Why does Indonesia’s haze problem survive stronger fire controls?
Nearly 900,000 hectares had burned by late August, still well below the 2.6 million hectares burned in 2015, while Indonesia’s earlier enforcement, peatland restoration and detection reforms have helped limit the scale of fires.[1] Yet cheap burning, recurring fires in concessions and gaps in funding, coordination, equipment and land management continue to undermine prevention.[1]
Why it matters
The consequences extend beyond burned land: Indonesia recorded 113,336 wildfire-related respiratory infections across seven provinces by Sept 9, with 12.5 million people exposed to haze, while 32 Malaysian areas reported unhealthy air on Sept 18.[1][4]
Key insights
- Indonesia has become better at responding after fires ignite, but the economic incentive to clear land by burning remains because fire-free methods can cost considerably more.[1]
- Drained peat can burn underground, making fires difficult to detect and extinguish while producing smoke for weeks or months.[1][4]
- Hotspots identify possible fires but do not prove who caused them or establish which land use is responsible.[1][4]
- Indonesia launched 219 fire-related criminal investigations and named 162 suspects, but licence revocation—the strongest sanction against companies—has remained rare.[1]