Indonesia: Japanese forces deployed three CH-47 Chinook helicopters in Indonesia's Borneo to help curb wildfires on Wednesday, although poor flight conditions caused by haze delayed their participation last week.
From January to July this year, fires raged across 202,000 hectares (almost 500,000 acres) of land, government data showed. Environmental group YKAN estimated that fires damaged another 600,000 hectares (1.4 million acres) in August.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for stricter regulations and sanctions against those who use slash-and-burn methods to clear land.
Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with 'super El Niño' weather conditions parching the country's forests and fields. The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have been the worst hit, with hazardous haze causing a spike in respiratory illnesses.
