In brief
A Helsinki‑based think‑tank, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, highlighted a 42% jump in air‑pollution deaths in Indonesia for September, driven largely by forest and land fires. The surge, coinciding with an El Niño‑assisted drought, prompted calls for stronger fire prevention, peatland restoration, and stricter enforcement of illegal land‑clearing laws.
According to a report released by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on Thursday, air‑pollution‑related deaths in Indonesia rose 42 percent in September, increasing from an estimated 3,740 in August to 5,310, a surge largely tied to forest and land fires across the archipelago.
The report, which was first published on the world‑wide Xinhua news agency’s site, details that smoke from forest and land fires caused an estimated 3,560 deaths in September alone—a doubling of the figure for August—while chronic, non‑fire emissions from urban and industrial sources accounted for another 1,750 deaths.
CREA identified El Niño‑driven drought as the main catalyst for the intensified wildfires that spread through forested and peatland regions, calling for “stronger fire prevention, peatland restoration and enforcement against illegal land clearing.”
In the Kalimantan island, 94 percent to 99 percent of air‑pollution deaths were attributed to toxic fire smoke, while in several provinces of Sumatra the figure was over 80 percent. Java, however, still reported most of its deaths linked to urban and industrial sources, a contrast that CREA described as “highlighting a disproportionate health burden compared to urban centers in Java.”
"Highlighting a disproportionate health burden compared to urban centers in Java," the CREA said.
Beyond fatalities, the report estimates that 57.8 million Indonesians were exposed to air that was classified as either “unhealthy” or “hazardous” nationwide in September. These figures reflect the scale of deteriorated air quality linked to the prevailing fires.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health corroborated the health impact, reporting 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections tied to forest and land fires as of October 21. The cases were concentrated in the same provinces hardest hit by fires, such as Kalimantan, Sumatra, and parts of Java.
Regional Impact and Disproportionate Burden
CREA’s analysis points out that the provinces of Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Java shouldered the highest death tolls, with fire smoke responsible for 94 percent to 99 percent of deaths in Kalimantan and more than 80 percent in multiple Sumatra provinces. Java’s pattern differs, with deaths largely associated with urban and industrial pollution rather than fire.
These disparities underscore how rural and forested areas bear a heavier burden of fire‑related health risks, while Java’s urban centers maintain a persistent, non‑fire pollution problem that continues to affect large populations.
Call for Action and Future Measures
CREA urged Indonesia to strengthen regulations around land clearing, expand peatland restoration projects, and intensify fire prevention measures. The think‑tank also called for better monitoring of air quality and more comprehensive health surveillance to capture the full scope of pollution impacts.
Given the escalation in deaths and respiratory cases, stakeholders are evaluating current fire‑control policies and the enforcement of environmental laws to curb illegal land‐clearing practices that ignite these destructive fires.
Experts note that while urban emissions in Java remain a separate concern, the immediate crisis stems from uncontrolled forest and land fires, a situation largely driven by climatic conditions exacerbated by the ongoing El Niño event.
With air‑quality health risks now topping the nation’s environmental priority list, Indonesia faces a pressing need to balance economic land use with the imperative to protect public health from sudden catastrophic fire events.
Monitoring continues through late September, and updates are expected as governments implement stricter measures and as ecological conditions evolve under the lingering drought.
