What does it feel like to breathe air filled with thick, heavy smoke? Does it feel as though your throat is being choked, followed by persistent coughing?  

 

The experience is far from comfortable breathing. Instead, every breath can become difficult, irritating, and distressing. Clean air is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right that we all need to protect. Yet today, some communities across Indonesia cannot enjoy that right. 

 

Forest and land fires that have occurred over the past several months some areas in Indonesia, particularly in Borneo have made it increasingly difficult for people to breathe clean, healthy air. Smoke fills the air around affected communities and disrupts their daily lives. In some areas, fires have become an almost annual occurrence, repeatedly affecting the same regions. 

 

Health problems and reduced visibility represent only some of the immediate impacts experienced by affected communities. Smoke also contains fine particulate matter and other pollutants that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system, potentially causing or worsening respiratory problems over the long term. 

 

The smoke we inhale is more than just invisible air. Every breath of smoke that enters our lungs contains tiny particles released when vegetation burns in forest and land fires. Among them are particles known as PM₂.₅, measuring 2.5 micrometers (µm) or 30 times smaller than human hair diameter, which allowing them to travel deep into the respiratory system and increase health risks. 

 

Wind can also carry these fine particles far beyond the locations where fires occur. According to the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) data as of 7 September 2026, Pontianak, was among the cities in Kalimantan – Indonesia recorded a PM₂.₅ -related AQI value of 598, indicating hazardous air quality. Forest and land fires have heavily affected the city, contributing to the deterioration of its air quality. 

 

 

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, from the beginning of 2026 through August 2026, fires had burned approximately 57,000 hectares of forests and land in Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s important biodiversity hotspots and home to species such as the orangutan.  

 

This has resulted in significant economic and environmental losses as forest fires cause vegetation loss but also affects the respiratory health of surrounding communities. Acute respiratory infections (ARI) represent one of the health concerns associated with exposure to polluted air, including smoke from the massive forest fires. 

 

When people inhale wildfire smoke, the pollutants can irritate their eyes and respiratory tract and contribute to symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. Smoke exposure also worsens existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. Children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular comorbidity are groups with greater vulnerability to smoke exposure.   

 

 

Protecting clean air starts with the choices we make every day. Planting trees is one of the most common efforts to help maintain good air quality. Restoring degraded forests also requires long-term effort.  

 

This is where Trees4Trees contributes through forest restoration and tree-planting programs across Indonesia – particularly within Java and Bali, working closely with local communities to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen ecosystem resilience. Through these integrated approaches, Trees4Trees works to restore forests and coastal ecosystems while creating lasting environmental and social benefits for local communities. 

 

 

In addition, protecting forests and maintaining land cover are actions everyone can take to help reduce the risk of forest and land fires. 

 

Forest and land fires are closely linked to human activities. In fact, up to 99% are attributed to human activities, such as burning waste, lighting campfires, or deliberately setting fires. Many of these incidents can be prevented by reducing irresponsible practices and taking greater care to avoid activities that could potentially trigger fires. 

 

Protecting clean air, therefore, also means protecting the landscapes that surround us, preventing fires before they start, and restoring ecosystems that have been degraded. Because keeping our skies blue and our air clean does not begin in the atmosphere. It begins on the ground, with healthier forests, resilient landscapes, and communities to take care of them. 

 

Writer: Muhammad Dimas. Editor: V. Arnila Wulandani. Photos: Yulianisa Dessenita, Reuters, Antara, Liputan6.