Forest and land fires (karhutla) have once again become a concern in\nseveral regions of Indonesia. The government is currently prioritising\nsix provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra for karhutla handling, namely\nWest Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, South\nSumatra, and Jambi. Based on the results of the emergency karhutla\ncoordination meeting on 21 August 2026, the peak fire risk is expected\nto occur from August to September.<\/p>\n
In Kalimantan, fires remain a concern as several areas require\nintensive handling. Similar conditions also occur in several parts of\nSumatra, with officers continuing to monitor and extinguish fires to\nprevent them from spreading. BMKG also provides monitoring of karhutla\npotential for Indonesia and the ASEAN region as part of early warning\nefforts.<\/p>\n
Once the fire has been successfully extinguished, the real problem is\nnot over. Burned forests and land require time to regain their\necological functions. One effort that can be undertaken is\nrehabilitation through replanting.<\/p>\n
However, the terms reforestation and greening are often used\ninterchangeably. In fact, the two have different meanings and\nscopes.<\/p>\n
So, after a forest fire, is reforestation or greening needed?<\/p>\n
Reforestation and greening are different<\/p>\n
Simply put, reforestation is the activity of replanting in forest\nareas that have suffered damage or loss of forest cover.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, greening has a broader scope and is not limited to forest\nareas. Tree planting can be carried out on land outside forest areas,\nfor example around settlements, critical land, public facilities, or\ncertain areas that require additional vegetation cover.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry itself has a Directorate General of\nWatershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation (PDASRH) that handles\nforest and land rehabilitation policies, including soil and water\nconservation and watershed management.<\/p>\n
Thus, the choice between reforestation and greening actually depends\non the location and condition of the damaged land.<\/p>\n
When a fire occurs within a forest area and causes vegetation cover\nto be damaged, replanting can be part of rehabilitation efforts.<\/p>\n
The goal is not merely to make the area look green again. Vegetation\nhas ecological functions, ranging from providing habitat for wildlife,\nprotecting soil, helping regulate water systems, to absorbing\ncarbon.<\/p>\n
However, planting cannot be done carelessly. The types of plants\nselected need to be adapted to the ecosystem conditions and site\ncharacteristics.<\/p>\n
In this way, the restored forest is expected not only to have many\ntrees, but also to be able to resume its ecological functions.<\/p>\n
Greening is more suitable for land outside forest areas<\/p>\n
Unlike reforestation, greening can be carried out on various lands\noutside forest areas.<\/p>\n
For example, open land affected by fire, areas around settlements,\nriver buffer zones, or critical land that requires additional vegetation\ncover.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry includes forest and land rehabilitation as\none of the efforts to increase the carrying capacity of watersheds and\nmaintain ecosystem balance.<\/p>\n
This means that greening can be one part of a broader environmental\nrecovery process after a fire.<\/p>\n
This is quite important. After seeing land turned black due to fire,\nthere may be an assumption that the fastest solution is to immediately\nplant as many trees as possible.<\/p>\n
In fact, ecosystem recovery is not always that simple.<\/p>\n
Burned land needs to be inspected first. Is the soil still able to\nsupport plant growth? Is there still vegetation that can grow naturally?\nWhat is the condition of water and drainage? Is there a threat of fire\nrecurring?<\/p>\n
Research stored in the Ministry of Forestry library shows that burned\nland can undergo natural recovery and vegetation succession according to\npost-fire conditions.<\/p>\n
Therefore, recovery should be based on ecosystem conditions, not\nmerely pursuing the number of seedlings planted.<\/p>\n
Natural recovery also needs to be considered<\/p>\n
In certain areas, nature actually has the ability to recover\nitself.<\/p>\n
Seeds still remaining in the soil, shoots from surviving plants, or\nplants originating from surrounding areas can be part of the natural\nregeneration process.<\/p>\n
If land conditions still allow, this process can be maintained and\nassisted through area protection.<\/p>\n
Replanting is only carried out when necessary, especially in areas\nthat have suffered severe damage or have low regeneration capacity.<\/p>\n
This approach is important so that recovery does not alter the\noriginal character of the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Post-fire peatland recovery cannot rely solely on tree planting.<\/p>\n
Peat has special characteristics because it is formed from the\naccumulation of organic matter in wet conditions. When peat dries out,\nthe risk of fire becomes higher.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry, through the Centre for Forest and Land Fire\nMitigation Development, states that rehabilitation of burned peat areas\nshould ideally be carried out no later than one year after the incident\nto prevent changes in ecosystem conditions that are more difficult to\nrestore.<\/p>\n
Therefore, peat recovery needs to pay attention to water management\nin addition to vegetation. Maintaining peat moisture is an important\npart of ensuring the area does not become easily flammable again.<\/p>\n
Plant types must not be chosen carelessly<\/p>\n
There is an assumption that the more trees planted, the better the\ngreening results. In fact, plant types play an important role in\ndetermining the success of recovery.<\/p>\n
Selected plants should be suited to soil conditions, climate, water\navailability, and the character of the local ecosystem.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forests-burned-is-reforestation-or-greening-needed-heres-the-difference-1787626321", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }