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30 clusters · 128 sources · 34 days · First seen · Last updated

Southeast Asian transboundary haze crisis intensifies

Overview

The transboundary haze crisis in Southeast Asia has intensified as the 2026 El Niño phenomenon transitioned to a “very strong” category, driving severe drought. In Indonesia, forest and land fires have escalated significantly; while government reports indicate 202,004 hectares burned between January and July 2026, independent analysis by Nusantara Atlas suggests the affected area exceeded 285,000 hectares by late July, surpassing the 2019 and 2023 cycles. Recent data indicates nearly 300,000 hectares have burned since the start of the year. Between August 28 and September 3, these fires released over 23 million tons of carbon emissions, a figure that surpasses levels recorded during the 2015 El Niño year.

Widespread fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have exposed approximately three million people across 37 regencies and cities to hazardous haze. In Riau, the Provincial Health Office reported 10,783 cases of Acute Respiratory Infection (ISPA) between August and early September 2026, with nearly 2,000 toddlers and over 1,800 children aged 5–9 among the affected. In response, the provincial government has deployed emergency medical teams and distributed free masks, while Pekanbaru officials are encouraging participation in the National Health Insurance (JKN) program to bolster long-term health security.

Air quality has reached extreme and hazardous levels. In Central Kalimantan, Kotawaringin Timur recorded an Air Pollution Index (ISPU) exceeding 1,111. In South Sumatra, Palembang has experienced unhealthy conditions with high PM2.5 concentrations. The haze has spread regionally; Sarawak, Malaysia, reported very unhealthy air quality in Kuching and Samarahan, while smoke has been noted in Singapore and unhealthy air has been reported in Metro Cebu, Philippines.

Entities

Indonesia · Sarawak · Kalimantan · Department of Environment Malaysia · BMKG

Claims

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Coverage disagrees

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Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [HEALTH] 4 sources
    Air pollution reaches hazardous levels in parts of Indonesia

    Severe air pollution is affecting Indonesia, with hazardous ISPU levels exceeding 1,000 in Kotawaringin Timur and unhealthy PM2.5 concentrations reported in Palembang due to forest and land fires.

  2. 4 days ago

    [HEALTH] 3 sources
    Riau faces respiratory infection surge amid forest fires and health insurance push

    Riau faces a surge in respiratory infections due to forest fire haze, while Pekanbaru officials push for increased National Health Insurance (JKN) participation to ensure community health security.

  3. 5 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Indonesia holds high-level meeting to tackle forest fire risks

    Indonesian officials and 358 land-use companies met to coordinate responses to forest fires as El Nino risks remain high.

  4. 5 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 20 sources
    Sarawak air quality remains unhealthy following lifting of Serian haze emergency

    Haze from Indonesian forest fires has caused severe air pollution across Southeast Asia, triggering a haze emergency in Sarawak, Malaysia, and affecting air quality in the Philippines and Singapore.

  5. 7 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 14 sources
    Southeast Asia faces severe haze from Indonesian forest fires

    Severe forest fires in Indonesia have caused a transboundary haze crisis, leading to unhealthy air quality in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and impacting health and education across the region.

  6. 7 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 24 sources
    Serian, Sarawak: Emergency declared due to hazardous haze

    Malaysia has declared a state of emergency in Sarawak's Serian Division due to hazardous haze from Indonesian wildfires. Hundreds of schools are closed as authorities conduct cloud-seeding operations.

  7. 8 days ago

    [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Davao air quality affected by Indonesian wildfire haze

    Haze from Indonesian wildfires has degraded air quality in the Philippines, pushing levels in parts of the Davao Region into the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category.

  8. 8 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Palembang air quality reaches unhealthy levels due to forest fires

    Palembang's air quality reached ‘very unhealthy’ levels due to forest and land fire smoke in South Sumatra, prompting BMKG to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and wear protective gear.

  9. 10 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources
    Forest fires in Indonesia expose 3 million people to haze

    Forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have exposed 3 million people to haze, prompting Komnas HAM to demand human rights protections and Bulog to coordinate rice aid distribution.

  10. 11 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources
    South Sumatra forest fires cause haze and flight delays

    Haze from forest fires in South Sumatra is impacting aviation visibility at Palembang's SMB II Airport, though officials report a decrease in active hotspots despite ongoing smoke risks.

  11. 14 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Haze pollution prompts mask and vitamin distribution in Indonesia

    Organizations in Dharmasraya and Kayuagung, Indonesia, are distributing masks and vitamins to protect citizens from respiratory issues caused by haze from forest and land fires.

  12. 15 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Malaysia haze causes surge in asthma and respiratory cases

    Haze pollution in Malaysia has caused asthma cases to spike eightfold in one week, prompting health experts to warn both vulnerable and healthy individuals about respiratory risks.

  13. 15 days ago

    [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Sri Aman air quality reaches very unhealthy levels due to haze

    Haze has pushed air pollution in Sri Aman, Sarawak, into the ‘very unhealthy’ category. Schools in Lubok Antu have closed due to poor air quality affecting thousands of students.

  14. 16 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Riau institutions respond to hazardous haze from forest fires

    Institutions in Riau, Indonesia, are responding to hazardous haze from forest fires; Universitas Abdurrab opened an emergency respiratory clinic, while Universitas Riau moved classes online.

