Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered more action to fight forest and land fires, though offers of help from Singapore and Malaysia were not discussed at a meeting he chaired on Oct 12.
Emergency Response Targets Tanjung Puting Amid Heavy Smoke
The unfolding environmental crisis has drawn direct intervention from the highest levels of government. President Prabowo summoned key ministers and agency heads to a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta to evaluate suppression efforts, according to Tempo. Following the session, Coordinating Political and Security Minister Dudung Abdurachman confirmed that the presidential directives mandate prioritizing the protection of Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan. ANTARA News noted that the park serves as the largest conservation and rehabilitation center for orangutans in the world.
Intense heat and an unyielding El Nino cycle have turned vast tracts of peatland into tinderboxes. ANTARA News reported that firefighting operations rely primarily on the ground, as thick smoke hampers aerial operations. A joint team of land and air task forces—comprising personnel from the fire department, the military, the national police, the Manggala Agni, forest rangers, and others—are involved in firefighting efforts. Officials stated that joint teams can cover up to 692 hectares per day while rotating personnel to combat excessive fatigue.
Regional Haze Sparks Protests and Diplomatic Friction
The thick transboundary haze has drifted across borders, provoking diplomatic discussions. Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu contacted Indonesian Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat on Oct 10 to offer support, while Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir discussed firefighting efforts with his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan following an Oct 8 telephone call between Prabowo and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. However, when reporters questioned officials in Jakarta about whether foreign offers had been evaluated, Dudung Abdurachman responded: “Not yet.”
Public frustration has mounted alongside the smoke. In Malaysia, activists rallied outside Parliament on Oct 7 to demand greater transparency over those responsible for the haze. Meanwhile, local communities in Indonesian provinces like Jambi and South Sumatra staged protests as the Health Ministry recorded 174,694 cases of acute respiratory infections across seven affected provinces between Aug 18 and Sept 21. Visibility in South Sumatra fell to between 500m and 800m, disrupting flights for a few days recently as aircraft were unable to land in Palembang.
Devastation in Peatlands and National Parks
The ecological toll extends far beyond the human health crisis. In Central Kalimantan, volunteer firefighters managing Tanjung Puting National Park issued a public plea via an open letter to President Prabowo, warning that their capacity could not outpace the raging fires. According to The Jakarta Post, roughly 54,000 hectares have burned within the 412,000-hectare park, reaching core conservation zones. An open-letter video has garnered over five million views on Instagram, sparking more pressure for Jakarta to step up its efforts.
The disaster has also wreaked havoc on residential settlements. Kompas.id reported that forest and land fires burned 305 houses and 50 swallow buildings in Dusun Serdang, Desa Jelutung II, Simpang Rimba, South Bangka. The disaster affected approximately 1,600 individuals from 400 families. Bangka Belitung Regional Police Public Relations Head Commissioner Agus Sugiyarso explained that cooling the peatland requires extra handling and a longer time because the characteristics of peat, which have cavities beneath the surface, necessitate saturation with water.
Testing New Suppressants and Restoring Peat Governance
To combat stubborn peatland blazes, Indonesian authorities are exploring experimental technologies. Officials recently tested a Brazilian fire suppressant known as Realiza Anti Chamas in South Sumatra. The substance is a powder mixed with water and sprayed onto burning areas to help stop flames from spreading.
On the policy front, the central government is overhauling its regulatory prevention framework. Tito Karnavian instructed regional leaders to enforce a ban on land burning down to the village level, warning that fires could spread rapidly in the dry conditions.
