Indonesia vows tougher fight against fires, transboundary haze [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesia has committed to intensifying efforts to combat forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, aimed at addressing the issue of transboundary haze that has also impacted Malaysia. Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Raden Datuk Mohammad Iman Hascarya Kusumo revealed that Indonesia would enhance collaboration with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in tackling this problem.

Through various measures such as ground and aerial firefighting, hotspot surveillance, coordinated patrols, and weather manipulation, Indonesia has been actively working to prevent and manage fires and haze, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Last Tuesday, it was reported that the haze was anticipated to continue until early next year due to persistent hot and dry weather, along with burning activities like open burning.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup, attributed the situation to the ongoing El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to escalate into a Super El Nino, lasting until early next year. The subsequent Southwest Monsoon, aligning with El Nino, is projected to endure until mid-next year, resulting in reduced rainfall and heightened temperatures and dryness.

Iman emphasized that Indonesia is strengthening surveillance and penalizing unlawful forest and land-burning activities, and promoting sustainable land management to diminish the likelihood of recurrent fires. He noted that fires are influenced by human actions, environmental conditions, and weather, and that dry regions and peatland ecosystems make fires harder to extinguish, including underground blazes.

Under certain situations, fires in specific areas can spread rapidly when accompanied by high temperatures, gusty winds, or extremely dry forest conditions. However, these risks can be mitigated through prevention, constant monitoring, and prompt action. Over 10.6 million individuals across seven Indonesian provinces have been affected by forest and land fires as of August 27, with 13,449 instances of acute respiratory infections documented in 63 districts within the affected regions.

It is necessary to conduct further epidemiological assessments and confirmatory analysis by the Health Ministry to ascertain the precise count of fatalities or enduring ailments specifically linked to exposure to the existing haze. Consequently, we cannot furnish data that has yet to undergo verification, as identifying the causes of death or chronic illnesses necessitates medical examinations and thorough investigations.

Furthermore, approximately 1.43 million students in Indonesia were temporarily compelled to engage in remote learning due to the haze's impact as of September 1. Regarding the economic losses inflicted by forest and land fires and haze in Indonesia this year, Iman stated that the aggregate losses are yet to be determined, as data collection and consolidation are ongoing.