Mails from Borneo: “In Sumatra, even in Palembang there are 76,000 victims.”

“Now there are huge protests in Indonesia demanding that the government resign. It is now known to the government that all the fires are set by companies, but the government does not want to reveal the names of the companies, which causes huge turmoil. Thousands of students are on their way to the capital, especially because the anti-corruption ministry has been suspended.

Palangkaraya, September 19 2019. IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN. The smoke haze tragedy of 2015 mega-fire where the surroundings became yellow might repeat itself. LAPAN satellite data shows during Sept 12-19, 17,997 active hotspots are found in all provinces of Kalimantan. Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) recorded at least 328.724 HA of land are burnt in Indonesia in 2019. About 7 million hectares of forests burned in Borneo since the first mega-fires of 1983. The recurrent fires are the legacy of 50 years of deforestation in Borneo (CIFOR). Peat fires release fine particulate matter (PM2.5), harmful pollutants smaller than dust, small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. PM 2.5 inhalation in a long period leads to various health problems; URI, diarrhea, and even NASOPHARYNX Cancer. 10.000 people in each province of Kalimantan are being affected by Upper Respiratory Tract Infection.”