Key facts
- Indonesia's wildfires may continue until early November due to a late rainy season.
- The country is facing its most severe wildfires in 11 years, intensified by 'super El Niño' weather.
- Over 113,336 respiratory illnesses have been reported in seven provinces.
- Transboundary haze has caused unhealthy air conditions in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
- President Prabowo Subianto called for stricter sanctions, including classifying the use of fire for land clearing as 'ecological terrorism'.
- Indonesia has deployed over 50 aircraft for firefighting operations, with Japan providing three CH-47 Chinooks.
Indonesia is grappling with its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with the Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, stating on Wednesday that the fires could persist until early November. This extended duration is attributed to a delayed rainy season, now forecast to begin in late October or early November, a month later than initially estimated. The "super El Niño" weather phenomenon has parched the country's forests and fields, exacerbating the seasonal fire outbreaks, particularly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.
President Prabowo Subianto has called for stricter regulations and sanctions against those who use slash and burn methods to clear land, stating there will be zero tolerance for people or corporations found responsible for starting wildfires. He has asked the State Secretary and the Minister of Law to review legal sanctions and suggested stiffening laws to classify the practice as 'ecological terrorism'. Prabowo also instructed regional governments to immediately abolish exemptions that allow smallholders to clear small plots of land using fire and called for police to launch criminal investigations against corporations violating fire safeguards.
The severe air quality resulting from the fires has led to a significant increase in respiratory illnesses, with cases in seven affected provinces more than doubling to 113,336 between September 1 and September 9. Residents of West Kalimantan have been particularly affected by hazardous emissions. The transboundary haze has also impacted air quality in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
In response, Indonesia has intensified its firefighting efforts, deploying over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding operations. Japan has contributed three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to assist in combating the blazes. From January to July this year, fires raged across 202,000 hectares (almost 500,000 acres) of land, government data showed. Environmental group YKAN has estimated that fire damaged another 600,000 hectares (1.4 million acres) in August.