Enviro News Asia, Jakarta— The Indonesian Forestry Association (APHI) and the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) have urged all member companies to strengthen preparedness and take concrete measures to prevent forest and land fires, particularly in areas facing the dry season and high fire risks.
APHI Chairman Soewarso said forest and land fire prevention must be a priority for all companies holding Business Licenses for Forest Utilization (PBPH). APHI members are expected to ensure the readiness of personnel, facilities and infrastructure, early detection systems, patrols, as well as coordination with local communities and regional governments.
“We urge all APHI members to increase vigilance and not wait until a fire occurs. Conduct early detection, routine patrols, check water sources, ensure equipment and personnel readiness, and immediately respond to every detected hotspot,” Soewarso said.
He said companies also need to strengthen coordination with Manggala Agni, Regional Disaster Management Agencies (BPBD), local governments, law enforcement authorities, and other companies operating in adjacent areas. Such coordination is necessary because forest and land fires do not recognize administrative or concession boundaries.
Soewarso also called on APHI members to strengthen community engagement around their operational areas through education on zero-burning land clearing practices, support for Fire-Aware Communities or Fire-Aware Villages, joint patrols, and alternative economic empowerment programs.
“Forest and land fire prevention cannot be carried out only within company operational areas. Communities must be involved as key partners because they are closest to the sites and can serve as the frontline in detecting and preventing fires,” he said.
APHI is also encouraging its members to provide timely and transparent information on field conditions and preventive measures that have been implemented. Such transparency is considered important to ensure that the government and the public are aware of the preparedness and contributions of the business sector to forest and land fire management.
Companies are expected to document patrols, public outreach, training, equipment inspections, hotspot monitoring, wetting of fire-prone areas, and community assistance activities. The documentation can also serve as an evaluation tool to continuously improve forest and land fire prevention systems.
Meanwhile, GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono Rustamadji said all GAPKI member palm oil plantation companies must also strengthen preparedness, ensure that no land clearing or cultivation is conducted through burning, and intensify monitoring inside and around plantation areas.
“We urge GAPKI members to ensure that all prevention systems are functioning properly, including hotspot monitoring, field patrols, firefighting team readiness, equipment and water supplies, as well as coordination with communities and local stakeholders,” Eddy said.
According to Eddy, preventing forest and land fires is a shared responsibility because their impacts extend beyond the environment to public health, social activities, the economy, and business sustainability.
GAPKI is also encouraging its members to strengthen engagement with farming and plantation communities, provide adequate fire prevention and suppression facilities, and develop productive economic activities that can reduce the practice of land clearing using fire.
“Companies must be present alongside communities, not only when fires occur. Education, training, joint patrols, and alternative economic development must be carried out consistently so that prevention becomes a shared culture,” Eddy said.
APHI and GAPKI will strengthen cross-sectoral coordination through education and public awareness, integrated patrols, alternative economic empowerment, human resource capacity building, the use of early detection technology, and the strengthening of Fire-Aware Communities.
Amid the potential for an El Niño phenomenon and rising forest and land fire risks, APHI and GAPKI also emphasized the need to intensify public dissemination of regional and local weather forecasts through mass media.
Company management is expected to actively monitor weather developments through official channels operated by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) and other weather information platforms. Such information is expected to serve as a basis for increasing vigilance, strengthening preparedness, and implementing early forest and land fire prevention measures.
The two associations also urged their members to immediately report any indication of fire and mobilize available resources for initial response to prevent fires from spreading.
Through the joint appeal, APHI and GAPKI reaffirmed the commitment of the forestry and palm oil plantation sectors to protecting the environment and surrounding communities from the threat of forest and land fires. (*)
