Indonesians brave choking smoke to pray for rain as country battles wildfires
Residents in South Sumatra, Indonesia, held mass prayers for rain as the region faces severe wildfires and hazardous air quality. The fires, exacerbated by El Nino and a prolonged dry season, have created a thick haze affecting neighboring countries.
Why it matters
The event underscores the intersection of climate-driven environmental disasters and the cultural responses of communities facing extreme weather events.
PALEMBANG, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia's South Sumatra, the province with the highest number of wildfire hot spots, turned to spiritual measures on Tuesday as huge blazes in central and western regions scorched wide areas of forests and peatland, creating a choking haze that blanketed some cities in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
The prayer gathering initiative comes as the province faces prolonged dry weather that has heightened the risk of forest and peatland fires.
The latest satellite data from the Environment Ministry showed South Sumatra recorded the highest number of hot spots nationwide with 1,429, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,226 and Central Kalimantan with 811. Forestry Ministry data indicated that nearly 940 square kilometers (363 square miles) were burned in July alone, including over 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) in South Sumatra province.
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