Hotspots, peat fires and palm oil: Why tracing Malaysia’s haze is so complicated

Putrajaya, Sept 20 - Malaysia's haze crisis has reignited questions about the role of the palm oil industry in regional fires. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi offered firefighting assistance to Indonesia, including an aircraft, helicopters and officers from various agencies. However, tracing the specific causes of the fires is more complex than initially appears.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board states that hotspots are found across multiple land uses, including unmanaged areas, pulpwood plantations and small-scale farming plots. The underlying drivers of the fires are human land-clearing activities and severe climate anomalies such as El Niño, which can amplify their spread. While the Malaysian oil palm industry has established zero burning practices through the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification Scheme, fire risk remains a concern during dry periods, particularly from June to September.

Satellite hotspot maps can indicate where fires may be occurring but do not necessarily reveal the cause or land use. The immediate challenge for Malaysia and Indonesia is to contain the fires and improve the ability to identify their causes, as well as to cooperate on prevention, land management and early detection.