Jakarta Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud M.D. claimed on Tuesday the government had actually made important inroads to lessen forest fires and is now extremely getting ready for the coming dry season regardless of having to dedicate most of its resources to fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
” In the last few years, we have actually handled to avoid forest fires from intensifying into significant disasters,” Mahfud stated after a restricted cabinet meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta.
The government’s success has likewise resulted in less protests from environmental activists– both within the country and abroad– in the past 5 years.
According to Mahfud, the government’s preparation for the dry season this year is closely tangled up with its efforts at conquering the coronavirus pandemic.
National Covid-19 Task Force head Doni Monardo said smoke from forest fires will be particularly hazardous for Covid-19 clients.
It also poses health risks for individuals with breathing illness such as asthma or intense respiratory infections (ARI), according to Doni.
Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said the country– specifically Riau, parts of northern Sumatra and Aceh– normally faces two “important stages” throughout the forest fire season.
The very first phase is in March-April and the second starting in June-July with a peak in August-September.
Throughout these 2 crucial phases, the ministry will use artificial rains and weather adjustment technology to put out fire hotspots.
They will utilize information from the Meteorological, Meteorology and Geophysics Company (BMKG) to target the most hazardous fires.
Earlier today, President Jokowi purchased his ministers to prepare ways of preventing or handling forest fires during the dry season. He particularly requested for increased tracking of fire hotspots.
” Although we’ve got our hands full combating this pandemic, we can’t forget that the dry season is upon us and we’ll have to prepare to prevent forest fires,” Jokowi stated.
The president stated 99 percent of forest fires are caused by human activities.
For that reason, stringent law enforcement will be needed to prevent them.
Jokowi had actually asked the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Peatland Repair Agency (BRG) and the Public Functions and Real estate Ministry to preserve high groundwater levels on peatlands to keep them wet so they are not easily consumed by fire.
In other locations, it will begin in earnest in August.
The president said the federal government will spend the next month preparing its response to possible forest fires.
