, or smog, mainly contains carbon monoxide and a particulate matter (especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon/ PAH).
The former is a respiratory irritant, and the latter (potentially) carcinogenic (i.e. cancer causing) and thus a health hazard to the public.
The haze is a health risk. Nothing is spared. Even schools are affected; they have to be closed — it is unacceptable for pupils to sit Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah under such discomfort.
Furthermore, health problems have an impact on the economy and socio-economic conditions of the country through lower productivity and higher costs.
The impact on the agricultural sector has resulted in an increase in the price of goods, such as vegetables which have gone up by as much as 50 per cent, whereas production dropped by 10 to 20 per cent.
This is due to the lack of sunlight and rain, leading to reduced photosynthesis and nutrients, that slows the process of the growth of vegetable production.
Even livestock is affected, especially broilers and breeding chickens. The situation is especially acute in the northeast region where an estimated two to three million chickens die in a month due to respiratory problems as a result of the haze.
This means less eggs and chicken meat available for distribution in the market. Although the figure is only some six per cent of the total number of chickens nationwide, it could go up to 10 per cent if the haze worsens or is prolonged.
The effect on the consumer is higher prices when the real rate of inflation is at least twice that of the official figure, at three per cent.
Surely, these are testing times for Malaysians who, in addition to the haze, have also to endure with the political and economic challenges.
On the other hand, the impact on our commodities industry — in plantations where the haze is located, especially in Kalimantan — could well be positive in terms of outcome.
Fire that spreads from virgin lands over into neighbouring plantations, of course, may have destroyed the oil palm crops there, but the result is higher prices on the market on the expectation of shortage of supply. This, combined with poor visibility, mean supply chain disruptions.
Much more could be said of the impact of the haze, but what is critical is the need to have the political will and technical capacity to do more in tackling the haze menace.
Viable solutions would, of course, require the participation of all the stakeholders. Nonetheless, it cannot be emphasised too strongly enough that the government must show the way and take the lead.
The root course of the haze is burning of peat lands for cultivation. During drought seasons, peat soil becomes flammable and thus, fire can spread easily.
For smallholders and individual farmers, the burning is mainly for food crops. If companies were truly involved, then it would be for commodity crops.
“Slash-and-burn” is utilised as being the cheapest or low-cost practice. Much of the burning, therefore, stems from areas which have high concentration of peat in the soil.
Since there seems to be a lack of proper political will on the part of the Indonesian authorities to clamp down on the slash-and-burn practice by the smallholders, it is incumbent on them to take concrete and pragmatic steps to contain and control the spread of the fire and minimise the extent of the trans-boundary haze, or even prevent its outbreak in the first place.
This can be done by making it mandatory for the installation of tube wells to pump groundwater or aquifer water into the existing trenches, ditches, moats and canals constructed by the plantation companies for the estates.
Groundwater and aquifer water exist below peat soil and peat swamps.
Two companies in Kalimantan successfully tapped underground water in Kalimantan on Oct 1. The (unconfined) aquifer water was situated at 9-10 metres below surface.
The cost of the tube-wells is only US$350 (RM1,500) per piece, and hence, is a very cost effective method for the plantation companies to do their part.
The watered artificially-created grooves then would act as a fire barrier or breaker, thus, preventing the fire from spreading.
As part of the regulatory and legal framework, the practice could be made compulsory under a new piece of legislation in Indonesia and Malaysia (for our companies operating across the border in Kalimantan and for those with plantations in Sumatra and the Riau islands).
The Regional Haze Action Plan (RHAP) should also incorporate it into their future commitments.
Next, the three countries affected — Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore — should set up a dedicated haze monitoring centre, perhaps to be based at one of the coastal towns in the western side of Kalimantan, such as Pontianak, which is situated within the broad radius of the haze movement.
Such a centre would utilise global positioning satellite (GPS) as part of an early warning system to indicate potential hotspots so that preventative and early remedial measures can be taken.
To assist the centre, the governments of the three countries should also consider employing drones to survey and provide surveillance of the historic and potential areas for forest fire.
There is not much time to get our act together. For far too long, the people of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have suffered the haze and its impact. Let a new dawn arrive in closer regional cooperation.
If regional integration means anything, tackling the haze is a responsibility that belongs to all the three countries.
The writer is president of Green and Blue Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia