Enviro News Asia, West Kalimantan — The central government has reaffirmed its commitment to combating forest and land fires in West Kalimantan. The Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Protection Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, personally led a Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in Pontianak, together with the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency, the Head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, the Governor of West Kalimantan, and representatives of the National Armed Forces and National Police.
In his directive, Minister Hanif emphasized that accelerating the handling of forest and land fires is a top priority. Prompt extinguishing of hotspots is crucial to prevent air pollution, ecosystem degradation, and the spread of fires—particularly on peatlands, which are highly vulnerable.
“Speed and accuracy are critical. As soon as a hotspot appears, it must be extinguished immediately before it escalates into a larger fire, especially in peat areas that require extraordinary effort to control,” stated Minister Hanif.
As of July 31, 2025, a total of 1,500 hotspots were recorded in West Kalimantan, with 297 categorized as high confidence. There have been 258 fire incidents, affecting an area of approximately 989 hectares, mostly on mineral and peatlands in Sambas, Mempawah, and Kubu Raya Regencies.
Since the declaration of Forest Fire Emergency Alert Status on April 17, 2025, the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency have coordinated integrated response measures. Three water bombing aircraft have been deployed in Mempawah and Kubu Raya since July 27, 2025, supported by aerial patrols and weather modification operations. Ground patrols and firefighting are also being carried out intensively by the National Armed Forces, National Police, Regional Disaster Management Agency, Manggala Agni forest fire brigades, and Community Fire Care groups.
The Head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Suharyanto, expressed appreciation for the leadership of Minister Hanif and his entire team, highlighting the successful acceleration of fire suppression efforts in Riau Province, which were completed within five days of the Minister’s arrival. He hopes that a similar approach can be replicated in West Kalimantan.
“I commend the commitment and synergy demonstrated by Minister Hanif and his entire ministry in addressing forest and land fires. We sincerely hope this model of cooperation and swift action can be implemented in West Kalimantan, as successfully demonstrated in Riau,” said Suharyanto.
Regarding law enforcement, Minister Hanif emphasized zero tolerance for illegal burning practices. Field findings will be pursued through legal channels without exception, whether the perpetrators are individuals or concession-holding companies.
The Governor of West Kalimantan, Ria Norsan, also stressed the importance of cross-sectoral synergy. He emphasized that the involvement of regents and mayors is vital for ensuring direct supervision at the regional level.
“Cross-sector coordination is key. With full involvement from local government leaders down to the village level, we can accelerate extinguishing efforts and prevent the broader impact of haze,” said Governor Ria.
The coordination meeting has further strengthened collaboration between the national and regional governments, private sector, and local communities in protecting West Kalimantan from forest and land fire threats, especially ahead of the peak dry season expected to last through August 2025. This collective effort reflects the seriousness of the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency in safeguarding the environment and public health from the devastating effects of wildfires. (*)
