HAZE: The cost of air pollution


HAZE: The cost of air pollution

19 June 2013

published by www.malaysia-chronicle.com


Singapore / Malaysia / Indonesia — Malaysia and Singapore would be hit by haze from Indonesia during the Southwest Monsoon and dry season in June every year. And the haze disperse in early October, when the region enters the Southeast Monsoon season.

The annual event has repeated for more than 20 years and the problem has not yet been solved. Once the region is shrouded in a smoky-smelling haze, the people can only hope for the change of wind direction and rains. For those who are suffering bronchitis and asthma, they have to stay in indoors. People have to drink more water and put on mask. There is nothing else they can do.

The authorities seem to have overlooked a very serious problem, namely what kind of harm could the particles in haze bring to the people’s health. What consequences would it bring after we have inhaled so many particles over all these years? How many people have died early because of haze?

Air pollution problem should not be taken lightly. The 1952 London Great Smog had claimed a million of lives. In China, air pollution claims averagely 358,000 lives each year. According to a study, as many as 1.2 million people in China had died early because of air pollution in 2010. In other words, the Chinese people had paid the cost of a total 25 million years of life in that year.

Although the haze from forest fires should not be compared to industrial pollution, the Health Ministry, however, should conduct a scientific research on the level of harm it causes each year, particular to children, the elderly and those who are suffering from sicknesses.

During the haze period in 2005, seven people had died of haze-related diseases.

To curb haze, the root of the problem should be traced. In 2002, the ten ASEAN countries signed the Transboundary Haze Pollution agreement which has listed the guidelines on prevention and control over transboundary haze, while member countries also agreed to support each other to put out the fires.

However, ASEAN is a loose organisation and it lacks sanction. Therefore, the signed agreement could not help much and even if any member countries violates the agreement, no punitive action would be taken.

Today, the practice of open burning for land-clearing is still rampant in Indonesia. Even big plantation companies are still practising the non-environmentally friendly cultivation method. They set fires to clear land but once it causes forest fires, it would be hard to put out. Malaysia and Singapore had also sent teams to help putting out fires in Indonesia.

If Indonesia is uncooperative, its neighbours can do nothing to help. The seriousness of haze depends on weather factors each year and if there is an El Nino phenomenon, drought would be exacerbated and the haze would be worsened.

Malaysia has suffered two severe hazes so far, one in 1997 and another in 2005. In September 1997, as the air pollution index (API) in Sarawak exceeded 600, the government was forced to declare a state of emergency and all public and private offices, factories, plantations and construction sites must be closed and only pharmacies, clinics, shops and necessity service industries were allowed to open for business.

In August 2005, the API reading in Klang Valley had reached 500, forcing some schools to suspend extracurricular activities or even close. The North Port of Port Klang was also forced to suspend its operation, causing huge economic losses.

Global warming and climate change may result in more severe haze and the people can only hope that there will not be a recurrence of the scene eight years ago.
 


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