Ministry of Forestry Urges Public to Protect Environment to Prevent Forest and Land Fires

The Ministry of Forestry is urging the public to protect the environment as part of efforts to prevent forest and land fires, coinciding with the strengthening of local government preparedness for potential disasters during the 2026 dry season. Fahrizal Fitri, Expert Staff to the Minister of Forestry for Inter-Institutional Relations and Chair of the 2026 Forest Fire Control Supervision Task Force, stated in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Tuesday that fire prevention requires the support of all elements of society. He emphasised that protecting forests and land is a shared responsibility to ensure environmental sustainability. “Let us protect nature. May our earth remain safe, green, and the sky blue,” Fahrizal said. In addition to encouraging public participation, he expressed hope that the established synergy between district and city governments and all stakeholders would be maintained with the full support of the provincial government. Based on the supervision results in South Kalimantan, Fahrizal assessed that the preparedness carried out by the South Kalimantan Provincial Government together with all stakeholders to face potential forest and land fires during the dry season has been quite optimal, serving as a strong foundation for strengthening prevention and field response. “Alhamdulillah, we see that preparedness is quite optimal and cooperation among stakeholders is also quite good,” he said. He explained that the working visit to South Kalimantan was part of supervision of the readiness of local governments and the technical implementation units of the Ministry of Forestry in the region to ensure all elements are prepared to face potential forest and land fires through optimal coordination and resource readiness.