Indonesian Fires Drive Regional Haze Alerts and School Closures
Indonesian forest fires are causing severe air pollution across Southeast Asia, leading to school closures and health warnings. The crisis is exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern, which has significantly increased the number of fire hotspots.
Why it matters
The haze poses a major public health risk and highlights the regional impact of climate-driven environmental disasters.
(Bloomberg) -- Acrid haze from Indonesian forest fires pushed air pollution to unhealthy levels across parts of Southeast Asia, prompting school cancellations and official warnings for millions of residents to stay indoors.Air quality ranged from “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” in parts of the Philippines and much of Borneo, according to Swiss monitor IQAir, as authorities stepped up their responses to a worsening cross-border crisis. While forest fires are a seasonal occurrence across Southeast Asia, prolonged dryness and hotter temperatures brought by the El Niño weather pattern have heightened the risk of more widespread and longer-lasting emergencies.
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