Battling forest fires

Battling forest fires

As a neighbor to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam we
must listen to and heed their grievances over the haze caused by
the forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. None of their
complaints should be construed as interference in our domestic
affairs.

We now face the task of convincing these neighbors that forest
fires in areas where peat and coal deposits exist are very
difficult to subdue. But, even so, there is no reason for us just
to sit back and do nothing about them.

First, we have to educate the nomadic farmers to prevent them
from staring fires for fear they may spread uncontrollably. This
task can be undertaken by the ministries of forestry and
transmigration.

Secondly, we can use the skills of the BPPT agency to create
artificial rain and to convert domestically produced CN-215 into
fire-fighting planes. This, obviously, requires a lot of funds,
so cooperation with neighboring countries should be resorted to.

Singapore's offer of cooperation, as stated by visiting Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong is a good beginning.

-- Suara Pembaruan, Jakarta