House Speaker Puan Calls for Economic Impact Assessment of Bromo Closure

House Speaker Puan Maharani has asked the government to begin calculating the economic impact of the fire in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area in East Java, particularly on communities that depend on income from the tourism sector.

In her statement in Jakarta on Monday, Puan said extinguishing the fire remains the priority to prevent it from spreading and to protect surrounding communities.

“The current priority must be clear: put out the fire as quickly as possible, prevent further damage, and protect surrounding communities from the knock-on effects,” she said.

According to Puan, the fire, which has reportedly affected around 520 hectares and led to the closure of tourism activities, is a serious situation requiring coordinated handling.

In addition to firefighting, Puan asked that air quality and the potential spread of smoke to residential areas continue to be monitored to anticipate impacts on public health.

Regarding the closure of the tourist area, she assessed that the measure is necessary to support firefighting operations and prevent risks to visitors.

However, according to Puan, the government needs to begin assessing the economic impact of the closure because tourism activity at Bromo is a source of income for some surrounding communities.

“Do not let the communities who have been helping to protect and sustain Bromo tourism end up bearing the heaviest economic burden from this disaster,” she said.

Puan also asked the government to map the extent of damage to vegetation, wildlife habitats, soil conditions, water catchment areas, and areas at risk of further erosion and degradation as a basis for ecosystem recovery.

According to her, handling the Bromo fire is not enough with just extinguishing the flames and reopening the tourist area; it must be followed by ecosystem restoration and protection of the livelihoods of surrounding communities.