Commission IV of the DPR asks the Ministry of Home Affairs to strengthen the prevention of forest fires: Don't just act when the fire appears

ILLUSTRATION BETWEEN

Member of Commission IV of the DPR, Usman Husin, asked the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) to strengthen the steps to prevent forest and land fires (karhutla), especially in South Sumatra which almost every year experiences similar incidents during the dry season.

According to Usman, the government should have had a more effective mitigation pattern considering that forest fires often occur in the same location every year. Therefore, he assessed that prevention efforts should be a priority, not just handling when the fire has spread.

"This forest fire occurs almost every year and even in the same location. The Ministry of Forestry should have had an anticipatory step from the beginning so that the fire can be prevented before it spreads," said Usman Husin, Friday, August 7.

He emphasized that early prevention must be carried out through stronger coordination between the Ministry of Forestry, local governments, and all related institutions. According to him, this synergy is important to map vulnerable areas, strengthen patrols, and prepare mitigation steps before the peak of the dry season.

"Cooperation between the central government, local government, and all related institutions must be strengthened. Prevention at an early stage is much more effective than handling after a fire occurs," said the legislator from the NTT District.

Usman also hopes that the government will conduct a thorough evaluation of the areas that have been prone to forest fires so that their handling is more targeted and does not continue to recur every year. Moreover, there are currently a number of news on social media related to forest fires such as in Kalimantan and the Bromo Mountain area, East Java and Mount Gede-Pangrango, West Java.

Previously, the government officially held a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) in South Sumatra as a step to accelerate the handling of potential forest and land fires.

The artificial rain operation was carried out starting Tuesday, August 4, and is scheduled to last until Monday, August 10 to suppress the increase in fire points due to the dry season.

Head of the Forest Fire Control Center for the Sumatra Region of the Ministry of Forestry, Ferdian Krisnanto, said that OMC received full support from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

"OMC has been carried out since Tuesday, August 4, 2026. This activity has the full support of BNPB and is planned to last until August 10, 2026," said Ferdian.

Although he appreciated the implementation of OMC, Usman considered that this step should complement the emergency handling. He emphasized that the government's main strategy must still be oriented towards prevention so that forest and land fires do not continue to recur every dry season.