The haze, caused by dozens of forest fires on Sumatra and Kalimantan, and which have spread to Singapore and Malaysia, is expected to plague the three countries in the next couple of days. Indonesian authorities, which are currently investigating forest fires in Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Riau, West Kalimantan and Jambi, mentioned that there are 107 people who have been named suspects, involved in 68 acts of slash-and-burn practices (according to Indonesian media).

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Indonesia dan Malaysia kembali dilanda oleh kabut asap tahunan yang disebabkan oleh kebakaran hutan di Palangkaraya (Kalimantan Tengah). Kabut asap yang tebal ini telah menyebabkan pembatalan sejumlah penerbangan komersil di bandara-bandara lokal di Jambi (Sumatra) dan Surabaya (Jawa). Sejauh ini, dilaporkan bahwa sejumlah tempat di Malaysia memiliki kualitas udara yang tidak sehat.

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Di Indonesia, pihak berwenang menutup sementara operasional di lima bandara, termasuk bandara internasional Ngurah Rai di Denpasar yang merupakan tujuan kunjungan utama turis di Bali. Keputusan ini diambil karena letusan Gunung Raung (berlokasi di Jawa Timur). Level aktivitas gunung berapi ini telah meningkat selama 7 hari terakhir dan kini menyemburkan tinggi abu dan reruntuhan di udara dan membahayakan keselamatan para penumpang udara. Karena penutupan lima bandara ini, diperkirakan ribuan penumpang merasakan dampaknya.

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Today, exactly ten years ago, Indonesia and 13 other countries were struck by a devastating tsunami resulting in the deaths of 230,000 people and displacement of 1.7 million people. In Aceh (the northern tip on the island of Sumatra), the main point of impact in Indonesia, more than 167,000 people died as a result of the tsunami (caused by a submarine earthquake in the Indian Ocean). According to the World Bank, Aceh is now better prepared to face such a natural disaster after a long reconstruction period.

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Concerns about the arrival of a new El Niño weather phenomenon have increased in recent weeks. A possible new El Niño cycle has a major impact on the global commodities market. El Niño - a weather phenomenon that occurs once every five years on average - involves periodical warm ocean water temperatures off the western coast of South America which can cause climatic changes across the Pacific Ocean. Its impact on harvests and the world varies; sometimes passing almost unnoticeable (such as in 2010) but it can also be felt worldwide.

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So far, the year 2014 is marked by adjustments in forecasts for commodities demand and prices on the global market. The primary example is coffee. Due to severe drought in Brazil, weak coffee production is expected to result in a shortage of coffee on the international market. Uncertainty about the extent of the shortage has pushed coffee prices up by about 65 percent since the end of 2013. Meanwhile, Brazil's reduced arabica output cannot be replaced by Indonesia's robusta coffee due to high rainfall in the archipelago.

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Prices of certain food commodities increased significantly due to a combination of political tensions in Ukraine, weak harvests and a possible new El Niño cycle (periodical warm ocean water temperatures off the western coast of South America that can cause climatic changes across the Pacific Ocean). El Niño is a well known weather phenomenon that occurs once every five years on average. However, its impact on the weather, harvests and the world varies; it can pass almost unnoticeable (such as in 2010) but it can also be felt worldwide.

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Indonesia has been hit by a number of severe natural disasters in the first two months of 2014. The volcanic eruptions of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra (which started late last year but still continues today although having become less active) and Mount Kelud in East Java led to a total of 20 casualties, hundreds of thousands of evacuees and damaged infrastructure and crops. Moreover, due to torrential rains amid a peak of the rainy season, severe floods ravaged a number of Indonesian regions and cities (particularly Jakarta and Manado).

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Statistics Indonesia (BPS) is optimistic that Indonesia's inflation rate in February 2014 can be curbed below the one percent mark. BPS official Sasmito Hadi Wibowo said that inflationary pressures are easing as floods have gone, while the LPG price moderated from last month. Prices of chicken meat and rice have remained stable but the price of chili is still growing slightly. In January 2014, severe floods caused 1.07 percent (month-to-month) of inflation due to disrupted distribution networks.

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On Sunday (26/01), Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that the floods in Jakarta have led to 23 casualties (due to drowning, electrocution or the impossibility for sick people to reach the hospital) in the last two weeks in Indonesia's capital city, while almost 28,000 people are still displaced from their homes. The good news, however, is that in many parts of Jakarta floodwaters have begun to subside since the end of last week although several neighborhoods remain flooded up to this day.

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After the devastating 6.9 and 7.4-magnitude earthquakes in Lombok and Central Sulawesi in August and September, local people and businessmen have again been made aware of the risks involved when living, working and investing in Indonesia, a country that is located on the notorious Ring of Fire. This Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, a center of seismic activity - triggered by tectonic movements - and thus prone to frequent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

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While residents on the island of Lombok were still in the process of recovering from the deadly earthquakes in late July 2018, the area was again hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in August.

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In full-year 2017 a total of 2,341 natural disasters occurred in Indonesia according to the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (in Indonesian: Badan Koordinasi Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, or BNPB). Natural disasters include landslides, floods, storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

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A year ago - between June and October 2015 - severe man-made forest fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan released some 11.3 million tons of carbon per day, caused Indonesia to experience damages estimated at 1.9 percent of GDP (World Bank estimate), and spread toxic haze to other parts of Southeast Asia. Not only its regional neighbors but most of the world directed its anger at Indonesian authorities that failed to combat the fires, and more importantly, failed to uphold laws that forbid the slash-and-burn practice.

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Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is increasingly convinced that the world needs to prepare for a new El Niño cycle. According to the institution, the impact of this new cycle will be felt starting from July 2014 and may continue through the winter. Also the European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) and the US Climate Prediction Center stated that chances of a new El Niño cycle in 2014 are becoming higher, although it is too early to provide an indication of this year's strength of the weather phenomenon.

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After the Mount Sinabung volcano (located in North Sumatra) has been erupting continously since September 2013 leading to 17 casualties and tens of thousands of evacuees, another Indonesian volcano - Mount Kelud (in East Java) - erupted around 22:50 West Indonesian Time on Thursday evening (13/02). Only hours prior to the eruption, the alert status of Mount Kelud was raised by the National Volcanology Agency. There have been six confirmed deaths. Volcanic ash and rocks have been thrown over a wide distance.

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Whenever the topic of tourism in Indonesia is touched upon, most people will instantly think of Bali. This small but famous island harbors all sorts of entertainment that will appeal to various segments of international tourism: beautiful landscapes, Balinese Hinduism, lively nightclubs, beaches and more. But apart from Bali - and despite the fact that Indonesia has much to offer on other islands - the country has disappointed in attracting a large amount of foreign tourists so far.

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