The Indonesian government plays an essential role in tackling the haze situation that originates in its country. In order to prevent the situation from worsening over the years and to eventually bring it to a stop, the Indonesian government needs to be very strict enough toward farmers and organizations who contribute to the haze. If the government does its part actively, it would be very possible that the haze would not occur anymore this year (2007)!

The government must understand that the farmers are from poor families. They use the slash-and-burn method to clear land because it is the most affordable method for them. They are not able to afford machinery to clear the land. To prevent the farmers from using this destructive method to clear land in future, the Indonesian government should provide them with alternative ways to clear the land to plant more crops. A possible way is to provide the farmers with subsidies for them to purchase the required land-clearing machinery (e.g. forestry mowers, excavators). With the help of machinery which is affordable to them, the farmers would not have to start forest fires.