The Ministry Of Environment And Forestry Is Aware Of The Peak Of Forest And Land Fires Due To Drought

KLHK officers sealed the burning land in the company concession area in the West Kalimantan region. (PHOTO BETWEEN/HO-Ministry of LHK)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) asked all parties to be vigilant and ready to face the peak vulnerability of forest and land fires (karhutla) due to the impact of the dry season in September 2023.

Expert Staff to the Minister of Environment and Forestry for Landscape Fire Management, Raffles Panjaitan said the weather this September was still very hot which could be one of the causes of forest and land fires in Indonesia.

"This is a warning for us together to be vigilant and ready for the incidents of forest and land fires," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 12.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry has made various efforts to mitigate forest and land fires in Indonesia, including by mapping fire-prone areas for handling; forest area management by making iron, fuel barriers, canal barriers.

Community forest development; development of a forest fire early warning system; as well as training on disaster management for the community and development of innovations in controlling forest and land fires.

"This effort greatly reduces the potential for vulnerability of forest and land fires with weather conditions due to the impact of El Nino, such as in 2015 and 2019," he said.

He appealed to the public and companies not to clear land by burning, especially the area where the forest land is closed because it is prone to fire.

"It is necessary to work hard together through synergies to prevent and control forest and land fires with the active participation of all levels of society to support the success of controlling forest and land fires in Indonesia," said Raffles Panjaitan.