Trimegah Sekuritas Indonesia Chief Economist Fakhrul Fulvian believes\nthat forest and land fires (karhutla) amid the current El Ni\u00f1o\ndevelopment can cause economic impacts far broader than the value of the\nburnt land or forest itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisasters have a multiplier effect that is often invisible on the\nfirst day. Initially it may be a land fire. After that, health problems\nemerge, work activities are disrupted, schools are disrupted, transport\nis disrupted, and ultimately economic activity and people\u2019s livelihoods\nweaken,\u201d Fakhrul said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday\n(23\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
He explained that smoke haze can increase respiratory problems and\npublic health costs. School activities can also be disrupted and worker\nproductivity can decline when air quality deteriorates.<\/p>\n
Disruption can also spread to aviation and transport, goods\ndistribution, local trade, and daily community activities.<\/p>\n
In regions dependent on agriculture, prolonged dry conditions can\nalso affect water availability and food production. If it lasts long\nenough, the impact can appear in the form of food price pressures and\ndeclining community incomes.<\/p>\n
According to Fakhrul, disaster prevention is actually also part of\nmaintaining the continuity of economic activity. One unique\ncharacteristic of disaster budgets, he said, is that their success is\noften visible precisely when something does not happen.<\/p>\n
When fires are successfully controlled before spreading, no economic\nactivity stops. When early warning systems work well, communities can\nanticipate risks earlier.<\/p>\n
When logistics and equipment are already available, responses can\nalso be carried out without having to wait for conditions to worsen.<\/p>\n
According to him, the losses successfully prevented rarely appear in\neconomic statistics, but they have real value for society.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can often calculate the cost of a disaster after it occurs. What\nis far more difficult to calculate is the loss that did not happen\nbecause prevention worked. Yet economically its value can be very\nlarge,\u201d Fakhrul said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, according to Fakhrul, the principle of prevention being\nbetter than cure is not only a social or health principle, but also\ncarries strong economic logic.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/economist-forest-fire-prevention-costs-less-than-economic-losses-1787759850", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }