Indonesia blames peatland degradation for raging fires, vows restoration

JAKARTA, Oct 15 (Reuters) — Indonesia has blamed peatland degradation by past food estates for its worst wildfire season in 11 years, and will work to restore its peat ecosystem, a senior official said on Thursday as thick haze continued to blanket its cities and drift into neighbouring countries. The Southeast Asian nation is struggling to put out its most intense wildfire since 2015 afteran El Niño-driven drought made its forests and land highly flammable. The fires have been raging for months and hundreds of thousands of people have contracted respiratory illnesses in seven Indonesian provinces alone. The transboundary haze has also polluted the air in neighbouring countries, with schools suspended in East Timor and some states of Malaysia. Indonesian cities, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan, are being choked by haze, with the air pollution index far exceeding the "hazardous" level of 300. The Katingan district of Central Kalimantan had a reading of nearly 1,600 earlier on Thursday, while the provincial capital Palangka Raya recorded nearly 1,300. Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra are currently the worst affected areas due to peatland fires, which smoulder slowly beneath