Stringent law enforcement crucial to keep forest fire cases down 6th March 2021
Photo document of forest fires. ((ANTARA)) ((ANTARA)/) Indonesia, home to the world s third-largest tropical rainforests, has been successful in significantly reducing the number of forest fire cases over the last several years, and steps must be taken to maintain this achievement.
Forest fire incidents in 2020 declined by some 82 percent from that during the previous year, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD stated.
The number of forest and land fires declined drastically over several years. In 2015, forest and land fires had ravaged 2,610 thousand hectares of land, and the figure dropped to 1,592,010 hectares in 2019 and 296,942 hectares in 2020.
Six regions in Riau on alert for land, forest fires 25th February 2021
Archive photo - Smoke billows from a peatland fire in Bengkalis district, Riau on June 2, 2020. (ANTARA/HO-BPBD Bengkalis)
I hope that the public can take part (in the fire prevention effort), and abandon slash-and-burn practices during the dry season. If the peatland catches fire, it is difficult to put it out, and it is costly to do so. Pekanbaru (ANTARA) - An emergency standby status for land and forest fires has been declared in five districts and one municipality in Riau province as part of efforts to optimize fire prevention efforts during the dry season.