South-East Asia again grapples with haze problem

South-East Asia is again experiencing haze problems — the worst in the last two decades — spurring calls for tougher policies and a regional solution to stop once and for all slash-and-burn practices harming both human health and the environment. Herry Purnomo, senior scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research based in Bogor, Indonesia, says the impact of this year’s haze is even worse than in 1997 when an El Niño ignited forest fires.