8,644 Hotspots Monitored In West Kalimantan, WALHI: Majority In Palm Oil And HTI Companies Concession

PONTIANAK - The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) of West Kalimantan recorded that 8,644 hotspots were detected throughout West Kalimantan during May to the end of July 2025. The majority of hotspots were found in the concession area of oil palm companies and industrial plantation forests (HTI).

"Most of the hotspots were found in the concession area of oil palm and HTI plantation companies, which indicates the involvement of corporations in forest and land fires (karhutla) this year," said Head of the WALHI West Kalimantan Justice and Reform Division, Andre Illu, in Pontianak, Antara, Wednesday, July 30.

The five districts with the highest number of hotspots were Sanggau Regency (1,816), Mempawah (1,190), Sambas (1,190), Landak (087), and Ketapang (657).

Of the total 8,644 hotspots, 2,652 points are in the concession of plantation companies. The companies with the highest number of hotspots include PT Perkebunan Nusantara XIII (124 points), PT Kapuas Palm Industri (108), Sumatra Unggul Makmur (106), PT Global Kalimantan Makmur (103), and Mitra Austral Sejahtera (89).

In the forest utilization Business Licensing (PBPH) concession, WALHI recorded 1,061 hotspots spread across 54 companies. The highest among them are PT Finantara Intiga (143), PT Duta Andalan Sukses (102), PT Fajar Wana Lestari (88), and PT Manya Resources (71).

WALHI also noted that 2,353 hotspots were located in the peat hydrological area (KHG), spread across 36 concessions of palm oil companies. These include PT Sumatra Unggul Makmur (89 points), Peniti Sungai Purun (53), and Mitra Andalan Sejahtera (18).

"The peatland fire continues to repeat itself despite the protection commitment since the 2015 big forest and land fires. Pontianak is now even starting to be affected by smog and declining air quality. This is only the beginning of the dry season," said Andre.

He emphasized that if there is no serious action, the state will repeat its negligence and fail to protect citizens' rights to a healthy environment.

Andre called forest and land fires an annual agency that was not an achievement, but a reflection of the government's failure to solve structural problems. Handling so far, according to him, has targeted smaller farmers more than corporations.

"Several concessions that caught fire this year also caught fire in 2015, 2019, and 2023. This shows a repeated pattern and no deterrent effect," he said.

He added that the company's practice of opening canals in peat areas has damaged the area's hydrological system. The flow of water is disrupted, making peat flammable during dry season.

WALHI also criticized the weakness of law enforcement. Many companies that have previously been found guilty in forest and land fires cases have yet to undergo execution, even their permits have never been revoked.

"The impunity to corporations is a tangible form of state submission. Law enforcement must touch the main actors, not just symbolic, such as land sealing or revocation of permits that have never been implemented," said Andre.

WALHI West Kalimantan urges the central and regional governments to conduct a thorough evaluation of all plantation and forestry business permits, especially those in areas prone to forest and land fires. In addition, strengthening early detection and monitoring systems must be accompanied by restoration of the peat ecosystem as part of climate mitigation strategies.

With the potential for a long dry season until the end of the year, WALHI predicts the threat of forest and land fires in West Kalimantan will not end.

"As long as the state does not seriously answer the root of the problem, West Kalimantan and other provinces will continue to be in the cycle of repeated ecological disasters," he concluded.