Indonesia Wildfires Cause Toxic Haze

Source reports published 19 Oct 2026, 11:57 am – 20 Oct 2026, 10:00 am AEST

Indonesia is experiencing a severe wildfire season, resulting in a toxic haze that extends across Southeast Asia. The crisis is linked to land burning, particularly for agriculture, and highlights a lack of accountability for environmental damage.

What happened

• BBC reporters are documenting wildfire activity in central Kalimantan, Indonesia, where air pollution levels are hazardous.
• The haze, originating from hundreds of thousands of fires linked to respiratory illnesses, has spread to neighbouring countries including Singapore and Malaysia.
• Malaysia has closed schools due to deteriorating air quality, while Singapore has experienced dangerous levels of pollution.
• Fires are primarily driven by land clearing for agriculture, with dry weather and El Nino exacerbating the situation.
• Estimates suggest that between 637,000 and 900,000 hectares of land have been burned in Indonesia this year.
• The World Bank estimated losses of at least $16.1 billion in 2015, linked to weak enforcement and cheap land preparation.
• As of October 13, the Ministry of Health recorded 283,270 cases of respiratory illness in seven provinces.
• West Kalimantan province is also experiencing threats to communities and livelihoods.
• The haze is attributed to a market distortion where the costs of burning are not fully reflected in the decision to burn, and accountability gaps exist within ASEAN, hindering effective enforcement and consistent implementation of regional agreements.

Original reporting

• BBC: BBC visits Indonesia's wildfire ground blanketed by toxic haze
  2026-10-19T01:57:02.001000+00:00
• Al Jazeera: Southeast Asia’s haze crisis will persist until polluters pay
  2026-10-20T00:00:00+00:00