Expert Praises Prabowo’s Move to Strengthen Peatland Fire Response
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Environmental expert Marningot Tua Natalis Situmorang of Sahid University Jakarta has praised President Prabowo Subianto’s move to strengthen efforts to tackle forest and land fires by establishing the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN), led by Prof. Dr Satyawan Pudyatmoko, an expert in the field.
“We appreciate President Prabowo’s choice of someone with the relevant expertise and experience to lead this institution. The right man in the right place,” said Marningot, head of the Environmental Management master’s programme at Sahid University’s Graduate School, in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said Satyawan’s academic background and experience in peatland management were important assets in strengthening efforts to prevent and tackle forest and land fires.
Marningot said peatland management required specialist expertise because peat had different characteristics from ordinary land. Peat forms from the accumulation of plant remains that decompose incompletely in water-saturated conditions.
He said fires in peatlands were complex: flames not only burn surface vegetation but can also spread through underground organic layers and smoulder for a long time.
“This means that extinguishing fires requires special methods; simply pouring water on the surface is not enough,” he said.
He said digging into the ground at smouldering hotspots should be considered as part of firefighting strategy, alongside mapping fire locations and water supplies and adapting methods to field conditions. Response efforts should also account for access to fire sites, which are often in swamps and remote areas.
Alongside technical improvements, he stressed the importance of law enforcement against those found responsible for setting fires. Investigations should be conducted firmly and penalties imposed in accordance with the law to deter future offences.
He said President Prabowo’s directive to give serious attention to peatland fires should be accompanied by oversight of companies and land managers.
In his view, environmental restoration responsibilities must go hand in hand with ensuring that those responsible for fires face legal proceedings.
He added that local communities had an important role in preventing forest and land fires. Their knowledge of land characteristics, seasonal patterns and local wisdom could contribute to more effective peatland management.
“Community involvement needs to be accompanied by education, support and close monitoring of land-clearing practices that use fire,” he said.
Natalis added that the reported fall in hotspots should be followed by continued monitoring, particularly in peatlands where embers can remain beneath the surface.
“Prevention must take place before the extreme dry season, while fire response needs to combine technical capabilities, oversight, law enforcement and community participation,” he said.
Previously, Forestry Ministry spokesperson Ristianto Pribadi said the national number of hotspots fell from 1,085 on 12 October to 244 on 13 October 2026 at 9pm Western Indonesian Time, a decrease of about 77.5 per cent.
South Sumatra nevertheless remained a concern, with its hotspot count reportedly up 92 per cent compared with the previous period.
“Regarding wildlife rescue, our records at the Forestry Ministry show that, with help from volunteers and civil society organisations, we have rescued 232 wild animals in six priority provinces, 71 of them orangutans,” he said.
The average daily hotspot count in Central Kalimantan fell by 30 per cent. The number of wild animals receiving assistance had risen to 206 as of 8 October, from 29 September, including 71 orangutans in West and Central Kalimantan. Firefighting operations in six provinces have been under way since January, supported by 50 aircraft: 32 for water-bombing, 12 for aerial patrols and six for weather modification. A total of 1,419 forest rangers and Manggala Agni personnel have been deployed across the six provinces, with 5,000 Forestry Ministry civil servants on standby.
Earlier, the head of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency, Prof. Dr Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said recurring peatland fires were a serious problem, particularly during prolonged hot weather and El Niño events.
“Indonesia’s peatland problem is recurring fires, especially during very long hot seasons such as the present one, during El Niño. Peat fires occur everywhere,” he said.
“President’s instructions are for us, as the peatland management agency, to manage peatlands so that when extreme dry seasons occur, fires can be contained and do not disrupt people’s lives or harm their health,” he said after his inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (15 October).