Indonesia is restructuring its approach to environmental disaster management by establishing the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency, shifting state focus away from reactive firefighting toward village-level prevention and hydrological preservation. Observerid.com reported that President Prabowo Subianto greenlit the new agency, designated as the Badan Pengelola Gambut dan Mangrove Nasional (BPGMN), following consultations with scientists and academics at the Merdeka Palace on September 24, 2026.
From Emergency Response to Permanent Peatland Management
For decades, Indonesia’s annual dry season has triggered a predictable and costly cycle of hotspots, thick haze, emergency firefighting measures, and public resources mobilized only after ecological risks escalate into full-blown disasters. The newly established BPGMN intends to alter this dynamic by prioritizing long-term prevention and integrating scientific oversight into everyday governance.
According to Tempo, Forestry Minister Raja Antoni stated that the decision rests squarely on research and data provided by academic experts. The Forestry Ministry plans to organize a workshop with 22 specialists who originally briefed the President at the Merdeka Palace, tasking them with drafting the new agency’s mandate, standard operating procedures, and organizational framework. This structured preparation aims to avoid the institutional fragmentation that has historically plagued environmental interventions.
Mobilizing Corporate Accountability and Massive Suppression Fleets
While long-term institution building moves forward, active fire zones require immediate intervention. Ecobiz.asia reported that the Indonesian government is mobilizing at least 300 companies and business units in South Kalimantan to execute simultaneous firefighting operations. Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Hanif Faisol Nurofiq noted that the mobilization follows a strict evaluation revealing that previously extinguished fires have reignited due to prolonged drought conditions and declining water availability.
The operational scale in South Kalimantan’s primary wildfire zones underscores the severity of the drought. The government has deployed nearly 3,500 personnel daily alongside more than 300 water pumps and over 30 heavy equipment units. Crews are targeting an estimated 3,000 hectares of degraded peatland in Banjarbaru’s Ring 1 zone. Officials aim to completely suppress these fires within one to two weeks to avert critical water shortages before the rainy season arrives.
Complementing these state and corporate maneuvers, regional authorities are enlisting civilian participation. South Kalimantan Governor Muhidin announced that the provincial administration will provide financial bonuses to residents who provide credible evidence identifying people responsible for land burning, as reported by Ecobiz.asia.
Daily Disaster Monitoring and Weather Modification Operations
While regional suppression efforts continue, federal oversight remains active. Antaranews.com reported that President Prabowo monitored ongoing disaster response operations across Sumatra and Kalimantan via a video conference at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday. During the briefing, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya confirmed that federal authorities are closely tracking conditions in West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and Sumatra.
National Agency for Disaster Countermeasures (BNPB) Head Suharyanto reported during the meeting that approximately 209.78 hectares of land remained active fire zones requiring active firefighting operations. To combat these persistent hotspots, the government is maintaining large-scale weather modification operations in tandem with the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) to induce rainfall until normal seasonal weather patterns return.
Rooting Mitigation in Village Regulations and Local Infrastructure
Beyond institutional reform and emergency deployment, policymakers emphasize that sustainable fire prevention must originate at the grassroots level. VOI.id reported that during the Merdeka Palace consultations, Lambung Mangkurat University Professor Ahmad Kurnain proposed that every village institute specific regulations governing fire and flood mitigation alongside practical household measures.
Ahmad suggested that local communities implement basic environmental defenses, such as constructing biopori seepage holes in residential yards to improve groundwater absorption. President Prabowo endorsed the village-centric strategy, noting that community independence forms the cornerstone of effective disaster management. During the same discussions, the administration outlined broader rural development objectives, including upgrading village sanitation facilities and deploying solar-powered electricity systems designed to generate at least one megawatt per village.
