Wind, rain help efforts to put out forest fires

JAKARTA (JP): Favorable wind patterns, sporadic rain and rigorous fire fighting efforts have combined to put out forest and bush fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and clear the haze, officials said yesterday.

"Things are improving," State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja announced as he briefed Indonesian and foreign journalists on what the government has done to deal with the catastrophe.

The latest satellite images show far fewer "hotspots" -- usually indications of where fires are -- in both Sumatra and Kalimantan compared to mid-September, Sarwono said.

"There are strong indications that we have been successful in putting out the fires," he said, adding that this vindicated his argument that the fires should have been fought from the ground.

Sarwono was one of seven cabinet ministers taking part in the joint briefing at the Ministry of Information, the first of its kind since the haze problem started in August.

The other six ministers were R. Hartono (information), Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo (forestry), Sjarifudin Baharsjah (agriculture), Siswono Yudohusodo (transmigration), Haryanto Dhanutirto (transportation) and Radinal Moochtar (public works).

Djamaludin and Sjarifudin confirmed that most fires in forests and plantations had been brought under control.

The government, while blaming plantation and timber companies and small farmers for deliberately starting fires to clear land, said the freak weather that had set in the Pacific, known as El Nino (Spanish for "The Boy"), had triggered what is now officially called a national calamity.

The haze has disrupted the lives of millions in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore these past few weeks.

Indonesia has been fighting the fires with international help, including Malaysian firefighters and foreign volunteers, as well as donations in cash and equipment and technical assistance.

"This is an international effort in which we have a substantial share," Sarwono said.

"Of course we thank our partners for helping us out."

Sri Diharto, chief of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said that rain was still sporadic and not widespread enough, with the northern part of Kalimantan and western coast of Sumatra enjoying the most rain.

"The real rainy season for most areas won't come until November," Sri Diharto said.

The number of hotspots has fallen substantially.

"Hopefully, they will all be cleared by mid-November," he said.

The satellite images showed hotspots in Malaysia and Borneo, and the haze from forest fires there blowing to Indonesia.

Forest fires in Papua New Guinea had also caused haze in Irian Jaya recently, he said.

Haze from Indonesian fires has been declining in intensity, and because of the trade wind, most is blown over the Indian Ocean or Java Sea.

"We're no longer exporting haze to our neighbors. We're getting our own haze now, and even actually getting some from our neighbors in Serawak (Malaysia) and Papua New Guinea," he said.

He warned that while most of Indonesia should enjoy plenty of rain by November, Lampung could be the exception.

"Lampung will remain dry. This is where BPPT should conduct cloud seeding operations," he said, referring to the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology.

Sarwono called for action to save Lampung.

"Volunteers should go to Lampung. We've already talked to the local administration."

Sri Diharto said El Nino had wreaked havoc in other parts of the world, although this had had less publicity than the fires in Indonesia.

He cited as examples the destruction of coral reefs in the Pacific caused by the higher sea temperatures, coastal erosion on the western coast of northern America, disruption to bird and marine lives, and spread of related diseases in many parts of the world.

A brief spate of rain in June had deceived farmers in Indonesia into thinking that the rainy season had come, and many started clearing land and setting fires as they had done in the past.

And then the drought reached its peak, he said.

Sarwono said weather forecasts and reports had become indispensable to people's lives now.

TVRI, the state-run television, now airs its weather report in the middle of its newscast, instead of the end, he said. (emb)

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