Coordinating Minister asks Central and West Kalimantan to halt land-burning permits
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago has asked the regional governments of Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan to halt permits for land burning for plantation purposes amid the current El Niño conditions.
The potential for extreme heat and drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon could trigger forest and land fires, therefore permits for burning land to open new plantations need to be reviewed.
“Prevention efforts involve law enforcement, as soon as there are simple violations. Earlier, there were indeed two provinces that allowed land burning for plantation purposes using traditional methods. I have also spoken with the governors so that they are ready to oversee this. In conditions like this, if necessary, the regulation should be suspended first,” he said during a press conference on forest and land fire handling in Jakarta on Monday.
Meanwhile, Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto explained that under the Environmental Law, there is indeed a permit to clear land by burning with a maximum area of one hectare, but the drafting of regional regulations for this purpose needs to be discussed with the DPR or DPRD.
He also explained that the Ministry of Environment is preparing a circular so that these regional regulations are temporarily not enforced until El Niño ends.
Previously, BNPB also urged the West Kalimantan Provincial Government to review the implementation of regional regulations that allow land burning to open plantations amid the prolonged dry season.
“For the time being, the regional regulation should not be implemented first. To revoke the regional regulation is the authority of the Governor, not BNPB,” said BNPB Deputy for Emergency Handling Major General Budi Irawan.
According to Budi, the review is necessary because this year’s dry season is expected to last longer, so land burning could potentially trigger fires that are difficult to control.
Based on field monitoring, most of the fires that occurred in the areas reviewed were suspected to have been triggered by human activity, including land clearing by burning.
Budi said there is a regional regulation that provides room for communities to burn land of up to two hectares to open plantations. The provision comes with a number of requirements, including the obligation to keep the fire from spreading to other land.