Thailand, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar officially launched the “Joint Plan of Action – CLEAR Sky Strategy” on 29 October 2024 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.

Thailand was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chalermchai Sri-on. Representing Lao PDR was Mrs. Bounkham Vorlachit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and Myanmar was represented by Mr. Khin Maung Yi, Union Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

During the launch ceremony, the ministers reaffirmed the commitment to tackling transboundary haze issues. In his opening remarks, Mr. Maris highlighted the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, alongside the Environment Ministries of all three countries, in carrying out plans to address the problem, including capacity building and exchanges of innovation. 

The Joint Plan of Action specifies concrete cooperation among Thailand, Lao PDR, and Myanmar for 2024 to 2030, including cooperation on fire control and suppression, the reduction of hotspots, strengthening forecast and monitoring systems, promoting sustainable agricultural management, strengthening law enforcement, and promoting inter-agency coordination.

Following the launch ceremony, experts from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, China, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group, Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) shared their experiences and best practices in the Seminar on CLEAR Sky Strategy – Tackling Transboundary Haze Pollution in ASEAN. They also exchanged views on how to promote cooperation among ASEAN Member States, dialogue partners, and international organizations engaged in this issue.

The event also featured an exhibition on existing subregional and regional cooperation on tackling transboundary haze pollution, presented by the Pollution Control Department, the Department of ASEAN Affairs, the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), GIZ, and ADPC, as well as an e-book titled “Another Breath to Live,” from Mountain Mind Publishing Company.