Post by : Shakul

Indonesia has claimed a major success in reducing forest and land fires, with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stating that the country has managed to cut fire incidents by 86 percent over the past decade.

Speaking during the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests at the UN headquarters in New York City, the minister said Indonesia strengthened prevention systems and improved monitoring to achieve the reduction.

According to Raja Juli Antoni, the government introduced integrated early warning systems, stricter law enforcement, and community-based fire prevention programs across vulnerable regions to tackle recurring forest fires.

He said the progress reflects Indonesia’s broader climate action strategy under President Prabowo Subianto, focusing on sustainable forest protection and environmental management.

The minister added that Indonesia also recorded a significant decrease in forest and land fires during the 2024-2025 period due to faster emergency response systems and improved hotspot monitoring by joint field teams.

Despite the positive trend, Raja Juli warned that climate risks remain high this year because weather forecasts indicate the possible return of the El Nino phenomenon between low and moderate intensity levels starting in June.

He cautioned that a longer dry season could increase the risk of new fires and stressed the need for stronger preparedness and vigilance across the country.

Indonesia has faced severe forest fire crises in previous years, with haze pollution affecting neighboring countries and causing environmental and economic damage across Southeast Asia.

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