The Fiery Peats of Haze in Southeast Asia

First published in Clean Malaysia on 10 May 2016.

You would be forgiven for thinking the haze is here to stay. After all, countries in Southeast Asia have been experiencing almost annual haze episodes since the 1980s. And despite increasingly desperate rhetoric from governments, NGOs and the public across the region to banish haze once and for all, haze continues to be a dry season staple.

What makes the haze problem such a difficult one to solve? The common assumption is that haze is a result of smoke from naturally occurring forest fires; a natural phenomenon that is near impossible to curb or control. A deeper look into the human factors surrounding these fires, however, paints a picture that is quite contrary—and controllable.

Not All Smoke is Created Equal

It is correct that haze is a result of smoke from forest fires. But not all forest fires are the same, and not all of them produce the same kind of smoke. This is the key to understanding the haze problem, and its solution.

When you look out your window on a hazy day, what do you see? A murky grey shroud tinting your view of the skyline, and sometimes, on closer inspection, small black particles floating about as well. This particular type of haze is the result of a particular type of smoke from a very particular type of fire.

There are generally three types of naturally occurring forest fires in the region: brush, crown, and peat fires. Brush and crown fires are no big deal. Brush fires spread along low-lying vegetation, while crown fires burn the crowns of trees and tall shrubs. They both spread at a relatively slow rate and burn fresh vegetation. This “fresh” fuel means these fires usually produce a light smoke that disperses easily. They also die out quickly because of the high water content of the vegetation.

Peat fires, on the other hand, are quite different. Peat itself is a unique type of soil. Peat is commonly found along riverbanks and other coastal areas. Southeast Asian peatlands make up a whopping sixty per cent of the world's wetlands and they cover approximately twelve per cent of the region's land area.