Indonesian wildfire emissions surge to world’s highest

Indonesia is grappling with its most intense wildfire season in 11 years, driven by extreme heat and severe drought linked to a powerful El Niño event, according to recent data. Carbon dioxide readings from fires burning through forests and peatlands on Borneo and Sumatra islands have reached their highest levels globally, surpassing Russia's emissions this week.

From September 1 to September 7, Indonesia's fire emissions amounted to 19.7 million metric tonnes, making up more than a third of the world's total. Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, explained that the El Niño conditions have significantly exacerbated the situation, causing fires to burn more intensely.

From September 1 to September 7, fire emission intensity exceeded 1,500 kg/sq km, nearly 10 times the Russian level, with the highest concentrations in Kalimantan and eastern Sumatra. Air quality in areas like Pontianak was hazardous, with an index of 394. Although this year's fire season started early and is on pace with previous El Niño years, Parrington cautioned that the full extent of the problem might be underestimated, as peat fires may not be fully detected by current monitoring systems.