Giving Compass' Take:

• Tianjia Liu et al., developed an app to prevent premature deaths by tracking Indonesian fires, their smoke, health risks, and land management strategies.

• What are other ways technology can help battle public health crises? 

• Read more about harnessing technology for public health.

Forest and land-use fires are ravaging Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan islands. Haze from these fires threatens lives as inhaling smoke can cause heart and respiratory diseases, leading to premature deaths.

We study the intersection of land use, fires and air pollution. Based on our latest study, smoke exposure would lead to about 36,000 premature deaths per year on average across Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia over the next few decades if current trends continue.

To prevent premature deaths from toxic haze, we developed a new online tool to provide decision-makers with information to protect people living downwind from the fires.

Severe haze blankets Southeast Asia when three things happen:

  • the dry season coincides with El Niño (or other drought-like conditions)
  • humans use fire to clear land or maintain agricultural areas
  • peatlands are so dry and degraded that they become abundant fuel for fire.

As part of our study, we created the SMOKE Policy Tool. This is an online application that tracks smoke and allows stakeholders to explore the health benefits of blocking fires in different regions and under various land management scenarios.

Most of the premature deaths due to haze in Indonesia can be avoided if the government succeeds in restoring the moist conditions in all peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Our study finds that while peatlands comprise less than 20% of land area in Indonesia, peat fires contribute about two-thirds to overall fire emissions.

Our tool shows that prioritizing restoration activities along the eastern coast of South Sumatra would lead to the greatest health benefits for all three countries. Of secondary priority is the southern coast of West, Central and South Kalimantan. This is because fires on these peatlands are directly upwind of vulnerable populations.

Setting priority areas to fight fires in Indonesia is important for making the best use of limited resources.

Read the full article about fighting life-threatening haze by Tianjia Liu, Miriam Elizabeth Marlier, Jonathan J. Buonocore, Loretta J. Mickley, and Ruth S. DeFries at RAND Corporation.