  15. 17 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
    Indonesia implements remote learning and health alerts amid forest fires

    Indonesia is responding to severe forest fire smoke by implementing remote learning for students and issuing health warnings for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and the elderly.

  16. 18 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 5 sources
    Jambi forest fires cause poor air quality and trigger mask distribution

    Forest fires in Jambi have caused poor air quality, leading schools to mandate masks and the military to distribute 6,000 free masks to residents to mitigate health risks.

  17. 19 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 24 sources
    Southeast Asia haze worsens as Indonesian forest fires impact Malaysia

    Haze from Indonesian forest fires has caused unhealthy air quality across Malaysia and Indonesia, prompting school closures in Pekanbaru and triggering increased enforcement in Malaysia.

  18. 21 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 21 sources
    Indonesia wildfires expose 3 million people to hazardous haze

    Wildfires in Indonesia have exposed 3 million people to hazardous haze, causing a surge in respiratory infections. The government has deployed medical teams and supplies to seven affected provinces.

  19. 21 days ago

    [HEALTH] 8 sources
    Malaysia health issues rise amid haze and poor air quality

    Haze in Malaysia has caused a 259% surge in asthma cases and a 124% rise in respiratory infections, with unhealthy air quality reported in Sarawak and other regions due to transboundary smoke.

  20. 21 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources
    Sarawak closes 591 schools due to worsening haze

    Sarawak has closed 591 schools and implemented immediate closure protocols for childcare centers as haze levels rise, affecting nearly 197,000 students across 10 districts.

  21. 22 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    West Kalimantan faces 360 fire hotspots amid haze concerns

    West Kalimantan faces 360 fire hotspots due to the dry season. Deputy Governor Krisantus Kurniawan has urged public vigilance and warned that corporations responsible for land fires may face license revocations

  22. 22 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Riau faces unhealthy air quality due to forest fire haze

    Haze from forest fires in Sumatra has pushed air quality in Riau into the unhealthy red zone, prompting medical experts to advise mask use and limited outdoor activity for vulnerable groups.

  23. 23 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Indonesia faces wildfire risks amid El Nino and Mount Raung smoke

    Indonesia faces heightened wildfire risks due to El Nino, with BMKG warning of dry weather until October. Meanwhile, smoke at Mount Raung is attributed to land fires rather than volcanic activity.

  24. 25 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 16 sources
    Indonesia combats rising forest fires amid strong El Nino

    Indonesia is battling intensified forest fires affecting over 200,000 hectares due to a strong El Nino. The government is deploying aircraft and cloud seeding to mitigate the crisis.

  25. 29 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 6 sources
    Sarawak reports unhealthy air quality due to transboundary haze

    Unhealthy air quality levels have been recorded in several Malaysian regions, notably Sarawak, due to transboundary haze and hotspots in Kalimantan, prompting calls for regional action via ASEAN.

  26. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
    Sarawak closes 108 schools as haze levels rise

    Haze from Indonesian forest fires has caused 108 schools in Sarawak's Serian district to close. Unhealthy air quality affects multiple Malaysian regions, with no significant improvement expected for days.

  27. about 1 month ago

    [HEALTH] 3 sources
    Air quality in Indonesia reaches unhealthy levels due to forest fires

    Air quality in parts of Indonesia, including Kubu Raya, has reached unhealthy levels due to forest and land fires, with PM2.5 concentrations hitting 250.0 µg/m³ in some areas.

  28. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources
    Haze from regional fires impacts air quality in Malaysia and Singapore

    Haze from Indonesian forest fires is causing unhealthy air quality across Sarawak, Sabah, and parts of Malaysia, while Singapore monitors rising risks as dry conditions persist.

  29. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
    Indonesia wildfires cause school closures and transboundary haze

    Wildfires in Indonesia, driven by El Niño, have burned over 107,000 hectares, causing school closures and spreading unhealthy haze into Malaysia, particularly affecting Sarawak.

  30. about 1 month ago

    [HEALTH] 6 sources
    Sarawak haze worsens as Kalimantan fires drive unhealthy air quality

    Sarawak’s API spiked to unhealthy levels as Kalimantan fires in Indonesia caused 643 hotspots; Malaysia’s environment agency activated haze action plans, cloud‑seeding and school closures.

Sources

24hod.sk · alhijrahnews.com · aljazeera.com · antarafoto.com · antaranews.com · arynews.tv · bahanamahasiswa.co · baotintuc.vn · barbadosgazette.com · barbaraganz.blog.ilsole24ore.com · barefootlax.com · barristery.in · bengkulu.tribunnews.com · berita.rtm.gov.my · beritaharian.sg · beritajatim.com · beritariau.com · bhaskarlive.in · bukkzserc.hu · ca.sports.yahoo.com · clovermedia.jp · cnbcindonesia.com · dailysintang.com · dayakdaily.com · diamenty.forbes.pl · disway.id · dutatv.com · edgedavao.net · ekbis.harianjogja.com · emissoradasbeiras.pt · en.antaranews.com · en.tempo.co · enca.com · epochtimes.com · era.id · es.vietnamplus.vn · eveningreport.nz · fr.news.yahoo.com · freeMalaysiaToday.com · freemalaysiatoday.com · global.liputan6.com · globalcybernews.com · globalnation.inquirer.net · haitigazette.com · halosemarang.id · harianjogja.com · hlavnespravy.sk · independent.co.uk

This summary has been updated 66 times: see revision history