BNPB Reminds People To Beware Of Forest And Land Fires In The Dry Season

JAKARTA - Acting Head of the Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Abdul Muhari reminded the public to be aware of the potential for forest and land fires (karhutla) entering the dry season of 2023.

"We are currently starting to be at the beginning of the dry season in June. Those who are wary of are duayakni karhutla and drought," he said during a briefing discussion reported by ANTARA, Monday, June 12.

He explained the data, forest and land fires in the last 2-3 months have occurred 131 times. Although the impact has not yet expanded, he hopes that all parties in the region can be ready so that the escalation of forest and land fires does not spread.

"There were 27 disasters for a week during June 5-11, 2023, of which seven were forest and land fires, which began to dominate several areas of Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan," said Abdul Muhari.

But there is local weather variability which in general occurs in drought but also has the potential for flooding, so it must be considered by the local government (Pemda).

"We are dry, yes, but there are areas that have the potential for flooding, for example Bogor Regency experiencing drought, while Depok City is flooded. So in one area that is not too wide, two very opposite phenomena can occur," he said.

Although the rainfall is not too high, he said, it can help reduce the impact of forest and land fires. "For example, there are forest and land fires in Karo, North Sumatra, so widespread, there is rain, it is helped, so efforts to extinguish the fire are quickly helped by natural factors," said Abdul Muhari.

"In the long term we have to find permanent solutions, such as water preparation, because during the rainy season we can hold water catch up in water catchment areas with sufficient vegetation, so that during the dry season, this water can then flow so that it can still fill reservoirs, reservoirs, and other water catchment areas," said Abdul Muhari.

He also reminded the importance of preventing severe forest and land fires such as 2015, where state losses are estimated at IDR 116 trillion by the World Bank.

"Karhutla in general will increase CO2 emissions, we must break it off, and see forest and land fires as a systematic effort, the most important thing is prevention, there should be no fire. Because once the fire spreads, it will be very difficult to extinguish it," he said.

Until now, BNPB has also made efforts to modify the weather with artificial rain to keep the water catchment area from getting dry.