Malaysia’s Sarawak shuts almost 600 schools as haze hits ‘very unhealthy’ level
Transboundary haze has again disrupted daily life on Malaysian Borneo, forcing nearly 600 schools in Sarawak to shut on Friday as air pollution in parts of the state reached “very unhealthy” levels. The closures affecting almost 200,000 pupils were the latest disruptions caused by Southeast Asia’s persistent haze problem, which flares during dry spells when forest and peatland fires – often…
Nearly 600 schools in Sarawak, Malaysia, were closed on Friday due to hazardous levels of transboundary haze pollution, affecting roughly 200,000 students. The closures occurred as air quality in parts of the state reached "very unhealthy" levels, with the air pollution index (API) in Serian district topping 239. Other districts like Sri Aman, Kuching, Samarahan, Sarikei, and Bintulu also experienced unhealthy conditions, with API readings ranging from 150 to 172.
Health experts warned that long-term exposure to haze particles could lead to respiratory illnesses, especially among children and those with existing lung conditions. The ongoing transboundary haze problem is attributed to forest and peatland fires, often linked to land clearance for agriculture and plantations. The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, signed in 2002, aims to prevent and monitor fires, but Indonesia's failure to ratify it until 2014 has hindered its effectiveness.
Malaysian officials have been monitoring the situation since August 8, with measures under the National Haze Action Plan being implemented.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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