“As the BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency) has warned, West Kalimantan is facing the peak of the dry season. So, we declare no tolerance for burning,” Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said.
Speaking at an emergency briefing on wildfire mitigation here, he said that a local regulation allowing slash-and-burn farming on two hectares of land contradicts the national regulation.
Therefore, Nurofiq highlighted the importance of taking immediate measures, including building fences and marking areas most vulnerable to forest and land fires, to support wildfire prevention efforts.
He also emphasized the importance of taking stern legal action against those triggering wildfires in such vulnerable areas as peatlands, besides developing technologies for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.
The application of weather modification operations to help reduce hotspots in the province has proven the effectiveness of technological approaches in handling wildfires, he said.
“A few days ago, almost 400 hotspots indicating potential occurrence of wildfires were detected in West Kalimantan, but this morning, none of them exists. This is a remarkable achievement,” Nurofiq added.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan pushed for multi-stakeholder collaboration for wildfire prevention and mitigation in the province.
He called on all related stakeholders to protect the environment from harmful activities that can trigger wildfires, which would not only destroy the ecosystem but also pose a serious threat to public health and the economy.
As reported earlier, the Ministry of Forestry said that wildfires had burned 8,500 hectares of land across Indonesia as of May 2025, with the vast majority of land and forest fires caused by anthropogenic factors.
In response to the cases of wildfires during the dry season, President Prabowo Subianto has instructed his ministers to prepare anticipatory measures, especially in vulnerable areas in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
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Translator: Rendra O, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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