Year: 2025

Activities RFMRC-SEA INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Saving Indonesia’s Tropical Rainforests: Between Science, Faith, and Global Collaboration

Photo: Bambang Hero Saharjo

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 
By Prof. Bambang Hero Saharjo, Professor of Forestry and Environment, IPB University

Indonesia’s Rainforests on the Brink

Indonesia’s tropical rainforests cover 10% of the world’s forest area and are home to 12% of the world’s mammals, 16% of reptiles, and 17% of all bird species. Yet in the past two decades, more than 24 million hectares of forest—an area equivalent to the combined size of the UK and the Netherlands—have vanished (World Bank, 2022).

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Forest Fire INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Scorching Weather Sparks Forest Fires in Riau, 78 Hectares of Land Burned

Source: Facebook Ministry of Environment and Forestry Indonesia

Riau, April 22, 2025, The scorching weather sweeping through Riau Province throughout April 2025 has begun to show serious consequences. Forest and land fires (karhutla) have once again erupted across various regions, with a total of 78.06 hectares of land burned as of mid-April. This situation serves as an early warning for both the public and local authorities, especially with the peak of the dry season expected between May and June.

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Activities RFMRC-SEA ASEAN FRANCE INDONESIA Malaysia Regional RFMRC-SEA

Fire Simulation and Peat Fire Control Training: Regional Collaboration to Tackle Peatland Fires

Photo: Group photo (Doc: Robi)

Bogor, April 21, 2025

Bogor, West Java and Ketapang, West Kalimantan | April 21 – May 3, 2025
The Rainforest and Peatlands Fire Centre of Excellence, under the Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, successfully held the Fire Simulation and Peat Fire Control Training, an international capacity-building program aimed at strengthening technical expertise and collaboration in managing peatland fires.

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Environment Forest Fire Forestry INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Massive Fire in Riau’s Tiger and Elephant Habitat: Burned or Set on Fire?

Riau, April 21, 2025 — A devastating fire swept through one of Sumatra’s most critical conservation areas. Five hectares of land inside Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN), located in Pelalawan Regency, Riau, were engulfed in flames on Saturday night (April 19). This is not just any land—it is home to the critically endangered Sumatran elephants and tigers.

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Activities RFMRC-SEA Forest Fire INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Forging Solutions for Peatlands: IPB University and Kyoto University Join Forces


April 14, 2025

A team of forestry experts from IPB University’s Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Fahutan) has embarked on an important academic mission to Kyoto University, Japan, to strengthen international collaboration in addressing one of Indonesia’s most persistent environmental challenges—peatland degradation and emissions from land and forest fires.

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INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Uniting for Forest Protection: Government Launches Coordination Desk for Wildfire Management

March 15, 2025
RFMRC SEA

Photo: https://sipongi.menlhk.go.id/berita/570-pemerintah-bentuk-desk-koordinasi-penanganan-karhutla Jakarta, March 14, 2025 — In a strategic move to tackle the looming threat…

RFMRC-SEA THAILAND

Forest Fire Threatens Asia’s Largest Bird Park in Chai Nat

A Race Against Flames to Save a Natural Treasure

Chai Nat, Thailand – January 28, 2025

A massive forest fire crept dangerously close to one of Thailand’s most beloved tourist spots — the Chainat Bird Park, Asia’s largest aviary, sparking an all-out emergency response that saw more than 20 fire trucks rushing to protect this haven for over 100 species of birds.

The fire, which broke out Monday morning on Khao Plong mountain, quickly spread through dry forestland, driven by winds and scorching heat. By nightfall, it had advanced toward the park’s water park and Bird Egg Museum, according to Jitthana Yingthaweelapa, president of the Chai Nat Provincial Administrative Organisation.

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