Indonesia fires fuel worsening haze and health crisis

Indonesia is battling its most severe wildfire season in more than a decade, with thick smoke and hazardous air pollution affecting millions of people across parts of Borneo and Sumatra.

West Kalimantan province, including the city of Pontianak, has been among the worst-affected areas. Residents have reported worsening breathing problems, coughing, sore throats and fever as dense haze continues to blanket communities.

The fires have been intensified by unusually hot and dry conditions linked to a strong El Niño weather pattern. Despite wearing masks, some residents say the smoke has made it increasingly difficult to breathe.

Health ministry data shows that more than 12.5 million people across seven provinces have been exposed to wildfire-related haze. The number of people seeking treatment for respiratory illnesses more than doubled, reaching 113,336 by September 9, compared with 50,891 on September 1.

Health clinics in affected areas have also reported a sharp increase in patients suffering from breathing difficulties. In Pontianak, one clinic treated 187 such cases during the first 11 days of September, compared with 422 cases throughout August.

Local volunteers have launched an initiative known as “Rumah Oksigen”, or Oxygen House, delivering oxygen cylinders to residents and firefighters struggling with the polluted air.

The smoke has also spread beyond Indonesia, affecting air quality in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore. The regional haze is caused by a combination of wildfire smoke, land-clearing activities and fine airborne particles.

According to the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring service, Indonesia accounted for more than one-third of global fire emissions during the week ending September 7, releasing an estimated 19.7 million metric tons of emissions.

Government data indicates that fires affected about 202,000 hectares of land between January and July. An environmental group has estimated that another 600,000 hectares were damaged by fires in August.