2016 Southeast Asian haze

In some Southeast Asian nations, air quality deteriorates to dangerous levels as a result of excessive quantities of airborne particulate matter from burning biomass.

[1] The fires are attributed to the employment of unlawful slash-and-burn farming techniques by companies and individual farmers to clear land for plantations that produce palm oil, pulp, and paper.

In many places the haze has become such an established problem that schools were left open, offering significant exposure risks to the young and vulnerable of the region.

In addition to directly causing rainforest fires, the haze also negatively affects the health and reproductive of local animals, including orangutans, birds, and amphibians.

The particulates and chemicals in the haze interfere with plants' ability to reproduce and perform photosynthesis by adhering to leaves and weakening the sun's rays.

[6] According to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, as many as 168,000 people in affected areas of Indonesia were seeking medical attention for respiratory issues.

Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including: premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing.