And it doesn't end there. These fires threaten a wealth of ecological resources and the socio-economic structure of settlements in the region, through decreased forest productivity and decline in food production. A whole range of industries from tourism to electronics and palm oil production may also suffer.
Time is short and action is needed urgently.
Peat swamp forests are waterlogged forests growing on a layer of dead leaves and plant material, up to 20 meters thick. Their continued survival depends on a naturally high water level which prevents the soil from drying out to expose combustible peat matter. Peat swamp forests provide a variety of goods and services, both directly and indirectly, in the form of forestry and fisheries products, energy, flood mitigation, water supply and groundwater recharge. Initial estimates indicate that the fires have spread to forests covering 800,000 hectares of peatlands. Fires in these peatlands are unique in that they create many times more smoke per hectare than other forest types, and they are almost impossible to extinguish without restoring the naturally high water levels in these swamps.