Minister invites 358 landholders to talks on El Niño wildfire risks

Indonesia has not yet reached the peak of the current El Niño, and the government is warning companies with plantation-use rights that forest and land fires could grow worse.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chanigo invited representatives of about 358 companies to a coordination meeting at the Marine Corps headquarters in Central Jakarta on Monday. The meeting also brought together Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, military chief General Agus Subiyanto, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Attorney General ST Burhanuddin and National Disaster Management Agency chief Lieutenant General Suharyanto.

“Today, we invited the owners of companies that hold plantation-use rights, approximately 358 companies this morning,” Djamari said after meeting the business representatives.

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Today, we invited the owners of companies that hold plantation-use rights, approximately 358 companies this morning.

He said the country was still moving toward the peak of what he described as a prolonged El Niño period, with no clear indication of when it would end. Fires in some regions have already increased, although he said their level remained relatively low compared with previous years. He declined to describe the situation as normal.

Djamari said the government and other stakeholders could not afford to relax their response. Fire conditions could continue to rise in waves if authorities handled incidents poorly, he said. Field personnel would move quickly to contain each case before it expanded, while the government would also enforce rules under existing laws.

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First, we have not yet reached the peak of El Niño. We are still moving toward its peak, and this El Niño is prolonged for the current period. We do not know when it will end, but it is believed that we have not yet reached the peak.