Haze threat looms as Indonesia battles early forest fires ahead of El Nino

Indonesia is bracing itself for an unusually harsh and prolonged dry season in 2026, with forest and land fires already on the rise even ahead of the onset of El Nino.



El Nino is a climate phenomenon that results in less rain, longer dry spells and higher temperatures for South-east Asia.



Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency recently forecast a 50 per cent to 60 per cent chance of a weak to moderate El Nino developing by the second half of 2026, warning that this could exacerbate drought conditions.



The National Research and Innovation Agency offered a more dire prediction on March 19, warning that a massive climate phenomenon dubbed “Godzilla El Nino” is set to hit the country starting next month.



​In any case, fire occurrences in Sumatra and Kalimantan have already picked up, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).



Between Jan 1 and March 24, 2,713ha of forest and land were burned in Riau, caused by a doubling in the number of fires compared with the same period in 2025.