Clearing the Air

The report links the expansion of the palm oil industry in Southeast Asia to the use of fire for land preparation, which frequently results in uncontrollable landscape fires. These fires, particularly those on drained peatlands, release hazardous particulate matter that causes an estimated 110,000 deaths annually in the region. The document highlights the exacerbating role of climate-driven droughts and the significant economic losses in tourism and industry, while calling for a global shift toward deforestation-free and peat-free palm oil production.

• Landscape fires in Southeast Asia, often used for agricultural land preparation, cause approximately 110,000 deaths each year due to exposure to particulate matter.
• The draining of carbon-rich peatlands for oil palm plantations creates highly flammable soils that can smolder for months or years, contributing significantly to regional haze; for example, peat fires accounted for 60% to 80% of the smoke and haze during the 1997–1998 event.
• Climate phenomena such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the positive Indian Ocean dipole increase the frequency and severity of haze by reducing rainfall, though recent evidence suggests major haze events can now occur even in non-drought years.
• Haze exposure leads to acute and chronic health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, with particularly high risks for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and low-income populations.
• The economic impact of haze is substantial, with the 1997 portion of the 1997–1998 event costing Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore an estimated $2.6 billion in losses across health, tourism, transportation, and industrial production.
• A significant portion of palm oil exports is linked to illegal deforestation, with estimates that over 53% of exports from Indonesia and 24% from Malaysia are connected to such practices.

APA

Goodman, L. K., & Mulik, K. (2015). Clearing the Air. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/clearing-the-air-ucs-2015.pdf

Chicago

Goodman, Lael K., and Kranti Mulik. Clearing the Air. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/clearing-the-air-ucs-2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goodman |first1=Lael K. |last2=Mulik |first2=Kranti |title=Clearing the Air |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=March 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/clearing-the-air-ucs-2015.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goodman2015clearing, author = {Goodman, Lael K. and Mulik, Kranti}, title = {{Clearing the Air}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/clearing-the-air-ucs-2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }