Indonesia is experiencing a severe wildfire crisis across Borneo, with thousands of active fire hotspots spreading amid drought conditions intensified by atmospheric patterns. Approximately 200,000 hectares of forest and farmland have been carbonized since early July, with fires continuing to burn both above and below ground across the region.
The situation is particularly concerning because the affected area encompasses one of the world’s largest tropical peatland ecosystems, spanning 4.5 million hectares. When these peatlands burn, they release massive quantities of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane accumulated underground over thousands of years—a phenomenon researchers describe as “carbon bombs.” Some peat deposits in the region exceed 20 meters in depth and can contain more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare, equivalent to annual emissions from thousands of vehicles.
The transnational air pollution crisis has reached critical levels across Southeast Asia, with air quality indices in multiple countries reaching nearly 75 times above WHO-recommended standards in some cases. Healthcare systems have been strained, with Indonesia’s Health Ministry recording over 50,000 respiratory infection cases linked to fires between July and August, including more than 12,000 children under five. Exposure to the toxic smoke containing fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide poses serious health risks to entire populations.
Thousands of volunteer firefighters, many from indigenous Dayak and Banjar communities, are battling the uncontrolled blazes using hand tools, portable pumps, and improvised irrigation systems to fight subterranean fires. These workers operate in hazardous conditions, with recent fatalities reported among volunteers whose health deteriorated from prolonged exposure. The crisis reflects decades of land-use changes beginning in the Suharto era, when vast areas were converted for logging and plantation development, though indigenous communities have historically been blamed despite their traditional, carefully-managed land-clearing practices.
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