The 1997 El Niño, Indonesian Forest Fires and the Malaysian Smoke Problem: A Deadly Combination of Natural and Man-Made Hazard

The El Niño of 1997–1998 produced the most intense impact on the conterminous U.S.A., generating a series of powerful rain and wind storms off the coast of California in early February 1998. The 1997–1998 El Niño also produced severe flooding and extensive mud slides along the west coast of South America and prolonged drought conditions in northeast Brazil. On the other (west) side of the equatorial Pacific, the El Niño produced the worst drought in 50 years over Indonesia and helped spread the ongoing forest fires on the island of Borneo to well over one million acres. In this paper, the smoke and pollution problem over Malaysia will be analyzed in the context of ongoing Indonesian forest fires and the severity of the 1997 El Niño — a deadly combination which led to the most hazardous smoke problem over Malaysia during August-September 1997. The severity of the smoke pollution is documented using media reports and available API (air pollution index) values over selected cities in Malaysia. The role of the El Niño and its evolution in enhancing the smoke pollution over Malaysia is further discussed and suitably documented. Some of the mitigation measures presently being adopted in Malaysia to combat the smoke pollution are briefly discussed.