In brief
In September, Indonesian air‑pollution deaths rose 42 % to an estimated 5,310, largely due to forest and land fires. The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air attributes the spike to El Niño‑driven drought and calls for stronger fire prevention and peatland restoration. Unresolved issues include the long‑term health impact and effectiveness of policy measures.
JAKARTA, Oct. 30 – A report released on Thursday by the Helsinki‑based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) says air‑pollution‑related deaths in Indonesia surged 42 percent from an estimated 3,740 in August to 5,310 in September, a jump that largely reflects the spread of forest and land fires across the archipelago.
CREA estimates that forest and land fires generated about 3,560 deaths in September, a twofold increase from August, while chronic, non‑fire emissions from urban and industrial sources contributed another 1,750 deaths. Toxic smoke from these fires “accounted for 94 percent to 99 percent of air‑pollution‑related deaths in four provinces in Kalimantan and over 80 percent in multiple provinces in Sumatra,” the report notes, a stark contrast to Java where deaths remained tied to urban and industrial sources. The report highlights a disproportionate burden in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java and records 333,470 acute respiratory infection cases linked to forest and land fires across several affected regions as of Oct. 21, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health.
CREA attributes the surge in deaths largely to an El Niño‑driven drought that worsened wildfire conditions across the industrialized and agrarian regions of Indonesia. It calls for stronger fire prevention, peatland restoration and enforcement against illegal land clearing, stressing that the health impact extended beyond fatalities, with an estimated 57.8 million people exposed to “unhealthy” or “hazardous” air nationwide in September.
Causes and Regional Impact
The increase is rooted in a combination of natural and human factors. The El Niño‑driven drought lowered moisture levels in peatlands, making them highly flammable, while illegal land clearing for agriculture and development ignited the forest decks. Once ignited, the peat fires released dense black smoke that, according to CREA, was the primary culprit behind the bulk of the deaths.
In Kalimantan, where volcanic peatlands dominate, the percentage of deaths from fire smoke ranges from 94 % to 99 %. In Sumatra, the figure is slightly lower but still above 80 % across multiple provinces. Java, traditionally an industrial hub, saw deaths dominated by urban and industrial sources, indicating that even in highly urbanized areas, pollution from non‑fire sources remains a serious health threat.
Health Outcomes and Calls for Action
Beyond mortality, the report presents a larger health toll. More than 57 million people were exposed to unhealthy or hazardous air in September.
The Ministry of Health’s data on 333,470 acute respiratory infections linked to fires corroborate the strong association between smoke exposure and respiratory illness. However, the Ministry’s report does not quantify deaths directly attributable to these infection cases, leaving a gap in the overall picture of the disease burden.
In response to the findings, CREA urges the Indonesian government to implement comprehensive fire‑prevention policies, restore degraded peatlands, and tighten enforcement against unsanctioned land clearance. The organization also highlights the need for systematic monitoring and better data collection to assess the long‑term effects of fire‑related air pollution on the population.
While the report provides a clear snapshot of the rise in air‑pollution deaths, several uncertainties remain. The exact contribution of chronic urban emissions to overall mortality still needs detailed investigation. The long‑term health outcomes of exposure to hazardous air, particularly in the most affected provinces, are yet to be measured. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed peatland restoration efforts and enforcement measures has not yet been evaluated, leaving key policy questions unresolved.
