Pontianak Parents Urge School Closures Amid Thick Haze

Parents in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, are urging the local education agency to temporarily close schools or implement online learning as the city grapples with increasingly severe haze from land and forest fires. The air quality has deteriorated significantly over the last three days, prompting fears for children's health.

"The haze has become thick again in the last three days. It was clear for a while, but now it's back. If the condition worsens, I hope schools will be closed again or we can just study from home online," said Rahmawati, a parent of a second-grade student at MIN 4 Pontianak. She expressed deep concern that children, often unaware of the dangers, play outdoors and could easily contract respiratory infections and other illnesses from the poor air quality.

Rahmawati hopes the Pontianak city government, through its relevant agencies, will issue a policy for temporary school closures or a shift to distance learning. Haze has been a recurring issue in West Kalimantan since August 2026, stemming from widespread land fires. According to data from the West Kalimantan Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), based on BMKG monitoring as of August 20, 2026, a total of 3,759 hotspots were detected across the province.

Ketapang district recorded the highest number of hotspots with 1,795, followed by Sanggau (466), Landak (268), Kubu Raya (254), and Kayong Utara (200). Pontianak city, however, did not register any hotspots during the monitored period. The detection utilizes VIIRS and MODIS sensors on satellites like NOAA-20, S-NPP, Terra, and Aqua, which identify temperature anomalies. Despite the lack of local hotspots, the air quality in Pontianak city was classified as "Hazardous" (AQI⁺ US) at 491 on August 21, 2026, according to IQAir. This level poses significant health risks to the general population, with PM2.5 particles being the primary pollutant at a concentration of 321 micrograms per cubic meter.