Indonesia’s recurring peatland fires pose a persistent challenge due to the unique conditions of the region’s vast carbon-rich peatlands, which smolder underground for months. The thick smoke they generate spreads rapidly, creating hazardous haze that affects air quality across neighboring countries. Unlike surface fires, these underground blazes are difficult to extinguish because they thrive in waterlogged, dense organic soil. Climate patterns and human activities, including land clearing for agriculture, further intensify the problem each year.
We explain why Indonesia’s peatland fires are so difficult to battle and produce so much haze.
