Indonesia consistently adheres to ASEAN mechanisms to manage forest fire impacts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has stated that Indonesia consistently adheres to ASEAN mechanisms in handling forest and land fires (karhutla) and their subsequent impacts that spread to several countries in the region.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela stated that since 26 August 2026, ASEAN has established a Level 3 Alert status regarding haze conditions in the region, requiring all member states to submit daily situation reports and mitigation measures.

“Indonesia is complying with these obligations through daily reports and various actions that have been detailed according to the criteria of that alert level,” Nabyl said during a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

He explained that these reports include monitoring, assessments, and emergency measures taken, accompanied by projected smoke trajectory maps.

In these reports, Indonesia proactively provides data regarding hotspots, environmental conditions in affected areas, and indications of smoke movement. The reports also detail the mitigation steps taken by Indonesia, including emergency responses and intensive firefighting efforts.

These reports are then distributed to the focal points of each ASEAN nation to assist them in establishing anticipatory measures and managing the impact of haze optimally, he added.

Nabyl further noted that the ASEAN Secretariat is the authority responsible for coordinating joint efforts at the regional level to address the impacts of forest fires.

“We have not received any notes of protest from countries in the region or neighbouring nations. As of now, we have not received any,” he emphasised.

Based on SiPongi data sourced from NASA Terra/Aqua, SNPP, and NOAA-20 satellites as of Tuesday (15/9) at 21:05 WIB, 1,037 high-confidence hotspots were recorded nationally, a decrease of 400 hotspots compared to the previous day.

Haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia has also been reported to affect the Sabah and Sarawak regions in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and even the Philippines, including the capital, Manila.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government has deployed three helicopters to assist in firefighting operations in Indonesia for the period of 12–19 September 2026. The Malaysian government has also stated its readiness to deploy assistance to Indonesia, pending a response from Jakarta.