BPBD Kaltim Applies Two Strategies to Prevent Karhutla Threats

Illustration: Antara

JAKARTA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of East Kalimantan Province (Kaltim) is implementing two operational strategies as an effort to prevent the threat of forest and land fires (karhutla).

"The first strategy is 24-hour monitoring of hot spots. Then the second is to broadcast disaster standby radio to provide data updates and appeals to the public," said Acting Head of Emergency and Logistics BPBD East Kalimantan Sugeng Priyanto, ANTARA, Sunday.

Sugeng said that his party was processing the determination of the emergency standby status of the region to mobilize resources and mobilize central assistance such as air patrol helicopters.

According to him, the acceleration of the status makes it easier to access the disbursement of emergency budgets and maximizes the deployment of fire prevention equipment from the national level to the region.

"Based on the results of the latest disaster risk study, we highlight five districts with high potential for forest fires, namely Paser, West Kutai, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kutai, and Berau," said Sugeng.

BPBD Kaltim ensures that this disaster management is based on cross-sector collaboration that unites the government, corporations, community groups, academics, and mass media.

Sugeng continued that plantation and forestry entrepreneurs are now directed to contribute directly, side by side with local communities who are actively building self-reliance through the Disaster-Resistant Village Program.

His party also mobilized the Rapid Response Team (TRC) personnel who had been alerted in ten districts and cities to conduct a rapid crisis assessment.

Then, the readiness of logistics stocks such as food and baby special needs has also been ensured to be safe through the distribution scheme of assistance entitled the Kaltim Disaster Care Program.

"We remind all elements of society in the Kaltim region to hold fast to the philosophy of mitigation, namely we take care of nature, then nature will take care of us," said Sugeng.