If you’ve lived in the South East Asian region for a while, or maybe a large metropolis, you’ll be familiar with smog. Or, in other terms, haze. In Malaysia and Singapore, it’s an almost annual recurrence. On a good day for example, usually you’d be able to see the hills. When the haze hits, you can’t see the hills anymore, only a gray fuzz.

The haze in Malaysia and Singapore  is comprised of billions upon billions of microscopic particles which are floating in there air. Where did those particles come from, you may ask?

Satellite Images of the Haze

The answer is pretty damning. Indonesian farmers practice a technique known as slash and burn to clear land for farming. As the name implies, slash and burn simply involves cutting everything down in an area and burning it. Cheap and cheerful for them at least. However, the winds carry away the smoke and bring it over to the Malaysian peninsular. To compound the matter, the farmers practice this during the dry season from May to September, so there is little relief from rain. Also, the worst bit is that a lot of the fires are started over peaty soil. Peat is a easily combustible soil, somewhat like wet coal, and the layers go deep in the ground. This causes peat fires to be extremely hard to put out.

Unfortunately for us, this haze can cause numerous health problems, including, but not limited to respiratory symptoms such as asthma, upper respiratory infection, decreased lung function as well as eye and skin irritation. Genez and I can personally attest to this.

The best way to avoid this would be to mainly stay indoors and to minimize outdoor activities This would help reduce exposure to the air outside. It would be preferable to have an air filter like the air conditioner turned on occasionally to filter the air.

It is also advisable to wear a face mask when traveling outdoors to prevent particulate from getting into your lungs.

The newspapers will carry news reports and updates on the haze and the air quality, and as such, it is a good idea to be constantly updated in the latest news reports. The government will issue advisories if the situation gets worse.

Last but not least, drink more water! The weather has been terribly hot, and the water will help flush toxins out of your body.