West Sumatra Hit by Haze From Forest Fires in Neighboring Provinces

West Sumatra province in Indonesia is grappling with haze caused by forest and land fires raging in neighboring Jambi, Riau, and South Sumatra provinces. Tasliatul Fuaddi, Head of the West Sumatra Environmental Agency, reported that several regencies and cities along the provincial border are experiencing reduced visibility and poor air quality due to smoke drifting in from these neighboring regions. The affected areas include Pesisir Selatan, Dharmasraya, Sijunjung, Lima Puluh Kota, Tanah Datar, and Solok.

Initially, the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) levels were in the good to moderate range, but the public is still advised to wear masks and limit outdoor activities to protect their health. The number of hotspots in West Sumatra has significantly decreased from 232 recorded between August 1-13 to 103 hotspots from August 14-23, showing a more than fifty percent reduction. Despite this improvement, haze continues to linger in areas bordering the affected provinces.

Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's Sipongi monitoring system reveals that Jambi has 1,281 hotspots, Riau has 1,433, and South Sumatra has 4,975 hotspots during the August 14-23 period. In contrast, Bengkulu and North Sumatra provinces have much lower hotspot counts of 154 and 214, respectively. Authorities are awaiting the outcomes of ongoing firefighting efforts by the government's joint team to address the issue.