Orang Rimba Involved in Handling Forest and Land Fires in Jambi
Fifteen members of the indigenous Orang Rimba community, or Suku Anak Dalam (SAD), from Batang Hari and Sarolangun districts have been involved in preventing forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Jambi province.
“They were selected because they live in close proximity and have direct interactions with forestry lands that are highly susceptible to fires, especially amid the increasing threat of climate change that heightens the potential for Karhutla,” said Ismael, Head of Preparedness Division at the Jambi Provincial BPBD, in a written statement in Jambi on Monday.
According to him, climate change has brought a stark irony: while some areas are still grappling with flash floods due to extreme rainfall, forest and land fires are beginning to loom on the other side.
Amid this whirlwind of weather anomalies, vulnerable groups are the most threatened, including the indigenous Orang Rimba community.
He continued that Karhutla not only damages ecosystems and destroys game animals but also eliminates fruit-bearing plants that sustain their lives, while triggering various subsequent impacts, including health disruptions.
Therefore, efforts to prevent and handle forest and land fires must involve the community, particularly the Orang Rimba who live in prone areas.
KKI Warsi Project Officer Jauharul Maknun stated that the Orang Rimba have received simulations on handling and understanding the causes of fires, accompanied by Basarnas, Manggala Agni, as well as TNI and Polri.
This simulation also included scenarios for emergency handling if personnel or residents suffer injuries in the field.
Considering that the Orang Rimba inherently possess strong local wisdom, and given the easily flammable land conditions, traditional methods must be enriched with more relevant knowledge for today’s situations.
According to him, fires often do not originate from within but spread from outside into their foraging territories, where they depend entirely on the forest, making the indigenous Orang Rimba community vulnerable.
For this reason, training on handling forest and land fires for the indigenous Orang Rimba is crucial. This is not merely to preserve peat ecosystems or canopy cover but directly relates to protecting their rights and survival.
Orang Rimba who reside and operate in the forests are the first to quickly detect fire hotspots before they escalate, particularly in the landscape of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Bukit Duabelas.
“In addition to technical field capabilities, the indigenous Orang Rimba community is also trained on reporting procedures to the authorities,” Jauharul revealed.