'Breathing toxin every day': Indonesians choked by haze feel helpless
Residents in Pontianak, Indonesia, are struggling to breathe due to thick, acrid haze from wildfires on Borneo island, fearing for their health and feeling helpless. The haze, partly caused by El Nino, has paralyzed the local airport and led to an air quality index nearly four times the hazardous limit, causing widespread health issues and concern for children.
Why it matters
This situation highlights the severe human cost and environmental impact of climate-induced disasters like wildfires, affecting public health, daily life, and regional economies, and underscoring the vulnerability of communities to environmental degradation.
PONTIANAK, (Indonesia): Struggling to breathe through the acrid haze emanating from wildfires on Indonesia's Borneo island, residents told AFP on Wednesday (Sept 16) they feared for their health but had little to do but wait out the foul-smelling hazard.
Indonesia, which shares Borneo with Malaysia and Brunei, is grappling with forest fires that have ravaged swathes of the island, partly caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon that has also affected other countries in Southeast Asia and beyond.
In Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province, the thick, yellow smoke was so intense that it had paralysed the international airport over the weekend.
"My eyes sting, my head hurts. Over the past week it's been getting worse," resident Anggita Putri told AFP.
"While working, my chest feels tight, my head dizzy, my eyes burning. Even with this unhealthy air, we still must work," she said.
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