Where Is South Kalimantan's Thick Haze Coming From?

August 20, 2026 | 11:52 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A thick haze has been blanketing parts of South Kalimantan in recent days, reducing visibility and disrupting residents' activities. Photos and videos showing the severity of the haze have circulated widely on social media.

But where is the haze coming from, and what is driving the worsening conditions?

Where Is the Haze Coming From?

The haze is linked to forest and land fires burning on peatlands in several areas of South Kalimantan, according to the South Kalimantan Forestry Service.

Head of the South Kalimantan Forestry Service Fathimatuzzahra said the thick haze observed over the past week has mainly affected Landasan Ulin and Liang Anggang in Banjarbaru City, as well as Bati Bati in Tanah Laut Regency.

“This is because these areas are peatlands that are on fire,” Fathimatuzzahra said when contacted on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

She said Landasan Ulin and Liang Anggang border the Liang Anggang Protected Forest, an area also affected by the fires.

Peatland fires can be particularly difficult to extinguish because they can spread beneath the surface and continue burning even when flames are no longer visible. The smoke can also linger and spread to surrounding areas, particularly during dry weather.

How Is the Government Tackling the Fires?

The South Kalimantan Forestry Service has continued firefighting and suppression operations in an effort to contain the fires and reduce the haze.

The operation involves provincial and regency or city Disaster Management Agencies (BPBDs), Manggala Agni firefighting teams, and private fire suppression groups.

However, the peak of the dry season has complicated firefighting efforts by limiting the availability of water.

Fathimatuzzahra said the Forestry Service is working with the Public Works and Public Housing Agency to channel water into canals in protected forest areas. The water is then used to support firefighting operations.

Several mining companies are also assisting the effort by deploying firefighting teams and equipment under BPBD coordination.

How Bad Is the Haze?

The haze was still covering several areas of South Kalimantan on Thursday morning, August 20, 2026. The poor air visibility has affected motorists and disrupted residents' daily activities.

Raden Rafiq, director of the South Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said visibility had dropped to around 10 meters in some areas on Thursday afternoon and could be even lower.

Rafiq said the situation appeared to be worsening.

“The current haze update is getting worse and is predicted to worsen in the future,” he said while showing photographs of haze covering residential areas.

What Is Causing the Fires?

While the current dry season has made the fires more difficult to control, Rafiq said the problem should not be attributed solely to natural conditions.

According to him, the recurring fires point to deeper problems in environmental management. He argued that the government has focused primarily on responding to recurring disasters rather than addressing their underlying causes.

Rafiq emphasized that forest and land fires are not solely the result of natural factors.

“Instead, these disasters happen because of mismanagement of the environment,” he said.

The continuing fires on peatlands, combined with dry conditions, have therefore contributed to the thick haze now affecting parts of South Kalimantan.

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