Wildfires sweeping across Indonesia are on course to produce carbon emissions comparable to the nation’s most severe fire season this century, according to data and expert analysis. As of early September, fires had generated 76 million tonnes of carbon, placing 2026 on a trajectory similar to 2015, when approximately 2.6 million hectares burned and total emissions reached 333 million tonnes of carbon. Researchers note that certain regions, particularly eastern Papua, are experiencing unprecedented fire activity.
Indonesia has a long history of emissions-intensive fires. The 1997 fire season generated carbon emissions equivalent to between 13 and 40 percent of global fossil-fuel emissions that year. A separate analysis of 2015 fires found their carbon dioxide emissions exceeded the European Union’s total fossil-fuel emissions for that period, with resulting severe haze linked to more than 100,000 premature deaths across the region.
Current and past major fire years in Indonesia coincide with El Niño events, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon tied to Pacific ocean temperatures that raises regional temperatures and dries landscapes. The ongoing El Niño, which commenced in June and is expected to continue into 2027, is projected to rank among the most intense on record. While the phenomenon does not directly cause most fires, it functions as a significant amplifier by creating conditions that allow fires to ignite more readily, spread faster, and resist control efforts.
Fire prevalence in Indonesia is linked to extensive land clearance and peatland drainage for agricultural and palm oil production, creating highly flammable conditions during drought periods. Indonesia’s peatland ecosystem contributes to fire intensity, as degraded and drained peatlands dry out and become susceptible to smoldering underground fires that consume soil itself as fuel. The country has implemented various protective measures following catastrophic fire seasons, including a moratorium on plantation and logging licenses and establishment of a peatland restoration agency, though experts question whether current efforts are sufficient given emerging risks in regions like Papua.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI