SINGAPORE - ASEAN environment ministers meeting in Bangkok have urged Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution as soon as possible.

A statement issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) yesterday said that Indonesia had reported that it was in the final stages of its ratification process.

At the meeting, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said that the cumulative total number of hotspots that have been recorded in Sumatra so far this year is at its highest level in many years, a point that was noted by a number of other ASEAN ministers.

According to data provided in the statement, the cumulative hotspot count for this year to date has exceeded the cumulative annual total for 2006, the last year in which Singapore experienced a prolonged haze spell.

It currently stands at 12,750, compared to 12,014 in 2006.

As of last night, the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) stood between 41 to 47, in the "good" range. Earlier this month, it hit a high of 79, sparking a health warning.

The MEWR said Singapore has seen 11 days where the PSI exceed the "good" range this year so far.

ASEAN member states were urged to ensure that companies adopt zero-burning techniques for land clearing.

To follow up on this, the meeting also discussed the identification of errant companies by the sharing of concession maps and cross-referencing of the location of hotspots.

The ASEAN ministers noted that the El Nino conditions currently developing in the equatorial Pacific Ocean may prolong the dry season slightly and extend dry weather conditions.

As such, increased hotspot activities in the region can be expected.

The ASEAN member states have pledged to remain vigilant to continuously monitor the situation on the ground and implement haze prevention activities. Channel NewsAsia