In brief
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air reports that 5,310 people died from air‑pollution‑related causes in September 2026, up 42% from the previous month. Fires in forested regions dominated fatalities, while urban pollution added a smaller share. The surge, tied to an El Niño drought, highlights uneven health burdens across the archipelago and calls for stronger fire prevention and peatland restoration.
Indonesia recorded 5,310 deaths from air pollution in September, a 42 percent jump from the 3,740 deaths estimated for August, according to a report released by the Helsinki‑based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on Thursday.
CREA attributes the spike to widespread forest and land fires that spread across Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java during the country’s most intense El Niño‑driven drought in years. The think tank estimates that 3,560 of the September deaths resulted from toxic smoke released by those fires, while chronic emissions from urban and industrial sources caused about 1,750 fatalities.
In four provinces on Kalimantan, toxic fire smoke accounted for 94 percent to 99 percent of all air‑pollution‑related deaths, according to CREA. In multiple provinces in Sumatra, the figure was over 80 percent, whereas in Java the deaths remained largely tied to emissions from cities and industry, “highlighting a disproportionate health burden compared to urban centers in Java,” the CREA said.
“Toxic fire smoke accounted for 94 percent to 99 percent of air pollution–related deaths in four provinces in Kalimantan and over 80 percent in multiple provinces in Sumatra, whereas Java’s deaths remained tied to urban and industrial sources, highlighting a disproportionate health burden compared to urban centers in Java.”
Beyond mortality, the report records an estimated 57.8 million people exposed to unhealthy or hazardous air nationwide during September. In addition, the Indonesia Ministry of Health logged 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections linked to forest and land fires across several affected regions as of October 21.
CREA links the sharp rise in deaths to the El Niño‑driven drought, which intensified wildfires and exacerbated peatland combustion. The organization urges authorities to adopt stronger fire‑prevention measures, restore degraded peatlands and enforce regulations against illegal land clearing to curb future spikes.
While the figure represents the most comprehensive assessment to date, questions remain about data collection and estimation methods. The report integrates satellite fire detections and health ministry statistics, but critics of similar studies have noted potential under‑reporting of deaths in remote rural areas. The exact split between fire‑related and non‑fire deaths also depends on how health agencies attribute cause, a nuance the CRE report acknowledges but does not resolve.
Indonesia’s health officials are reviewing CREA’s recommendations, and several provinces have hinted at tightening fire‑regulation enforcement ahead of the new fiscal year. Meanwhile, researchers are calling for an expanded national air‑quality monitoring network to provide real‑time data for targeted public health interventions.
As the country grapples with the dual epidemics of fire‑driven air pollution and a lingering dengue outbreak, the 42 percent jump in September underscores the urgency of climate‑related health preparedness in Southeast Asia’s largest archipelago.
