Indonesia 2019 forest fire destruction far worse than official estimate, reports study

The fires in 2019 blanketed Indonesia and the region with haze, causing 900,000 people to report respiratory illnesses and costing $5.2 billion in losses, the World Bank said. - Xinhua

SINGAPORE, Jan 15 (Reuters): Indonesia's devastating forest fires in 2019 burned nearly twice as much land as was officially reported, according to a recent study, raising concerns among environmental campaigners over the government's transparency regarding deforestation.

The Southeast Asian country, which has the largest rainforests outside of the Amazon and Congo, has razed large swathes of land to accommodate its palm, pulp and paper industries.