The fires which have been smouldering away at the peat swamp forests for the past month are unlikely to put be out by the authorities as it would require huge quantities of water to flood the peat swamp which is simply not available in the current dry spell. One thing is clear, with a change in the wind direction, the haze will be back.

To give credit where it is due the authorities, in particular the newly established Natural Resource and Environment Board (NREB), Northern Region Office, have been very active and successful in controlling open burning where possible. Since open burning permits were suspended on 22-Jan, warnings and fines were issued to offenders. Despite this, some people continue to burn garden or plantation waste. This is illegal and in the current situation, considered highly anti-social.

Those found burning illegally could be compounded or prosecuted in court. For those around Miri or Lawas if you see other people burning, whether it is some leaves in the garden or rubbish by the roadside, please report it to NREB at (085) 427419 or 437488 or phone the police.

There has been a lot of attention given recently to the fires burning in Kalimantan. While this is important, given the extent of the haze crisis last year, what must be patently obvious to residents in Miri, Kota Kinabalu or Lawas is that this time around, it is also a local problem. There may be fires burning in Kalimantan but they are also burning in the peat swamps outside Miri and Lawas. Diverting attention over the border is not a solution. Are, for example, charges going to be filed against the company or companies that started the fires in the peat swamp forest outside Miri? Unless legal action is taken against those who are using fire to clear large areas of land there is little prospect of them changing their ways and we can expect a haze crisis every time there is a dry spell.

Another recent trend has been to blame everything on El Nino. It should be pointed out that El Nino is not a new phenomenon. El Nino events having been occurring on an irregular three to five year cycle since records began, and most probably for a few millennia before that. About once in 30 years a severe El Nino, such as the current one, occurs. The last was in 1982-83. Why is El Nino causing so much trouble this time round? The reason lies in rapidly changing land use throughout Borneo over the past 15 years or so.

Removal of forest cover, especially as urban centers have grown, and opening up of forest canopy through logging or clearance for plantations has exposed the ground to direct sunlight, which leads to a rapid drying out of the soil. The very hot ground further disrupts local rainfall patterns so that even fewer falls than would normally. This effect can be clearly seen near Miri where most land is now extremely dry but streams in Lambir Hills National Park have continued to flow, albeit at a reduced rate, despite the longest drought on record.

A long-term solution to the haze problem will involve much more than the relatively simple task of putting out fires. More environmentally sensitive management of land is required. Firstly, strong support is required for the authorities charged with controlling open burning, factory smoke, and so forth. Burning to clear large areas of land for plantations should be banned outright. It is unnecessary anyway as wood and other natural fiber breakdown given time and seedlings or palms can be planted through the brush with little extra effort. In fact, the brush often protects seedlings and provides valuable nutrients as it breaks down. Near urban centers forests should be replanted and protected to ameliorate the local climate and ensure a supply of water for local aquifers. In addition, this forest could serve as a recreational resource and long rotation timber production, as in the concept of multi-purpose community forests.

Unless the haze issue is addressed properly, we can expect to see recurring haze crises, perhaps not next year, but every time there is an extended dry period. People's health can be expected to deteriorate, as it did in the London and Tokyo smog, with a corresponding rising health bill for the state. Business, particularly foreign business, can be expected to go elsewhere, as will tourists. Sensible environmental management would be cheaper in the long run.

Dato' Dr Salleh Mohd. Nor
President
(Letter to the Editor: The Star 14/3/98)
(3 March 1998)