Votes Trump Clean Air as Indonesia Polls Worsen Forest Fires
- Candidates offer land for votes in December's regional ballots
- Study finds link between elections and spread of pollution
Smoke rises from a forest fire in South Sumatra, Indonesia.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian/BloombergThis Article is for Subscribers Only
Indonesia’s forest fire-induced haze that has shrouded Southeast Asia for months has probably been made worse by electioneering ahead of the country’s local polls in December, a study has found.
The practice of giving land handouts during campaigns increases access to forest that can be cleared by fire for plantations, according to research by forestry scientist Herry Purnomo at the independent Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research. Fires have increased in the years when local polls have also been held, he said.