El Nino, Indonesian Peatland Conversion Add Up to Haze Risk
Bareksa • 03 Jul 2014
A worker adjusts the netting on a lorry carrying palm oil fruits inside a palm oil factory in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur. (REUTERS/Samsul Said)
Critics have said the Indonesian government is not doing enough to combat the fires.
Bareksa.com - Environmental groups and scientists fear a predicted El Nino weather pattern this year could exacerbate Indonesia’s destructive forest fires, which in 2013 left thousands of people sick, closed schools and sparked a diplomatic row with Singapore.
Meteorologists have predicted an El Nino weather pattern is likely this year, meaning Indonesia and much of Southeast Asia will see drier-than-usual weather and an increased possibility of drought.