“Indonesia’s 2026 El Niño Peat Fires Choke Southeast Asia, Unleashing Centuries of Stored C” — what this page in the network covers. As the historically strong 2026 El Niño intensifies, Indonesia is grappling with catastrophic peatland fires that have created what experts call the most polluted atmosphere on Earth. The blazes, concentrated in carbon-rich peatlands across Sumatra and Kalimantan, are releasing massive quantities of The blazes, concentrated in carbon-rich peatlands across Sumatra and Kalimantan, are releasing massive quantities of smoke, toxic haze, and greenhouse gases, pushing air quality in parts of Southeast Asia to hazardous levels.
The fires are not just an environmental disaster—they are a public health emergency, with millions of people inhaling dangerous particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. The crisis stems from a combination of extreme drought conditions driven by El Niño and the vulnerability of drained peatlands, which are highly flammable when dry. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.