The haze makes us angry, but our anger needs to be directed
The negative energy from anger over haze must be turned into positive action for supporting the people on the front lines battling forest fires and for bringing to account the companies found responsible for starting them.
The haze has ignited anger, but that fury must be channeled constructively. Rather than blaming others, we must support those on the front lines and hold accountable those responsible for igniting forest fires. As we gaze upon a gray cityscape, we are all too familiar with the discomforting symptoms - itchy eyes, a sore throat, and a sense of collective outrage.
Social media and WhatsApp groups are abuzz with accusations aimed at agribusiness entities allegedly utilizing fire to clear land for new plantations, with palm oil being the primary target. While some of this ire is justified, the truth on the ground in Sumatra and Kalimantan is far more nuanced.
Communities are grappling with a severe El Nino drought, rendering any spark capable of turning into an uncontrollable blaze. Especially in the peatlands of Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, fires burn deeper and longer, presenting immense challenges for extinguishing efforts. Recognizing this, the government is actively reviewing and revoking regional rules that permit burning when they clash with national law.
Even the restricted customary allowance for smallholder farmers to burn subsistence plots has been halted until the emergency subsides.
While some companies and individuals may exploit the situation to clear land via fire, those battling the fires deserve our solidarity. Plantation staff, smallholders, villagers, and NGO crews have been fighting these fires for weeks, operating in shifts and finding respite where possible. They are working hand in hand with the government, adhering to a new presidential instruction that mandates the review and removal of rules permitting burning that conflict with national law.
Remarkably, RSPO Certified companies are allocating significant resources and efforts to combat these fires alongside their neighbors and government counterparts. These companies have deployed trained emergency response teams ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. In areas where rivers have dried up, companies are even transporting water by plane and helicopter to safeguard their own lands and those of their neighbors.
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Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
