BPBD: 3 Areas Prone To Forest And Land Fires In Riau Islands

Illustration - Forest fires in Batam (ANTARA/HO-Documentation Between)

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Riau Islands Province recorded three areas prone to forest and land fires (karhutla) during the peak of the dry season which is expected to occur in July, August to September 2023.

Kepri BPBD Head Muhammad Hasbi when contacted in Batam, Riau Islands, Wednesday, said the three areas prone to forest and land fires in Riau Islands were Natuna Regency, Bintan Regency and Tanjungpinang City.

"Natuna, Bintan and Tanjungpinang are included in the most vulnerable areas (karhutla -red) in Riau Islands. Because there are still many dry forests in the area," Hasbi said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 7.

Meanwhile, other areas in Riau Islands such as Batam City, Karimun Regency, Anambas Regency and Lingga Regency are not too vulnerable because the forests there are not as many as in other areas.

"But we still appeal to the local government to anticipate," he said.

Hasbi explained that to anticipate, his party had coordinated with each local government in anticipating forest and land fires in its area.

"Later, the governments in their respective regions will determine what steps to take and we will help if needed," he said.

Reportedly, the Natuna Regency Government, Riau Islands Province formed a multi-sectoral disaster management task force by mapping out forest and land fires (Karhutla) as well as drought in clean water sources.

"The Natuna Regency Government, May 4, 2023, has held a coordination meeting on the disaster management of forest and land fires and drought this year," said Head of BPBD Natuna, Raja Darmika, Wednesday.

In the coordination meeting, he said, BPBD Natuna was also asked to form a forest and land fires disaster mitigation post and drought to be socialized to the public. In 2023, according to BMKG estimates, Natuna will experience the peak of the dry season. "The peak of the dry season in Natuna occurs in July, August to September 2023," he said.*