The raging forest fires across Indonesia is a result of slash and burn, a common practice of the people to clear the land for new plantations. Its fumes and resultant haze pose serious threat to human health and contributes to climate change.

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world. Every year, small-scale farmers and palm oil companies use fire as the fastest and quickest means to clear tropical rainforests and peatlands to develop pulpwood and palm oil plantations. But this year, the situation is aggravated by the prolonged dry season linked to extreme El Niño weather phenomenon. Tens of thousands of hectares of forest in the country are already consumed by fire, causing serious concern not only among the people of Indonesia and its neighbouring countries in the Southeast Asian region, but also among the international communities.

Toxic fumes produce a choking haze that spread across Southeast Asia and affect both human and plant health. The fire also compels wildlife, such as the endangered orangutans, to flee from their habitat. The smokiest burn sites are the tropical peatlands that both small-scale farmers and large corporations have deforested and drained for wood products, palm oil, and agriculture. And since there’s no more forest canopy, the dried-out peatlands easily draw fire.

As we all know, the widespread fire is the highest source of carbon pollution. It converts carbon stored in burning peatlands into greenhouse gases, contributing much to climate change. Particles emitted by forest fires are proven toxic to the lungs, and are more harmful than particulate matter gathered from ambient air.

Scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) reported that they found harmful gases in the air including carbon monoxide, ozone, ammonia, formaldehyde, cyanide, methane, and nitric oxide. In Sumatra and Kalimantan, which are the worst hit areas in Indonesia, the levels of the Pollutant Standard Index, or PSI, have soared up to 2,000, which is way beyond tolerable level. Particulate matter that consists of more than 300 micrograms per cubic metre of air is already considered hazardous.

Effects of haze to human health

Haze is an atmospheric phenomenon where smoke, dust, and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. When inhaled, haze particles can easily penetrate into our system and bypass our normal body defense mechanisms because they are very tiny in size. They can enter our bloodstream and get absorbed by underlying tissues, potentially blending with other substances and compound in our body to produce damaging effects. Children, elderly, and people who have chronic ailments, especially respiratory and heart conditions, are more susceptible to it. They are prone to experience more severe haze-related effects than healthy people do. Asthma, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary conditions may worsen.

But even healthy individuals, who are exposed to thick haze particles for a long period may also experience short term adverse effects, including: ● watering or irritation of the eyes, or even conjunctivitis
● sore or dry throat, and coughing
● reduced lung function
● chest pain
● bronchitis
● headache
● dizziness
● fatigue
● anxiety
● stress

In most cases, though, such irritation and discomfort are mild and resolve on its own when you limit your exposure to haze. And the best way to avoid it is to stay indoor.

Prolonged exposure to haze may lead to higher risk of reduced lung development especially among children; development of chronic respiratory problems, like asthma, and; cardiovascular conditions, like heart attack. Some long-term risks associated with the fine haze particles have also been identified, such as:
● increased risk of death by cardiovascular condition and decreased life expectancy
● rapid rate of thickening of arteries may occur in people without preexisting cardiovascular disease
● insulin resistance or inflammation that can lead to the development of diabetes

Since July 1 this year, not less than 10 people were already reported dead in Sumatra and Kalimantan due to haze-related illnesses, and over 500,000 cases of acute respiratory tract infections have been reported. Neighbouring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines have also recorded an increase in respiratory ailments caused by the airborne haze particles.

Impact of haze on the environment

Not only humans can be adversely affected by haze. The environment may also suffer as forest fires contribute to climate change. Dry peat burns slowly for long periods and can reach down to the water table, resulting to exposure of tree roots. And when this happens, both the peat and forest vegetation become unstable, causing massive tree falls and loss of forest. Wildlife is also displaced from their habitat in the process, such as in the case of the orangutans in Indonesia, whose number is rapidly dwindling. And if forest burning does not stop, the eco-system will terribly become imbalanced.

Solution

While the Indonesian government struggles to manage the situation, perhaps we, as citizens of planet Earth, can call for the abandonment of slash and burn practice, peatland cultivation, and reduce forest conversion. The solution must not be to react to the crisis, but to find how how to prevent it from occurring again. The government must put teeth to laws regarding forests and peatlands. Existing peatlands should also be re-flooded to mitigate the risk of fire.