South-East Asia's Toxic Haze: More Than Just Fog, It's a Man-Made Disaster Ignored by the World

Over the past weekend, the suffocating haze that had plagued Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for nearly two months began to dissipate. This noxious air, primarily originating from fires on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, had led to approximately 300,000 people suffering from respiratory illnesses in Indonesia and a staggering 260% surge in asthma cases in Malaysia. As this pervasive blight on daily life receded in parts of the region, two critical points emerged: the widespread lack of awareness in other parts of the world about the true nature of the haze, and the insufficient attention it received in international news coverage. Fellow tennis players, returning to our club’s courts after weeks of absence, echoed this sentiment, noting that had such conditions enveloped countries in Western Europe, the global news cycle would have been dominated by it, much like the coverage of wildfires in Greece and California. However, for South-East Asia, the response was markedly different. The question, "Is it like heavy fog?" from a friend in the UK, typifies the limited understanding abroad. The reality is far from fog. The fires consume forests and peatlands, smoldering and reigniting for months, releasing toxic smoke so dense that authorities in Borneo have deployed oxygen-equipped buses to affected cities. Images from these areas depict hellish landscapes with orange-tinged air, where residents report that each breath feels like smoking a cigarette. For those living near the fires, conditions are unbearable. In Malaysia and Singapore, the consequences manifest as polluted air carried by prevailing winds, blanketing the countries and causing "weeks of misery," as succinctly described by The Straits Times. Photographs fail to capture the severity, often making the situation appear as mere grey skies. The acrid smell is the first assault, followed by a taste in the mouth and stinging eyes. Visibility plummets, with familiar buildings disappearing from view. Schools close, outdoor sports are canceled, and people are advised to limit outdoor exposure due to the presence of carbon monoxide and fine particulates that can enter the bloodstream. Escaping the haze is nearly impossible, as indoor air purification is often inadequate, especially in older, less airtight buildings where air conditioning is used less frequently than in regions like the Gulf. The heightened severity this year, exacerbated by what some term a "Godzilla" El Nino, has brought the issue to the news, though often with a sense of detachment, as if "bad things happen in developing countries." This perceived lack of connection is compounded by the frequent description of the haze as "seasonal." While it recurs regularly with dry weather and northward winds, it is not a natural occurrence but a man-made disaster. It stems primarily from the draining of peatlands for cash crops and slash-and-burn agricultural practices on plantations in Indonesia. These methods, though illegal, are cost-effective for farmers, particularly smallholders. The Indonesian government has initiated actions, suspending the operating licenses of 26 companies linked to the fires and President Prabowo Subianto denouncing deliberate burning as "ecological terrorism." However, enforcement in a vast and developing nation like Indonesia presents significant challenges. Inter-country disputes also arise, with sharp words from Malaysia and Singapore sometimes met with defensive responses from Indonesian officials, such as the remark that "When there's no haze, we send oxygen. The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia comes from our forests, right?" Encouragingly, recent developments include Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's announcement of a joint taskforce on forest fires with Indonesia, and technical discussions planned between the national disaster management agencies of Malaysia and Indonesia. Concurrently, the onset of the north-east monsoon and heavy rainfall in affected parts of Borneo have aided in clearing the air, though hotspots and lingering haze persist on the shared island. This issue extends beyond regional borders. Estimates suggest up to 900,000 hectares may have burned in Indonesia this year, releasing hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, potentially accelerating global warming and creating a dangerous feedback loop of hotter weather, drier conditions, and more frequent fires. Therefore, the haze and fires in South-East Asia demand the same level of international urgency and awareness as a natural disaster in Europe, underscoring that this is, regrettably, far more than just a matter of fog.