
Total economic and health costs from January to August as a result of the haze could reach US$6.9 billion, analysts warn
Forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, intensified by El Nino, have created the worst wildfire season in 11 years, causing toxic haze, health crises in millions, and potential US$6.9 billion in economic and health costs.
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Forest and peatland fires in Indonesia are exacerbated by a super El Nino, causing intense wildfire seasons and regional haze.
Forest and peatland fires raging across Indonesia are threatening to become more than an environmental emergency, with analysts warning that the thickening haze could weigh on economic activity, strain public health and test confidence in the nation’s fledgling carbon market.
Indonesia is no stranger to forest and peat fires, but this year’s super El Nino has helped make it the country’s most intense wildfire season in 11 years. Toxic haze and smoke have also drifted to neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, forcing some employers to impose work-from-home policies while numerous schools have resorted to remote learning.
A health crisis is also in the offing. Data from the Indonesian health ministry last month showed that acute respiratory infection cases topped 15.6 million from January 1 to August 20 this year.
The ministry recorded 400,000 new respiratory infection cases per week at the height of the dry season between the end of July and the beginning of August.

At 12:00 on September 16, the Dongtou District of Wenzhou, Zhejiang ended the summer fishing moratorium and fully resumed fishing. More than a hundred fishing boats set off from Dongsha Fishing Port to the East China Sea. The local Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau has completed safety inspections to ensure that fishery production is carried out in an orderly manner. It is expected that the supply of seafood markets will be more abundant during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.

The Erhai Lake fish ecological regulation work was officially launched in 2026, with a total of 611 fishing boats participating this year. The project aims to optimize fish population structure through scientific fishing, promote the restoration of aquatic vegetation, improve the water quality of Erhai Lake and promote the transformation of ecological value. The operation will continue in stages until December.

Wang Xiaoxia, chief engineer of the Hainan Provincial Department of Water Affairs, said at a press conference that Hainan’s soil and water conservation rate will stabilize at above 95.72% during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Hainan will continue to consolidate the country's leading level of soil and water conservation by implementing comprehensive management projects, upgrading monitoring sites and building an intelligent supervision system.

With the end of the summer fishing moratorium in the East China Sea, the summer fishing moratorium in China’s oceans has come to a successful conclusion. During the fishing moratorium, the China Coast Guard dispatched more than 25,000 ships, seized more than 2,000 illegal fishing vessels, seized more than 900 "three noes" vessels involved in fishing, and confiscated more than 1.7 million kilograms of illegal catches, effectively maintaining the order of marine fishery resources.

The Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau is promoting the construction of the beautiful wetland system in the Pearl River Delta, and through special projects such as Foshan Sangyuanwei and mangrove protection, the city and wetlands can coexist harmoniously. With the improvement of the ecological environment, Guangdong has become an important wintering place and habitat for rare migratory birds, showing a green background for high-quality development.
The 2026 Beijing Green Development Forum is scheduled to be held at the Beijing Sub-Center from September 17th to 18th. With the theme of "Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis", the forum will release a number of green economic results and introduce the "1+4+N" model to promote the development of green economic industry and international cooperation through the main forum, parallel forums, expos, life festivals and other activities.