Indonesia's deadly haze sparks protests as government moves against fire‑linked firms
The death toll from Indonesia's wildfire smoke reached an estimated 3,560 in September, roughly double August's figure, while about 57.8 million people breathed unhealthy to hazardous air. The crisis has triggered protests in Jakarta and other cities against President Prabowo Subianto's policies, and the government announced prosecutions of companies tied to the fires. Over 4.6 million acres have burned since August, and more than 300,000 Indonesians have sought treatment for acute respiratory problems.
Key facts
- PM2.5 concentrations regularly exceed 500 µg/m³ and sometimes top 1 000 µg/m³, far above the WHO safe limit of 15 µg/m³.
- More than 12 000 schools nationwide have closed due to the toxic haze.
- An early‑warning system in Muaro Jambi, Sumatra, monitors temperature and water levels and shares data openly with communities.
- Deforestation, forest fragmentation and peat‑land drainage have increased landscape flammability, releasing centuries of stored carbon.
- The 2026 El Niño has intensified drought across Indonesia, fueling peat fires and worsening the haze.
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Why it matters
The haze threatens millions of lives and fuels calls for urgent environmental and policy reforms.
What changed
First published from The Conversation, PBS NewsHour, Phys.org, Mongabay and South China Morning Post