In theory, a patchwork of domestic and international laws makes it possible for Southeast Asian governments to hold polluters responsible for cross-border haze, most of which has been blamed on land clearing by Indonesian palm oil plantation owners. In practice, sensitivities around national sovereignty, a lack of enforcement mechanisms, and the practical challenges of evidence collection make legal action difficult, if not infeasible.
On paper, Southeast Asian countries are committed to working together to prevent cross-border air pollution under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, signed in 2002.