Forestry Minister: Indonesia to Heighten Vigilance in Facing El Niño and Prolonged Dry Season
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stated that Indonesia is enhancing vigilance and various preparations to face the El Niño phenomenon and the potential for a prolonged dry season.
He conveyed this during the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States, earlier this week.
“This year, we must be far more cautious. The potential for a longer dry season due to El Niño demands high vigilance from all of us,” said Forestry Minister Raja Antoni in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Furthermore, he explained that based on weather data analysis, the El Niño phenomenon with low to moderate intensity is predicted to occur in June 2026, potentially causing a longer dry season.
“I urge all ranks and related partners not to be complacent and to continue increasing patrols and monitoring in vulnerable areas,” said the Forestry Minister.
Meanwhile, during the UNFF21 series at the UN Headquarters, Raja Antoni also reported Indonesia’s significant achievements in controlling forest and land fires (karhutla).
This, he said, serves as concrete evidence of President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to strengthening climate action through sustainable forest ecosystem protection.
The Forestry Minister stated that over the last decade, Indonesia has successfully reduced the area affected by forest and land fires by 86 percent.
“This success is the result of strengthening integrated prevention and early warning systems, firm law enforcement, and a community-based approach at the grassroots level,” he said.
These positive achievements continue, with Indonesia recording a significant decline in the area of karhutla over the past year (2024-2025) compared to previous years.
According to the Forestry Minister, this decline is driven by strengthened monitoring of hotspots and rapid response extinguishing by combined teams in the field.
Furthermore, Forestry Minister Raja Antoni emphasised that suppressing karhutla figures cannot be done by the central government alone, but requires close cooperation between communities, law enforcement apparatus, and all stakeholders to ensure effective prevention from the outset.
“Collaboration and readiness are key. We must ensure that karhutla figures can continue to be suppressed to preserve forests and ensure healthy air quality for the public,” said the Forestry Minister.