The minister conveyed this information after leading a meeting on land fire control preparedness in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Friday, according to a statement received on Saturday.
He remarked that the meeting was a strategic opportunity to strengthen synergy between the Ministry of Environment and plantation business players in reducing the risk of land fires.
Nurofiq believes this represents an important contribution from business players in supporting food and energy security by preventing land fires and minimizing the impacts of environmental pollution in 2025.
Minister Nurofiq expressed appreciation for the commitment of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki), which includes over 300 companies in Kalimantan, for strengthening the early detection system, preparing extinguishing facilities, and increasing the emergency response capacity of personnel.
Despite a 59 percent decrease in hotspots of potential fire compared to the same period in 2024, according to data as of July 1, 2025, some 382 hotspots and 498 forest and land fire incidents were still reported in various provinces, including East Kalimantan.
In this context, the minister urged regional heads to verify the readiness of facilities, infrastructure, human resources, and funding for the initiators.
He further stated that administrative sanctions will be imposed on those failing to meet the standards. Legal action can also be taken if they continue to fall short of administrative requirements, he added.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the five main causes of land fires are land clearing for agriculture and plantation activities, tenure conflicts, idle land, absentee land owners, illegal activities, and the spread of fire from other areas.
Data from the 2015-2024 period shows that 79 plots managed by plantation companies with cultivation rights (HGU) experienced fires with a total affected area of approximately 42,476 hectares.
Related news: Significant drop in forest, land fires in past decade: minister
Related news: Involve companies in land fire prevention: minister to regions
Related news: Prevent forest, land fires for food, energy security: minister
Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
