Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has intensified efforts to prevent and control forest and land fires by urging holders of Forest Utilization Business Licenses (PBPH) to strengthen operational preparedness and ensure rapid responses as dry weather raises fire risks across the country.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni called on all PBPH holders to actively participate in forest and land fire prevention and control in accordance with their legal obligations and commitments.
“Our shared hope is clear: all PBPH areas can be kept safe and free from fires throughout September,” Raja Juli Antoni said while chairing a virtual coordination meeting on forest and land fire control from Jakarta on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management Laksmi Wijayanti, representatives of the Forest Management Units, the Indonesian Forestry Association (APHI), and PBPH managers from various regions.
The ministry is strengthening its monitoring capabilities through more precise data-based digital systems. The system is being used to identify areas requiring rapid intervention and to support performance-based evaluations of forest managers.
Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said the current strategy prioritizes early detection and operational preparedness before fires can spread.
The ministry has optimized an integrated command center, or war room, linked to the Jaga Rimba Decision Support System (DSS). The system analyzes hotspot data and verifies it in real time against forest areas and local permit holders.
“This system allows us to immediately coordinate with PBPH managers to verify actual conditions on the ground and take firefighting action as early as possible,” Rohmat said.
The ministry is also emphasizing the readiness of firefighting equipment and personnel. All facilities, infrastructure and fire response teams are required to remain fully operational.
Particular attention is being given to peatland areas, where maintaining hydrological conditions is considered essential. This includes maintaining canal-blocking infrastructure and ensuring adequate water supplies for firefighting operations.
Director General of Sustainable Forest Management Laksmi Wijayanti said intensive monitoring is currently focused on seven priority provinces: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan.
Based on monitoring conducted between August 20 and 30, 2026, she said rapid action by PBPH holders remains a key factor in reducing the impact of forest and land fires.
“Performance is not assessed solely by the emergence of hotspots, but by how quickly field teams conduct ground checks and extinguish fires completely. This response speed is what we continue to encourage,” Laksmi said.
The Ministry of Forestry said regulatory enforcement and stronger partnerships would continue in parallel. Periodic evaluations will remain part of efforts to protect forest areas, while cooperation among government institutions, businesses and local stakeholders will be strengthened.
Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that collective action would be critical during the peak of the dry season.
“Synergy and mutual cooperation are the key to getting through these difficult times. Let us work together to protect communities and regions from the impacts of forest and land fires,” he said. (*)
