According to an established from the country’s culture and forest department (KLHK), Indonesia has experienced a marked decrease in the number of bush and property fires this year compared to 2023.  ,
According to satellite data, the ministry’s land and forest fire control agency’s director, Mr. Thomas Nifinluri, reported a 59 % decrease in the country’s fire hotspots on Sunday ( Oct 13 ).  ,
” The overall number of areas in the interval from Jan 1 to Oct 10, 2024, is 3, 163, whereas in the same time in 2023 it was 7, 786″, Mr Nifinluri said in a written statement.  ,
According to local media outlet Tempo, he further stated that the government is committed to continuing fireplace manage efforts to ensure stability ahead of the commencement of President-elect Prabowo Subianto on October 20.  ,
Local climate activists believe that the management undergoing President Joko Widodo’s leadership has “failed” in preventing forest and land flames in the nation, according to a report released by BBC Indonesia last month. This, they said, affected over 7.6 million acres during his nine years in office despite police work.
Mr. Widodo had warned the police last year that if they did n’t prevent large fires from spreading during the dry season, they would be fired from the force. Additionally, according to the Jakarta Globe, the president had likewise threatened the stability of police and military personnel if they failed to stop forest and property fires from reoccurring that year.
Generally, Indonesia’s dry season extends from April to October.  ,
KLHK on Sunday said that the largest damaged area is located at East Nusa Tenggara at 93, 572.19 acres, followed by West Nusa Tenggara at 34, 430.48 acres, and East Java at 18, 822.62 acres- all on metal area.  ,
According to local media, 41.2 million tons of carbon dioxide were released as a result of the forest and land fires that occurred from Jan 1 through Sep 30 this year. This includes 11.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents from peat fires ( below ground ) and 29.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents from metal and peat fires above ground.  ,
” In preparing and optimising the implementation of fire power tools, up to now, eight provinces have declared a state of emergency notice for forest and land fires, especially Riau, South Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, Jambi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Kalimantan”, Mr Nifinluri said in the same declaration, as quoted by Tempo.