Indonesian Wildfires Cause Regional Haze and Health Crisis

Widespread fires across Borneo and Sumatra have blanketed parts of Indonesia and neighboring countries in hazardous smog. The haze has spread to Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, leading to school closures and an increase in respiratory problems. In Malaysia, an emergency was declared in a region of the Sarawak state in Borneo, while the Philippines reported air quality levels that reached very unhealthy and severely unhealthy. Singapore also recorded unhealthy air quality in its central region.

According to the Nusantara Atlas, nearly 300,000 hectares of land have burned in Indonesia this year. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported that carbon emissions from the archipelago exceeded 23 million metric tonnes between last Friday and Thursday, a level higher than the same period during the 2015 El Nino year. Analysts state that the El Nino weather phenomenon created dry conditions that allowed fires to spread, though slash and burn land clearing practices also contributed to the damage. Many fires occurred on peatlands, which become highly flammable when drained.

Indonesian Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated that more than 5 million people across Borneo and Sumatra are directly exposed to health risks. An education ministry official noted that more than 1.4 million students have attended classes remotely due to the worsening air quality.