Forestry Minister insists no more land clearing by burning

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has firmly instructed all parties to cease using burning methods for land clearing. “To all stakeholders, including communities and private companies accustomed to using cheap, quick methods for land clearing, such as burning forests, I remind you that the police and prosecutors will take firm and harsh action on this matter,” he said during a press conference following the 2026 Forest and Land Fire Prevention Coordination Meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. He was responding to the El Niño phenomenon currently affecting Indonesia. He stressed that all parties must realise Indonesia is not in a safe position regarding forest and land fires. A total of 81,000 hectares of land have been declared burnt up to May 2026 due to this year’s El Niño. “A month ago, we were still briefed by BMKG that there is indeed an El Niño this year, but it was still at a low to moderate level. The peak of the El Niño is next year, as it follows a four-year cycle. However, BMKG has just updated us that by July it will already be strong,” he stated. Therefore, he said the central government together with regional governments has consolidated to undertake mitigation measures, including weather modification operations and canal blocking techniques. “God willing, if all stakeholders can continue to work well, we will be able to win the fight against these forest and land fires,” he said. On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago emphasised that thorough preparations are mandatory to prevent forest and land fires. Although there has been progress in handling El Niño from year to year, he underlined that existing progress must be maintained and continuously improved. “We have already built a collective spirit to do this, and we have aligned our understanding; all that remains is to implement it. Therefore, today we have a joint agreement to handle this problem across Indonesia, especially in the six provinces most prone to forest and land fires,” he said.