Malaysia and Indonesia Strengthen Cooperation to Tackle Transboundary Haze

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle transboundary haze, with both countries planning closer coordination on hotspot monitoring, enforcement against open burning and regional measures to prevent fires from worsening air pollution. The agreement reflects growing efforts to address haze as a shared environmental and public-health challenge across Southeast Asia.

Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said discussions with his Indonesian counterpart had resulted in an agreement to increase collaboration. Planned measures include stronger monitoring of fire hotspots and greater involvement of enforcement agencies to prevent illegal open burning.

The two countries are also considering the possibility of sharing airspace and assets for cloud-seeding operations when weather conditions require such intervention. Malaysia has indicated that these measures could become increasingly important as the region enters a period of drier conditions associated with a projected “super El Niño” phase, which could increase the risk of fires and haze.

Transboundary haze has implications beyond air quality, affecting public health, ecosystems, visibility and economic activity across national borders. Malaysia is therefore continuing to push for stronger coordination through ASEAN, recognising that fires and resulting pollution in one country can have consequences for neighbouring states.

The renewed cooperation highlights the importance of regional environmental governance and coordinated climate resilience measures in Southeast Asia. By improving early monitoring, strengthening enforcement and sharing technical and operational resources, Malaysia and Indonesia aim to reduce the risks associated with land and forest fires while improving the region's ability to respond to recurring haze events.

Transboundary haze cooperation matters for ASEAN corporates whose operations, workforce and reputation are affected by regional air-quality episodes, and it will shape TCFD-aligned physical-risk disclosure. Our climate-action and impact-assessment teams help clients quantify air-quality exposure and align disclosure with emerging ASEAN frameworks.