Canadian technology used in forest fire monitoring in several South Asia countries

One of the lessons learned with the Asian tsunami is that prevention is the first line of defence. Fortunately, that line of defence is already in place to deal with another threat to Southeast Asia: forest fires. And this technology comes straight from the Great White North. Like Canada, many of the forest fires in Southeast Asia burn in remote areas and under a wide range of conditions. The region has been experiencing a growing problem with severe vegetation and forest fires for the past two decades, according to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). In 1997/98, fires destroyed more than four million hectares of agricultural land and more than 4.5 million hectares of forests, according to CIDA. Most of these fires were set intentionally to clear land - an indication of a much larger environmental issue. Thousands of hectares of old growth forest were destroyed, releasing carbon into the air (which contributes to global warming). The resulting haze caused health problems, particularly for those with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, as far away as neighbouring Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. Economic losses were estimated at more than US$9 billion, says CIDA.