Indonesia bolsters troop numbers to combat Borneo wildfires

Indonesia is sending an additional 1,500 soldiers to Borneo to assist in combating the ongoing wildfires, according to an official on Saturday. These troops will join the fight to tackle the blazes that have ravaged large sections of the island, thick smog from which has enveloped some regions. Between January and July, the fires scorched over 200,000 hectares of land, an area three times the size of Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, as reported by the government.

The intense dryness brought on by a powerful El Nino weather pattern is exacerbating the situation. President Prabowo Subianto, who visited Borneo on Saturday to oversee wildfire response meetings, issued the order to bolster the troop deployment, stating that 1,500 personnel from various Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions will be brought in from outside Kalimantan, starting today.

Teddy Indra Wijaya, Cabinet Secretary, confirmed this in a statement. Kalimantan, which constitutes Indonesia's portion of Borneo, shares borders with Brunei and Malaysia. To further support the firefighting efforts, six helicopters are scheduled to arrive on Saturday to aid in waterbombing operations, Teddy added. The government is closely monitoring the situation, mobilizing resources to curb the spread of the fire, as stated by Prabowo during a press conference in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan.

"We are taking preventive measures. The most crucial step is to immediately halt the progression of fire spots," the president emphasized. The haze caused by the fires has prompted local authorities in Borneo, which is known for its lush rainforests and extensive plantations, to advise residents to wear masks and curtail outdoor activities.

The smoke from the fires has even infiltrated Malaysian Borneo, with six areas in Sarawak state registering "unhealthy" air quality. The extent of the burned area surpasses the levels seen during El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, although it is not as severe as the 2015 event, which occurred during a particularly intense El Nino.

El Nino, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon, triggers worldwide alterations in winds, air pressure, and rainfall patterns. It typically induces drought conditions in Indonesia. Human-induced climate change, however, exacerbates its effects due to the increased energy and moisture in a warmer ocean and atmosphere, which can fuel extreme weather events.