TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said that around 81,000 hectares of land have been affected by fires this year, driven by hot weather conditions and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
"As of May, our latest data shows that 81,000 hectares of land have been confirmed as burned," Raja Juli said during a press conference after the 2026 Coordinating Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Management in Jakarta on Thursday.
The minister noted that the figure is higher than last year’s total and is closely linked to El Niño, which has reached a moderate level.
"The threat will certainly become greater between July and October," Raja Juli said.
In response to the growing risk, the central government and regional administrations have strengthened coordination to prevent wider forest and land fires. Measures include weather modification operations, canal blocking techniques, and other mitigation efforts.
"Hopefully, if all stakeholders continue to work together effectively, we can overcome the challenge of forest and land fires," Raja Juli said.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said the government is preparing to face the increasing threat of forest and land fires.
He emphasized the need to strengthen coordination among agencies to prevent larger-scale disasters.
"Preventive measures must be prioritized and carried out together. Therefore, ground operations and aerial operations must be properly integrated to deal with increasingly challenging conditions," Djamari said.
Read: Australia Forecasts Stronger El Nino Conditions
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