KUALA LUMPUR: Rain may bring temporary relief from haze, but smoke from fires in Indonesia can continue drifting into Malaysia, while the health effects of exposure may persist even after air quality improves.
Malaysian Environmental Health Practitioners Association chairman Prof Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim said tackling haze required addressing the source of fires, particularly in drained peatlands that become increasingly vulnerable to burning during prolonged dry weather.
Draining peatland for cultivation leaves it dry and susceptible to fire, while extended dry spells worsen the conditions, he said.
"So the most effective firefighting is at the source," he said.
Exposure to haze, Jamal said, have lasting health effects, which a study conducted during the 1997 haze recorded a significant decline in lung function among schoolchildren in central Kuala Lumpur.
Recovery took about three months after the haze, he said, and children warranted particular attention because their lungs were still developing and they breathed more rapidly than adults, increasing their pollutant intake relative to body weight.
He said that fine particulate matter could penetrate deep into the lungs, while smaller particles could enter the bloodstream and contribute to harmful inflammatory reactions.
Atmospheric scientist and GovTech Malaysia specialist Dr Jayaprakash Muralitharan said Malaysia should make better use of forecasting capabilities to prepare for conditions that could lead to fires and deteriorating air quality.
He said research involving artificial intelligence and machine learning could help authorities anticipate conditions several days ahead, allowing more time to plan preventive measures and prepare communities.
He highlighted a forecasting proof of concept developed with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, while noting that the work remained under study.
Stronger scientific cooperation among Asean countries, he added, to identify fire-prone areas, share data and guide preventive investment.
"There needs to be science, there needs to be data, there needs to be a technical collaboration," said Jayaprakash.
He said sustainability reporting could also help the public scrutinise Malaysian companies with plantation interests overseas, particularly whether their environmental commitments translated into effective action on the ground.
Companies should provide clearer information on how they manage their land and quantify investments in measures such as maintaining peatland water levels, preventing fires and improving firefighting readiness, he said.
He called for greater scrutiny of environmental, social and governance disclosures to assess whether companies were delivering on their stated commitments.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre reported scattered to widespread hotspots in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra on Oct 21, alongside moderate to dense transboundary smoke haze over parts of Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan, Sumatra and western Sarawak. Several air quality monitoring stations in Peninsular Malaysia recorded unhealthy readings.
The centre also warned that the haze situation could remain elevated in fire-prone areas experiencing prolonged dry conditions, despite the prospect of showers in parts of the region.
Watch the full discussion on Beyond the Headlines on NST's YouTube channel, @NSTOnline.
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