Over the weekend, Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Warawut Silpa-archa carried out an inspection of forest fires in Chiang Rai province. During the trip, he expressed his willingness to take decisive action to combat the "curse" of air pollution in the northern regions of Thailand.
One of the main causes of air pollution in the region is forest fires, which cause the formation of PM2.5 particles harmful to human health.
During the meeting with Chiang Rai Provincial Governor Puttipong Sirimat, representatives of the forestry and emergency management departments, as well as representatives of local farms, the minister discussed the problem of forest fires and air pollution.
After the meeting, Warawut and his team toured the areas where wildfires had occurred over the past week in Mae Sai, Mae Chan, Muang and Mae Sa Ruai districts. The minister noted that forest fires in Chiang Rai province were extinguished thanks to the rains that have passed over the past few days. However, the province is still shrouded in smoke from fires in Myanmar and Laos.
As a short-term solution, Warawut suggested that residents and local authorities patrol risky forest areas during peak hours from 2 to 5 am, when "hot spots" are usually found.
