Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is facing mounting pressure to improve regional leadership regarding transboundary haze management. With the majority of fire incidents originating within Indonesian borders, the current air quality crisis across Southeast Asia is increasingly viewed as a reflection of his administration's management. Millions of people throughout the region are suffering as forests and peatlands continue to burn.
The scale of the environmental impact has been severe this year. In early September, Kuching recorded the worst air quality of any major city globally. Malaysian authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency in the Serian district of Sarawak after the Air Pollutant Index surpassed 500. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, schools were closed across Metro Manila and more than 12 provinces. The ASEAN regional haze monitor has reached level three, the most severe category on its scale.
The persistence of these fires is driven by the use of fire as a low-cost land-clearing method by farmers, plantations, and companies, which avoids the expense of mechanical clearing. The situation is further aggravated by the burning of drained peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan, which releases higher concentrations of toxic particles than standard forest fires. Climate conditions, specifically the current El Niño cycle, have resulted in longer and drier seasons, creating conditions similar to those seen in 1997, 2015, and 2019.
Effective solutions require a combination of rewetting drained peatlands, enforcing a moratorium on new plantation permits, and publicly identifying and punishing recalcitrant companies. Experts also emphasize the need for enhanced local fire-response capacity, better tracking of smallholder burning, and the strategic use of satellite technology to detect and extinguish fires before they escalate.
Historical precedents exist for effective intervention. During the 2015 fires, where 2.6 million hectares burned, President Joko Widodo established the Peatland Restoration Agency, which successfully rewetted over a million hectares of degraded land, and created a standing haze task force. His 2019 implementation of a permanent moratorium on new peatland and primary forest permits led to a significant reduction in fire activity; by late 2024, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry reported a 59.4 percent year-on-year decrease in hotspots.
While President Prabowo has visited affected provinces and deployed police and military personnel to investigate and potentially revoke the permits of guilty companies, these actions may be insufficient. Cumulative hotspots by late July 2026 already exceeded the levels recorded in 2019. Further accountability measures, including the public prosecution of corporate leaders and increased resources for peatland restoration, are deemed necessary to fulfill the commitments of the 2002 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
You have reached the limit of 2 free articles this month.
Other than naming the responsible corporations and holding them accountable, there should be the public prosecution of the indicted corporate leaders, open publication of the concession-ownership data and increased resources for peatland wetting, along with enhanced fire-fighting capabilities.
