‘We’re breathing in the smoke even as we sleep’: Living with haze in Sumatra
Residents in South Sumatra are facing severe health risks and economic hardship due to prolonged forest fires and hazardous air quality. The situation has been worsened by an extended dry season linked to the El Nino climate phenomenon.
Why it matters
The crisis highlights the devastating human and environmental impact of recurring forest fires in Indonesia, affecting millions of people and local food security.
PALEMBANG – In Ogan Ilir regency on the outskirts of Palembang, South Sumatra, near-constant forest and land fires for over two months have left the ground so dry in some areas that just stepping on it kicks up a visible cloud of dust and ash.
Nita Herman, 52, has to breathe it all in as she works her small farm, growing rice and vegetables. The fires and the resulting haze mean she cannot get as much done as she needs.
“My chest feels tight. When I drink, it feels like there’s a fish bone stuck in my throat,” she told The Straits Times as she worked on Oct 17.
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