Editorial photo #9906860 Environmental Issue

Air Pollution From Paddy Stubble Burning

Aerial view of the white smoke clouds from burning paddy stubble in fields by farmers in Wanasari village, Bekasi district, West Java province, on April 14, 2023. As the 4th largest rice producing country in the world, Indonesia is still experiencing problems with agricultural waste, especially paddy waste. Where farmers still use traditional methods by burning paddy stubble in open fields, despite efforts to persuade farmers to use different methods, to decompose agricultural waste and make their fields ready for the next paddy crop after harvest . Burning rice stubble releases large amounts of toxic smoke containing Methane (CH4), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and others into the air, spreading to residential areas around the fields, and even further. (Photo by Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto)