Taking the sting out of the North

The smog that periodically envelopes parts of northern Thailand is back worse than ever this year, fed by the uncontrolled burning of scrub and forest.
Residents and tourists in many northern provinces are reporting health problems after inhaling air thick with hazardous particles. The authorities have urged children, elderly people and pregnant women to spend less time outdoors.
The problem is worse than in previous years, with pollution levels remaining dangerously high for several consecutive days.
 Thickening the already soupy air is smoke drifting from neighbouring Myanmar and Laos, where it’s also common at this time of year to burn off stubble to clear fields for planting crops.
The haze is taking a toll on health and daily life in the North, where thousands have sought medical treatment for respiratory problems over the past two weeks. Low visibility due to the haze has disrupted airline flights and been blamed for road accidents.
Citizens and visitors are complaining of irritation to eyes, noses and throats and many have taken to wearing facemasks as protection. Hospitals have been instructed to prepare medical supplies for the expected influx of patients suffering problems related to the polluted atmosphere.
The air quality has dipped well below acceptable standards in several northern provinces, as seen in recent tests by the Department of Pollution Control. The worst affected are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Lamphun, Phrae, Phayao and Nan – some of  which are popular tourist destinations.
Business operators have reported a slight fall in the number of visitors to the North – mostly due to cancellations by Thai travellers – since the haze hit the region earlier this year. Isara Sathapanaset, director the Tourism Authority’s Chiang Rai office, says the trade has not suffered because we are now in the low season. Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce chairman Thanit Thaitrong has said the haze isn’t a major factor in the tourism decline.
However, Wipawan Woraputhipong, president of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, has expressed concern that lingering smog could damage the North’s popularity as a destination. She called for urgent measures to tackle “this worrying crisis”.
Of course we have been here before, many times.
Setting fire to field stubble and forest to prepare for the rainy-season crop of rice, rubber or palm trees is an annual and longstanding practice. For farmers, fire is the cheapest and easiest way to clear land. The wildfires that flare up during dry season pour even more smoke into the atmosphere, adding to a haze problem that can no longer be ignored.
The authorities have tried various measures, including fountains from water trucks to clean the air and strict enforcement of the outdoor-burning ban. But such efforts fail to address the root cause.
The authorities in this country and its neighbours must together enforce laws against burning and polluting. They must do better at persuading the public of the direct link between burning off land and the haze now endangering everyone’s health. People are far more likely to discontinue the practice if they have concrete evidence of the danger posed to health as well as the economy.
Farmers should be encouraged to use less damaging ways of eliminating weeds and stubble. Rather than burning, for instance, they could churn the unwanted material into organic fertiliser, which would also save them money in cultivation costs. In the long run, more sustainable approaches like these would benefit everyone.