Indonesia races to contain fires as haze spreads

Indonesia is intensifying its efforts to control forest and land fires across six priority provinces, deploying cloud-seeding aircraft to generate rain and combat the haze that is spreading across the region. The country is bracing for a longer and more intense dry season this year due to the strengthening El Nino phenomenon, which increases the risk of drought, forest fires, and air pollution.

According to data from the Forestry Ministry, 107,465 hectares of land were affected by fires from January to June, marking a 110% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Chief Security Minister Djamari Chaniago warned that the current weather conditions could allow the fires to escalate further. The government has identified Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, as well as West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, as priority areas for intervention.

Fires have also broken out in Java, Papua, and Nusa Tenggara provinces. In response, classes have been shifted online in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, following a deterioration in air quality due to the haze. So far, 43 helicopters and 15 fixed-wing aircraft have been deployed to extinguish the fires, while cloud-seeding operations have been conducted using salt flares to trigger rainfall.

However, the effectiveness of these operations is hampered by the limited availability of rain clouds. Meanwhile, Malaysia's Sarawak state, which shares a border with Borneo island, has reported 11 areas with unhealthy air quality levels, prompting the local education department to advise schools to suspend outdoor activities when temperatures rise or air quality index readings surpass 100.

In East Java province, a fire at Mount Bromo national park that has damaged over 899 hectares of land is largely under control, with more than 150 personnel continuing efforts to put out the remaining blaze, covering at least two hectares.