by: Robi Deslia Waldi
The province of Riau is once again facing a serious threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) in 2026. In response, the local government has officially declared a forest fire emergency alert status as an early preventive measure to reduce the risk of widespread haze disasters that occur almost every year.
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By : Robi Deslia Waldi
Batam, March 25, 2026 — A forest fire that struck a hilly area in Tanjung Riau, Sekupang District, Batam, has been successfully extinguished following intensive efforts by joint emergency teams. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by uncontrolled waste burning.
By: Robi Deslia Waldi
Bogor, Indonesia — Bambang Hero Saharjo, a distinguished professor from the Department of Silviculture at the Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, has been honored with the prestigious The Guardian Honor (Lifetime Achievement Award) at the Katadata Green Innovator Awards 2025.
Rome, 18 June 2025 – Forest and land fires are no longer just local or regional issues—they have evolved into global threats that undermine biodiversity, accelerate climate change, and disrupt food security across continents. Against this backdrop, the first-ever Plenary of the Global Fire Management Hub, held from 10 to 12 June 2025 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, stood as a critical moment for international collaboration in Integrated Fire Management (IFM).
Mukomuko, Bengkulu – June 3, 2025
The peatland wildfire in Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu Province, has now entered its ninth day. Although the fire has not yet been fully extinguished, efforts to control and suppress it continue. The blaze, which has scorched 25 hectares of peatland, has been successfully contained and has not spread beyond its current perimeter.
Meulaboh, June 4, 2025 — A wildfire broke out in the village of Gunong Kleng, Meureubo District, West Aceh Regency on Monday evening, burning approximately one hectare of land and coming dangerously close to residential areas.
Ketapang, West Kalimantan – Fighting fires on peatlands is not something you can learn from a PowerPoint slide. In Ketapang, one of Indonesia’s most fire-prone peatland regions, 19 participants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Timor Leste, and Indonesia got their hands dirty—literally—in an international training on peat fire suppression facilitated by IPB University’s Faculty of Forestry and Environment and the Regional Fire Management Resource Center–Southeast Asia (RFMRC-SEA).
The training was not just theoretical. For one full week at IPB University, participants were guided by three fire experts from France and introduced to advanced fire suppression strategies, including the use of a fire simulator—a tool that mimics real fire behavior to prepare participants for field conditions.
Then came the real test. In Ketapang, the trainees operated out of Manggala Agni’s Regional Fire Operation Base (Daops IX Ketapang), supported by four fire crews (15 personnel), complete equipment, and field facilities.
“We want them to be ready not just on paper. Understanding fire behavior on peatlands requires real field experience,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Bambang Hero Saharjo, M.Agr., a forensic expert on forest and land fires and professor at IPB University.
Peatland fires are notoriously difficult to suppress. Unlike surface fires, they smolder beneath the ground and can reignite even after appearing extinguished. That’s why this kind of hands-on training is so crucial.
Before facing actual fire, participants underwent a dry simulation to familiarize themselves with the equipment. “This is essential so that when they face real fire, there’s no hesitation,” Prof. Bambang added.
The real-world fire suppression took place in a controlled peatland site not far from the road, with accessible water sources. Special plots were prepared with different fuel loads and types to simulate varying fire conditions. Parameters like flame length, fire spread rate, wind direction, and local weather were closely monitored.
“We created predefined plots and measured everything—from fuel thickness and volume to air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed—so participants could observe how fires behave under specific conditions,” Prof. Bambang explained.
The team also used thermal drones to record fire temperatures and movement patterns, providing valuable data for future training and fire management efforts.
“We’re not just putting out fires—we’re building future fire leaders who understand the science behind the flames,” he said.
Prof. Bambang confirmed that similar trainings will be held annually for the next four years in different peatland regions across Indonesia.
Other IPB University experts, Prof. Lailan Syaufina and Dr. Ati Dwi Nurhayati, also played key roles in delivering materials on peat fire ecology and impacts, as well as suppression strategies.
Peatland fires are not just Indonesia’s problem. Their transboundary haze affects the entire Southeast Asian region, with serious consequences for human health, biodiversity, and economies.
Prof. Bambang, who is also a leading figure in international fire science forums, has long advocated for data-driven and science-based fire management. In one of his published articles, he emphasized:
“Peat fires are not merely technical problems but ecological disasters that require integrated solutions based on science and collaboration.”
— Bambang Hero Saharjo, in “Combating Peatland Fires in Indonesia”, Environmental Science Journal, 2020.
Saharjo, B.H. (2020). Combating Peatland Fires in Indonesia: Between Policy, Law Enforcement, and Scientific Evidence. Environmental Science Journal.
Saharjo, B.H., & Usup, A. (2017). The Use of Fire by Farmers in Peatland Areas and Its Impacts. Bogor: IPB Press.
Saharjo, B.H., et al. (2022). Fire Behavior and Suppression Techniques in Tropical Peatlands. Proceedings of the Regional Fire Management Forum.
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).
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.
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.