Forest fires that have been burning for weeks in Indonesia continue to intensify, mainly in the province of South Kalimantan, generating dense and toxic haze that is engulfing some of the country's largest islands. The toxic smoke has already spread to neighboring countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Singapore's meteorological authorities, through the National Environment Agency (NEA), warned that the southern part of Southeast Asia will likely face drought conditions in the coming days, with "ongoing risk of strong transboundary haze." The agency stated that it expects fire hotspots and smoke conditions to remain elevated in fire-prone regions suffering from prolonged dry conditions.
The context behind this environmental crisis is the El Niño phenomenon, which according to the World Meteorological Organization (UN agency), may be the most intense ever recorded. This super El Niño, nicknamed by the international press as "Godzilla El Niño," is worsening drought conditions in the region and facilitating the spread of flames.
Nations affected by the toxic smoke – Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines – face significant health challenges while trying to deal with the situation, which is expected to worsen further given forecasts of continued dry conditions in Southeast Asia.
