Southeast Asia Haze Risk Grows as Forest-Clearing Fires Spike

A rise in forest-clearing fires could cause severe haze in Southeast Asia this year, according to a new report, as elevated agricultural commodity prices motivate companies to boost output from their plantations.

Blazes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island since mid-July have prompted the Singapore Institute of International Affairs to raise the risk of severe haze to medium in a report released on Monday, with the authors flagging a “concerning shift” from last year’s lowest reading.