2024 03 13 FCCT Southeast Asia nonetheless on hearth Will it endure the world’s most polluted air once more in 2024
Already this 12 months, authorities in Bangkok have posted days once they beneficial individuals make money working from home if doable. Final 12 months was the worst 12 months on report in Thailand for air air pollution. It managed to beat out South Asia and China — the place aged city transportation and soiled business play greater elements in the issue — for internet hosting the filthiest air on the planet for days on finish. The WHO places air air pollution on a par with smoking and unhealthy consuming.
Are we due for extra of the identical?
Final 12 months, elements of Chiang Rai went actually off the charts as transboundary “haze” from Laos and Myanmar exacerbated already extraordinarily critical issues in Thailand attributable to the burning of agricultural leftovers, largely from maize, tapioca, rice and sugar cane cultivation.
A brand new facet of the issue final 12 months was the tremendously elevated deliberate torching of forest flooring in impoverished Laos to create grazing areas for free-roaming cattle to produce the seemingly infinite demand for affordable beef, significantly in southern China.
Thailand CAN (Clear Air Community) has had a citizen-led draft Clear Air Act as considered one of seven variations at present being vetted by parliament. By regulation, as the one citizen group, it will get one third of the legislative working committee, however can any of this make a distinction within the kingdom’s huge and lawless boondocks? And what of neighbouring nations that lie past the attain of any regulation enforcement?
Because the dry season — aggravated by the parching El Nino climate impact — attracts to a head, come to the FCCT to listen to extra concerning the annual environmental disaster that poses a much bigger public well being menace than the COVID-19 pandemic ever did.
Confirmed audio system:
Decharut Sukkumnoed, director of Assume Ahead Middle, Transfer Ahead Social gathering and advisor to the chief of the opposition in parliament.
Weenarin Lulitanonda, co-founder, Thailand CAN (Clear Air Community) and former World Financial institution economist.
Danny Marks, assistant professor of environmental politics and coverage within the faculty of regulation and authorities, Dublin Metropolis College.
Ingo Puhl, managing director and co-founder of South Pole Group, an knowledgeable on carbon mitigation.
Moderator: Dominic Faulder, FCCT board member and Nikkei Asia affiliate editor.
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