Why Southeast Asia Is Facing a Haze Crisis

In Indonesia, the hazardous air quality has caused a spike in respiratory infections, with 113,336 cases recorded across seven provinces on Sept. 9, according to Health Ministry data. That’s double the number of cases recorded a week earlier. Children aged five and younger made up nearly a quarter of the cases.

Central Kalimantan recorded an air quality index ISPU reading of 1,919 on Sept. 2, indicating an immediate threat to human health. Anything over ISPU 300 is considered hazardous.

Environmental and health agencies recommend limiting outdoor exertion, closing windows, using an air filter at home, and wearing an N95 mask outside.

Pets and livestock also face dangers from the haze. Pet owners are recommended to keep pets indoors as much as possible and look out for coughing, watery eyes, nasal discharge, fatigue, rapid breathing, and difficulty breathing. Flat-faced dog breeds, cats with feline asthma, and pets with pre-existing diseases are more vulnerable, veterinarian Fermandez Francis wrote in Singapore newspaper The Straits Times.