Enviro News Asia, Pekanbaru — The Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has intensified monitoring and law enforcement efforts to address the rising risk of forest and land fires (karhutla) during the prolonged dry season in Riau.
Minister of Environment and Head of BPLH Moh Jumhur Hidayat, accompanied by Riau Police Chief Herry Heryawan, directly monitored conditions on the ground through a cross-sector aerial patrol to ensure rapid fire suppression and protect local communities.
Field observations indicated that forest and land fires in Riau remained relatively under control due to strong coordination among the central government, security forces, local authorities, and communities. Preventive infrastructure, including canal blocking systems, water reservoirs, integrated patrols, and early warning mechanisms, has also supported the region’s preparedness.
In Kampar Regency, field teams successfully extinguished fires affecting approximately four hectares of land and are continuing cooling operations to prevent the emergence of new hotspots.
Minister Jumhur stressed that companies and other parties proven responsible for fires must take responsibility for environmental recovery.
“Those proven responsible must restore the environment. Managing forest and land fires is not only about extinguishing flames, but also ensuring responsibility for the environmental damage caused,” Jumhur said.
KLH/BPLH emphasized that environmental law enforcement would be carried out objectively, proportionally, and measurably. Administrative sanctions, stricter supervision, and criminal proceedings may be imposed on corporations proven to have failed to fulfill their environmental responsibilities.
The government is also strengthening nationwide preventive measures amid increasingly extreme weather conditions by closely monitoring 335 concession-holding companies across Sumatra and Kalimantan. Companies are required to maintain proper peatland hydrological management and take effective measures to prevent fires within their operational areas.
To strengthen coordination and accelerate responses to hotspots, Minister Jumhur is scheduled to conduct a follow-up working visit to Kalimantan on Sunday, August 23, 2026, to ensure that relevant stakeholders continue working together to reduce the risk of forest and land fires.
The government has urged communities to remain calm while maintaining vigilance and to avoid land-clearing practices involving fire. KLH/BPLH emphasized that preventing environmental damage requires collective commitment from government institutions, businesses, security forces, and communities.
“Forest and land fires are a shared responsibility. Everyone must act to prevent fires from spreading and protect Indonesia’s environment,” Jumhur concluded. (*)
