Indonesia escalates battle against fires, putrid haze

Indonesia is ramping up its battle against wildfires and the resulting smoke and haze, officials announced on Friday. Thousands have been directly exposed to the hazardous air quality, particularly on Borneo and Sumatra islands. Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono reported that over 13,500 people were treated for respiratory infections during July and August alone. Schools have been intermittently closed, and the haze has affected people in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia as well.

Vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, pregnant women with asthma, and outdoor workers, must be closely monitored. NGOs have established two shelters in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan on Borneo island, to accommodate affected babies and children. The shelters can hold five children at a time and are equipped with baby formula, oxygen tanks, medicines, and a playground. Katharina Abi, a 30-year-old mother, sought refuge in one of these shelters due to the thick smoke that surrounds her home.

Dante warned that prolonged exposure to toxic air can lead to severe health complications. The ministry has distributed more than five million masks across Indonesia to combat the issue. El Nino, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon, has intensified the situation, making it even more challenging for authorities to control the wildfires.

The Disaster Agency (BNPB) confirmed that the government has intensified efforts to combat the wildfires, with some success. Cloud seeding, a method involving the sprinkling of silver iodide, salts, or other particles into clouds to trigger precipitation, has been used to support firefighting efforts. Recent rains have been prompted in east and south Sumatra and west Kalimantan due to these operations.

However, the effectiveness of cloud seeding depends heavily on atmospheric conditions and the presence of rain-bearing clouds. The government has also poured over four million liters of water on burning areas, and on Wednesday alone, scattered over 8,000 kilogrammes of salt onto clouds. Fires have burned more than 200,000 hectares of land from January to July, an area three times the size of Jakarta, surpassing previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023. Many fires are attributed to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices for agriculture.

Environmental advocate Indra Syahnanda of WALHI (World Wide Fund for Nature-Indonesia) called for immediate government action to address the root causes behind the recurring haze. The people of West Kalimantan continue to suffer from the unhealthy air, haunted by the haze that returns every year.