Indonesia warned to keep its guard against wildfire despite drop in hotspots
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government must keep its guard up against wildfires despite a recent decline in the number of hotspots, with peatland fires still prone to flare up amid persistently hot and dry weather, environmental groups said on Monday.
Jakarta: Despite a recent drop in the number of hotspots, the Indonesian government must remain vigilant against wildfires, say environmental groups. Peatland fires, driven by persistent hot and dry weather, could flare up again, warned Putra Saptian of the peatland protection group Pantau Gambut. Though the number of hotspots nearly halved from Friday to Saturday, the characteristics of peatland fires make them more challenging to control.
Out of 24 million hectares of Indonesia's peatland, 16 million have been made more fire-prone due to ecosystem damage, including extensive deforestation and depleted water tables. Only 3% of the peatland damaged by fires between 2015 and 2019 has been restored into forest. The government has launched a new peatland and mangrove restoration agency, but environmental groups urge more action to tackle peatland degradation.
President Prabowo Subianto launched the agency last month. In South Sumatra, peat fires have turned the sky yellow, with air pollution reaching hazardous levels, exceeding 1,000 on the air quality index. Environmental group Greenpeace called on the government to target companies linked to the fires, including Malaysia-based firms operating in Indonesia.
Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister warned that the worst was yet to come, with hot and dry conditions expected to persist into the new year.
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