Illegal Burning and Haze in Southeast Asia

On March 30, illegal burning activities in agricultural and forested areas across Indonesia and Malaysia continued to intensify. The open burning of large quantities of crop residues and forest vegetation produced thick smoke, creating regional haze that spread outward, affecting areas such as Singapore and southern Thailand. As a result, air quality in the affected areas has deteriorated significantly, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching unhealthy levels in many locations. High concentrations of pollutants not only affect residents’ daily commutes and respiratory health but also place sustained pressure on the regional ecological environment.