The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics\n(BMKG) predicts that much of Indonesia will experience an earlier and\nlonger dry season this year than usual. This condition is said to\nincrease the potential for forest and land fires (karhutla) this\nyear.<\/p>\n
Around 57.2 per cent of Indonesia\u2019s territory will experience a\nlonger dry season, while approximately 46.5 per cent of the territory\nwill enter the dry season earlier or ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
Of that number, 16.3 per cent of the territory will begin entering\nthe 2026 dry season in April. These areas include West Java, most of\nCentral Java to East Java, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), East Nusa Tenggara\n(NTT), Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Sumatra.<\/p>\n
A lecturer from the Faculty of Forestry at UGM, Fiqri Ardiansyah,\nstated that this longer dry season raises higher risks related to the\nthreat of karhutla. Several areas affected by karhutla have already\noccurred in Riau, reaching 4,440.21 hectares and continuing to increase.\nFacing this projection of forest and land fire challenges, government\nand private sector decision-making policies are encouraged to be more\nadaptive with the involvement of all parties.<\/p>\n
For this reason, he emphasised the need for budgets that prioritise\nthe concept of sustainable emergency management. \u201cBudgets should be able\nto adapt to the concept of emergency management from prevention,\nmitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery,\u201d he explained in a\npress release from UGM\u2019s Public Relations (31\/3).<\/p>\n
He highlighted the strategic role of peatland rewetting\ninfrastructure compared to mere short-term solutions. To address\nkarhutla, Weather Modification Operations (OMC), bore wells, and canal\nblocks are still viewed as instruments that can be carried out\nsynergistically to keep ecosystems wet and minimise fires. \u201cOMC, bore\nwells, and canal blocks are efforts for prevention and mitigation,\u201d said\nFiqri on Monday (30\/3).<\/p>\n
Based on several studies that have been conducted, said Fiqri, canal\nblocks are quite effective as a karhutla mitigation step. Not only in\nthe short term but also in the long term. \u201cBurnt peat is generally\ndegraded peat, so the presence of canal blocks is expected to reduce\nwater loss from the peat ecosystem, keeping the peat wet,\u201d he\nstated.<\/p>\n
In response to the government\u2019s instructions regarding private sector\ninvolvement, Fiqri proposed a collaboration model that is not merely\ninstructional during emergencies. He encouraged the formation of\npermanent cooperation agreements manifested through measurable and\nroutine field activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cPermanent collaboration can be carried out through roll calls,\npatrols, joint monitoring with BPBD, Manggala Agni, and so on, conducted\nroutinely, as well as MPA assistance,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
As a preventive step, Fiqri asserted that fundamental change must\nstart from human behaviour at the grassroots level to prevent karhutla\nfrom occurring.<\/p>\n
\u201cRaising awareness to increase public understanding in using\nuncontrolled fire is important to do. This is because fires generally\noccur due to ignition sources from human activities,\u201d Fiqri\nstressed.<\/p>\n
As a concrete solution, Fiqri encouraged companies and communities to\nimplement Zero-Burning Land Management (PLTB), especially in areas\noutside Java, to break the pattern of recurrent fire suppression.\n\u201cZero-Burning Land Management can be an alternative,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ugm-expert-warns-of-increased-risk-of-forest-and-land-fires-during-the-2026-dry-season-1774968676", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }