Pontianak sits on the equator in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan. It’s in the news as fires in Borneo and Sumatra drive haze across Southeast Asia, threatening air quality for the region.
Indonesia is battling widespread wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of hectares, forcing school closures and online learning in affected provinces. Authorities are deploying cloud-seeding aircraft and firefighting efforts across six provinces with more than 107,000 hectares burned this year. The country faces a harsher dry season linked to El Niño.
Indonesia has faced a spike in wildfires driven by a strong El Niño and dry conditions; fires have burned more than 107,000 hectares and pushed flames within metres of the Yiari orangutan rehabilitation centre in West Kalimantan. Authorities are using cloud-seeding aircraft, water-bombing and local teams to fight blazes as haze reaches neighbouring Malaysian Borneo.
The AP and Independent reports show Indonesia facing El Niño-driven drought with thousands of hot spots across Kalimantan and Sumatra. About 3,000 residents have gathered for a rain-prayer in Palembang as firefighting efforts continue and cloud-seeding and water-bombing aircraft expand to curb the haze.
A surge in forest and peatland fires across Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra has intensified toxic haze, fueling health risks and prompting international firefighting assistance. El Niño-driven drought and centuries of land degradation are driving the crisis, with cross-border air pollution affecting neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
Haze from Indonesian fires has prompted closures in parts of Malaysia and threatens Singapore’s F1 weekend. Air quality has deteriorated to unhealthy levels in several cities, with regional authorities warning of ongoing health risks as El Niño intensifies fire activity.
Indonesian authorities face mounting pressure as forest and peat fires drive toxic haze across Kalimantan and neighboring countries. A West Kalimantan lawsuit targets top officials, demanding accountability, healthcare coverage, and recovery measures while fires worsen dry-season conditions, prompting regional cooperation and emergency responses.