1 jam yang lalu
April 20, 2026 | 10:28 am
Forest and land fires in several provinces spread as the El Niño climate pattern takes hold. Budget constraints, uncoordinated government efforts, and impulsive leadership leave disaster management in disarray.
JUDGING from the handling of recent floods and landslides, here is what we can expect to happen when forest and land fires spread across several provinces following the effects of El Niño this year. Initially, the President will be late in visiting the affected areas—due to information not being passed on to those close to him.
Furthermore, response efforts will be carried out in a patchwork manner. Budget constraints are being addressed by relying on community charitable initiatives. Disaster management organizations would not perform optimally due to non-technical issues, such as competition among the President’s aides. Exacerbated by the President’s impulsive leadership style, the disaster will not be resolved at its core: how to prevent fires, rather than merely extinguishing them.
Ahead of the long dry season, several forest and land fire hotspots have emerged in Riau, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. It is predicted that drought and forest and land fires will spread even further over the coming year. Victims have been reported at fire sites. In Bengkalis, Riau, a Manggala Agni officer died while on duty. An elderly resident in West Kalimantan died from smoke exposure.
SiPongi, the Ministry of Forestry’s forest and land fire monitoring platform, recorded fires on 56,324 hectares from January to March 2026, an area nearly the size of Jakarta. In comparison, the fires in the first three months of 2015 covered around 45,756 hectares. In that year, also affected by El Niño, fires destroyed a total of 2.6 million hectares of forest and land. The World Bank estimated that total losses from that disaster came to Rp221 trillion (US$13 billion), twice the cost of rebuilding Aceh after the 2004 tsunami.
This magazine’s coverage uncovered the government’s ineffective response to warnings long voiced by researchers. Forest fire management has been practically devoid of clear coordination. In October 2025, the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs disbanded the Forest and Land Fire Task Force. The handling of these matters was handed over to each respective ministry and agency.
The dissolution of the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) in late 2024 by the Prabowo Subianto administration made the situation worse. That agency had been established to restore areas affected by the 2015 fires. The problem is that this dissolution was not followed by clarity on who would be responsible for managing and protecting peatlands. Some of BRGM’s former monitoring assets are now being managed by the Ministry of the Environment. However, some staff were transferred to the Ministry of Forestry.
This institutional fragmentation has left peatlands unmanaged. Even though damage to peat ecosystems—particularly from forestry and plantation activities—is the main cause of the spread of forest and land fires.
In late August 2025, the government established the Peat and Mangrove Ecosystem Management Center under the Ministry of the Environment. Fires had already been breaking out before this institution could begin its work. As the fires spread, the government, including ministries, agencies, and regional governments, found themselves short of funds due to efficiency measures.
The central government boasts of providing an unlimited budget for forest and land fire management. However, the reality on the ground suggests otherwise. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), for example, only has Rp491 billion (US$29 million), a significant drop from the previous year’s budget of Rp2.1 trillion (US$124 million). This budget shortfall is also evident at the regional level. Riau, with its vast peatland area, has allocated just Rp3.6 billion (US$212,000) for fire mitigation.
Given the government’s chaotic disaster management, it is hard to hope that the spread of forest and land fires can be contained. As in previous years, several regions—including neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore—need to prepare for the resulting haze.
Read the Complete Story in Tempo English Magazine
When Local Communities Manage Way Kambas National Park's Forest
53 hari lalu
A farmers' group in Way Kambas National Park fights forest fires and illegal poaching, often confronting people from their own community.
Prabowo Revises Nusantara Capital Design to Address Forest Fire Risks
16 Januari 2026
President Prabowo is revising the Nusantara Capital plan in East Kalimantan to improve disaster preparedness and forest fire prevention.
Prabowo Urge Caution Amid Forest and Land Fire Risk
4 Agustus 2025
Prabowo convened a limited meeting, evaluating efforts to combat forest and land fires ahead of the peak of the dry season.
1,287 Hotspots Recorded in South Sumatra This July, Ogan Ilir Designated as Red Zone for Forest and Land Fires
29 Juli 2025
South Sumatra has recorded the highest number of hotspots in July this year, even surpassing the record of the past decade.
Forestry Ministry Records Over 4,400 Hotspots in Riau Since Early 2025
22 Juli 2025
The hotspot data in Riau is recorded through the Forestry Ministry's Forest and Land Fire Monitoring System (SiPongi).
Canada's Wildfires Blow Smoke to Europe as Authorities Warn of Air Quality Hazards
4 Juni 2025
Thick smoke from wildfires choking millions of Canadians and Americans was reported to have blown up to 7,000 kilometers, reaching Europe.
Forest Fire in Canada Forces Over 26,000 Residents to Evacuate
2 Juni 2025
More than 26,000 residents in the western and central regions of Canada are forced to evacuate due to forest fires
Forest Fires Increase by 2024, Tropical Forests Reduced Twofold
2 Juni 2025
Satellite imagery shows that the loss of tropical forests over the past year has doubled compared to 2023, with half of it attributable to forest fires.
Helicopter Pilot Dies Fighting Forest Fire in South Korea's Daegu
7 April 2025
This tragedy marked the second fatality among firefighter helicopter pilots in the last month.
South Korean Police Arrest Man Who Started Forest Fire
30 Maret 2025
South Korean police had arrested a man suspected of causing a major forest fire that has swept through the southeastern part of the country.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) ·