Southeast Asian foreign ministers will discuss transboundary haze at a preparatory meeting ahead of next month's ASEAN Summit, rotating chair the Philippines confirmed Tuesday.

The move follows persistent wildfires and haze across Indonesia, where air quality has hit "hazardous" levels and smoke has blanketed Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, recently ranked among the world's most polluted cities.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Monday that ASEAN's existing disaster response mechanisms do not cover transboundary haze, adding he would raise the issue with counterparts.

The haze has plagued Southeast Asia for decades. Slash-and-burn farming for oil palm plantations and drainage of carbon-rich peatlands have heightened fire risks, while an exceptionally long, dry El Niño-driven season this year has left vegetation and peat highly combustible.