“Based on the latest data on the declining trend in forest and land fires, in 2015, the total affected area reached 2.6 million hectares, which dropped to 1.6 million hectares in 2019, and to 1.1 million hectares in 2023,” Minister Antoni informed here on Thursday.
At the 2025 National Forest and Land Fire Handling Preparedness Routine activity in Pontianak, he said the decline was the result of strong collaboration among stakeholders, including the central and regional governments, the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police (Polri), and the community.
“However, we must not become complacent. We must remain alert and continue to strengthen our preparedness in facing the threat of forest and land fires,” he added.
He also highlighted three key pillars of forest and land fire control: cross-sectoral collaboration, effective law enforcement, and active public participation.
He lauded the Manggala Agni forest and land fire handling organization and the Fire-Alert Community (MPA), describing them as frontliners in fire prevention and suppression efforts.
He said that the success in fire control was supported by the deployment of 2,370 Manggala Agni personnel across 34 operational areas, including five areas in West Kalimantan, along with 10,225 MPA members in 29 provinces.
In West Kalimantan alone, 1,165 MPA personnel were engaged in active field operations.
Minister Antoni stressed the importance of remaining vigilant ahead of the dry season, which, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), is expected to begin in West Kalimantan in June this year.
The government has identified 518 villages across Indonesia as target areas for forest and land fire control. Of the total, 52 are in West Kalimantan.
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Translator: Rendra, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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