In this section, we shall ponder and discuss potential solutions that the region can adopt to tackle this persistent issue.

Securitizing the Haze

Instead of framing discourse around haze solely as a environmental and economic issue, approaching it from a security perspective may cause governments to tackle the issue more seriously and in an urgent fashion. When it comes to environmental issues, people do not usually think about the long term effects which causes us to respond poorly to it or even dismiss the ramifications. However, by framing the issue as something that threatens the security and survival of the country, it will spur governments to take action. This draws from structural realism in international relations which assumes that states are first and foremost concerned with their survival. By changing the way we talk about the haze, forest fires or any climate crisis and bringing the effects into the short term, can we spur decisive action.

After all, forest fires and the subsequent haze can cause regions to be more hazardous, displace people and damage large sections of the economy. The combined effects will threaten a government’s legitimacy, potentially causing civil unrest.

Villagers flee as a forest fire rages near their village in Kampar, Riau on September 22, 2019. (Photo by Wahyudi / AFP)

Strengthening Corporate Governance

Private businesses play an impactful role in the clearing of forests and haze, it will be necessary to implement some form of regulation to ensure firms adhere to sustainable practices. This can be done through ensuring strong corporate governance in terms of how firms engage in business decisions. Banks play a huge role through financing business activities and this can be tapped on to cut off funding to companies that engage in unsustainable practices. Ensuring increased accountability for private firms will force them to rethink their decisions.

Comprehensive and Enforceable Regional Legal Framework

As we’ve discussed in previous sections, the law has had limited effectiveness due to the inability for countries to properly enforce and impose costs to businesses. Creating a comprehensive and enforceable legal framework that can be agreed upon by all states in ASEAN will be a good start in cracking down on unlawful and environmentally damaging business practices. By standardizing legislation and giving this set of laws the mechanism to be enforced upon will it cause firms to cease undesirable behaviour.

Sustainable Financing (for more parties)

Increasingly, studies have shown that smallholders (small landowners) play an increasing role in deforestation. Given that palm oil plays a impactful role in the Indonesian economy in reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty, it incentivises many small landowners to get into this market. However, given the financial barriers (banks charge high interests for small businesses) to entry for small businesses, many smallowners engage in unsustainable practices to clear land. By implementing sustainable financing, smallowners can implement sustainable practices and potential access to expertise to develop sustainably.