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3 clusters · 9 sources · 20 days · First seen 21 days ago · Last updated 1 day ago

Global urban air quality and Kalimantan forest fires

Overview

Global air quality monitoring reports indicate severe pollution levels across several major cities. In late July, Jakarta, Indonesia, was ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the world with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 147. By mid-August, Kampala, Uganda, and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, recorded higher AQI scores of 185 and 188, respectively. By August 20, Kinshasa recorded the highest AQI at 208, followed by Kuching at 199, while Jakarta's AQI rose to 162.

On August 19, 2026, severe forest and land fires in Kalimantan triggered widespread haze, significantly impacting air quality and visibility across Indonesia and Malaysia. In South Kalimantan, visibility dropped as low as 10 meters in some areas. The Indonesian Minister of Transportation reported flight cancellations in West Kalimantan due to unsafe visibility levels, and the local Education Office in Banjarbaru delayed school start times to protect students from smog.

Air quality monitoring shows extremely unhealthy PM2.5 concentrations in Sintang and Kubu Raya. The haze has become a transboundary issue, as the Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board reported smoke from West Kalimantan moving north into Malaysia, causing unhealthy air quality in Sarawak districts including Serian and Kuching. While small fires occur within Banjarmasin, authorities noted the primary source of the thickest haze is being transported from neighboring regions.

Entities

Jakarta · Pramono Anung · Kinshasa · Transjakarta · IQAir

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 1,106 hotspots have been detected in Kalimantan. bengkulu.tribunnews.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] BMKG recorded 5,019 hotspots across Indonesia as of July 29, 2026. bengkulu.tribunnews.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Banjarbaru Education Office has delayed school start times to 09:00 WITA due to severe haze. dutatv.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Visibility in some areas has dropped to approximately 10 meters or less due to haze. en.tempo.co
[○ 1 SOURCE] The haze in Banjarmasin is being transported from neighboring regions rather than local fires. www.riliskalimantan.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Forest fires in Kalimantan have led to flight cancellations due to poor visibility. www.cnbcindonesia.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] PM2.5 concentrations in Sintang and Kubu Raya have reached very unhealthy levels. katadata.co.id
[○ 1 SOURCE] Transboundary haze from West Kalimantan is affecting air quality in Sarawak, Malaysia. mediaindonesia.com

Timeline

1 day ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 7 sources
Kalimantan forest fires trigger severe haze and flight cancellations
Forest fires in Kalimantan have caused severe haze, reducing visibility to 10 meters, disrupting flights, delaying school hours in Banjarbaru, and causing unhealthy air quality in parts of Indonesia and Sarawak
12 days ago

[HEALTH] 2 sources
Kampala tops list of world's most polluted cities
Kampala, Uganda, recorded the world's worst air quality with an AQI of 185, followed by Kinshasa and Jakarta. Dhaka ranked 15th with moderate air quality.
21 days ago

[HEALTH] 5 sources
Jakarta's Air Quality Ranked Fourth Worst Worldwide on Friday Morning
Jakarta's AQI hit 147, ranking it fourth worst globally; authorities plan bus route expansions, free rides, 10,000 electric buses by 2030, and new waste‑treatment plants to cut emissions.

Sources

acvila30.ro · bengkulu.tribunnews.com · bhaskarhindi.com · cnbcindonesia.com · dutatv.com · katadata.co.id · mediaindonesia.com · novagradiska.hr · riliskalimantan.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history