Indonesia is experiencing widespread wildfires exacerbated by the dry season and El Niño. The thick haze generated by the fires is causing a surge in respiratory illnesses and disrupting air travel. The haze has spread beyond neighboring Malaysia and Singapore to the Philippines.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that approximately 12.5 million people have been exposed to smoke from wildfires in seven provinces on Borneo and Sumatra. The number of respiratory illness cases rose from 50,891 on September 1 to 113,336 on September 9, more than doubling in just eight days.
The scale of the wildfire damage is significant. The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry stated that from January to July this year, 202,000 hectares of land were burned, roughly three times the area of Seoul. Local environmental groups estimate that an additional 600,000 hectares burned in August alone.
Reuters reported that this year's wildfire situation is the worst in 11 years, attributed to the effects of a so-called 'super El Niño' since 2015. The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry explained that drought caused by El Niño and human-induced ignition are the main causes of the surge in wildfires.
In fact, the thick haze is disrupting daily life. According to the Associated Press, Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan on Borneo, has been shrouded in thick haze since September 11, with visibility dropping below 1 kilometer. Flight operations have been disrupted for several days due to the haze, and firefighting efforts are also facing challenges due to poor visibility.
The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry recently reported a significant decrease in hotspots related to wildfires in Central and West Kalimantan. However, wildfires continue in various areas of Kalimantan, and the haze has thickened in Pontianak due to smoke drifting in from other regions.
The haze has crossed Indonesia's borders. Yonhap News Agency reported that Singapore recently recorded unhealthy air quality levels for the first time since September 2019. The Associated Press also noted that smoke has traveled over 800 kilometers to the Philippines, while Malaysia's Sarawak state on Borneo declared a state of emergency due to deteriorating air quality.
The Indonesian government is providing 1 million masks and hundreds of oxygen concentrators to affected areas and deploying medical personnel. Countries including Japan, the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada, and Ukraine are also assisting firefighting efforts with aircraft and equipment.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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