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Explainer | What is causing the haze blanketing Southeast Asia?
- Air pollution in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia has spiked in recent weeks, as smoke from ‘slash-and-burn’ land clearing engulfs the region
- Despite pleas by Malaysia last week not to ‘normalise’ the haze, Indonesia has flatly denied any responsibility
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The perennial issue of transboundary haze has again sparked friction in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia’s environment minister writing to the Indonesian government last week calling for a regional response to the toxic smoke drifting across his nation.
The letter came just weeks after countries in Southeast Asia committed to a haze-free region by 2030.
In recent weeks air pollution in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia has spiked, with air quality indexes consistently showing readings above 150 – putting it in a bracket where people can experience health effects, and those with sensitive conditions could suffer more serious problems.
On the Indonesian side of Borneo island visibility was reduced to less than 10 metres, while schools have been shut in both Indonesia and Malaysia to minimise the health impact on young children.
Malaysia has blamed the haze on Indonesia, saying that smoke from forest fires drifts over the border.
Every few years, during the dry season, smoke from “slash-and-burn” land clearing, largely to make way for oil palm, pulp and paper plantations, engulfs much of the region, posing a threat to public health, education and businesses such as tourism.
What’s being done about it?
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