From the Archives: World Press Photo contest 2022
A police officer wears a gas mask as protection against smoke from a peatland fire in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra, Indonesia, on 11 September 2015.
Indonesia has seen exceptionally large wildfires in recent years. Haze created by fire can affect human health, especially as it carries fine particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs. Dry conditions make it easier for fires to be set to clear land for agriculture, but also more likely that they spread out of control. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil and industrial-scale land clearance has increased the risk of wildfire immensely. The country has lost around a quarter of its forest area since the beginning of data collection in 1990