Slash-And-Burn Farming In Indonesia Reportedly Results To Acid Haze Spreading Across Southeast Asian Countries
Acid haze reportedly brought about by slash-and-burn farming in Indonesia has now spread across Southeast Asia affecting countries like Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Reports revealed that the haze started to affect Indonesia in June before spreading across the pond. ABC reported Oct. 21 that the fires have brought respiratory illnesses among the people in the region.
The emissions from thousands of fires reportedly exceeded United States' daily greenhouse output since early September, as per World Resources Institute (WRI).
"The burning of tropical peatlands is so significant for greenhouse gas emissions because these areas store some of the highest quantities of carbon on Earth, accumulated over thousands of years," WRI revealed .
Meanwhile, the acid haze from Indonesia reportedly has been affecting some parts of the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, for the past days.
Philstar forecasted Oct 20 that the haze that is visible in some parts of Mindanao could have came from Borneo and some parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, as per Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) office.
Further reports have revealed that the haze started to be visible in some parts of Mindanao last October 19. Hence, health officials already issued warning to the public to take precautionary measures to avoid the effects of the haze, especially to the human health.
On the other hand, a different kind of haze is reportedly spreading in South Korea, making it the newest Asian country to suffer haze. According to reports, the haze across South Korea reportedly came from China.
The Ministry of Environment of South Korea was not expecting that the pollution would spread across the nation this early. The haze in South Korea is "expected to last most of the week," as noted by HPR-2 on Oct 20.
Moreover, around 30 water-bombing planes are now trying to put out the fires in the country.
Superintendent Ben Millington of New South Wales' Rural Fire Service admitted "the fires aren't expected to be put out any time soon."
"The task ahead is one of a mammoth size," Millington said. "On Monday alone there was 236 fires or hotspots burning on the island of Sumatra alone."
