Karhutla Expands, Daniel Johan Asks Government To Strengthen Local Community Detection And Involve Systems

JAKARTA Member of Commission IV DPR RI Daniel Johan, reminded the importance of the government's preparedness to deal with forest and land fires (karhutla) which are again rife in a number of areas, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

According to Daniel, most of the forest and land fires this time occur in peatlands that are very vulnerable to fire. He emphasized that prevention is much more effective and cheaper than handling when the fire is widespread.

Prevention efforts are the main key. Handling after the fire broke out is certainly much more expensive and damaging," Daniel told reporters, Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

Daniel supports the development of satellite-based early detection systems and sensors capable of providing a quick warning, so preventive measures can be taken immediately.

The legislator from the electoral district of West Kalimantan I also encourages an update to the land licensing system which has been considered overlapping and prone to misuse, especially in peat areas.

He also highlighted the importance of involving indigenous peoples and local communities as strategic partners in land surveillance. Because they have traditional knowledge that can prevent burning practices," he said.

Daniel assessed that government intervention is important to protect the affected residents. Because, in many cases, fires are carried out by people outside the region, but the surrounding community must bear the impact.

This is a classic problem. Many parties have an interest in clearing land and burning peat. But the impact is not on them, but on the surrounding community," said Daniel.

Therefore, he asked the local government to ensure the safety and health of the affected residents, including when the smog was still surviving even though the fire had been extinguished.

Furthermore, Daniel emphasized that the peatland fire was not just a matter of the perpetrators of the arson, but also a problem of greater land governance. He mentioned the need for coordination across ministries and institutions to handle this issue thoroughly.

"Karhutla is a complex cross-sectoral issue. The government needs to strengthen coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and other related institutions so that peatland management is carried out in an integrated, sustainable, and conservation-based manner," he said.

It is known, land fires have started to occur again in various regions. In Sumatra, hotspots were recorded to have spread in Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, West Sumatra, to Aceh. BNPB noted that Riau had contributed 40 percent of the total forest and land fires on the island of Sumatra.

Fires also occurred in East Belitung (6.2 hectares) and Kepahiang, Bengkulu (4 hectares). Meanwhile in East Kalimantan, about 200 hectares of land caught fire in Kutai Kartanegara Regency.

Specifically in West Kalimantan, data as of July 23, 2025 showed 399 hotspots spread across a number of districts, with significant increases in Sanggau, Sintang, and especially Mempawah. The West Kalimantan Provincial Government has also established an Emergency Alert status.

In response, the central government has deployed water bombing helicopters, accelerated Weather Modification Operations (OMC), and mobilized human resources to optimize blackouts.