Escalation Of Hotspots Increases, BRIN Modifies Weather In Riau To Prevent Forest And Land Fires

Illustration of fighting forest and land fires or forest and land fires. (Between)

RIAU - Hot spots are starting to appear in Riau Province. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has carried out a number of preventions against the potential for forest and land fires (karhutla) by modifying the weather to increase rainfall.

The modification was carried out by BRIN through the Weather Modification Technology Management Laboratory (TMC). TMC Riau Field Coordinator, Tukiyat, said that since early July 2022 there has been an increase in the escalation of hotspots in Riau.

The escalation is the result of monitoring by the Land and Forest Fire Monitoring System (Sipongi) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK).

"Therefore, in Riau, weather modification activities are currently starting to increase to increase rainfall," he said in a written statement, quoted by Antara, Friday, July 22.

Meanwhile, according to the predictions of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the potential for forest and land fires in Riau Province will increase from July to September 2022.

The potential for forest and land fires increases based on the nature of the rain for July-October 2022 in the Riau Province, which is predicted to be in normal to below normal conditions.

"Then it is also based on the annual pattern of the number of hotspots on the island of Sumatra, especially Riau Province, which peaks in the July-October period," he said.

The emergence of hotspots on peatlands occurs due to a decrease in peat soil moisture, and is increasingly prone to fire, resulting in forest and land fires if not handled immediately.

"On this basis, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) asked BRIN through the TMC Lab to carry out TMC activities. The goal is to wetting peatlands in Riau Province to prevent forest and land fires," he said.

The TMC activity in Riau, which began on July 21, 2022, is planned to be carried out for 11 days according to the request of BRGM, which is a period II activity.

Previously, TMC activities had also been carried out in the first period which was held on April 14–April 25, 2022 in collaboration with BRIN with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and PT RAPP Riau.

In the first period, he said, TMC's activities had succeeded in maintaining the moisture in peatlands and reducing the number of hotspots in Riau Province.