Enviro News Asia, Riau — The Indonesian government is intensifying its rapid response measures to tackle the increasing forest and land fires (karhutla) in Riau Province.
Vice Minister of Forestry, Sulaiman Umar, led a field visit alongside the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and representatives from various ministries to directly assess fire hotspots and reinforce cross-sector coordination in affected areas.
According to the Forest and Land Fire Monitoring System (SiPongi) by the Ministry of Forestry, as of July 20, 2025, a total of 4,449 hotspots have been recorded across Riau, with the highest concentration in Rokan Hilir, Rokan Hulu, and Dumai.
Smoke was briefly detected across provincial borders on July 19 but cleared the following day.
“The current climate and weather conditions demand collective vigilance. All stakeholders must enhance preparedness and strengthen synergy to prevent and control forest fires,” emphasized Vice Minister Sulaiman Umar during the visit.
The government has ramped up integrated patrols involving Manggala Agni (firefighter units), the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and local Fire Concerned Community (MPA) groups.
Active patrols are conducted from nine command posts across districts such as Kampar, Siak, Bengkalis, and Indragiri Hilir. Additionally, independent patrols have been mobilized in 19 priority villages prone to wildfires.
As part of mitigation efforts, the Weather Modification Operation (OMC) has been carried out by BNPB and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), in collaboration with strategic partners.
To date, two rounds of OMC have dispersed a total of 12,600 kg of salt (NaCl) into the atmosphere to induce artificial rainfall in vulnerable regions. This program is set to expand to other provinces such as Jambi, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan.
This year’s fires in Riau have primarily affected highly flammable peatlands. Of the 751 hectares burned between January and May 2025, approximately 96% were peat areas. In addition to causing ecological destruction, peatland fires can emit substantial amounts of carbon, contributing significantly to the global climate crisis.
Fire suppression efforts continue intensively, involving Manggala Agni, the Provincial Forest Fire Control Brigade, Riau’s Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), as well as personnel support from the military, police, and state-owned enterprises like Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR).
“We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground. Strong cross-sector collaboration is essential to ensure these efforts effectively protect both communities and the environment,” said Januanto, Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement. (*)
