Indonesia peat fires drive severe haze across Southeast Asia

Months of sustained wildfires across Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra have produced hazardous haze affecting air quality in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. The fires burn slowly underground in carbon-rich peatlands, making them difficult to extinguish and allowing them to smoulder for months.

Indonesia holds about a third of the world's tropical peatlands, but 16.4 million hectares of its estimated 24.2 million hectares have been degraded. Drainage canals stretching roughly 285,000 kilometres — dug for timber, pulp, rice and palm oil plantations — dry out the peat and create fire-prone conditions.

“Emissions from Indonesia's fires have been the highest in the world for a month, making up almost half the global total over the last seven days.”

A severe "super El Niño" has brought additional heat and drought, accelerating the spread of fires this dry season. Emissions from the fires have ranked highest globally for a month, contributing nearly half of the world's total fire emissions over a recent seven-day period, according to the EU's Copernicus monitoring service.

Air pollution indices in parts of Borneo and Sumatra have exceeded 1,000, while Singapore recorded a one-hour PM2.5 peak of 284 micrograms per cubic metre. The crisis has triggered a spike in respiratory illnesses and diplomatic friction, with neighbours questioning Jakarta's fire management and its reluctance to accept outside assistance.

Official Indonesian data last updated in July reported 202,000 hectares burned, but environment group Auriga estimates over 637,000 hectares were damaged from January to August. Deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas puts the figure even higher at nearly 900,000 hectares.