Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have launched a joint action plan to tackle seasonal haze and forest fires that cause serious air pollution across the Mekong sub-region.
The trilateral initiative was launched by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the governments of Lao PDR and Myanmar.
The Joint Plan of Action – CLEAR Sky Strategy (2024–2030) aims to reduce fire hotspots, improve air-quality monitoring and promote more sustainable land management.
The strategy builds on a trilateral agreement reached in April 2023 and complements the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and the Chiang Rai Plan of Action.
CLEAR stands for five priorities: Continued Commitment, Leveraging Mechanisms, Experience Sharing, Air Quality Network and Response.
The three countries will establish a shared fire-risk map, strengthen cooperation among firefighters and develop a joint monitoring system providing real-time air-quality and PM2.5 data.
They will also improve public health warnings and study the health, economic and environmental impacts of haze.
To reduce agricultural burning, the plan promotes sustainable farming practices, technology transfer and public awareness campaigns.
The countries also plan to strengthen law enforcement and coordination among environmental, agricultural, health and security agencies.
A hotline among senior officials will facilitate rapid responses during haze emergencies.
A Joint Task Force, made up of national focal points from the three countries, will oversee implementation and meet at least once a year.
The strategy also calls for support from other ASEAN members, the private sector and international partners.
The plan aims to tackle the cross-border causes of seasonal haze, particularly agricultural burning and forest fires, which regularly push air pollution to hazardous levels in the region.
