Forestry Minister Praises Riau for Lowest Hotspot Count: Experts Left Puzzled

The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, stated that the condition of forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Sumatra and Kalimantan regions has not yet fully improved. However, he extended his praise to the Riau regional leadership (Forkopimrade) for successfully moving from the first to the bottom position in terms of fire hotspots.

Raja Juli made these remarks during a visit to the Rumah Runding Restorari in Bengkalis Regency, Riau, on Wednesday (30/09/2026). The event was also attended by the Acting Governor of Riau, SF Hariyanto, the Riau Regional Police Chief, Inspector General Herry Heryawan, and the Commander of the XIX/Tuanku Tambusai Military District, Major General Agus Hadi Wibowo.

Opening his speech, Raja Juli expressed his gratitude that the group could gather without the presence of haze, despite high fire conditions in several other areas. “Alhamdulillah, we can sit here comfortably and fresh, without masks. However, our brothers in Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and even South Sumatra are still seeing rising hotspots,” said Raja Juli.

Raja Juli acknowledged that the challenges in tackling forest fires are not easy, especially amidst the current prolonged dry season. “This means our challenge in managing forest fires remains very high and difficult. According to BMKG predictions, natural rainfall in several places will only arrive in late October, or even early to late November,” he explained.

“This is our shared challenge. Last year, the smoke felt thicker than this year, even during the peak of El Niño,” he added.

Nevertheless, Raja Juli noted that the fire situation in Riau has actually experienced a decline. According to him, this phenomenon has left experts confused. “I believe both national and international experts who have interacted with me are currently puzzled, searching for answers as to why Riau, which is usually ranked number one, is now at the very bottom of the hotspot list,” he explained.

He attributed Riau’s ability to reach the lowest rank to the successful cooperation and collaboration between the TNI-Polri (Military and Police), the Regional Government, and other relevant agencies. “Part of the answer to the current situation is what we are witnessing together right now. This was once a place where forest fires occurred and peat degradation took place, but thanks to our collective cooperation,” he concluded.