Prabowo orders maximum handling of forest fires during El Niño

President Prabowo Subianto has instructed for the maximum and coordinated handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) amidst the increasing risk of fires due to dry conditions and the strengthening El Niño. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday that the President gave this directive to anticipate the spread of forest and land fires in several regions of Indonesia. “During this El Niño period, there are still many forest and land fires occurring in parts of Indonesia. Some areas with a very high number of hotspots are West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, and a significant one is occurring in East Java, in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park,” he said. The government, according to Prasetyo, is paying attention to the fires in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area by strengthening coordination with the East Java Provincial Government, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Forestry, and the national park management. In addition to optimising ground-based firefighting, the government is coordinating with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) regarding the possibility of implementing weather modification operations. Prasetyo stated that the implementation of weather modification operations depends on atmospheric conditions, so it cannot be carried out in all areas affected by forest and land fires. The government has also readied air assets, including helicopters and aircraft, to conduct water bombing in locations requiring such intervention. BMKG has stated that the strengthening El Niño during the dry season increases the risk of drought and forest and land fires in several regions of Indonesia. The government is also urging the public to increase vigilance and avoid activities that could trigger fires during these dry weather conditions.