Indonesia’s Worst Wildfires Since 2015 Spread Regional Haze

Indonesia is facing its worst wildfire season since 2015, with fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan fueled by El Niño-driven drought, peatland degradation and land clearing. Air pollution has reached hazardous levels in affected areas, while months of smoke have contributed to hundreds of thousands of respiratory illness cases and disrupted daily life. Haze has also crossed borders, prompting school closures and health concerns in Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor; Singapore is considering penalties against Indonesian firms under its transboundary pollution law. Indonesian officials have blamed past peatland interventions, including a 1990s food-estate project, for making areas more fire-prone and say they will work to restore peat ecosystems, as authorities deploy additional firefighting resources.