In brief
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) noted 5,310 deaths in September, up from 3,740 in August, with most fatalities linked to smoke from forest and land fires. The surge is linked to El Niño‑driven drought, and the report calls for stronger fire prevention, peatland restoration, and enforcement of illegal clearing. Health impacts include nearly 58 million people exposed to unhealthy air and over 333,000 acute respiratory infection cases.
In September, air‑pollution deaths in Indonesia surged 42 percent, rising to 5,310 from an estimated 3,740 in August, according to a recent report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The increase was largely due to widespread forest and land fires, according to the study released on Thursday.
Smoke released by these fires accounted for an estimated 3,560 deaths in September alone, more than twice the number reported for August. Chronic, non‑fire emissions from urban and industrial sources added another 1,750 deaths, bringing the total to 5,310.
CREA highlighted that the impact was heavily skewed toward certain provinces. In Kalimantan, toxic fire smoke accounted for 94‑99 percent of the air‑pollution deaths, while in several provinces of Sumatra the figure rose to over 80 percent. Java’s death toll, however, remained largely tied to urban and industrial sources, the report said, underscoring a disproportionate health burden compared to the island’s major cities.
Widespread Health Impact Across the Nation
The report also noted that nearly 57.8 million people were exposed to “unhealthy” or “hazardous” air conditions nationwide in September. Moreover, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health recorded 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections linked to forest and land fires in the affected regions as of October 21.
The surge in deaths and health cases was attributed by CREA to an El Niño‑driven drought that exacerbated wildfires in the country’s heavily forested areas. The combination of dry conditions, reduced rainfall, and human land‑clearing practices set the stage for larger and more frequent fires.
In response, CREA called for stronger fire prevention measures, peatland restoration projects, and rigorous enforcement against illegal land clearing. The think tank warned that without new safeguards the pattern of rising air‑pollution deaths could continue and further strain Indonesia’s public health system.
Experts say the Indonesian government has a narrow window to implement new policies before the next El Niño cycle arrives, potentially bringing even more severe drought and fire conditions to the region.
