{
  "id": 3417979,
  "title": "Malaysia must move beyond reactive API readings to forecast haze, says air quality researcher",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/malaysia-must-move-beyond-reactive-api-readings-to-forecast-haze-says",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T03:32:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/26/malaysia-must-move-beyond-reactive-api-readings-to-forecast-haze-says-air-quality-researcher/232667"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia must adopt a proactive approach to anticipate haze, warns air quality researcher. Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Besut Campus director and air quality researcher Dr Azman Azid has called for the development of an early haze warning system to protect public health, after recurring episodes of air pollution. Dr Azman believes that Malaysia is currently managing crises rather than preventing them and suggests integrating various data sources to forecast haze risks earlier. The Ministry of Health reported a 259 per cent increase in asthma cases during the 32nd and 33rd epidemiological weeks, indicating the significant impact of deteriorating air quality on respiratory diseases. Dr Azman proposes a new approach that includes forecasting, preventing, protecting, and acting, with a haze and health warning system built by combining hotspot data, satellite imagery, meteorological data, air trajectories, API readings, respiratory disease patterns, and PM2.5 levels. This system would enable hospitals and schools to prepare earlier for potential health impacts. Although Malaysia is already involved in regional cooperation through the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, Dr Azman emphasizes the need for better integration of data to enable earlier haze forecasts. He also stresses the importance of strengthening laws against open burning, bush fires, and peatland monitoring, as well as enhancing regional cooperation to address the transboundary nature of air and smoke pollution.",
  "summary": "KUALA NERUS, Aug 26 — Malaysia should develop an early haze warning system to protect public health following recu...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Malaysia, Indonesia to ramp up anti-haze measures ahead of National Day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/malaysia-indonesia-to-ramp-up-anti-haze-measures-ahead-of-national-day",
        "published": "2026-08-24T08:29:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze, Malaysia says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle-haze-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-08-24T08:49:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Malaysia says Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/malaysia-says-indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle",
        "published": "2026-08-24T09:42:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Indonesia allows Malaysian aircraft to conduct cloud seeding along border",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/indonesia-allows-malaysian-aircraft-to-conduct-cloud-seeding-along",
        "published": "2026-08-24T09:55:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze, Malaysia says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle-haze-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-08-25T01:12:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/like-smoking-a-cigarette-indonesia-chokes-on-haze-as-blazes-intensify",
        "published": "2026-08-25T04:17:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Haze persists across Malaysia as 17 stations record unhealthy air quality",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/haze-persists-across-malaysia-as-17-stations-record-unhealthy-air",
        "published": "2026-08-26T00:50:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}