Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said President Prabowo Subianto is closely monitoring wildfire response as hotspot numbers decline across several regions.
“I thank President Prabowo Subianto. He is a very decisive leader, especially in addressing forest and land fires,” Juli Antoni said in a statement released here on Tuesday.
The president’s direction and involvement have encouraged the government to intensify efforts to curb forest and land fires, he said. Prabowo has also chaired a meeting on the fires and visited affected areas in Kalimantan and Sumatra, the minister said.
Juli Antoni added the government continues to monitor wildfire response to accelerate efforts to reduce and contain hotspots. He also praised Indonesians for helping curb forest and land fires.
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The decline reflects a combination of firefighting efforts and fewer land-clearing fires set by communities. Hotspot trends in August also improved across several regions, Juli Antoni said.​​​​​​​
Riau recorded zero hotspots on August 30 and 31, while Central and West Kalimantan also showed recent declines.
“Thank God, after a month of efforts to control forest and land fires, the trend is improving,” he said.
He cautioned, however, the improvement should not lead authorities to become complacent.
The government plans to intensify weather modification operations in six provinces—Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan—when rain-producing clouds are available for seeding.
The operations will wet the land and maintain groundwater levels to reduce wildfire risks.
“September is expected to mark the peak of El Nino and the next critical period for tackling forest and land fires,” he said.
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Translator: Arnidhya NZ, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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