Asians weigh in on haze problem

YouGov ran a survey to investigate how the haze caused by forest fires in the Southeast Asia has impacted people’s habits and travel behaviour in the region.

The organization polled 7,536 respondents online across Asia Pacific from Nov 17 to 23. All data was collected from YouGov panelists and weighted to be representative of the online population.

Results of the survey showed that 78% of Asians are aware of the haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia. Awareness was lowest in Hong Kong (at 48%) and Mainland China (at 44%), but in the three countries most affected by the haze (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore), only 2% of respondents in each location claim not to know about the haze.

Among those who are aware of the haze, 58% of them think palm oil companies setting their plantations on fire are a cause of the fires in Indonesia. Some 48% think the fires are caused by farmers setting their plantations on fire. And 44% think that dry weather causes the Indonesian fires.

When asked who they think is responsible for the resulting haze from the fires, 63% thinks it’s the palm oil plantation companies, 62% blame the Indonesian Government, while 18% think it is the brands that use palm oil in their products are responsible for the haze.

Efforts by the Indonesian government also seem to fall short as 67% of respondents believe the government can do more to reinforce the law regarding the use of fire to clear land for oil plantations.

Within Indonesia itself, responses on this aspect are quite diverse: 45% believe the Indonesian government can do more to solve the haze problem, but 44% think their government has done enough by enacting legislation that prohibits illegal forest fires to clear land for farming.

Health problems

Around 65% of people in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore wore masks to try to avoid breathing in polluted air during the haze period. Among those who chose not to wear a mask during the haze, 39% say that they don’t find it necessary, 38% think it’s uncomfortable to wear mask, and 18% thinks that the mask cannot protect them from the pollution anyway.

During the haze, 57% of Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean respondents claim they stay at home more, 43% claim they do indoor activities more. Only 13% claim the haze didn’t affect their lifestyle in any way.

While 43% of respondents in the three countries most affected by haze haven’t had any visible health impact as a result of the haze, 32% have suffered some haze-related health problems (though haven’t needed to see a doctor), and 20% have suffered some haze-related health problems and did have to see a doctor.

Category: Health alert, Top Story