1.

4 Specific Environmental Problems

1. Open burning in Indonesia

Indonesia is known as an Agricultural country. Usually on the month between

July and October, Southeast Asean country will face haze, due to industrial-
scale slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia. The practice is commonly done by the
farmers to clean the land for the next plantation. It is said that fire is the cheapest and
quickest way to clear the land for the agriculture purpose. In estimation,
approximately 45 million tonnes of such residues are open burned on an annual
basis.

This open burning has effect several neighbouring countries such as

Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei which will suffer from Haze every year. The pollutants in
the haze can cause serious long-term damage to health. The indices used to
measure air quality in the region usually measure particulate matter (PM10), fine
particulate matter (PM2.5), sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and
ozone. PM2.5 is considered the most dangerous as it can enter deeper into the
lungs. It has been associated with causing respiratory illnesses and lung damage.