DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA COUNTRY REPORT FIRE AND HAZE SITUATION AND ACTIONS TAKEN JANUARY TO 17 TH SEPTEMBER 2013

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA PRESENTATION OUTLINE § HOTSPOT DETECTION § FIRE OCCURENCES § HAZE SITUATION § ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL § LESSONS AND BEST PRACTICES TO BE SHARED § PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES AND ASSISTANCE REQUIRED

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA HOTSPOT DETECTION § January until 17 th September 2013 - hotspots were detected in several areas in Peninsular Malaysia, States of Sabah and Sarawak § However, the local burnings detected as hotspots by satellite imageries were smaller in acreage and very much localized and under control

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA FIRE OCCURENCES §The hotspots detected in the country were mainly from : –Shifting cultivation and burning activities on the National Customary Rights (NCR) land, –Burning of paddy stalks prior to replanting, which are allowed under strict control. –Bush and shrub fires that accidentally occur during the hot and dry weather had also contributed to the total number of hotspots detected in the country. §These fires were put out immediately by the Fire and Rescue Department

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA AIR QUALITY OR VISIBILITY § The air quality status for Malaysia was generally between good to moderate level (except during the episodes of transboundary haze) § Visibility throughout the country was generally good with the average of more than 10 kilometers (except during the episodes of transboundary haze the visibility in the affected area reduced to less than 3 km).

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – CENTRAL REGION 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – SOUTHERN REGION 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – NORTHERN REGION 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – EAST COAST REGION 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – SARAWAK 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT API – SABAH 1 JANUARY – 17 SEPTEMBER 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA HAZE SITUATION § Transboundary haze prevailed during the drier period in the Southern ASEAN region from the month of June to August 2013: i. from 15 to 27 June 2013 – severe haze episode. Most parts of Peninsular Malaysia were adversely affected where air quality deteriorated to unhealthy and hazardous levels. The API level has reached above 500 in Muar District, Johor to such an extent that a haze emergency had to be declared by the Hon. Prime Minister from 23 – 24 June 2013. The air quality returned to normal by 28 June 2013 with none of the areas recorded unhealthy status

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT The Sun, 24. 6. 2013 MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA HAZE SITUATION § Recurrence of transboundary haze episodes i. from 22 to 24 July 2013 – slight haze in few areas of west coast of Peninsular Malaysia; and ii. on 28 August 2013 – in northern part of Peninsular Malaysia namely in Sungai Petani, Kedah and Seberang Jaya, Penang

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA ACTIONS TAKEN AT NATIONAL LEVEL § MONITORING § PREVENTION § MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA MONITORING § DOE monitors Malaysia’s ambient air quality through a network of 52 stations that are strategically located in residential and industrial areas, and five (5) criteria pollutants were measured and used to calculate the Air Pollutant Index (API), namely : – PM 10; – sulphur dioxide; – nitrogen dioxide; – carbon monoxide; and – ground level ozone.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA PREVENTION § The Department of Environment (DOE) continues to carry daily ground surveillance on fire prone areas during dry period as an early detection for any fire occurrence § The programme on Fire Prevention and Peatland Management continue as yearly programmes § The SOP on Prevention of Peatland Fires is updated from time to enhance the capacity of the executing agencies involved in the programme

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT (JANUARY – 31 AUGUST 2013) OPEN BURNING CASES DETECTED 2475 COURT ACTION 14 COMPOUNDS ISSUED 454 WRITTEN DIRECTIVES ISSUED 58 20

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS § The National Haze Committee Meeting chaired by H. E Minister of Natural Resources and Environment convened on 7 February 2013 and 6 September 2013 and the committee discussed on the followings : – Inter-agency’s preparatory actions to prevent land forest fires and open burning; – Enhancement on Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for response time on fire suppression and mitigation – Improvement of actions taken by the relevant agencies to curb land peatland fires and dissemination of information to public during the hot and dry season from June to Mid October.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA ACTIONS TAKEN (DURING THE HAZE EPISODES) § API was monitored hourly § with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) § The Peatland was activated since May 2013 §

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA LESSON & BEST PRACTICES TO BE SHARED 1. The success of Fire Prevention Programmes in controlling fire breakouts in the high risk fire prone peatlands in the six states (Selangor, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor Sabah and Sarawak); • Enhance coordination among enforcement agencies and Local Authority to curb peatland fires • Continuous improvement on Standard Operating Procedure to synchronise actions taken by the relevant agencies • Action taken and response time to mitigate peatland fires are updated and enhanced from time to time

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA Fire Prevention and Peatland Management Check Dam Watch Tower Tube Well Pumping of water to canal

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA 2. Implementation of zero burning practices by the plantation industry; 3. Review and operationalisation of National Haze Action Plan at different alert levels based on the status of the air quality (Air Pollutant Index); 4. Stringent penalty for open burning offences as stipulated in the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Amendments 1998). i. e. maximum fines of RM 500, 000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or both; and

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA 5. Prohibition of open burning by certain activities and in certain designated areas such as peatlands as provided for under the Section 29 A, Environmental Quality Act 1974, “Prohibition on open burning”.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA PROBLEMS & CHALLENGES § Enhancing awareness and alternatives to control open burning among the shifting cultivators and small farmers; and § Factors that limits enforcement action, among others : – Shortage of manpower; – issues related to open burning on National Customary Right (NCR) Land; and – poor accessibility of the site.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA THANK YOU