Praying for rain as fires, haze plague Indonesian Borneo

As wildfires rage across the Indonesian portion of Borneo, choking communities in Malaysia with noxious haze, the Indonesian government and local leaders are struggling to cope with the crisis. The disaster is believed to be one of the worst in decades, exacerbated by the severe drought induced by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Those affected include schools, hospitals, and local villages, all of which are battling the health and safety implications of the air pollution.

In Pontianak, the provincial capital of West Kalimantan, one of the worst-affected regions, school closures have left nearly 200,000 pupils learning from home. Teacher Syarifah Hatifah, who teaches nearly 600 students, worries about their academic progress and health due to the lack of stable internet and electricity in some homes. "Sometimes... there is a power outage at their home, or they forget to charge their phones," she explained.

Health officials in West Kalimantan estimate over 1,400 people have been hospitalized for acute respiratory infections since September, a number that has risen significantly from August’s 6,396 cases. To address the issue, health officials have distributed about 1,000 masks daily, but their supplies are dwindling. The agency is also addressing cases of diarrhoea caused by reduced access to clean water due to the drought, with 225 cases reported so far this month.

Meanwhile, in the village of Lintang Batang, hamlet head For Yonas is focused on fighting peatland fires that have been smoldering for days, emitting hazardous smoke. The community pooled their resources to purchase firefighting equipment, but they still lack hoses, making it challenging to extinguish the flames. Yonas emphasized the danger the smoke poses to vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with asthma.

The World Health Organization has warned that the levels of toxic small particle pollution in the haze far exceed safe limits.

As Indonesia's Bureau of Meteorology warns of little respite in the near future, local health officials are urging for rain to arrive between now and November, in order to alleviate the severe situation.