Scientists warned that the effect on long-term global warming and immediate weather patterns throughout the world could be immense. The long-term threat to climate worldwide and health is significant. The lowland tropical rain forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan are among the most biologically rich ecosystems on earth. The potential loss to science of whole species would be felt worldwide, while the haze would hit the health and economies of the whole region, he said. Much of the Indonesian forests lie on up to 10-20 metres of now burning peat.
Peat fires burn deep underground for years and are almost impossible to control on a large scale.
This fire is a greater threat to human health than the Kuwaiti oil fires and harder to put out. Elephants, tigers and deer were potentially at risk but the effects would be felt throughout the food chain of the region because trees and plants would not pollinate. The air pollution could further complicate economic problems in the region, analysts warned yesterday. A whole range of industries from tourism to electronics and palm oil production, could be affected, said Liew Yin Sze, head of research at the Singapore investment house J M Sassoon. Mr Liew said the electronics industry, a crucial driver of the economies of Singapore and Malaysia, could also be hit.