The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has improved its\nmethod for calculating the area affected by forest and land fires using\nsatellite imagery, in a bid to make monitoring more accurate. The move\nwas reported to President Prabowo Subianto as the agency responds to\nfires in five priority provinces.<\/p>\n
BNPB chief Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi delivered the report\nat a plenary Cabinet meeting marking the first two years of the Kerja\nNyata untuk Negeri administration, at the Presidential Palace complex in\nJakarta on Wednesday (21 October).<\/p>\n
\u201cMr President, I would like to report that since my appointment on 15\nOctober 2026, we have continued to take steps to improve the calculation\nmethod using satellite imagery,\u201d Kristomei said at the plenary meeting\nof the Red and White Cabinet, according to a recording posted on the\nCabinet Secretariat\u2019s YouTube channel on Friday (23 October).<\/p>\n
BNPB has designated five provinces as priorities for tackling forest\nand land fires: Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan,\nJambi and West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Of the five areas, an increase in fire incidents was recorded in\nSouth Sumatra and Jambi. Kristomei said, however, that the rise was not\nyet significant.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there are five priority provinces today: Central Kalimantan,\nSouth Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Jambi and West Kalimantan. The\nprovinces seeing an increase today are South Sumatra and Jambi, but it\nis not very significant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alongside improving monitoring, BNPB is carrying out\nweather-modification operations, dispersing dry ice to help trigger rain\nin areas requiring fire response.<\/p>\n
Kristomei reported that 3,100 kilogrammes of dry ice had been\ndispersed since 20 October across five sorties. In South Sumatra, the\noperation involved one sortie and 800 kilogrammes of dry ice.<\/p>\n
According to Kristomei, the operation was followed by lower\nparticulate levels in the air and improved visibility in Palembang.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result, particulate matter levels have fallen \u2014 PM2 and PM2.5\nhave decreased \u2014 and visibility in Palembang, I can report, has improved\nfrom 700 metres to 7,000 metres,\u201d Kristomei said.<\/p>\n
With improved satellite-based calculations and weather-modification\noperations, BNPB continues to monitor and tackle forest and land fires\nin the priority areas.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/satellite-based-forest-fire-monitoring-improved-with-five-provinces-prioritised-1792853481", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }