Indonesia's peatland fires are a major source of the haze that blankets parts of Southeast Asia each dry season. Unlike forest fires that burn above ground, peat fires smolder underground for weeks or months. That makes them hard to detect and harder to extinguish, and it means they release large amounts of stored carbon. Most of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained for plantations. Canal networks lower the water table, dry out the peat, and turn it into fuel. During El Nino years, fire risk spikes. By early October 2026, Indonesian wildfires had emitted around 140.5 megatonnes of carbon, about 13 percent of the global total, according to Copernicus. Restoration efforts focus on rewetting peat and blocking drainage canals. The government says it has rewetted 4.16 million hectares, but activists point out that restored areas still burned. A new National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency has been announced, but its mandate and resources are still unclear.
