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View all search resultsBreathing gets harder as haze blankets Southeast Asia
More than two months into haze crisis, worsening air quality and mounting health concerns are fueling frustration among residents and renewed calls for authorities to hold those responsible for the fires accountable.
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The Singapore Flyer and commercial buildings are shrouded in haze at the Marina Bay area in Singapore, on Sept. 15, 2026. (Reuters/Ore Huiying)
M
ore than two months into a haze crisis that has blanketed parts of Southeast Asia, worsening air quality and mounting health concerns are fueling frustration among residents and renewed calls for authorities to hold those responsible for the fires accountable.
On Monday morning, Kartika Lestari woke up to the worst air quality she had experienced since the beginning of the year in her hometown of Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra.
“The haze has turned the skies dark and yellowish. Even wearing a mask won’t really protect us, as the residue will stick to our clothes,” Kartika said during a virtual press conference hosted by Greenpeace Indonesia on Monday.
The concentration of microscopic toxic particles known as PM2.5 in the riverine city reached 1,702 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) that day, making Palembang the most polluted city in Indonesia, according to the Environment Ministry’s Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU).
The figure was more than five times the threshold for the index’s highest, “dangerous” category, which begins at 300 μg/m3, indicating a severe public health risk.
“This is something that should not be tolerated any longer,” Kartika said.
Read also: Justice in the choking haze
