Key facts
- Toxic wildfire haze is spreading across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
- The intensifying 'super' El Niño is exacerbating drought conditions, fueling the wildfires.
- Pollution levels have reached 'acutely unhealthy' levels in some areas, exceeding WHO recommendations.
- Over 50,000 respiratory infection cases were recorded in Indonesia linked to the fires.
- Peatlands, which are significant carbon reservoirs, are burning, releasing large amounts of carbon.
- The current El Niño event could lead to widespread burning, potentially affecting up to 11 million hectares.
A toxic haze from intensifying wildfires in Indonesia is blanketing parts of Southeast Asia, impacting millions of people and exacerbating health issues. The fires, burning for weeks across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo, are worsened by a 'super' El Niño that is intensifying drought conditions.
Pollution levels in some affected areas have reached 'acutely unhealthy' levels, more than 15 times the World Health Organization's recommended limits. In Indonesia, the Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to the fires between July and August, with more than 12,000 of those cases involving children under the age of five. Residents in affected regions, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, have reported symptoms such as coughs, sore throats, itchy eyes, and headaches.
Experts attribute the crisis to decades of land-use change, with large-scale fires often associated with the expansion of industrial plantations. Drained peatlands, which act as significant carbon reservoirs, are becoming 'carbon bombs' as they burn, rapidly releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Researchers warn that the current El Niño could lead to an unprecedented scale of burning, potentially affecting up to 11 million hectares, comparable to Indonesia's severe wildfire season in 1997-1998.
Indonesia's forestry minister has described the battle against the fires as entering a critical phase, with September identified as the peak of the El Niño and the main period of contention.