ASEAN Leaders Can Act to Reduce Fires and Haze

This briefing by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the June 2013 fires and haze crisis in Riau Province, Sumatra, using high-resolution satellite imagery. It argues that ASEAN leaders should use the 23rd ASEAN Summit to commit to collaborative actions, such as making concession maps public and establishing a blue ribbon panel, to prevent recurring environmental and public health disasters.

• In a 2.2 million hectare study area in Riau Province during the June 2013 fires, over 1,500 square kilometers of land burned. This area is more than twice the size of Singapore, and WRI notes that total burning across the region was more extensive than this specific study area indicates.
• A significant portion of the fires were illegal under Indonesian law, with 72 percent occurring on peatland and some occurring in protected areas, specifically 700 hectares within the 6,000 hectares of Tesso Nilo National Park located in the study area. The burning of peatland is highlighted as a factor that will hinder Indonesia's ability to meet its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets.
• Analysis of burn scars suggests extensive fires within company concessions, particularly pulpwood and oil palm concessions. Two concessions showed burn scars exceeding 100 square kilometers each, and 12 others had fires between 10 and 100 square kilometers. WRI notes that these findings do not definitively prove company responsibility due to inaccuracies in available concession maps, emphasizing the need for public concession data and impartial investigations.
• WRI validated the accuracy of the NASA MODIS FIRMS system, finding that it correctly detected fires 97 percent of the time when compared to high-resolution imagery. This suggests that policymakers can rely on this free, daily updated data for monitoring rather than investing in new, expensive systems.

APA

World Resources Institute (2013). ASEAN Leaders Can Act to Reduce Fires and Haze. https://www.wri.org/insights/asean-leaders-can-act-reduce-fires-and-haze

Chicago

World Resources Institute. ASEAN Leaders Can Act to Reduce Fires and Haze. 2013. https://www.wri.org/insights/asean-leaders-can-act-reduce-fires-and-haze.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=ASEAN Leaders Can Act to Reduce Fires and Haze |date=8 October 2013 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/asean-leaders-can-act-reduce-fires-and-haze |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2013asean, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{ASEAN Leaders Can Act to Reduce Fires and Haze}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/asean-leaders-can-act-reduce-fires-and-haze}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }