Alternative data: setting the record straight on the scale of Indonesia’s 2019 fires
Burning in Indonesia is a sensitive issue. Although fires are scarce in wet intact forest landscapes, they are increasingly frequent in Indonesia’s disturbed forests and peatlands.
Not only are fires a concern to the international community due to large-scale carbon emissions, but the associated thick air pollution also poses serious health risks to local residents and neighbouring countries.
Our study demonstrates that more than 3.11 million hectares of land burned in 2019 across Indonesia’s 34 provinces. This burned area is double the official estimate of 1.64 million hectares from the Ministry. Continue reading here
