Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Environmental expert Marningot Tua Natalis\nSitumorang of Sahid University Jakarta has praised President Prabowo\nSubianto\u2019s move to strengthen efforts to tackle forest and land fires by\nestablishing the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency\n(BPGMN), led by Prof.\u00a0Dr Satyawan Pudyatmoko, an expert in the\nfield.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe appreciate President Prabowo\u2019s choice of someone with the\nrelevant expertise and experience to lead this institution. The right\nman in the right place,\u201d said Marningot, head of the Environmental\nManagement master\u2019s programme at Sahid University\u2019s Graduate School, in\nJakarta on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said Satyawan\u2019s academic background and experience in peatland\nmanagement were important assets in strengthening efforts to prevent and\ntackle forest and land fires.<\/p>\n
Marningot said peatland management required specialist expertise\nbecause peat had different characteristics from ordinary land. Peat\nforms from the accumulation of plant remains that decompose incompletely\nin water-saturated conditions.<\/p>\n
He said fires in peatlands were complex: flames not only burn surface\nvegetation but can also spread through underground organic layers and\nsmoulder for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that extinguishing fires requires special methods; simply\npouring water on the surface is not enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said digging into the ground at smouldering hotspots should be\nconsidered as part of firefighting strategy, alongside mapping fire\nlocations and water supplies and adapting methods to field conditions.\nResponse efforts should also account for access to fire sites, which are\noften in swamps and remote areas.<\/p>\n
Alongside technical improvements, he stressed the importance of law\nenforcement against those found responsible for setting fires.\nInvestigations should be conducted firmly and penalties imposed in\naccordance with the law to deter future offences.<\/p>\n
He said President Prabowo\u2019s directive to give serious attention to\npeatland fires should be accompanied by oversight of companies and land\nmanagers.<\/p>\n
In his view, environmental restoration responsibilities must go hand\nin hand with ensuring that those responsible for fires face legal\nproceedings.<\/p>\n
He added that local communities had an important role in preventing\nforest and land fires. Their knowledge of land characteristics, seasonal\npatterns and local wisdom could contribute to more effective peatland\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity involvement needs to be accompanied by education, support\nand close monitoring of land-clearing practices that use fire,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Natalis added that the reported fall in hotspots should be followed\nby continued monitoring, particularly in peatlands where embers can\nremain beneath the surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrevention must take place before the extreme dry season, while fire\nresponse needs to combine technical capabilities, oversight, law\nenforcement and community participation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, Forestry Ministry spokesperson Ristianto Pribadi said the\nnational number of hotspots fell from 1,085 on 12 October to 244 on 13\nOctober 2026 at 9pm Western Indonesian Time, a decrease of about 77.5\nper cent.<\/p>\n
South Sumatra nevertheless remained a concern, with its hotspot count\nreportedly up 92 per cent compared with the previous period.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding wildlife rescue, our records at the Forestry Ministry show\nthat, with help from volunteers and civil society organisations, we have\nrescued 232 wild animals in six priority provinces, 71 of them\norangutans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The average daily hotspot count in Central Kalimantan fell by 30 per\ncent. The number of wild animals receiving assistance had risen to 206\nas of 8 October, from 29 September, including 71 orangutans in West and\nCentral Kalimantan. Firefighting operations in six provinces have been\nunder way since January, supported by 50 aircraft: 32 for water-bombing,\n12 for aerial patrols and six for weather modification. A total of 1,419\nforest rangers and Manggala Agni personnel have been deployed across the\nsix provinces, with 5,000 Forestry Ministry civil servants on\nstandby.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the head of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management\nAgency, Prof.\u00a0Dr Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said recurring peatland fires were\na serious problem, particularly during prolonged hot weather and El Ni\u00f1o\nevents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia\u2019s peatland problem is recurring fires, especially during\nvery long hot seasons such as the present one, during El Ni\u00f1o. Peat\nfires occur everywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident\u2019s instructions are for us, as the peatland management\nagency, to manage peatlands so that when extreme dry seasons occur,\nfires can be contained and do not disrupt people\u2019s lives or harm their\nhealth,\u201d he said after his inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta\non Thursday (15 October).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-praises-prabowos-move-to-strengthen-peatland-fire-response-1792252242", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }