El Niño 'Godzilla' Looms, Forest and Land Fire Monitoring Strengthened
The Ministry of Forestry is strengthening monitoring of forest and land fires (karhutla) in West Kalimantan following a surge in hotspots and the threat of the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño. This measure is being taken to curb the risk of fires, which is expected to increase throughout the 2026 dry season.
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) predicts a strong El Niño climate anomaly and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) from April to October 2026. This phenomenon is marked by warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which impacts Indonesia through reduced rainfall.
Such conditions heighten the risk of drought and increase the potential for forest and land fires. The term ‘Godzilla’ is used to describe an El Niño of greater intensity than usual, with broader impacts.
The Ministry of Forestry recorded 7,883 hotspots in West Kalimantan up to 31 March 2026. The area of karhutla that has been extinguished reaches 479.12 hectares and is spread across several districts and cities.
The largest fires occurred in Kubu Raya Regency at 131.20 hectares, followed by Sambas Regency at 103.32 hectares, Ketapang Regency at 73.30 hectares, Mempawah Regency at 47.20 hectares, and Singkawang City at 38.50 hectares. This data indicates that karhutla pressure has been increasing since the beginning of the year.
The Ministry of Forestry has deployed 13 teams or 195 Manggala Agni personnel to carry out extinguishing and control efforts in the field. Strengthening monitoring is deemed essential to improve early detection, personnel readiness, and cross-sector coordination.
Senior Forest Police Expert from the Ministry of Forestry, Sustyo Iriyono, stated, ‘This monitoring is a key element not only in terms of technical field extinguishing but also in ensuring compliance, consistent control, and measured anticipatory steps. With strong monitoring, every potential can be detected earlier and handled more quickly,’ said Sustyo.
Head of the Forest and Land Fire Control Centre for the Kalimantan Region of the Ministry of Forestry, Yudho Mustiko, emphasised the importance of preparedness for the dry season. West Kalimantan is described as one of the regions with a high incidence of karhutla.
‘Activating the Karhutla Control Post is a preventive step that will strengthen the early detection system, accelerate field response handling, and enhance coordination across Task Implementation Units in integrated and effective karhutla control efforts,’ said Yudho.
Through this post, the Ministry of Forestry is increasing integrated patrols in vulnerable areas, maximising hotspot monitoring, and strengthening daily reporting systems among Task Implementation Units. Personnel and equipment readiness is also being enhanced to speed up field responses.
In addition, the government is promoting socialisation to communities to avoid opening land by burning. A rapid reporting system has also been activated to ensure every incident can be handled early.
All related parties are urged to increase operational vigilance during the dry season. The public is also encouraged to play an active role by not conducting land burning and immediately reporting indications of fires in their respective areas.
This strengthening of monitoring is expected to suppress karhutla potential from the start of the dry season. These efforts are also crucial to prevent haze impacts that could spread across regions and countries.