EU announces support to Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN
EU announces support to Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN
To support ASEAN's endeavours in combating transboundary haze pollution and peatland fires, the European Union (EU) launched the civil society component of the EUR 24 million Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN (SUPA) programme. The overall programme is financed with EUR 20 million in contribution from the EU and EUR 4 million from the German Government.
This new initiative supports the objectives of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) through collective actions and enhanced cooperation. It aims to improve sustainable peatland management, mitigate the adverse impact of climate change, manage the risk of wild fires, and reduce trans-boundary haze. It also contributes to sustaining local livelihoods and enhancing global environmental management.
The programme is critical in tackling the root causes of peatland fires, especially in the wake of recent peatland and forest fires in the region in 2019, with a total of 857,755 hectares burned, a number higher than the 529,266 hectares that burned in 2018 and on top of the 2.6 million hectares burned in 2015.
The EU's support to ASEAN’s sustainable peatland management is composed of two mutually reinforcing main components: 1) the governmental approach, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); and 2) the non-state actor approach, implemented by World Resources Institute Indonesia (WRI) in collaboration with Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Centre Malaysia (TRCRC) and the IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative. The two components will work collaboratively to assist ASEAN in addressing the root causes of forest fires.
The EU Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans, hopes that the ASEAN region will become more resilient and proactive in sustainable peatland management through this new programme. Although much has been achieved since 2015, to effectively implement the ASEAN Transboundary Haze Agreement, efforts to combat peatland fires and curb the negative impact of climate change have to be sustained.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dato Lim Jock Hoi, highlighted that the spirit of ASEAN cooperation in addressing regional and transboundary issues remains strong and it is being augmented by this year’s theme of ASEAN: ‘Advancing Partnership for Sustainability’. ASEAN cooperation and its mechanisms will continue to complement and add-value to the ASEAN Member States’ priorities in many fronts, and simultaneously contribute to the implementation of the UN SDGs. Further, he mentioned that together with the ASEAN-EU High-Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change held earlier this month in Bangkok, and the project on Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in ASEAN (BCAMP), SUPA programme is another opportunity provided by the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework which will act as foundation of knowledge to help ASEAN Member States and relevant institutions achieving enhanced capacity and regional coordination in sustainable management of forest and peatlands.
Ambassador Driesmans also pointed out that the SUPA Programme marks a significant milestone for the EU and ASEAN, as this is the first regional cooperation initiative under the EU-ASEAN Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) in the area of climate change. In addition, he highlighted that the programme contributes to the EU’s commitment to address global environmental issues. These include cutting carbon emissions from carbon-rich peatland areas, and the conservation of the unique biodiversity of peatland ecosystems – home to highly endangered flora and fauna.
Photo credit: ASEAN Secretariat