Satellite will help forest fire detection<\/p>\n
SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan (JP): The National Space and
\nAviation Agency has developed a method to detect, through
\nsatellite images, forest fires at their earliest occurrence.<\/p>\n
Agus Hidayat, a senior official of the agency, said that with
\nthe establishment of a new coordination team to prevent forest
\nfires, such information could be made available quickly to the
\nproper government agencies to act upon.<\/p>\n
Agus told reporters that even before the method was developed,
\nthe agency already had access to such information from the United
\nStates' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
\nsince the 1980s but it had not been widely used.<\/p>\n
He recalled that in 1987, the agency obtained NOAA data
\nindicting there was dry vegetation in East Kalimantan which
\nshould have served as a warning of fire prone conditions. "A
\nmajor fire did occur later. But the Ministry of Forestry said
\nthey received the data too late."<\/p>\n
Agus said the agency's latest data showed hot spots in South
\nSumatra and West Kalimantan with temperatures reaching 52 degree
\nCelsius on Aug. 18 and 24. "Hopefully, these signs were reported
\npromptly to the coordination team."<\/p>\n
The team is headed by the Ministry of Forestry and the
\nEnvironmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal).<\/p>\n
Agus was speaking during a seminar on forest fire prevention
\nwith experts from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, as a follow
\nup to a commitment for joint efforts the three governments signed
\nearly this year.<\/p>\n
The signing itself was prompted by the major forest fires that
\nbroke out in various parts of Indonesia, leaving parts of Sumatra
\nand Kalimantan as well as Malaysia and Singapore covered by thick
\nsmoke for weeks.<\/p>\n
Cheng Lak Seng of Singapore's meteorological office also
\npointed out at NOAA's satellite images could be used to identify
\nhot spots or signs of increased temperature.<\/p>\n
He said further study was needed to reveal whether these hot
\nspots mean the occurrence of fire. He pointed out, however, that
\nsuch hot spots were detected on Aug. 15 but they disappeared
\nafter a few days. (anr)<\/p>",
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