THE Thai government handed over the Surveillance War Room to Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw on 15 August to monitor wildfires, smog and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the Royal Thai Embassy to Myanmar said.

The donated quarantine room is the third of its kind in the country, after the ones in Kengtung and Tachilek.

“The operations room under the Thai-Myanmar Border Smog Management Project Phase 2 is responsible for monitoring the air pollution, especially forecast­ing cross-border air pollution. It will have an important role in monitoring and reporting,” Thai Ambassador Mongkol Visitstump said.

It is expected to prevent the socioeconomic and health hazards caused by forest fires, smog and PM2.5. and to upgrade capacity building.

“It is also a partnership be­tween the two countries on en­vironmental and public health issues in line with the Joint Plan of Action-CLEAR Sky Strategy 2024-2030,” he continued.

The observatory is designed to facilitate collaborative moni­toring and information exchange between Thai and Myanmar gov­ernment departments, enabling the real-time tracking of satellite heat points, wildfires, air parti­cles, and weather information.

It will facilitate the timely im­plementation of relevant preven­tion and control measures and serve as a platform for sharing experiences in addressing air pollution issues between the two countries, the Thai Embassy said in a statement. — Htun Htun/ZN