Environment & Climate
Indonesian Wildfires Push Air Pollution to Hazardous Levels Across Southeast Asia
Drifting smoke from peatland and forest fires has triggered a severe haze crisis, surging respiratory illnesses and prompting ASEAN's highest alert.
The short version
- Smoke from forest and peatland fires in Indonesian Kalimantan has pushed air quality to hazardous levels across Malaysian Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
- Health agencies report significant spikes in respiratory conditions, including a national increase in Malaysian asthma cases to 1,811 for the week of August 23 to 29, up from 219 the prior week.
- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) activated its highest transboundary haze alert as dry weather, driven by an intensifying El Niño, threatens to prolong the fires.
- Authorities have suspended outdoor activities, closed hundreds of schools, and warned that reaching an Air Pollutant Index reading of 500 will trigger a local emergency.
Key facts
- Fires burned over 200,000 hectares across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo between January and July, according to Indonesian government figures.[Al Jazeera]
- Air pollutant index readings topped 400 in parts of Sarawak, Malaysia, where any score over 300 is categorized as hazardous.[Al Jazeera]
- Indonesian police detained 72 individuals suspected of illegally setting fires to clear land for palm oil, farming, and pulp production.[Al Jazeera]
- ASEAN declared a Level 3 transboundary haze alert for the southern Southeast Asia region, its highest warning level.[Al Jazeera]
- Indonesia's deputy health minister stated that approximately 13,500 individuals were treated for respiratory infections during July and August.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Atmospheric scientists note that peat fires can smoulder underground indefinitely, making the exact duration of the smoke crisis uncertain until sustained seasonal rains arrive around late September or October.[Al Jazeera]