Indonesia Mobilizes to Combat Health-Damaging Forest Fires

Indonesia Mobilizes to Combat Health-Damaging Forest Fires

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Jakarta, Indonesia (AP) — Four Indonesian provinces have declared emergencies in anticipation of worsening forest fires that each year spread health-damaging haze across much of Southeast Asia.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Wednesday that emergency alerts in Riau and South Sumatra provinces on the island of Sumatra and West and Central Kalimantan on Borneo will make it easier to mobilize fire-fighting operations and support from the central government.

The agency said satellites have detected 90 “hotspots” or fires across Indonesia, with the biggest numbers in West and Central Kalimantan. Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province, has been blanketed in smoke, it said.

Record Indonesian forest fires in 2015 spread haze across a swath of Southeast Asia and, according to a study by Harvard and Columbia universities, hastened 100,000 deaths.

Fires are often started by smallholders and plantation companies to clear land for planting. Many areas of Indonesia are prone to rapid burning because of the draining of swampy peatland forests for pulpwood and palm oil plantations.

Pontianak resident Reinardo Sinaga said rain in the past few days reduced the choking smoke that had affected the city for the previous two weeks.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/indonesia-mobilizes-to-combat-health-damaging-forest-fires

Mempawah facing situation of emergency against haze of smoke

Published By: ANTARANEWS.com

Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA News) – The district administration of Mempawah of West Kalimantan has announced a situation of emergency against the haze of smokes with a number of peatland areas having caught fire as dry season began to hit the region.

“The status of emergency will last until June 30, 2018,” acting district head of Mempawah, Gusti Ramlana, said here on Sunday.

Gusti Ramlana said dots of bushfires had been monitored in a number of areas, adding the dry season began only early this month bur the impact is quite damaging.

“I hope the BPPD (local disaster mitigation agency) could give a map of areas vulnerable to forest and bushfires in Mempawah,” he said.

Read more: https://en.antaranews.com/news/114674/mempawah-facing-situation-of-emergency-against-haze-of-smoke

(U.SYS/A/H-ASG/F001)

Editor: Heru Purwanto

Inggris Kucurkan Rp40 Miliar ke RI-Malaysia, untuk Apa Saja?

Inggris Kucurkan Rp40 Miliar ke RI-Malaysia, untuk Apa Saja?

By: Ezra Natalyn

Published by: Viva

VIVA – Inggris mendanai proyek baru untuk penanganan kebakaran hutan di Indonesia dan Malaysia dengan nilai 2 juta Poundsterling atau setara dengan Rp40 miliar. Program yang digagas Badan Antariksa Inggris ini disalurkan melalui jalur Program Kemitraan Internasional yaitu untuk mengatasi kebakaran hutan melalui satelit.

Proyek ini disebutkan merupakan salah satu dari 10 proyek baru di dunia yang melibatkan sejumlah organisasi di bidang ruang angkasa dengan total proyek seluruhnya hingga Rp720 miliar.

Read more by https://www.viva.co.id/berita/dunia/1007232-inggris-kucurkan-rp40-miliar-ke-ri-malaysia-untuk-apa-saja

 

Asian Games should remain unaffected by forest fires: President

Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Implementation of the ASIAN Games in Indonesia should not be affected by smoke arising from forest and land fires, according to President Joko Widodo.

The 18th Asian Games will be organized from Aug 18 to Sept 2 at the Bung Karno Sports Arena of Jakarta and Jakabaring Sports City of Palembang in South Sumatra Province.

“This year, we host the ASIAN Games in Jakarta and Palembang. I remind you to not let the smoke from forest and land fires arise during the implementation of the event,” Widodo noted during a briefing to participants of the National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in 2018 at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He pointed out that smoke from forest and land fires will tarnish the image of Indonesia and disrupt flights during the ASIAN Games.

“We have to work hard to ensure that the ASIAN Games run smoothly without any disturbance from forest and land fires,” he stated.

Read more https://en.antaranews.com/news/114525/asian-games-should-remain-unaffected-by-forest-fires-president

Reported by Joko Susilo
(T.M052/A/KR-BSR/F001)

Editor: Heru Purwanto

Jokowi pledges fewer forest fires for this year

The Indonesian leader said he had issued a guarantee of fewer forest fires for this year. (2018).

“In 2015, every time I met with the Singapore and Malaysian prime ministers and they complained to me about the haze,” the president said at a national coordination meeting at Merdeka Palace on forest and plantation fire mitigation on Tuesday (Feb 6).

Read more http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/jokowi-pledges-fewer-forest-fires-for-this-year

Is Indonesia’s fight against forest fires falling short?

Dozens of Indonesians hospitalised due to smoke from forest fire

VNA 

 

Jakarta (VNA) – Dozens of people have been taken to hospitals for respiratory problems due to thick smoke caused by forest fires in Aceh province of Indonesia.

Some schools in Meulaboh city suspended classes on July 26 after fires destroyed 70 hectares of forests in the province last week.

(more…)

Forest, Land Fires Reappear in Riau

Rizal Harahap | 12 January 2017

 

Forest and land fires have begun to threaten Riau again this week following the increasing number of hot spots detected across the province.

Pekanbaru Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) head Sugarin said the hot spots were first detected by Terra and Aqua satellites on Sunday afternoon.

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Indonesia to Fight Against Forest Fires Starting Early This Year

Haeril Halim, Rizal Harahap and Hans Nicholas Jong | 21 January 2017
The Jakarta Post

January is not over yet, but two regencies in Riau province have already declared emergency alert statuses to tackle any potential forest fires, which could get out of control when the weather gets drier in upcoming months.

The decision made by Rokan Hulu regency and Dumai city to raise their alert statuses, which would allow the central government to send aid to the regions, has been lauded by government officials in Jakarta.

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Helicopter Drops 40 Tons of Water to Extinguish Riau Fires

Editor: Heru Purwanto | 05 June 2017

 

“We conducted water bombing 10 times on several hotspots on Sunday,” Maj. Sus Rizwar stated.

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) – Riau Provinces forest and land fire task force has deployed an MI-8 helicopter to drop 40 tons of water to extinguish forest fires in Kampar District, spokesperson of the Roesmin Nurjadin airbase Maj. Sus Rizwar stated.

“We conducted water bombing 10 times on several hotspots on Sunday,” Rizwar revealed in the provinces capital city, Pekanbaru.

(more…)