‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’

In Indonesia’s Kalimantan region, fires have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, releasing suffocating smoke that has extended to Malaysia and prompted Singapore to go on alert. Residents struggle to breathe, with Suwadi describing each breath as feeling “like smoking a cigarette.” This situation has persisted for weeks in Kalimantan, where fires have consumed vast areas of land, including ancient rainforests, leading to a trans-boundary haze threatening neighboring countries.

Emergency rooms in West Kalimantan have seen a surge in respiratory patients, with about 5,000 arriving each week in July, compared to just 500 in the first half of the year. While people continue to go to work and school, many suffer from the adverse health effects of the thick smoke. Some schools have suspended classes, prompting parents to push for online education.

Authorities attribute the current fires to "slash and burn" techniques used for land clearing in palm oil plantations, which Indonesia is the largest producer of. This year's blazes are exacerbated by the "super" El Niño, which is expected to peak in September, with the dry season lasting into October. The region is already grappling with the worst fire season in recent years, with nearly 94,000 hectares burned in July alone.

The Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, is the most polluted city on earth, followed by Jakarta, according to air quality monitoring company IQAir. As the haze expands, Malaysia and Brunei are preparing to address the issue at Asean, with thick smoke drifting across borders. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the revocation of permits for corporations suspected of land clearing, and police have arrested 72 individuals linked to the fires.

Experts warn that the region could face another devastating fire year, especially with the prolonged dry season.