KLHK: South Sumatra's Largest Forest And Forestry On The Island Of Sumatra

DOK/Habar karhutla smoke blanketed the airport of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang, South Sumatra. (ANTARA/M Riezko Bima Elko P)

The number of distributions of forest and land fires in South Sumatra Province this year is the largest compared to other areas on Sumatra Island, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) field team.

Head of the Center for Climate Change and Forest and Land Fires (PPIKHL) for the Sumatra Region of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ferdian Krisnanto, said that since January to September 2023 the total forest and land area burned in South Sumatra has been 32,496 hectares.

"That's the amount of forest and land fires that were obtained in the field until September, (it could be more) because October is still under verification," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 1.

Based on KLHK data, the amount of land burned in South Sumatra is much wider than in other areas.

In the same period, KLHK recorded the number of forest and land fires in Aceh covering an area of 1,912 hectares, Bangka Belitung (2,048), Bengkulu (25.61), Jambi (1,646), Lampung (5,000), North Sumatra (2,113), West Sumatra (1,300), and Riau (5,302).

Areal terbakar di Sumsel, meliputi kawasan hutan, lahan mineral, dan gambut yang hampir tersebar di 17 kabupaten dan kota di provinsi itu.

The most hotspots in Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Ilir, Banyuasin, Musi Banyuasin, and Muara Enim.

"Currently (in South Sumatra) the Manggala Agni Team is still extinguishing fires in several locations in Ogan Komering Ilir and Ogan Ilir," he said.

Due to these conditions, the PPIKHL Center has coordinated with the local and central governments, in this case the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to immediately increase efforts to wet burned land and increase the number of blackout personnel in the field.

If not, he is worried, forest and land fires will continue to expand and the impact will have implications for decreasing public health due to breathing air mixed with thick smoke from forest and forest fires every day and disrupting economic activity.

"The indicator (Air Pollution Standard Index) is very dynamic starting from being very unhealthy and dangerous in Palembang City," he said.