The escalation was driven by a massive surge in hotspots across several key regions. West Kalimantan recorded the highest number with 4,874 hotspots (an increase of 1,897 percent compared to June) followed by South Papua with 4,220 hotspots (an increase of 457 percent). The most concerning surge occurred in Central Kalimantan, where the number of hotspots had remained relatively stable at around 200 per month since January 2026, before skyrocketed to 2,821 hotspots throughout July.
Pantau Gambut assessed this surge evidence of the government’s failure to manage land and protect public safety from the impacts of extractive industries. Add fuel to the fire, the spread of haze has begun crossing national borders, forcing several schools in Malaysia to suspend teaching and learning activities. This reality demonstrates the severity of smoke exposure faced by people in Indonesia, who are living at the centre of the haze without adequate protection.
In addition to disrupting people’s daily activities, haze also threatens children’s growth and development, as they are among the most vulnerable groups due to their still-developing respiratory systems. At the same time, this crisis increases the risk of pregnancy complications and exacerbates the domestic burden borne by women in affected areas, without adequate legal protection or equitable mitigation measures.
Amid inadequate response measures and the government’s stalled enforcement of court rulings, civil society networks in affected areas emphasize that this crisis is no longer merely an ordinary environmental disaster.
“Forest and land fires in South Papua are no longer merely an ecological crisis, but a direct threat to the safety of women and children,” stressed Beatrix Gebze, a representative of residents in Merauke. She highlighted how prolonged exposure to smoke has triggered acute respiratory infections (ARI) among children, amid limited access to healthcare facilities, clean water, and increasingly scarce food due to the loss of natural resources.
