Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq conducted a working visit to Jambi Province to directly assess the condition of the peatland ecosystem.
The Minister also chaired the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) on Forest and Land Fire (Karhutla) Mitigation, in response to the increasing risk of fires during the dry season.
The visit began on Wednesday morning (July 30, 2025) with an aerial inspection by helicopter over the peatland area of Gambut Jaya Village, Muaro Jambi Regency.
Minister Hanif observed land cover conditions, peat water table levels, and fire vulnerability directly from the air.
“Aerial monitoring is crucial for assessing actual field conditions and evaluating the effectiveness of peat rewetting infrastructure that has been developed,” said Minister Hanif in his official statement.
Following the aerial survey, Minister Hanif led the Karhutla Mitigation Coordination Meeting held at the Jambi Governor’s Official Residence.
Attendees included Jambi Governor Al Haris, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen. TNI Suharyanto, Head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati, Military Resort Commander 042/Gapu Brig. Gen.
TNI Heri Purwanto, members of the Jambi Provincial Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and Police (Polri), Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), and local fire-aware communities.
The coordination meeting served as a strategic forum to strengthen cross-sectoral synergy in facing the fire-prone dry season. In his address, Minister Hanif emphasized the importance of early detection, resource preparedness, and strict law enforcement against forest and land fire perpetrators.
“We cannot work in silos. Preventing forest fires is a shared responsibility,” Minister Hanif asserted.
During the forum, Brig. Gen. TNI Heri Purwanto outlined 11 strategic measures to combat forest and land fires, including establishing monitoring posts in high-risk areas.
Minister Hanif also highlighted the current fire trends based on recent data:
“From January 1 to July 28, 2025, forest and land fires in Jambi Province have affected 421.77 hectares — approximately 10% of the national total. This is a serious concern, particularly considering the vulnerability of Jambi’s peatland areas,” he stated.
The Minister expressed appreciation to all parties involved in fire mitigation efforts in Jambi.
“I extend my gratitude to all teams — from the TNI, Polri, BPBD, Manggala Agni, fire-aware community groups, to field technical officers — who have worked tirelessly to protect Jambi’s environment from fire threats. Without this collaboration, our efforts would be in vain,” he said.
BMKG Chief Dwikorita Karnawati reminded participants of the importance of preparedness based on weather forecasts:
“According to FDRS predictions, most areas in Jambi remain relatively safe with low fire susceptibility. However, on July 30, August 1–3, and August 5, 2025, several central and eastern regions are expected to face increased flammability risks. Hence, early preparedness and mitigation are essential,” explained Dwikorita.
As a concrete form of support, Minister Hanif symbolically handed over forest and land fire mitigation equipment from the Ministry of Environment (KLH/BPLH) to the Jambi Provincial Government.
This visit is part of KLH/BPLH’s national agenda to ensure effective Karhutla control, particularly in highly vulnerable peatland ecosystems. (*)
