April 23, 2026 | 10:03 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - When he hung dozens of water hoses in the warehouse last year, Elly Prianto already suspected that a major fire would, sooner or later, arrive. Sure enough, the peatlands surrounding his village in Sidomulyo hamlet, Limbung village, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, began to burn in early February 2026.
“By April, around 200 hectares of land in our village had been burned,” said Elly, Head of the Fire Care Community (MPA) of Limbung village, on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Seeing fires emerge over the past few months around Limbung village, the 39-year-old man grew anxious that this year’s forest and land fires would be worse than the disaster of 2014-2015. In those two years, according to the MapBiomas Indonesia Fire platform, a total of 394 hectares of land in Limbung were indicated to have burned.
The fires over the past three months have spread not because Elly failed to act quickly to prevent flames from devouring the peat. Fires, he said, occur almost every year. The peat-wetting efforts carried out by the Limbung MPA only reduce the risk. But a new problem emerged recently when peat-watering operations were halted due to a lack of operational funds.
Read the Complete Story in Tempo English Magazine
A Temperature Anomaly Between Two Oceans
23 jam lalu

El Nino is not the only factor increasing the risk of hydrometeorological disasters this year.
Australia on Alert as Super El Nino Threat Looms in 2026
1 hari lalu

Said to be strongest in 140 years, a "super" El Nino threat looms over the Pacific, especially in nearby countries like Australia.
Bare-bones Measures to Anticipate Forest Fires
2 hari lalu

Forest and land fires in several provinces spread as the El Nio climate pattern takes hold.
Indonesia Assures Food Stocks Safe Amid El Nino Threat
3 hari lalu

The Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the El Nino Godzilla phenomenon is predicted to hit Indonesia for six months.
Half-Hearted Response to Climate Crisis
3 hari lalu

The threat of a climate crisis is looming. The government's response still falls short.
Jakarta Governor Reminds Officials of El Nino's Economic Impact
6 hari lalu

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung says El Nino conditions can affect sectors, including food supply and market price stability.
El Nino Threat to Forests and Peatlands
6 hari lalu

The Godzilla El Nino phenomenon is fueling the spread of forest and land fires. Peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan face mounting risk of burning.
BMKG: No Signs of 'El Nino Godzilla' in 2026
8 hari lalu

Indonesia's BMKG confirms no indication of a 'super El Nino' or 'El Nino Godzilla' occurring in 2026.
BMKG: 2026 Dry Season Expected to Be Drier Than 30-Year Norm
8 hari lalu

BMKG Climate Change Director Fachri Rajab said Indonesia's dry season this year is also expected to start earlier and last longer.
Early Wildfire Risk Rings Alarm as Extreme El Nino Looms Over Indonesia
11 hari lalu

Godzilla El Nino has yet to arrive in Indonesia, but 23,000 wildfire hot spots have already emerged since the beginning of this year.
1 jam yang lalu
English (US) ·
Indonesian (ID) ·