Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – Air quality measurements by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) show the worsening conditions faced by residents in several parts of Kalimantan, where persistent haze has blanketed communities amid widespread forest and land fires.
Citing data posted on its social media accounts, BMKG reported measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations at nine locations across Kalimantan from Monday morning to Tuesday morning, September 21-22, 2026.
Nearly all of the locations recorded average air quality in the very unhealthy or hazardous categories.
The nine locations were Tanjung Harapan in Paser Regency and Samarinda in East Kalimantan; Kubu Raya, Mempawah, and Sintang regencies in West Kalimantan; Banjarbaru and Kotabaru in South Kalimantan; and Palangka Raya and Pangkalan Bun in West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan.
Of the nine locations, Palangka Raya recorded the highest average PM2.5 concentration on Monday, at 695.4 micrograms per cubic meter. Its peak reading reached 1,465.3 micrograms per cubic meter. Under Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021, BMKG classifies an average daily PM2.5 concentration above 250.5 micrograms per cubic meter as hazardous, represented by the black category.
The hazardous category indicates a public health emergency in which air quality can have serious effects on the health of the entire population. Sintang also fell into this category, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 255.1 micrograms per cubic meter and a peak reading of 529.9.
Samarinda, Pangkalan Bun, Kubu Raya, and Mempawah recorded average PM2.5 concentrations in the very unhealthy category, represented by red. BMKG said all four locations recorded peak daily concentrations that reached the hazardous category.
Banjarbaru recorded unhealthy average air quality, represented by yellow, from Monday morning to Tuesday morning. Kotabaru and Tanjung Harapan, meanwhile, were classified as having moderate air quality, represented by blue.
The poor and hazardous air quality across Kalimantan has also been highlighted in several videos circulating on social media. Some showed yellow skies caused by thick haze, while others showed severely reduced visibility on roads.
Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Belgis Habiba said communities in Kalimantan had been suffering for days as a result of forest and land fires. Tempo spoke with her last Friday, several days after she returned from Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
Comparing the conditions with data from the IQAir platform, Habiba confirmed the poor air quality in the city, saying pollution levels there were up to 20 times higher than in Jakarta.
"The air is actually no longer fit to breathe," she said on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2120112/kalimantan-air-quality-reaches-hazardous-levels-says-bmk