Indonesian Forest Fires Cause Transnational Smog, Spiking Oxygen and Purifier Demand

Indonesia’s frequent forest and peatland fires in recent years have once again triggered a severe transnational environmental crisis. As toxic smoke and fine particulate matter generated by the blazes spread with the monsoon winds, Indonesia and its neighbors, including Malaysia and Singapore, have been shrouded in suffocating haze. Facing a sharp deterioration in air quality that has reached dangerous levels posing risks to human health, the supply chains for medical supplies and home protective equipment in the region are under unprecedented strain. Manufacturers report an explosive surge in demand for critical respiratory protection equipment, such as oxygen cylinders and air purifiers. Factories are currently operating around the clock, working day and night to produce life-saving clean air devices to alleviate this public health emergency.

The root of this transnational haze primarily stems from agricultural slash-and-burn practices and peatland development on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. For years, some farmers and large palm oil and pulp companies have used traditional burning methods to clear land quickly and at low cost. However, beneath Indonesia’s vast tropical rainforests often lie thick layers of peat, a soil formed by the long-term accumulation of carbonized plant matter that is highly flammable. Once ignited, these underground fires not only burn surface forests but also cause the peat layer to smolder in an oxygen-deprived state, releasing dense toxic smoke containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and ultrafine particulate matter. Driven by dry-season monsoons, this smoke crosses borders, drifting into neighboring Malaysia and Singapore and causing widespread air pollution events.

As the toxic haze continues to envelop major cities across Southeast Asia, local air quality indices have rapidly spiked to extremely unhealthy red and even purple alert levels. The high concentration of suspended particles in the air is causing eye irritation, throat inflammation, and severe coughing among the public. For patients suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as sensitive groups including the elderly and children, it poses a direct threat to life. Hospitals and clinics are experiencing a surge in respiratory emergency patients, placing a heavy burden on the medical system. In this context, indoor air purifiers that filter harmful particles and medical oxygen cylinders that provide immediate, life-saving oxygen to patients with breathing difficulties have instantly become the most sought-after critical supplies, with inventories in various locations depleting rapidly.

Facing a sharp increase in market demand, manufacturers of medical equipment and home appliances are under immense supply pressure. To cope with this sudden public health test, major production lines have canceled leave and adopted a 24/7, three-shift work schedule, working day and night to accelerate output. Manufacturers indicate that employees on the production lines are giving their all to increase production capacity as quickly as possible, aiming to deliver these life-or-death clean air devices to the medical institutions and retail channels in greatest need. However, beyond the challenges of raw material supply and logistics in manufacturing the equipment itself, ensuring that these life-saving supplies are distributed fairly and rapidly to the vulnerable populations who truly need them is a daunting challenge that governments and suppliers in the region must jointly address.

The cross-border haze triggered by Indonesian wildfires has long ceased to be merely a meteorological or environmental issue; it has evolved into a major complex crisis impacting the region’s economy, trade, public health, and international relations. Although the Indonesian government has consistently promoted fire bans and strengthened enforcement against illegal burning, the vastness of the country, difficulties in supervision, and entangled economic interests have always hindered efforts to eradicate the wildfire problem. This haze event has once again highlighted the urgency of environmental governance in the region and the vulnerability of countries in responding to climate change and extreme weather events. While citizens are left to rely on purchasing air purifiers and oxygen cylinders for self-protection, how to fundamentally prevent the spread of wildfires through closer regional diplomacy and substantive policy cooperation will be a long-term challenge that the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must seriously face in the future.

(Source: Central News Agency)