"The decline in the area of land burned over the past eight years is proof of the success of this comprehensive strategy," he said during a coordination meeting on wildfire management in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Citing ministry data, Antoni noted that Indonesia recorded 1.8 million hectares of burned land in 2015, 1 million hectares in 2019, and only around 600,000 hectares in 2023. Between January and August this year, just 8,955 hectares had burned nationwide.
Wildfire cases were reported in provinces including Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
"We have learned from past disasters. The combination of air operations such as water bombing and aerial patrols, land operations, and law enforcement has proven effective in reducing the risks and impacts of wildfires," Antoni said.
He emphasized the role of satellite-based monitoring systems in mapping vulnerable areas, developed in collaboration with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
The ministry is also boosting human resource capacity not only for firefighting but also for quick and coordinated hotspot detection and response, Antoni said, highlighting the work of Mandala Agni, an organization under the ministry dedicated to wildfire management.
He expressed hope that continued synergy and collaboration would help keep total burned land below 600,000 hectares in 2027 — predicted to be a peak year in the four-year wildfire cycle.
"We are determined to sustain this positive trend, not only to reduce burned areas but also to minimize the impacts on health, the economy, and the environment," he said.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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