Nearly 10,000 Hotspots Encircle Kalimantan
Pantau Gambut has recorded 9,853 hotspot points surrounding Kalimantan for January to April 2026. The presence of the National Strategic Project (PSN) is accused of being a major contributor to worsening peatland degradation in the region.
In the face of the El Niño 2026 phenomenon, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has begun activating fire-fighting posts for forest and land fires (karhutla). However, this step is viewed as only an administrative ‘firefighting’ measure that does not address root causes. Karhutla remains a serious threat, particularly because the majority of hotspot points are concentrated in areas designated as Protected Function of Peat Ecosystems (FLEG).
Nationally, Pantau Gambut detected a total of 26,484 hotspot points within the Peat Hydrological Unit (KHG) during the first four months of 2026. Of this total, 17,299 hotspot points are in protected areas, while the remainder are spread across cultivation areas.
This condition indicates that protection of peatlands is still far from effective. Janang Palanungkai, Director of Walhi Central Kalimantan, stated that the PSN is a major factor in degradation. “One example is the Food Estate project in Central Kalimantan which has proven to fail,” Janang said on Wednesday (20/5).
Data shows around 31,000 hectares of peatland have been converted for the development of the Food Estate. This project is considered to worsen peatland damage in Central Kalimantan, following the failed precedent of the Million Hectare Peatland Project (PLG) in the past.
West Kalimantan: 9,270 hotspot points
Central Kalimantan: 438 hotspot points
South Kalimantan: 25 hotspot points
Corporate concessions become the epicentre
The concession area becomes the epicentre of hotspot points in Kalimantan, contributing 91% or 8,983 hotspot points. This distribution covers areas of the Hak Guna Usaha (HGU) amounting to 6,571 points and the Forest Utilisation Business Licence (PBPH/IUPHHK) amounting to 2,412 points.
Indra Syahnanda, Head of Advocacy and Campaign at Walhi Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan), highlighted corporate activities that damage ecosystems. “Activities by PT Mayawana Persada and PT Equator Sumber Rezeki which opened a total of 6,758.3 hectares of land have displaced orangutan habitats and threatened peatland ecosystems,” he said.
Similarly, Raden Rafiq, Director of Walhi Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), stressed that concessions in peatland areas often trigger social conflicts and land grabs. The practice of drying peatland for large-scale business drives repeated fires.
“Local communities who manage peatlands sustainably are marginalised and criminalised. Meanwhile, companies that burn peatland are often not held to account,” Rafiq asserted.
This crisis shows that peatland problems are not merely environmental issues but are closely linked to land ownership inequality and the lack of protection for communities who depend on peatland ecosystems. (DY/E-4)