Wildfires Spread Toward Indonesia’s New Capital, Prompting Calls for Action

Wildfires have reached areas around Nusantara, Indonesia’s under-construction capital, prompting officials overseeing the project to request cloud-seeding and water-bombing operations.

The largest fire in the capital territory has burned about 300 hectares at Bukit Suharto, a forest park roughly 50km from the city centre. Fires had affected around 400 hectares surrounding Nusantara by Sept. 2.

Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain haze across six provinces on Borneo and Sumatra, where forest and land fires have burned 73,311 hectares. The disaster response and mitigation teams face what officials describe as the country’s most difficult dry season in a decade, worsened by a “super El Nino” phenomenon.

Agus Riyanto, the disaster mitigation agency’s director for emergency response, said a helicopter would come from neighbouring South Kalimantan to conduct water bombing around Nusantara. Clouds remained insufficient for seeding, but authorities said they would proceed when conditions allowed. Indonesia has 53 aircraft involved in water bombing and seeding operations, and Japan has sent aircraft and personnel to assist.

The fires have added pressure to a capital project announced in 2019 to replace Jakarta, which suffers from congestion, floods and land subsidence. The US$32 billion project has faced delays and budget cuts since President Prabowo Subianto took office in 2024. Urban and planning expert Wisnubroto Sarosa questioned the location, citing surrounding forests and limited water supplies, although he said its fire risk remained lower than in western and central parts of the island.

On Sept. 4, hundreds of Muslims gathered outside the state palace in Nusantara for Istisqo prayers, asking for rain. Preacher Rusdi Abdullah said, “We must seek God’s forgiveness and, if it’s granted, Allah will send abundant rain.”

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We must seek God’s forgiveness and, if it’s granted, Allah will send abundant rain.