Enviro News Asia, Palembang — The Indonesian Government has reinforced national preparedness efforts to address the potential threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) ahead of the 2026 dry season through the Forest and Land Fire Preparedness Roll Call held in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Wednesday.
The preparedness event was led by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, General (Ret.) Djamari Chaniago, accompanied by Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, alongside representatives from the South Sumatra provincial administration, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Manggala Agni fire brigades, and other relevant stakeholders.
During the ceremony, Minister Djamari announced the reactivation of the National Forest and Land Fire Management Desk as part of efforts to strengthen coordination among ministries, agencies, regional governments, and related institutions in mitigating, preventing, responding to, and enforcing laws related to forest and land fires.
“The reactivation of this desk is mandated under Presidential Instruction No. 3/2020 concerning forest and land fire management, particularly to strengthen coordination, synchronization, monitoring, and evaluation of national fire control policies,” Djamari stated.
He also conveyed President Prabowo Subianto’s directive urging regional leaders to maintain and improve the country’s progress in reducing forest and land fires.
“The Government must not become complacent. All elements of the nation must strengthen preparedness, enhance mitigation, and build solid cooperation so that forest and land fires can be minimized,” he emphasized.
According to the government, South Sumatra remains one of Indonesia’s priority regions for fire prevention due to its extensive peatlands, dry mineral soils, plantation areas, and long history of recurring fires.
Data from the Ministry of Forestry’s Sipongi monitoring system recorded approximately 68.45 hectares of burned land in South Sumatra between January and March 2026, while nationally, total fire indications reached more than 55,324 hectares.
Speaking to the media, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni highlighted the steady decline in Indonesia’s forest and land fire incidents over the past decade, including during El Niño periods.
“In 2015, Indonesia recorded 2.6 million hectares affected by fires. That figure dropped to 1.6 million hectares in 2019 and further decreased to 1.1 million hectares in 2023. In 2025, we successfully reduced the affected area from 376,805 hectares in 2024 to 359,619 hectares,” the minister explained.
He attributed the progress to improved cross-sector coordination between central and regional governments, stronger public participation through community-based fire awareness groups, and stricter law enforcement against corporations and individuals responsible for illegal burning.
“All these preparations, including today’s roll call, reflect our determination to break down sectoral barriers. Forest and land fire management cannot be handled by a single institution alone,” Raja Juli Antoni said.
The Ministry of Forestry has intensified integrated patrols, optimized hotspot monitoring technologies, and strengthened field personnel capacity as part of broader mitigation measures. Authorities also stressed the importance of public education and community empowerment in reducing fire risks.
The preparedness exercise served as an opportunity to ensure the readiness of personnel, firefighting equipment, and inter-agency coordination ahead of the expected peak of the dry season in the coming months. Regional governments were also urged to declare emergency alert status if fire risk indicators continue to rise.
The government reaffirmed that strict legal action against perpetrators of forest and land burning will remain a key priority to create a deterrent effect and safeguard environmental sustainability. (*)
