CAGAYAN de Oro City — Air quality in parts of Northern Mindanao reached a level considered “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” on September 21 as smoke haze from forest and peatland fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region continued to affect the area.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau Region 10 (DENR-EMB 10) recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 103 at 7:15 a.m., according to the Cagayan de Oro City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD), which posted the reading on its Facebook page.
The reading means people who are more sensitive to air pollution may need to take extra precautions and limit prolonged exposure to polluted air.
Children, older adults, and people with existing respiratory or heart conditions are among those advised to take extra care while air pollution levels remain elevated.
Why the haze is spreading
The haze affecting parts of Northern Mindanao has been linked to ongoing forest and peatland fires in Indonesia.
Indonesian environmentalist and lawyer Belgis Habiba, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace, said in a statement sent to Mindanao Gold Star Daily on September 21 that the fires in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia are being driven largely by degraded peatlands.
Habiba said drained peatlands lose much of their natural moisture and become more vulnerable to fire. Once ignited, peat fires can burn both above and below the ground, making them difficult to detect and suppress, particularly during prolonged dry periods.
Muhammad Iqbal Damanik, an Indonesian environmental activist and campaign manager of Greenpeace Indonesia, likewise said the fires are linked to the large-scale drainage of peatlands and broader land-management concerns.
He described the situation as a cycle in which climate conditions and land-use practices can worsen the impact of fires.
El Niño is also a factor
The Indonesian government has acknowledged fires in forest and peatland areas and has pointed to climate conditions, including El Niño, as factors that can worsen dry conditions and contribute to the spread of fires.
Environmental groups, however, say El Niño can intensify dry conditions but maintain that degraded peatlands remain an important underlying factor in Indonesia’s recurring forest and land fires.
The continuing fires have produced widespread smoke haze in parts of Indonesia, with pollution reaching areas beyond the immediate locations of the fires.
For Northern Mindanao residents, the latest AQI reading of 103 provides a basis for sensitive groups to reduce prolonged exposure while authorities continue monitoring air quality.
