West Kalimantan BPBD Implements Land Wetting Programme to Prevent Forest and Land Fires
Pontianak (ANTARA) - The West Kalimantan Provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is implementing a land wetting programme as the primary measure to prevent forest and land fires (karhutla) ahead of the 2026 dry season.
“This wetting aims to maintain the condition of peatlands in a moist state on a large scale, thereby suppressing fire potential from the outset,” said Daniel, the Daily Coordinator of the BPBD West Kalimantan Operations Control Centre, in Pontianak on Friday.
He stated that the wetting programme is focused on fire-prone areas, particularly peatlands, to preserve soil moisture so that it does not easily catch fire during the dry season.
According to him, this step is part of BPBD West Kalimantan’s integrated strategy in facing the dry season, which is expected to last until mid-2026. In addition to wetting, BPBD is also intensifying ground patrols and strengthening cross-sector coordination.
BPBD West Kalimantan, Daniel continued, has synergised with various parties, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and related agencies, to ensure that prevention efforts run optimally in the field.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the implementation of the wetting programme still faces several challenges, particularly the limited water sources in some fire-prone areas.
“To anticipate this, BPBD West Kalimantan is opening opportunities to apply for assistance from the central government through the National Disaster Management Agency, including the option of applying weather modification technology if field conditions require further handling,” he said.
In addition, BPBD West Kalimantan continues to monitor weather forecast developments updated periodically by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency as the basis for determining handling steps.
In facing the dry season, BPBD West Kalimantan has prepared various supporting aspects, from personnel readiness and equipment to increasing public education on karhutla prevention.
“With the optimisation of available resources, BPBD West Kalimantan hopes that the land wetting programme can become an effective step in suppressing karhutla risks and minimising the impacts caused to the environment and public health,” he concluded.