"This year, based on monitoring by the Terra and Aqua Satellite, at a confidence level of 80 percent, there has been a decrease of 4,623 hotspots, or 59.38 percent," the ministry's Director of Forest and Land Fire Control, Thomas Nifinluri, noted in a statement on Friday.
He remarked that the number of hotspots in 2024, from January 1 to October 10 reached 3,163 points, while in 2023, some 7,786 points were recorded.
Nifinluri pointed out that concurrently, the area of forest and land fires for the period from January 1 to September 30, 2024, reached 283,620.51 hectares, comprising 25,193.57 hectares of peatland forest and land fires, or 8.88 percent of the total fire area, and 258,4265.94 hectares of mineral land, or 91.12 percent.
The area bearing the maximum brunt was East Nusa Tenggara, with 93,572.19 hectares of mineral land burnt, followed by 34,430.48 hectares of mineral land in West Nusa Tenggara and 18,822.62 hectares consisting of mineral land in East Java.
The forest and land fire area was dominated by non-forested land reaching 252,320.33 hectares, with 31,300.18 hectares of forested land burned.
Carbon emissions resulting from forest and land fires from January 1 to September 30, 2024, amounted to 41,201,963 tons of CO2e comprising peat fire emissions of 11,589,698 tons of CO2e and mineral and peat fire emissions of 29,612,265 tons of CO2e.
Speaking in the context of preparedness and optimizing the mobilization of forest and land fire control resources, he highlighted that eight provinces have set an emergency alert status for forest and land fires in Riau, South Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, Jambi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Kalimantan.
He noted that in these vulnerable provinces, control efforts have been optimized, including forest and land fire prevention efforts, such as early detection of hotspots and forest and land fire prevention patrols by Manggala Agni, the ministry's forest and land fire control brigade, in cooperation with related stakeholders.
Other efforts included the formation of the Fire-Care Community (MPA), weather modification operations, water bombing, air patrols, and peat ecosystem management.
"Prevention efforts until October 10, 2024, are also carried out through prevention patrol activities, both independently by Manggala Agni in 1,725 villages and in an integrated manner with the ministry, military/police, and the Fire-Care Community in 379 villages," Thomas remarked.
Preventive patrols have been conducted in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Papua, and West Papua.
Related news: Forest fire handling operation in six provinces active until Nov: BNPB
Related news: West Kalimantan holds meeting on handling forest, land fires
Related news: BNPB expands efforts to suppress forest, land fires in East Kalimantan
Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
