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Drained peatlands in Indonesia are more vulnerable to fire, and fires can smolder underground for weeks while sending persistent, harmful haze across the region. Reporting current to 13 October 2026 links the 2026 fires to damaged peat landscapes, with consequences for respiratory health, wildlife and the climate. The figures below are attributed to the organizations and officials cited in that reporting; they are not all independently audited.
What are peatlands?
Peatlands form when plant material decomposes incompletely in waterlogged conditions and accumulates over long periods. Their waterlogged soils store carbon, support biodiversity and help contain floods. The AFP report puts Indonesia’s peatland area at an estimated 24.2 million hectares, citing Pantau Gambut. For global context, the report says peatlands cover about 3% of the world’s land and hold about one third of global soil carbon—twice the amount it says is trapped by forests. Those global comparisons are also reported by AFP, rather than established here from an underlying dataset.
The same report, again citing Pantau Gambut, estimates that 16.4 million hectares of Indonesian peatland are degraded and vulnerable to fire. It attributes about 285,000 kilometres of canal networks to Pantau Gambut research. These are reported estimates, not independently verified measurements in the available reporting.
Why are they burning?
Drainage makes peat easier to ignite
Industrial-scale timber, pulp and paper, rice, and palm-oil cultivation are associated with drainage canals in the AFP report. Canals carry water toward rivers or the sea. As water levels fall, peat dries out and becomes more susceptible to ignition. PetaBencana.id’s 2026 account also connects drought with higher fire risk on land that has already been cleared or drained. Severe drought, including conditions that can occur in strong El Niño years, can further dry these landscapes.
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PetaBencana.id reported a 167% year-on-year increase in fire hotspots nationwide by mid-July 2026. This is that organization’s comparison at that point in the year, not a final annual count or a measure limited to peatland fires.
Underground fires are hard to stop
Once peat catches fire, thick layers can smolder below ground for weeks. A fire may be difficult to detect and extinguish because it can persist beneath the surface rather than appearing as a large, visible flame. That prolonged burning helps explain why peat fires can produce haze long after ignition.
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The AFP report says peatlands account for less than a third of Indonesian wildfires but produce most of the haze, attributing that comparison to Greenpeace research. It describes the smoke as containing PM2.5 and other pollutants, including formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia. The report says haze can reach Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.
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What are the impacts?
Public health
Fine particles such as PM2.5 can enter deep into the lungs. The AFP report says the World Health Organization has linked PM2.5 exposure with increased illness and death. It also attributes more than 170,000 treatments for acute respiratory infections in Indonesia during August and September 2026 to the health ministry. That figure is for the stated period and is a ministry-attributed treatment count; the report does not establish that every case was caused by haze.
Wildlife and habitat
Peat fires damage habitat used by endangered animals, including orangutans and Sumatran rhinos. Long-lasting fires can therefore harm wildlife both directly and by degrading the forest and wetland landscapes on which it depends.
Greenhouse gases
By 6 October 2026, Indonesian wildfires had emitted an estimated 140.5 megatonnes of carbon, about 13% of the global total for that year, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service figure cited by AFP. This is a dated monitoring estimate, not a final total for 2026. Burning peat releases carbon stored in accumulated organic matter, adding to the climate impact of fires.
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Restoration and land protections
The AFP report describes a moratorium on new permits to clear 66 million hectares designated as primary forest and peatland. The government said in a statement the prior year that it had rewetted 4.16 million hectares, built 45,000 canal barriers and replanted native species. These are government-reported activities relayed by AFP, not independently audited outcomes or proof that fire risk has fallen across the affected areas.
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Dispute over results and agency responsibilities
Greenpeace forest campaigner Belgis Habiba said: “Today, some of the peat hydrological units that have received major restoration efforts… have experienced fires and have some of the highest hotspot counts,” The statement raises a question about whether restoration activity has translated into lower fire risk in those locations; it is an attributed activist assessment, not a comprehensive evaluation of the restoration program. Habiba also asked: “Does managing in this context serve as a pretext for the state to grant new concessions on peatlands?”
In September 2026, a new National Peatland and Mangrove Management agency was announced to replace a body whose mandate expired in 2024. According to AFP, the new agency’s remit and resources were still being worked out. The report does not establish its finalized legal authority, budget, staffing or operational status; it also says the forestry ministry did not respond to AFP’s request for input.
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