A blanket of haze has intensified across Southeast Asia, with Indonesia at the epicenter of a crisis that saw air pollution-related deaths surge by 42 percent in September alone. An estimated 5,310 fatalities were recorded across Indonesia that month, up from 3,740 in August, driven by smoke from forest and peatland fires. While much of the regional impact has been felt closer to the source, Vietnam has also reported localized smoke plumes,
Indonesia’s land and forest fires, largely stemming from agricultural clearings, have triggered an air quality emergency that has persisted for months. A record 57.8 million Indonesians were exposed to unhealthy, very unhealthy, or hazardous air conditions in September, a 40 percent jump from the previous peak in August. The provinces of Kalimantan and Sumatra have borne the brunt of this environmental catastrophe, with average PM2.5 concentrations in Kalimantan doubling in September to 120 micrograms per cubic meter. This figure far exceeds the World Health Organization's annual guideline of 5 micrograms.
The haze stems from a combination of environmental conditions and human activity. The current El Niño event, described as one of the strongest ever measured, has intensified drought conditions across the region. While natural ignition can occur, authorities allege a significant portion of these blazes are intentionally set to clear land for agricultural expansion, particularly for palm oil and pulpwood plantations. The burning of peatlands releases greenhouse gases and fine particulate matter, contributing to both local and transboundary haze.
Critics within Indonesia contend that the government had ample warning about the El Niño's potential impact but failed to adequately prepare for the dry season. These critics point to a 75 percent budget cut to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) earlier this year, which they say hampered preventative and responsive capabilities.
In response to mounting pressure and the escalating crisis, Indonesian authorities have initiated efforts to hold those responsible accountable. The National Police have named at least 20 corporations and over 200 individuals as suspects in cases involving alleged deliberate land-clearing fires or negligence. These firms include 16 domestic companies and four foreign-invested operations from Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has publicly condemned the fires as a "crime against humanity," urging prosecutors and police to pursue both individuals and corporations implicated in the destruction. Efforts to combat the fires have also included aerial operations, such as deploying dry ice, though the sheer scale and persistence of the blazes continue to pose an immense challenge.
The pervasive haze has long transcended Indonesia's borders, fostering regional tensions and prompting calls for stronger collective action. Neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia have routinely suffered from the transboundary pollution, leading to widespread health issues, disruptions to daily life, and significant economic setbacks. In Singapore, where air quality periodically reached "very unhealthy" levels in October, lawmakers are moving to toughen the country's anti-haze law.
Proposed amendments to Singapore’s legislation include new arrest powers for offenders, tenfold increases in fines for non-compliant companies, and the ability to try defendants in absentia.
Amidst this backdrop of escalating crisis and rising tensions, the establishment of a regional haze coordinating center emerges as a critical, albeit slow-moving, piece of the puzzle. Indonesia is pushing for the operationalization of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC) at the upcoming 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila. This center, intended to be based in Jakarta, aims to strengthen regional cooperation in preventing, monitoring, and mitigating land and forest fires through better information sharing and coordinated responses.
However, the effectiveness of the ACCTHPC hinges on ratification by all member states. Vietnam is the sole ASEAN nation to have already ratified the underlying agreement for the ACCTHPC. While current transboundary haze from Indonesian fires has primarily impacted closer neighbors, localized hotspots and slight smoke plumes were detected in parts of Vietnam as recently as November 6.
The haze crisis is slated to be a priority agenda item at the ASEAN Summit. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir recently led a ministerial-level coordination meeting focused on addressing "irresponsible business practices" and enhancing cooperation with regional neighbors. A joint task force between Indonesia and Singapore, established in late October, aims to facilitate information sharing and cross-border evidence gathering to target companies linked to the wildfires. However, the path forward remains fraught with challenges, as historical offers of firefighting assistance from neighboring countries have sometimes been rebuffed, leading to perceptions of Jakarta downplaying the crisis’s severity in the past.
The annual haze crisis is a grim reminder of a systemic regional vulnerability that dates back decades, with major outbreaks consistently occurring during strong El Niño years. Despite numerous agreements and declarations over the years, including the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution signed in 2002, fully coordinated action and enforcement have lagged. The persistent reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture, particularly on carbon-rich peatlands, not only generates immense pollution but also contributes significantly to global climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.
Experts warn that without a shift in land management practices and enforcement of environmental laws, the cycle of haze will persist.