Massive wildfires in Indonesia have sent toxic haze across parts of Southeast Asia as an intensifying “super” El Niño fuels dry conditions and worsens the crisis.
Some of the fires in Indonesia have been burning for weeks, with the worst-hit areas concentrated in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo.
Millions of people across the two regions have been exposed to smoke and hazardous haze from the fires, while the pollution has also spread into neighbouring Malaysia and farther north towards the Philippines.
The worsening conditions have triggered a public health crisis, with thousands of people in Indonesia reportedly admitted to hospital with respiratory infections linked to the polluted air.
In South Kalimantan, the fires have also devastated livelihoods, with farmers reporting the destruction of agricultural land and orchards.
One farmer described losing his fruit tree orchard to the fires, while a young mother said the persistent haze had left her three-year-old daughter sick.
The environmental threat extends beyond the immediate destruction caused by the flames.
The fires are also threatening to ignite so-called “carbon bombs” — huge reservoirs of carbon stored beneath Indonesia’s ancient peatlands.
Some of the peat deposits are thousands of years old and contain vast quantities of carbon. If they burn, they could release significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, potentially worsening global warming.
The combination of prolonged wildfires, toxic air pollution and vulnerable peatlands has raised concerns about the wider environmental and human consequences of the crisis.
As the fires continue to burn, millions of people across the affected areas face prolonged exposure to hazardous smoke, while authorities confront the challenge of containing fires that threaten communities, livelihoods and critical carbon stores.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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