BNPB Discusses Malaysian Support for Forest and Land Fire Response
Makassar (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has discussed an offer of operational assistance and technology cooperation from the Malaysian Government to support efforts to tackle forest and land fires.
BNPB acting head of its Data, Information and Disaster Communications Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, said in a statement in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday that the proposed support would be assessed further to ensure it matched operational needs and conditions on the ground. He was referring to a meeting between BNPB head Kristomei Sianturi and Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Muzafar Shah Mustafa.
At the meeting, held at the Graha BNPB building in Jakarta on Tuesday, Malaysia reportedly offered one CL-415MP amphibious aircraft, one Mi-171 helicopter and 44 personnel, including crew and technicians.
“The offer forms part of efforts by the two countries to explore support that could assist operations to tackle forest and land fires in Indonesia,” he said.
In addition to operational assistance, BNPB and the Malaysian Government are exploring technology cooperation covering monitoring and early detection, data collection and analysis, assessments of affected areas, firefighting strategies, research and innovation, technical coordination, and human resource development.
BNPB will next coordinate technically with Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the suitability of the assistance, deployment readiness, logistical requirements, flight safety procedures and alternative support if thick haze and poor visibility limit the effectiveness of aerial operations.
“All forms of international assistance will be tailored to disaster response needs and applicable regulations, while operational control will remain with the Government of Indonesia,” he said.
Berton said forest and land fire response is currently being carried out through an integrated approach involving ground firefighting, aerial water-bombing operations by helicopter and weather-modification operations, under the technical coordination of BNPB and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
BNPB’s Directorate of Operations Control reported that, as of 25 October, the Indonesian Government had deployed 71,878 personnel in ground firefighting task forces and 63 aircraft. The aerial fleet comprised 39 water-bombing helicopters and 24 patrol and weather-modification aircraft.