PALANGKA RAYA – PROTOCOL AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION BUREAU. The decrease in land and forest fires and the impact during the 2015-2019 period did not dampen the Central and Regional Governments in strengthening strategies, especially in early preventing and extinguishing actions, as well as providing a deterrent effects for land and forest fire perpetrators, as directed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo at the National Coordination Meeting on Land and Forest Fire Control last February 6.

The importance of prevention efforts in handling the land and forest fires was emphasized by Provincial Secretary of Central Kalimantan Fahrizal Fitri when opening a Working Meeting on Land and Forest Fire Control Stabilization held by Center for Climate Change and Land and Forest Fire Control in Kalimantan Region in 2020 in Seruyan Room 3 of Bahalap Hotel Ballroom, Palangka Raya, Wednesday (03/04/2020).

In his remarks, Fahrizal stressed, “The main factor in the occurrence of land and forest fires in Central Kalimantan province is human activity. The El Nino phenomenon and peatlands are supporting factors. We (need to) know together, the prevention of forest fires is far more a priority than the suppression of forest fires.”

Fahrizal explained the potential of land and forest fire disaster every year in Central Kalimantan Province could give negative impacts on socio-economic community, ecology, and even regional / international relations. To prevent and overcome land and forest fires, especially those with an economic motive, permanent solutions that are planned and prepared thoroughly are needed.

“Permanent solutions are needed in the prevention of intentional land fires due to economic motives by taking into account  the local wisdom and based on improving the welfare of rural communities,” Fahrizal explained.

Fahrizal added, “In preventing land and forest fires, management of forests and peatlands also needs to be arranged properly. Peat wetting, canal blocking, and other peat restoration activities need to be carried out consistently.”

Furthermore, Fahrizal Fitri stated, other preventive measures are the frequency of patrols and intensive and independent field checks that need to be increased and also taking into account weather predictions and early detection of hotspots, so that early blackouts can be implemented if land and forest fires are discovered. In addition to the various preventive measures, to give a deterrent effect to the perpetrators, punishment must be given through fair law enforcement, whether it is administrative, civil or criminal.

At the end of his speech, Fahrizal Fitri invited all elements of the community to synergize and participate in the prevention of land and forest fires. “Land and forest fire prevention cannot be carried out by only one agency / institution. For this reason, we invite all parties in an integrated way to increase their participation, namely Regional Government Organizations, Indonesian National Armed Forces, Indonesian Police, Technical Implementation Units of Environment and Forestry Ministry, Academic Institutions, NGOs, Business Actors, and all community in general,” concluded Secretary Fahrizal Fitri.

The Coordination Meeting on Land and Forest Fires held by Center for Climate Change and Land and Forest Fire Control will take place over three days, 4-6 March 2020, and will be attended by more than 150 participants, consisting of Regional Apparatuses, Technical Implementation Units of Environment and Forestry Ministry, Academics, NGOs, and Center for Climate Change and Land and Forest Fire Control in Kalimantan Region, including Manggala Agni representatives. Head of Center for Climate Change and Land and Forest Fire Control in Kalimantan Region Johny Santoso in his report stated, “Participants from Center for Climate Change and Land and Forest Fire Control in Kalimantan Region came from five provinces in Kalimantan.”

The activity that carries the theme “Together in the Prevention of Land and Forest Fires based on Improvement of Village Community Welfare” was also attended by Secretary of Directorate General of Climate Change Control Novia Widyaningtyas, Director of Land and Forest Fire Control Manullang, Director of Criminal Investigation of Central Kalimantan Regional Police Commissioner Pasma Royce, and a number of Heads of Regional Government Organizations and related vertical agencies. (set/fen/translated by feb)