629 Karhutla Occurs Throughout 2024, South Sumatra Dominates Burnt Area Area Area

Illustration of forest fires (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that as many as 629 forest and land fires (karhutla) occurred in Indonesia throughout 2024. Most of the forest and land fires in South Sumatra occurred in mineral lands with an area of 6,382 hectares

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that forest and land fires dominate the types of disasters in Indonesia, especially in the period July to October 2024. This increase was influenced by an extreme dry season with a long day without rain.

"The increase reached hundreds of incidents per month during the dry season from July to October," said Abdul in Jakarta, Friday, January 10.

According to Abdul, forest and land fires are scattered in a number of areas, such as Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Central Java, East Java, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. The burned areas include forest, mineral land, and peatlands with an area of hundreds of thousands of hectares.

South Sumatra became the province with the highest forest and land fires cases in 2024. Based on data from the Center for Climate Change Control and Forest and Land Fires (BPPIKHL) for the Sumatra Region, the area of forest and land fires in this province reached 9,697 hectares during January to September 2024.

Most of the forest and land fires in South Sumatra occur in mineral lands with an area of 6,382 hectares, while the rest are peatlands covering an area of 3,316 hectares. Some of the affected areas include Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Ilir, Muara Enim, and Banyuasin Regencies.

Abdul explained that the success of dealing with forest and land fires could not be separated from the collaboration between ministries, related institutions, local governments, and weather support which began to enter the rainy season.

BNPB deployed various resources, including six helicopters for water bombing operations, aircraft air monitoring, as well as equipment assistance and operational funds to affected areas.

"With these steps, forest and land fires can be controlled and the impact minimized," said Abdul.