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President Suharto publicly apologized to the other nations of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) for the haze and smoke created by the fires in Indonesia.
© P. T. Rajawali Citra Television Indonesia |
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The Indonesian fires were started by people to clear land for plantations and small scale farming.
© Margaret F. Kinnaird, WCS-IP. |
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What Can Be Done?
The Indonesian authorities are not equipped to combat outbreaks of this magnitude, and the economic collapse of Southeast Asia has further reduced local resources for fire-fighting. Since the effects of the fires are global, the international political and conservation communities have begun to discuss solutions on every level--national, regional and international--giving different partners different responsibilities.
An overall objective is to show local governments and inhabitants why keeping the forest intact has more long-term economic benefits than clearing or reclaiming it. Conservation initiatives are being developed to educate local communities and present them with economic alternatives to forest destruction. If foreign experts make decisions without involving the local population, conservation efforts often fall short.
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