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In 1997/98 Indonesia has experienced one of the worst man made environmental disasters ever observed in SE-Asia. Fires started by men and driven by the exceptional El- Niño event evolved into uncontrolled wildfires which destroyed huge areas of rainforest and bush land. A cloud of noxious yellow grey haze covered SE-Asia for months extending more than 4000km from east to west and 3000km north to south (see Figure). Economic damage due to smoke alone was estimated to more than 1.4 billion US$ (Schweithelm, 1998). Release of carbon dioxid amounted 22-33% of the world´s carbon dioxid for one year. Fires raged on all major islands, Borneo, Sumatra and Irain Jaya. The total burnt area was 9.7 Million hectares (ADB, 1999).
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Primary causes were land clearing by concessionaires and development of logged over areas into pulp wood and industrial crop plantations, illegal occupation of land by farmers and social conflicts. Economic costs of fire impact were estimated to exceed 9 billion USD. Effects on wildlife, forest resources and biodiversity are only vaguely known due to a lack of comprehensive data.
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