CityNews – Following the news story about the formation of the Chiang Mai Breathe
Council published yesterday 9th September 2019, the council has contacted CityNews and other news sources to add some further clarification.
The Chiang Mai Breathe Council is an independent body which will work with many other provincial groups across the nation, but which will focus on Chiang Mai. There is a national council which will be lobbying the government to find national as well as international funds, and shape policy, but it is agreed that while air pollution is becoming a national-level emergency, each region has its own set of problems and solutions which must be looked at separately.
The focus will be on reducing smoke from all sources, from vehicles, factories, construction, garden burning to agricultural and forest fires; it is estimated that between 80-90% of fires in the north are from the latter two causes, which differs from Bangkok and the central region.
The council will work full time year round, unlike regional government efforts in the past which would only focus on the problem for a few months per year. However good the plan is, say the council, if it is only implemented during the crisis, it is doomed to fail, because there is simply not enough manpower and resources to combat the scale of burning. The focus is on reducing the burning, which will require constant and continued work.
The council plans to end the cycle of last minute surprise and ineffective policy and work on long term policy on multiple fronts until the day we have clean air year round.
Citylife will meet with members of the council next month prior to their first official meeting and give a full report. At this time the council are reaching out to as many stake holders as possible to gather as much data as possible.