“This collaboration is key, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s strong directive and concern regarding environmental issues and forest fires,” he said after leading the 2025 Forest Fire Preparedness Ceremony and Jamboree in Samarinda on Wednesday.
He emphasized East Kalimantan’s strategic role as a center of national development and expressed the hope that the province will emerge as a model for development that safeguards forests and the environment, free from fire risks.
Although the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has predicted that the wet dry season will peak from August to September 2025, Sulaiman warned that an increase in temperature by 0.3 to 0.6 degrees Celsius could still pose a fire risk.
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“Even in a wet dry season, we must remain alert. The potential for fires must continue to be taken seriously,” he stressed.
From January to July this year, 66 hotspots were recorded across East Kalimantan, and joint task forces have conducted 39 operations to control potential fire outbreaks.
“The numbers may not be as high as in other provinces, but early prevention is essential. We hope East Kalimantan does not need to declare a state of emergency like Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, or Central Kalimantan,” Sulaiman said.
East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud, who also attended the event, welcomed the full support from the Ministry of Forestry as a sign of the central government’s serious commitment.
He emphasized that the ceremony and jamboree were not merely ceremonial, but a moral call to protect the Earth.
“This is a moral call to protect life -- not only for us today but for future generations -- from the threat of ecological disasters,” Governor Mas’ud said.
He asserted that forest fire management must be guided by accurate data rather than assumptions and praised the Ministry of Forestry for using technology to precisely monitor vulnerable areas.
“We in the region are fully ready to support this. We are committed to working quickly, strategically, and thoroughly. All equipment—from portable pumps to one thousand-liter tactical vehicles — has been deployed to reach difficult terrains,” he informed.
The Preparedness Ceremony and Jamboree, held from August 6 to 8, 2025, also involved several community groups, including Manggala Agni, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), university students, nature lovers’ communities, and Scouts.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
