Indonesia escalates battle against fires, putrid haze

Indonesia has ramped up its efforts to combat wildfires and the resulting smoke and haze that has affected millions across the archipelago. According to the government, between January and July, fires burned over 200,000 hectares of land, an area three times larger than the capital city of Jakarta.

To tackle the crisis, officials have introduced innovative measures such as cloud seeding and water bombing. Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono reported that over five million people on Borneo and Sumatra islands were directly exposed to the risks of the toxic haze. Over 13,500 people suffered from respiratory infections in July and August alone, leading several schools to close intermittently.

Vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, pregnant women with asthma, and outdoor workers are particularly at risk. NGOs have set up shelters in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan on Borneo island, to provide care for affected children. Katharina Abi, a resident, brought her two young children to the shelter as the smoke made breathing difficult for them.

El Nino, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon, has exacerbated the situation by bringing drought-like conditions to Indonesia. The government has distributed more than five million masks to mitigate the impact of the toxic air. However, the effectiveness of cloud seeding, one of the measures employed, relies heavily on atmospheric conditions and the presence of rain-bearing clouds.

Disaster agency BNPB has reported that the government's intensified efforts have yielded some success. They have poured over four million liters of water on burning areas and scattered more than 8,000kg of salt onto clouds to trigger precipitation. Despite these efforts, the haze has also affected Singapore and Malaysia, causing respiratory issues among residents.

NGOs are calling on the government to address the root causes of the recurring haze problem, emphasizing that many wildfires in Indonesia are attributed to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices for agriculture.