Haze Crisis Deepens as Regional Pressure Rises

What's happened

Singapore and Indonesia are expanding cross-border efforts to curb forest and peatland fires driving Southeast Asia’s worst haze in years. Governments are forming enforcement task forces while protests, health warnings, and school closures intensify across seven provinces.

What's behind the headline?

Brief

• The haze crisis marks a climate-linked, transboundary health challenge that tests ASEAN cooperation.
• Officials are balancing immediate firefighting with long-term policy changes aimed at curbing slash-and-burn uses of peatlands.
• International attention centers on accountability for companies linked to fires and the enforceability of cross-border regulations.

What’s likely next

• Expect stronger regulatory actions and potential penalties for firms tied to fires.
• Regional bodies will push for tighter information sharing and joint firefighting capabilities.
• Public health advisories will remain in effect as long as air quality stays unhealthy.

How we got here

The fires in western Indonesia fuel the haze that has spread to Singapore, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia. El Niño-related drought and long dry seasons have worsened conditions, with authorities reporting thousands of hectares burned and a rising health burden across the region.

Our analysis

AP News reports on cross-border talks and enforcement actions; Independent coverage of protests and regional health impacts; NY Post coverage of local demonstrations and health statistics. Quotes show a consistent emphasis on accountability and regional cooperation, with Singapore and Malaysia urging stronger measures while Indonesian authorities stress ongoing suppression of fires.

Go deeper

• Will governments accelerate enforcement against implicated firms?
• How might ASEAN frameworks adapt to recurring El Niño-driven haze years?
• What health measures are schools and cities implementing next?

More on these topics

• Malaysia - Country in Asia

  Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia.

• Singapore - Country in Asia

  Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the w

• Indonesia - Country in Asia

  Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of more than seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. Indonesia i

• Borneo - Island in Asia

  Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.

• Kuala Lumpur - Capital of Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia.

• Prabowo Subianto - Defense Minister of Indonesia

  Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former Army lieutenant General who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia.

• Central Kalimantan - Province of Indonesia

  Central Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. It is the largest province in Indonesia by area since 2022, bordered by West Kalimantan to the west, South Kalimantan and East Kaliman

• El Niño

  El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, including the area off the Pacific coast of South America.

• East Java - Province of Indonesia

  East Java is a province of Indonesia. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern and southern coasts, respectively, while the narrow Bali Strait to the east separates Java

• Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park - National park in Indonesia

  Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, known locally as Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru is a national park located in East Java, Indonesia, to the east of Malang and Lumajang, to the south of Pasuruan and Probolinggo, and to the southeast of Surabaya, th

• Pontianak - City in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

  Pontianak, also known as Khuntien in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas River, at a point where it is joined by its major tributary, the Landak River. The city is precisely on the equator, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equatorial City). The city center is less than 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of the equator. Pontianak is the 23rd most populous city in Indonesia (as of 2023), and the fourth most populous city on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan) after Samarinda, Balikpapan and (Malaysia's) Kuching; it is now slightly ahead of Banjarmasin. It had a population of 658,685 at the 2020 Census within the city limits, with significant suburbs outside those limits, particularly in the regencies of Kubu Raya to the east and south of the city, and Mempawah to its north. The official estimate as of mid-2025 was 686,019 (comprising 342,880 males and 343,139 females - a gender ratio of 1:1.000755). The city was founded as a small Malay fishing village at the mouth of the Kapuas River. It then became the seat of the Pontianak...

• Singapore Exchange - Company

  Singapore Exchange Limited is an investment holding company located in Singapore and provides different services related to securities and derivatives trading and others.

• Mount Bromo - Active volcano in East Java, Indonesia

  The Bromo (Javanese: ꦧꦿꦩ), or Mount Bromo (Javanese: ꦒꦸꦤꦸꦁ​ꦧꦿꦩ, Indonesian: Gunung Bromo), is an active somma volcano, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and part of the Tengger mountains, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 meters (7,641 ft), it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most active and famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. At the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom, which is worshipped by Javanese Hindus. Mount Bromo is located in the middle of a plain called "Sea of Sand" (Javanese: Segara Wedi or Indonesian: Lautan Pasir), a nature reserve that has been protected since 1919. A typical way to visit Mount Bromo is from the nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang. From there it is possible to walk to the volcano in about 45 minutes, but it is also possible to take an organized jeep tour, including stops at the viewpoint of Mount Penanjakan (2,770 m (9,090 ft)) (Indonesian: Gunung Penanjakan). The sights on Mount Penanjakan can also...

• Dudung Abdurachman - Indonesian general

  General (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman (born 19 November 1965) is an Indonesian Army general who previously served as the 33rd Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (Kasad). He graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil) in 1988 beginning his career in the infantry. He was appointed Commander of Kodam Jaya on 27 July 2020, then on 25 May 2021, appointed Commander of the Kostrad. Dudung gained media attention in late 2020 for his anti-radicalism statements and standoff against extremist groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Furthermore, as Commander of Kodam Jaya, he instructed soldiers under his command to take down provocative banners and posters related to the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) throughout Jakarta, due to the inability of the civilian authorities. This action then sparked controversy.

• Vivian Balakrishnan - Member of the Parliament of Singapore

  Vivian Balakrishnan FRCS MP is a Singaporean politician serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party, he is also the Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Programme Office initiative.

• IQAir - Company

  IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology company, specializing in protection against airborne pollutants, developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products. IQAir also operates AirVisual, a real-time air quality information platform.

• Philippines - Country in Asia

  The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from

• Johor Bahru - City and state capital of Johor, Malaysia

  Johor Bahru (Malaysian pronunciation: [ˈdʒohor ˈbahru]) is the capital of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located along the Straits of Johor at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia. The city has a population of 663,307 within an area of 220 km2.