Indonesia’s Transboundary Haze Crisis

Forest and Land Fires in Indonesia

Indonesia is experiencing some of its most severe forest and land fires in more than a decade, intensified by unusually dry conditions and slash-and-burn practices used to clear land for agriculture, including palm oil plantations. Thick smoke has created hazardous haze across Indonesia and neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Millions of people have been affected by school closures, disrupted businesses, poor air quality, and rising respiratory illnesses. The fires have created diplomatic tensions, particularly as Singapore considers prosecuting companies linked to Indonesian concessions and urges stronger regional cooperation. Indonesia has deployed firefighters, announced action against arsonists, and eventually accepted regional assistance, while public pressure grows for the government to declare a national disaster. Nearly 280,000 respiratory infections have been linked to the fires in Indonesia, including more than 60,000 cases among children under five, and four firefighters have died. Activists argue that authorities must address corporate responsibility and the root causes of land burning rather than focusing only on firefighting.

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Transboundary Haze Across Southeast Asia

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