POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The Brazilian wildfires which have garnered international attention due to their sheer magnitude, engulfing an area larger than the Indonesian island of Java or around 260 times the size of Indonesia’s burned areas as of June this year, the Brazilian wildfires are not the only examples of ongoing rampant wildfires.
As reported by Agência Brasil (Jul 26), Brazilian wildfires had ravaged an area of 2.15 million hectares by mid-year. This is equivalent to more than 40 times the roughly 50 thousand hectares affected by forest and land fires in Indonesia by the same time.
This represents a stark contrast in the extent of areas burned by Brazilian wildfires in comparison to those affected by Indonesian forest and land fires.
With Indonesia commemorating its 78th Independence Day this week (Aug 17), the country's Environment and Forestry Minister, Professor Siti Nurbaya, has underscored her determination to prevent substantial haze-causing fires.
"During this month in which we celebrate our independence, our struggle remains focused on ensuring that Indonesia does not succumb to substantial haze-causing fires amidst the looming threat of El Nino this year," Minister Nurbaya affirmed during the ministry's daily coordination meeting (Aug 13) following her return from Brazil, where she attended the Amazon Summit.
Minister Nurbaya has instructed the ministry team to remain steadfast in taking swift actions on the ground, emphasizing that the next three months will be the most critical period for efforts to combat fires as they mark the peak of El Nino this year.
Indonesia not a major contributor to global fire emissions
Drawing from the ministry's daily updates on Indonesian forest and land fires, a sense of optimism emerges as Indonesia works diligently to prevent the occurrence of extensive and severe fires comparable to those experienced in Canada and Brazil, particularly in terms of the scale of burned areas across these two nations.
History bears witness to Indonesia's resilience in navigating the dual threats of COVID-19 and haze-causing fires, successfully preventing their simultaneous occurrence referred to as the "double disaster".
Furthermore, Indonesia's track record places it outside the list of countries classified as major contributors to global fire emissions. This distinction holds true not only during the pandemic, as reported by FORESTHINTS.NEWS in late September 2021, but also in the post-pandemic phase, as recently highlighted by CAMS (Aug 3).
Beyond the issue of fires, the World Resources Institute also declared a few months back (June 27) that "Indonesia has reduced its primary forest loss more than any other country in recent years." The country's deforestation rate has notably plummeted by an impressive 64%.
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POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The Brazilian wildfires which have garnered international attention due to their sheer magnitude, engulfing an area larger than the Indonesian island of Java or around 260 times the size of Indonesia’s burned areas as of June this year, the Brazilian wildfires are not the only examples of ongoing rampant wildfires.
As reported by Agência Brasil (Jul 26), Brazilian wildfires had ravaged an area of 2.15 million hectares by mid-year. This is equivalent to more than 40 times the roughly 50 thousand hectares affected by forest and land fires in Indonesia by the same time.
This represents a stark contrast in the extent of areas burned by Brazilian wildfires in comparison to those affected by Indonesian forest and land fires.
With Indonesia commemorating its 78th Independence Day this week (Aug 17), the country's Environment and Forestry Minister, Professor Siti Nurbaya, has underscored her determination to prevent substantial haze-causing fires.
"During this month in which we celebrate our independence, our struggle remains focused on ensuring that Indonesia does not succumb to substantial haze-causing fires amidst the looming threat of El Nino this year," Minister Nurbaya affirmed during the ministry's daily coordination meeting (Aug 13) following her return from Brazil, where she attended the Amazon Summit.
Minister Nurbaya has instructed the ministry team to remain steadfast in taking swift actions on the ground, emphasizing that the next three months will be the most critical period for efforts to combat fires as they mark the peak of El Nino this year.
Indonesia not a major contributor to global fire emissions
Drawing from the ministry's daily updates on Indonesian forest and land fires, a sense of optimism emerges as Indonesia works diligently to prevent the occurrence of extensive and severe fires comparable to those experienced in Canada and Brazil, particularly in terms of the scale of burned areas across these two nations.
History bears witness to Indonesia's resilience in navigating the dual threats of COVID-19 and haze-causing fires, successfully preventing their simultaneous occurrence referred to as the "double disaster".
Furthermore, Indonesia's track record places it outside the list of countries classified as major contributors to global fire emissions. This distinction holds true not only during the pandemic, as reported by FORESTHINTS.NEWS in late September 2021, but also in the post-pandemic phase, as recently highlighted by CAMS (Aug 3).
Beyond the issue of fires, the World Resources Institute also declared a few months back (June 27) that "Indonesia has reduced its primary forest loss more than any other country in recent years." The country's deforestation rate has notably plummeted by an impressive 64%.
RELATED STORIES
