In brief
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air reported that Indonesia saw 5,310 deaths in September, a 42% jump from August, driven mostly by smoke from forest and land fires. The surge was concentrated in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java, with 333,470 acute respiratory infection cases linked to the fires, and El Niño‑driven drought said to play a major role, prompting calls for stronger fire prevention and peatland restoration.
In a latest analysis released by a Helsinki‑based think tank, Indonesia’s air‑pollution‑related death toll jumped sharply in September, rising from an estimated 3,740 in August to 5,310 in the following month—an increase of 42 percent.
The report, issued by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), attributes this surge largely to smoke from forest and land fires that swept across the Indonesian archipelago during the summer months.
CREA counted 3,560 deaths in the September period that were linked to toxic smoke from forest and land fires, while urban and industrial sources added another 1,750 deaths from chronic pollution.
Fire‑smoke‑related deaths were concentrated in three island groups: Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java. In Kalimantan and across four provinces, 94 to 99 percent of deaths were attributed to toxic fire smoke. In several provinces of Sumatra, more than 80 percent of deaths were also linked to fire smoke, whereas in Java, mortality remained tied largely to urban and industrial emissions, according to CREA.
CREA’s findings highlight the disproportionate impact on rural and forested regions compared with major urban centers on Java.
The report also documents a broader public health strain. An estimated 57.8 million people were exposed to “unhealthy” or “hazardous” air levels nationwide in September, the think tank noted.
In addition to mortality figures, the ministry of Health reported 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections attributed to the same forest and land fires as of October 21.
According to CREA, the 42 percent jump in deaths is closely tied to a severe El Niño‑driven drought, which exacerbated wildfire activity across the country.
In light of these trends, CREA calls for stronger fire‑prevention measures, peatland restoration, and tighter regulation of illicit land clearing that fuels deforestation and land fires.
Peatlands, which cover large swaths of Indonesia’s lowland forests, are highly vulnerable to fire and a primary source of greenhouse‑gas emissions when disturbed.
CREA’s assessment indicates that the loss of peatland cover not only fuels hotter, longer fires but also releases more carbon into the atmosphere, underlining the link between land‑use policy and public health.
The organization encourages the Indonesian government to enforce stricter penalties against illegal land clearing, as well as to invest more heavily in community fire‑watching and early‑warning systems that can protect local populations.
These efforts would be particularly valuable for indigenous groups that rely on forest resources and whose livelihoods and cultural practices are intertwined with the health of the land.
In a broader sense, the report underscores how climate variability and human practices combine to amplify health risks in vulnerable regions, calling for integrated policy responses that confront both environmental and social dimensions of air pollution.
