Kuala lumpur: ASEAN must boost investments in early detection and warning technologies to better manage transboundary haze and other environmental threats, said Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. Johari emphasized that there is no room for complacency, urging stronger funding and collaboration to enhance the region's technological capabilities in identifying and responding to environmental risks before they escalate.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Johari remarked on the necessity of investing in technology, particularly early detection and early warning systems, to address environmental issues promptly. He highlighted the importance of identifying hotspots before they become more severe. He addressed these concerns after the 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-20) to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).
During the meeting, Malaysia was appointed to lead two sub-committees for the next two years. These committees will focus on nature conservation and biodiversity, as well as chemicals and waste. Johari announced that the Philippines will lead the coastal and marine environment sub-committee, Laos will oversee water resources, Cambodia will focus on environmental and sustainable cities, while Singapore and Thailand will jointly head the climate change committee.
In his opening remarks, Johari urged the region to maintain cooperation and political will to tackle the recurring challenge of haze. He stressed the urgency of their work, noting that even in years with less severe haze, complacency is not an option. He cited the fires and haze episodes of 1997, 2006, 2015, and 2023 as reminders of the challenge's scale.
Johari also noted that transboundary haze incidents in Malaysia in July 2025 serve as a reminder of the ongoing challenges despite progress. Achieving a haze-free ASEAN by 2030 is aligned with the region's environmental commitments and global climate goals under the Paris Agreement, emphasizing emission reduction, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.
He called upon ASEAN member states to strengthen collaboration with dialogue partners, development agencies, and international institutions in areas such as prevention, early warning, mitigation, and capacity-building. The next COP-21 meeting will be held in Vietnam in 2026, and Myanmar will host AMME-19 and COP-22 in 2027.