Long-lasting forest fires, worsening impact as El Nino phenomenon accelerates in Indonesia

[Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur Jiji] The impact of forest fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan Island and other areas is becoming more serious. Firefighting efforts to extinguish the fire are proving difficult, as burning for land clearing is believed to be the main cause. The dry weather caused by the strong El Niño phenomenon is also accelerating the spread of damage.

El Niño, fear at its strongest level, peaks in December, will continue until February next year - WMO

On the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra, there are peatlands created by the accumulation of poorly decomposed plants. If a fire ignites, the peat underground will smolder, making it difficult to extinguish the fire. Nusantara Atlas, an independent site that monitors deforestation, estimates that this year's fires began to increase around July and by August had burned about 900,000 hectares, more than four times the area of ​​Tokyo.

The fires are still raging, and authorities are deploying 69,000 firefighters and about 50 aircraft to fight the fires. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency told Reuters: "Continuous rain is the only solution."

Local media reported people wearing masks walking through the streets of Kalimantan province, which was bathed in brownish haze caused by haze. According to health authorities, the number of patients with acute respiratory illnesses caused by fires in the state and other regions exceeded 280,000 in the two months ending on the 13th. The arrival of the rainy season has been delayed due to the El Niño phenomenon, and there is a risk that damage will continue to spread.

The haze has also reached surrounding countries. The sky in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is hazy every day, and many people can be seen wearing masks. Some flights to and from Singapore were also canceled, and schools were forced to close in southern states such as Johor. In Singapore, the government subsidized medical fees for related illnesses and distributed masks to the elderly and pregnant women.

The governments of Malaysia and Singapore have offered support to Indonesia and requested that it strengthen its countermeasures. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plans to discuss responses to haze during a summit meeting in Manila in mid-November.