Indonesia's forestry minister warned that efforts to combat wildfires will be challenging as El Niño peaks this month, exacerbating drought conditions. The minister noted that the fires are largely man-made, with authorities investigating companies and individuals.
The ongoing wildfires pose significant environmental and health risks, impacting air quality across Southeast Asia and potentially disrupting commodity supply chains. The deliberate setting of fires by individuals and corporations highlights regulatory and enforcement challenges.
Efforts to contain the widespread wildfires in Indonesia are expected to be challenging as the El Niño weather phenomenon reaches its peak this month, according to Indonesia's forestry minister, Raja Juli Antoni. He also stated that the devastation is largely man-made.
For weeks, Indonesia has been intensifying its efforts to control the smoke from forest and land fires across six provinces in Borneo and Sumatra. The resulting haze has triggered respiratory illnesses and forced thousands of schools to move classes online, impacting neighboring Malaysia as well. The "super-El Niño" conditions exacerbate the fires by causing drought.
Raja Juli reported that while hot spots had been reduced across Kalimantan and Sumatra by the end of August, September marks the peak of El Niño and the primary battle against the fires. Ministry data indicates that approximately 200,000 hectares (494,210 acres) of land have burned from January to July, an increase from the 107,465 hectares burned in the same period last year. The minister attributed the fires largely to deliberate actions by individuals or corporations.
The ministry has issued fines to six forestry permit holders for their alleged involvement, and a criminal probe is being considered. Rizal Irawan, a senior official at the Environment Ministry, noted that satellite imaging has identified 42 companies holding concessions with a high potential for wildfires. To combat the fires, authorities have employed weather modification techniques to induce rain and have conducted "water bombing" operations in affected areas.
The haze has extended beyond Indonesia's borders, with the Philippines' environmental bureau reporting that haze blanketed Manila, leading to "very unhealthy" and "acutely unhealthy" air quality levels in some areas. Similarly, data from Malaysia's environmental department showed that air quality in six areas of Sarawak reached hazardous levels.