tailieunhanh - Forest Fires, A Burning Issue

The land and forest fires that hit the ASEAN region in 1997- 1998 have been so severe that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) labeled them as among the most damaging in recorded history. Their environmental, economic and social dimensions and impact, and the associated transboundary haze pollution have been profound. The total economic losses in terms of agriculture production, destruction of forest lands, health, transportation, tourism, and other economic endeavors have been estimated at $ billion | I I volume 1. Number 3 Juil-September 2001 B i B O I i BPS newsmagazine ot the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation rfi v A 0 nt C X Pef0ll0n protect between ASEAN oivj tho European Union y Ịl Ỉ V and a contribution to the ASEAN Environmental Education Plan. 200Q-2G05 ISSN 1655-0471 ABOUT YOU AND US Letter from the ASEAN Secretariat Dear Readers The Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN envisions by the year 2020 a clean and green environment with its rich human and natural resources contributing to development and shared prosperity. To help realize this Vision the ASEAN Environment Ministers adopted the ASEAN Environmental Education Plan 20002005 in October 2000. The Plan aims to translate that Vision into reality through environmental education and public participation thereby ensuring that the regional cultural traditions are in rhythm and harmony with nature and citizens environmentally literate imbued with environmental ethic and willing and capable to contribute to the sustainable development of the region. As a collaborative framework for regional and international cooperation the Plan outlines priority activities that can be successfully implemented at the national and regional levels. It is in this context that we happily note that the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation is publishing ASEAN Biodiversity. This newsletter is supportive of our endeavor to boost environmental knowledge and awareness in the region a topic that falls under one of our areas of cooperation - land and forest fires and transboundary haze. Haze pollution arising from fires continues to be the most prominent and pressing environmental problem fac ing ASEAN today. Each ASEAN member country is striving to be vigilant in undertaking short and medium term measures to prevent or control land and forest fires. The Hanoi Plan of Action addresses the haze issue through the full implementation of the ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution in .