Indonesia's Forest Fire Haze Worsens, Affecting Humans and Wildlife

Since mid-2026, the skies over Kalimantan and Sumatra have once again turned gray. Forest and land fires (karhutla) have scorched millions of hectares of forests and peatlands, sending thick haze that not only obscures visibility but also chokes the breath of both humans and wildlife. In Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, the karhutla smoke has brought suffering to the community. In Ketapang, West Kalimantan, an adult male orangutan named Sampurna was found weak in a dry ditch on a palm oil plantation, shortly before he breathed his last. Latest data indicates the vast scale of this crisis. According to a press release from YLBHI on September 6, 2026, approximately 37.9 million people in eight provinces have been affected by peatland karhutla haze throughout August, and this situation is expected to continue for the next two months. In West Kalimantan, the number of acute respiratory infection (ISPA) cases recorded reached 165,747 by the end of August 2026. National data from the Ministry of Health, quoted by Reuters, shows the number of citizens with respiratory problems due to karhutla surged from 50,891 people on September 1 to 113,336 people on September 9, 2026, in just about a week. The haze's impact has even crossed borders into Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Based on the Ministry of Health's (Kemenkes) Situation Report as of August 27, 2026, karhutla has affected seven provinces: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Jambi, Riau, and South Sumatra, with a total population affected reaching 10,674,201 people. Fires occurring in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, have impacted the environment and disrupted public health. Photo: Widya/Mongabay Indonesia. Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Deputy Minister of Health, explained that karhutla smoke contains PM2.5 particles, which are airborne particles measuring less than...