In Indonesia, pollution in cities comes from vehicles, but in South Sumatra, and Kalimantan, it is land and forest fires. The annual burning season in Indonesia has left over million of people with a history respiratory ailments causing them at risk of suffering more from COVID-19.
Studies done overseas link air pollution to higher COVID-19 rates. The studies claimed that the places where air pollution level are higher, mortality rates from COVID-19 are as high. The study from Havard also showed that a small increase in long-term level of PM2.5 might increase the COVID-19 death rates by 15%.
Fires in the North of Thailand costed several people lives. Now, hundreds of fires are burning there, and in Laos and Myanmar. More fires are expected in Indonesia since the fire season is coming soon.
In a time of a deadly pandemic, the approaches for dealing with wildfires are failing. Social distancing might help slow down the spread of coronavirus, but it is hindering fire prevention programs such as rehabilitating degraded peatlands.
“We’ll remind villagers that peat fires and COVID-19 have similarities: they both attack our respiratory system, so at a time when we’re fighting COVID-19, please don’t exacerbate the situation by burning peatlands.” said Myrna A. Safitri, an official with the government’s Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG)
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Keywords : #forestfire #peatfire #firesuppresstion