{
  "id": 17005884,
  "title": "Oh, how we wish the haze choking South-East Asia was just fog",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/oh-how-we-wish-the-haze-choking-south-east-asia-was-just-fog-17005884",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2026/10/29/haze-southeast-asia-indonesia-malaysia-singapore/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The haze plaguing Southeast Asia for nearly two months has finally begun to subside over Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This noxious air, primarily caused by fires on Borneo and Sumatra, led to respiratory illnesses for over 300,000 people in Indonesia and a 260% increase in asthma cases in Malaysia. Despite the respite, the haze remains a significant concern, and its impact is often underestimated in other parts of the world.\n\nMany are unaware of the true nature of the haze, often confusing it with heavy fog. The fires, which burn forests and peatlands, produce thick, toxic smoke that can last for months. The air appears orange, and breathing is akin to smoking a cigarette. The aftermath in Malaysia and Singapore has been described as \"weeks of misery,\" with the prevailing winds carrying heavily polluted air across the countries.\n\nThe acrid smell, taste, and stinging eyes are common, and buildings that are usually visible from balconies are obscured. Schools close, outdoor sports are halted, and people are advised to limit time outside due to the presence of high carbon monoxide levels and tiny particulates that enter the bloodstream. The haze is particularly stubborn in older buildings with poor air sealing.\n\nThe severity of this year's haze is partly attributed to the \"Godzilla\" El Nino. News coverage has been somewhat distant, leading to a sense of detachment from the issue. The haze is described as seasonal, which contributes to the lack of urgency. However, it is a man-made disaster primarily caused by peatland draining for cash crops and slash-and-burn agricultural practices, both of which are illegal.\n\nEfforts to combat the haze include suspending operating licences of companies linked to wildfires in Indonesia and President Prabowo Subianto describing deliberate burning as \"ecological terrorism.\" The Indonesian government has ordered investigations, but enforcement remains challenging due to the country's vast size and ongoing development. Despite these efforts, bickering between affected countries sometimes occurs, with Malaysia and Singapore occasionally rebuking Indonesian officials.\n\nRecent announcements of a joint taskforce on forest fires between Indonesia and Singapore, along with technical discussions between Malaysia and Indonesia, show progress. The beginning of the north-east monsoon and heavy rain have also helped clear the air. However, up to 900,000 hectares may have been burned in Indonesia this year, releasing hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon stored for thousands of years. This poses a risk of accelerating global warming and creating a \"doom loop\" of hotter weather, drier conditions, and more fires in the future.",
  "summary": "At last, over the weekend, the “haze” began to subside over Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, where I live. For nearly two months, the noxious air emanating from fires, mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, had caused about 300,000 to suffer respiratory illness in Indonesia and led to a 260 per cent surge in asthma cases in Malaysia. As this blight on daily life lifted in parts of the region,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}