Indonesia
Archipelago
Motorists drive with headlights ong Aug. 20 along a haze-shrouded road in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, as smoke originating from widespread forest and land fires has significantly reduced visibility and degraded air quality across the province. Indonesia's government says over 100,000 hectares burned in the first half of the year. (AFP/Reina)
Forest and land fires continue to spread across Kalimantan amid a prolonged dry season, with extensive land clearing through burning adding to the threat as the government’s weather modification efforts struggle to contain the intensifying blazes.Hot spots have been detected in all five Indonesian provinces on the island of Borneo as of Friday. In Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, fires have been occurring with increasing frequency, according to a local forestry agency official who asked to be identified by his initials, AP.
“It is getting more frequent and intense and it is predicted to become even more severe. I believe we have not reached the peak of forest and land fires yet,” AP told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
