‘Hazardous’ levels of air quality in parts of Indonesia’s Borneo
‘Hazardous’ levels of air quality in parts of Indonesia’s Borneo
Air pollution has reached hazardous levels in parts of Indonesia’s Borneo, as smoke from forest and land fires blankets the region.
Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan recorded an air quality index of 780 on Aug 31, making it Indonesia’s most polluted city that day. An AQI reading above 300 is considered hazardous.
More than 5 million people on Borneo and Sumatra have been directly exposed to the haze, while about 13,500 people were treated for respiratory infections in July and August.
Authorities are working to restore areas affected by the fires, including planting trees in burned and degraded land and improving water infrastructure for firefighting.
