Indonesia prioritizes handling forest and land fires in 6 provinces

Indonesia's government is focusing its efforts on combating forest and land fires in six provinces identified as having the highest risk. The prioritized provinces include West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, South Sumatra, and Jambi. Strict monitoring and oversight are deemed crucial to prevent the escalation of hotspots and wider environmental impacts, according to conclusions from a coordination meeting on emergency fire handling.

Currently, weather modification operations cannot be conducted until the end of August due to a lack of rain clouds. Therefore, the government is relying on ground and air task forces for fire suppression. Ground teams are considered the primary force in controlling the spread of fires, with regional officials urged to bolster logistics, equipment, and personnel. Air support, including 38 units comprising patrol aircraft and water-bombing helicopters, is considered supplementary to ground operations.

The government also stated it will permanently revoke regional regulations that permit land clearing by burning. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) noted that wind patterns have shifted, potentially spreading fires. Haze from Kalimantan has already crossed into Malaysia, prompting Sarawak state to close nearly 600 schools, affecting over 197,000 students. The Malaysian state is implementing home-based learning to ensure educational continuity.