JAKARTA – Southeast Asia has experienced severe haze incidents, particularly during years of strong El Niño, with recent crises occurring in 1982, 1997, 2015, and 2026. Fires in Indonesia have been exacerbated by hot, dry weather associated with the climate phenomenon.
The current haze episode, ongoing in 2026, marks the worst crisis in over a decade. Smoke from Indonesian forest fires has impacted air quality across the region, with reports indicating that levels in Metro Manila dropped to acutely unhealthy categories between late August and early September. Schools in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia have closed, and there has been a rise in respiratory illnesses in affected areas.
According to Indonesia’s Health Ministry, more than 283,000 cases of acute respiratory infections were reported in regions impacted by the haze from August 18 to October 13. Dramatic skies in Kalimantan turned orange from the flames, and NASA satellite imagery revealed significant carbon monoxide levels across Southeast Asia due to the fires. In October, Singapore’s air quality monitoring indicated that the city was the most polluted in the world for several days, marking 18 consecutive days of unhealthy air, surpassing a previous record of 15 days in 2015.
On October 18, Singapore registered a peak Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading of 230, classified as very unhealthy. Conditions improved on October 22, with the PSI returning to a more moderate level, though hot spots remained visible in satellite images over Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The ongoing fires have also devastated wildlife in Indonesia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reported that the flames are threatening habitats that support over half of Borneo’s orangutan population. As of October 8, Indonesia had rescued 232 wild animals, including 71 orangutans and 76 proboscis monkeys.
Protests have erupted in Indonesia as public frustration grows over the government’s response to the fires. Demonstrators are calling for more robust firefighting efforts and stricter regulation of companies responsible for starting the blazes. In a related effort, Singapore has issued legal notices to ten companies under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, requiring details on their fire prevention and suppression measures.
The 2015 haze incident was noted as the worst on record, driven by an influential “Godzilla” El Niño, leading to an estimated 100,000 premature deaths across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, according to a Harvard University study. The environmental devastation resulted in major economic losses, with estimates from the World Bank placing the cost of the fires at 221 trillion rupiah (S$15.6 billion).
The 1997 fires resulted in significant economic damage across the region and helped catalyze the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002, aimed at controlling land and forest fires. The initial major haze event recorded in 1982-1983, known as the Great Fire of Borneo, burned over five million hectares of land and prompted public health concerns over air quality.
As the current haze crisis continues, authorities and communities remain alert to its impacts, with ongoing efforts needed to combat the persistent issue of agricultural fires in the region.
