Enviro News Asia, Banjarbaru – Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq expressed his appreciation for the swift, responsive, and collaborative actions taken by all stakeholders in South Kalimantan Province in controlling forest and land fires.
The provincial government was recognized for demonstrating exceptional commitment in addressing the potential for forest and land fires this year.
“Coordination, synergy, and collective action are the keys to successful forest and land fire control. Prevention is far more effective than suppression, especially on complex peatlands,” said Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq during the 2025 Forest and Land Fire Preparedness Coordination Meeting and Roll Call in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Thursday (7/8/2025).
As of August 4, 2025, a total of 73 forest and land fire incidents have been recorded in South Kalimantan, with the affected area reaching 155 hectares.
Two fire sites in the province have been successfully extinguished, namely in Karuh Village (Balangan Regency) and Bati-Bati Village (Tanah Laut Regency).
Nationally, according to reports from Manggala Agni and other relevant agencies, 1,667 fire control operations have been conducted, covering an area of 10,997.36 hectares.
Hotspot monitoring data showed that as of August 7, 2025, at 07:00 WIB, South Kalimantan had 16 medium-level hotspots detected by the NOAA20 satellite and 24 medium-level hotspots detected by the SNPP satellite.
Although no high-level hotspots have been found, vigilance has been heightened as the province is predicted to enter “red status” in the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) within the next 1–2 days.
Law enforcement is a critical focus in implementing Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 3 of 2020.
The Ministry of Environment, in coordination with the National Police Chief, is mandated to take firm and direct action against permit or concession holders who fail to prevent fires on their lands.
This enforcement is based on the principle of strict liability, where intent does not need to be proven.
Currently, 27 companies are under investigation for their involvement in land fire cases. “The investigative process involving 27 companies is still ongoing.
We still need laboratory testing and further information gathering. This may take 1–2 months. We have reported the progress to the relevant authorities, including in virtual limited meetings held on August 1 and 2,” Minister Hanif explained in an official statement.
Of the 27 companies, 11 have already had their operations sealed. Legal enforcement in the form of administrative sanctions is proceeding, with the government ensuring the process remains transparent and accountable.
Minister Hanif’s visit to South Kalimantan is part of the implementation of Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2020, under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.
President Prabowo Subianto has firmly instructed all ministries and agencies to go directly to the field and take extraordinary measures in handling forest and land fires.
The President even personally reviewed the readiness of operational equipment—including helicopters, aircraft, and water pumps—used in fire suppression and weather modification operations.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasts that the dry season in parts of South Kalimantan will continue until mid-September 2025, particularly in the eastern areas such as Kotabaru and Kota Kudu.
Weather conditions through August 12 are expected to be unfavorable for cloud formation, thus increasing fire risk.
Accordingly, the government has allocated a special budget for Weather Modification Operations (WMO) in South Kalimantan and provided two water bombing helicopters and additional fleet support for emergency response.
Air quality (ISPU) in South Kalimantan remains under control. Banjarmasin City and Barito Kuala Regency are in the “moderate” category, while Banjar, Tabalong, and Hulu Sungai Selatan regencies are in the “good” category.
Minister Hanif also appreciated the presence of 253 personnel from forestry and plantation companies at the preparedness roll call, fully equipped with sufficient ground firefighting tools.
With a total area of 3.8 million hectares and 326,000 hectares of peatlands, South Kalimantan serves as a national benchmark for forest and land fire management.
The government hopes that the collaboration of all elements under the coordination of the Governor, Chief of Police, and Military Commander will keep the province safe from haze disasters.
“May our collective efforts continue to bring real benefits to the environment and people of South Kalimantan, and serve as a national model for forest and land fire control,” concluded Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. (*)
