Karhutla Down From 1.1 Million To 370 Thousand Hectares, Government Claims Result Of Hard Work

Illustration of forest and land fires (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni revealed that the trend of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indonesia has shown a decline in recent years. However, he reminded all parties to remain vigilant and not be complacent about this achievement.

"This is proud because we learn from past mistakes. We improve ourselves, and the result is that forest and land fires trends continue to decline. But this should not make us careless or negligent," Antoni said in his statement, Wednesday, April 30.

According to Antoni, Indonesia has experienced difficult times due to forest and land fires which have resulted in massive ecological, economic, and social losses. But now, thanks to cross-sectoral cooperation, the number of forest and land fires has been successfully suppressed.

"We are a learner and a hard worker. We have faced an alarming forest and land fires disaster. But the data shows that the hard work of all parties has yielded tangible results," he said.

Antoni gave an example, in 2024 the area of burned land was recorded to have decreased significantly to around 370,000 hectares, from the previous 1.1 million hectares in 2023. The decline was referred to as a real achievement in overcoming forest and land fires.

He explained that there are three main factors that encourage the decline in the forest and land fires trend, namely: collaboration led across agencies, prevention and law enforcement strategies, and active participation from the community.

"This forest and land fire alert is not just a ceremony, but a momentum to keep reminding us that vigilance is key. Don't be complacent," he said.