Forest Ministry involves forest farmer groups to fight fires

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Forestry Ministry involves the Fire-Aware Community (MPA), forest farmer groups, indigenous communities, volunteers, Manggala Agni (forest fire brigade), and field personnel in addressing forest and land fires.

Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki stated in Jakarta on Wednesday that the efforts are strengthened through patrols, early reporting, firefighting operations, the provision of equipment, and cross-sectoral coordination, all aimed at protecting the public and preventing the spread of fires.

“Local communities understand their own regions and serve as vital partners in detecting fire threats at an early stage,” Marzuki said.

“The Forestry Ministry continues to bolster its collaboration with the MPA, forest farmer groups, indigenous communities, and volunteers, prioritizing coordination and safety in every response effort,” he said.

Currently, the ministry and the 14,040 MPA personnel across 34 provinces are working hand-in-hand to extinguish fires, contain their spread, and protect both forests and local communities from the impacts of forest and land fires.

Furthermore, under a program to develop 500 sustainable MPA groups by 2026, 119 groups have already been established, 61 are in the process of formation, and 320 villages have been identified as targets for future development.

With each group consisting of 30 members, the 119 established groups represent a total membership of 3,570 individuals.

“The groups must be capable of identifying hazards and acting in accordance with established procedures,” Marzuki said.

“Therefore, institutional strengthening must be accompanied by training, the provision of equipment, effective communication, and safety support,” he added.

The ministry is also strengthening fire prevention efforts through networks of forest farmer groups and beneficiaries of the social forestry program.

Providing secure access to forest management and ensuring economic benefits from the forest serve as the foundation for enhancing community involvement in protecting their areas from fires.

Through a community-based wildfire management approach, the networks are encouraged to enhance surveillance, prevent the use of fire, and expedite the reporting of incidents to relevant authorities.

The ministry also supports weather modification operations, in collaboration with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), subject to atmospheric conditions and flight safety requirements.

Furthermore, the ministry has tightened oversight regarding the obligations of holders of forest utilization business licenses (PBPH).

These obligations encompass fire prevention, the readiness of firefighting equipment, fire response, and post-fire recovery.

As of October 19, 2026, 32 companies have been subjected to administrative sanctions. Additionally, criminal proceedings are underway against 125 legal entities, including both corporations and individuals, at various stages of the legal process, based on facts and evidence.