WALHI West Java: Human Activity Main Trigger of Forest Fires Beyond Extreme Weather
The dry season affecting various regions of Indonesia has begun to have a significant impact on the increased risk of forest and land fires. However, the natural phenomenon of extreme weather is not considered the sole cause of fires in protected and conservation forest areas.
The Chair of the Regional Council of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) West Java, who also chairs the national Forum for Communication of Indonesian Conservation Cadres (FK3I), Dedi Kurniawan, affirmed that human activity plays a crucial role in triggering fires, whether carried out deliberately or accidentally.
According to Dedi, human involvement in forest areas is often linked to three main sectors that require strict monitoring. These activities include large- and small-scale plantations, geothermal operations, and the tourism sector.
“The forest and land fires currently occurring do indeed have another significant trigger, namely human activity. Factors of human involvement in the area include plantation activity, geothermal operations, and tourism activity,” said Dedi Kurniawan on Wednesday (29/7/2026).
He added that fire cases occurring during the dry season often stem from management failures and weak oversight in the field. Area managers are obliged to carry out routine inspections of activities within their territory to prevent unwanted impacts.
To reduce the number of forest and land fires, WALHI is urging the government to promptly conduct in-depth analysis of every fire incident. This analysis is expected to serve as material for developing stricter regulations concerning restrictions on human activity in vulnerable zones.
Dedi suggested concrete steps in the form of limiting tourist visits to protected forest areas during the peak of the dry season and increasing the intensity of supervision by the authorities. “To anticipate forest and land fires, the government should take measures by limiting tourist visits and stepping up supervision,” he concluded.