Thailand and Laos have agreed to deepen cooperation on tackling cross-border haze pollution and sustainable environmental management under the “Clear Sky Strategy”, officials said on Wednesday.
At 09:30am on 29 April, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin led a delegation to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for talks with Lao Agriculture and Environment Minister Dr. Linkham Duangsavanh, focusing on joint efforts to address transboundary haze and environmental management.
Both sides reaffirmed commitments under the trilateral framework involving Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, aimed at tackling seasonal haze and forest fire pollution across the region.
The talks focused on implementing a joint action plan on cross-border haze management for 2024–2030, including the development of Laos’ air quality reporting platform and a push to establish a national air quality data centre.
Both countries also agreed to strengthen real-time coordination through a “WhatsApp Hotline CLEAR Sky” system at director-general level, designed to improve rapid response during the burning season and monitor haze, forest fires and PM2.5 pollution.
Other measures include developing shared fire-risk maps, strengthening a trilateral forest fire prevention and suppression network with Myanmar, and promoting zero-burning agricultural practices under GAP standards. A traceability system for agricultural products, particularly animal feed corn, was also discussed to ensure supply chains are not linked to crop burning.
Thailand also proposed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two ministries to better reflect current environmental challenges and Laos’ updated administrative structure.
Officials said the visit marked a step forward in regional environmental cooperation, reflecting Thailand’s proactive role in addressing transboundary haze through scientific cooperation, technology sharing and joint management to improve public health and support sustainable development in the region.
