Haze Pollution In Indonesia

Abstract

Haze pollution has been one of the most serious environmental catastrophes in countries with
wide areas of forest, such as Indonesia. Efforts to combat haze pollution have been carried
out at the national, regional and international levels. Adopting principles developed within
international law arena such as sustainable development, precautionary principle,
foreseeability, due diligence and good neighbourliness have been canvassed for every state in the
world especially those having activities which have potential impact to cause transboundary
pollution. Indonesia has been experiencing forest burns from time to time and trying to
combat it ever since. National law has been developed, institutions have been designated, and
mechanisms have been created. These efforts are however far from complete. Indonesia needs to
go much further than what have been undertaken this far. A necessary way forward would be
to ratify the 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on
Transboundary Haze Pollution, which Indonesia fails to ratify.
This paper discusses the problems of haze pollution in Indonesia, the applicable
rules under international law including the state responsibility doctrine, the mechanism
developed within the ASEAN Agreement, what steps have been taken by Indonesian
Government in combating haze pollution, and the need for Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN
Agreement.