{
  "id": 8385543,
  "title": "Why Government Should Watch for Potential Chaos in Kalimantan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/why-government-should-watch-for-potential-chaos-in-kalimantan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tempo.co English",
    "slug": "tempo-co-english",
    "url": "https://en.tempo.co/read/2119906/why-government-should-watch-for-potential-chaos-in-kalimantan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan have led to 72,431 cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) by mid-August 2026, with Palangka Raya suffering the most at 16,166 cases. The smoke from these fires has caused additional health issues such as eye diseases. Local volunteers have been working to provide relief and shelters for affected communities, but the Central Kalimantan administration's response has been criticized for not being sufficient. The haze has also caused fuel shortages, power outages, clean water shortages, lower household incomes, disruptions to learning, and limited access to health services. The government is urged to consider these risks when responding to the fires. In West Kalimantan, the haze has been affecting residents for about two months, with air quality deteriorating again between September 11 and 13. Residents have also faced difficulties accessing clean water, with some using saltwater for daily needs except drinking. Civil society groups have questioned the transparency of government funding for fire management and the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts in fire cases. They have also called for a stronger and more coordinated national response, including declaring the fires a national disaster.",
  "summary": "Health, water and livelihood concerns are growing in Kalimantan as forest and land fires continue to affect communities.",
  "key_points": [
    "72,431 respiratory infection cases linked to Central Kalimantan fires by mid-August 2026",
    "Palangka Raya experiences 16,166 ARI cases, most affected city",
    "Government urged to address chaos risks, transparency of funding questioned"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The government's delayed and insufficient response to forest fires in Kalimantan exacerbates health, economic, and environmental crises, underscoring the need for a stronger, more coordinated national approach to mitigate these impacts.",
  "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."
}