Indonesia’s Wildfires Scorch 1.9 Million Hectares, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Over 1.9 million hectares of forests and peatlands in Indonesia burned between January and September 2026.
• The 2026 annual hotspot count has already exceeded yearly totals from 2019 to 2025, according to Nusantara Atlas FireWatch data.
• Thousands of Indonesians protested on October 28, linking the fire crisis to the policies of President Prabowo Subianto.
• The fires have caused thick, toxic haze across parts of Southeast Asia, impacting neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
• Air pollution-related deaths in Indonesia rose by 42% from August to September 2026, with 3,560 deaths linked to fire smoke.

Detailed Insights:

• The widespread fires are primarily caused by land-clearing practices for agriculture and plantations, exacerbated by unusually dry weather.
• Peatlands, when dried for development, become highly flammable and contribute significantly to the intensity of the fires.
• The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) of Indonesia confirmed a strong El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are reducing rainfall, leading to dry conditions across 61.91% of the mainland.
• The cumulative burned area by September 2026 was 38% higher than in the same period in 2019 and more than double that of 2023.
• Fires are now extending beyond traditional hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with Papua Selatan recording the highest number of hotspots in late October.
• The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) estimated 333,470 acute respiratory infection cases across seven fire-affected provinces, with children under five accounting for nearly a quarter.
• Singapore has initiated action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act against private firms contributing to the fires.
• Indonesia and Singapore are exploring the establishment of a joint task force to address the transboundary haze issue.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• El Niño: A climate pattern describing unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, impacting global weather.
• Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD): An irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean, affecting rainfall patterns in surrounding regions.
• Peatlands: Wetlands characterized by the accumulation of partially decayed vegetation, highly susceptible to fire when drained and dried.
• PM2.5: Fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, a major component of air pollution that poses significant health risks.