Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Indonesian government’s efforts to control forest and land fires (karhutla) have shown tangible results. Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni announced that the national forest and land fire rate in 2025 had been significantly reduced compared to previous years.
“In President Prabowo Subianto’s first year in office, the total area affected by forest and land fires was reduced from 375,805 hectares in 2024 to 213,985 hectares in 2025,” Minister Raja Antoni stated during the 2025 Forest and Land Fire Control Exposé held at Manggala Wanabakti Building, Jakarta, on Monday (October 13, 2025).
He emphasized that this achievement was the result of inter-agency collaboration, community participation, and increasingly effective early detection systems. “Over the past three years, using 2023 as the baseline, we have reduced fire-affected areas from 1.16 million hectares to just 213,000 hectares. This is not just a number — it’s evidence of national synergy,” he said in an official release from the Ministry of Forestry.
Data from the Ministry shows a sharp decline in forest and land fires over the last three years. In 2023, burned areas reached 1,161,192 hectares, dropped to 376,805 hectares in 2024, and fell further to 213,984 hectares in 2025.
Minister Raja Antoni credited the success to President Prabowo’s direct attention to the issue. “The President has led two limited cabinet meetings to ensure readiness of aerial firefighting units and weather modification operations. He has consistently stressed that forest fires threaten public safety and impact the national economy,” he added.
The event was also attended by BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati and BNPB Chief Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, both of whom reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-agency coordination for wildfire prevention and mitigation.
In the long term, data indicate a dramatic decline in forest and peatland fires. Over the past decade, forest fire areas dropped 66%, from 1.7 million hectares in 2015 to 108,000 hectares in 2025, while peatland fires decreased from 891,275 hectares to just 24,212 hectares during the same period.
The number of hotspots also declined substantially. According to NASA’s Terra/Aqua satellite data (with 80% confidence level), from January 1 to September 26, 2025, 2,248 hotspots were recorded — a 23.9% decrease compared to 2,954 hotspots during the same period in 2024.
Minister Raja Antoni cited the strengthened role of Manggala Agni (Indonesia’s forest fire brigade), weather modification operations, and integrated patrols in fire-prone regions as key contributors to the success. “We continue to ensure strict law enforcement. There will be no leniency for arsonists, whether individuals or corporations,” he affirmed.
As part of continued efforts, the Ministry of Forestry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to enhance coordination in fire prevention and mitigation. The agreement was signed by Minister Raja Antoni and BNPB Chief Lt. Gen. Suharyanto.
“This success will not make us complacent. We will continue to strengthen early detection systems and ensure that forest and land fires remain under control — protecting Indonesia’s forests and keeping communities safe,” Minister Raja Antoni concluded. (*)
