Category: RFMRC-SEA

ASEAN Forest Fire RFMRC-SEA SOUTHEAST ASIA THAILAND

Khao Yai bushfires extinguished

Bangkok Post | 14 Jan 2020

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Forest fires which have been burning in parts of Khao Yai National Park since early this month are reported to have been finally put out.

The bushfires were first reported on Jan 5 by national park officials in Khao Siad-a, Khao Ang Hin and Khao Nok Yung forest reserves near Ban Nong Yang in tambon Phayayen of Pak Chong district. They were believed to have started about five days previously.

Crews from several stations in the national park were mobilised to combat the blazes.

The last flames were extinguished about noon on Monday, according to a local media report.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the fires.

Link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1835439/khao-yai-bushfires-extinguished

ASEAN Malaysia RFMRC-SEA SOUTHEAST ASIA

State governments, local authorities, land owners told to prevent forest fire

Malaymail | Tuesday, 14 Jan 2020

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — State governments, local authorities and land owners are advised to take appropriate measures to prevent forest fire.

Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry (KATS), in a statement, said they should also take steps to prevent irresponsible quarters from trespassing into their property, such as landfills, forest areas, plantations, farms, as well as agriculture and industrial areas to carry out open burning.

“Due to the dry weather condition that is expected in the peninsula, all quarters are also advised not to carry out open burning or to allow their land or premises to be encroached upon resulting in open burning accidentally or for a certain reason,” it said.

It said the ministry, through the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department, is always aware of forest fires, especially if they occurred in the Permanent Forest Reserve area.

Several preventive and control measures against forest fire in the peninsula have been taken, including with the collaboration of the Malaysian Space Agency (MySA) and the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) to obtain updates on hot spot and fire risk areas.

The Forestry Department is also working with the Department of Minerals and Geoscience to build tube wells and “check dams” in areas with risks of catching forest fire.

To date, 85 tubes have been built in the peninsula, it said, adding that monitoring towers were also built in areas with potential to catch forest fire and fire-fighting equipment ready for use in forest fire fighting operations.

According to KATS, the forest fire in Australia should make all quarters realise the need to take appropriate action in improving environmental protection and addressing the growing threats to the ecosystem due to climate change.

Among the impact of forest fires on the environment are destruction to natural habitat, haze phenomena, health problems and loss of the forest biological diversity, it said. — Bernama

Link: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/01/14/state-governments-local-authorities-land-owners-told-to-prevent-forest-fire/1828000

Australia Forest Fire Global International RFMRC-SEA

Australia fires: NSW towns cut off by bushfire as Queensland residents told to leave

Australian Associated Press |

Fire north of Batemans Bay on the New South Wales south coast doubles in size, burning through more than 11,560 hectares
• ‘Absolutely suffocating’: how are you affected by smoke haze from Australia’s bushfires?

 

Residents face a nervous wait on Monday night as gusty, strong winds whip-up a blaze in the New South Wales Shoalhaven area which remains at emergency warning level.

The fire north of Batemans Bay has burnt through more than 16,000 hectares and was spreading quickly in a north-easterly direction towards coastal communities.

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Brazil climate change INDONESIA International RFMRC-SEA

Forest Fire Emissions From Indonesia Worse Than Amazon, EU Says

By

Fires that destroyed Indonesian rainforests pumped out more carbon dioxide than the blazes in the Amazon this year, according to the European Union’s atmosphere observation program.

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Activities RFMRC-SEA Global INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA

Prof. Dr. Ir. H. Bambang Hero Saharjo, Bogor Agricultural University, is the foremost expert on illegal and destructive forest and land fires in Indonesia, and the winner of the 2019 Maddox Prize

12 November 2019

Maddox Prize 2019

Bambang Hero Saharjo, who is the Indonesian lead expert witness on environmentally catastrophic peatland fires has been awarded the 2019 John Maddox Prize for his courage and integrity in standing up for sound science in the face of harassment, intimidation, and law suits.

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Malaysia RFMRC-SEA SOUTHEAST ASIA

Nearly 1,500 cases of open burning in Malaysia during haze season, says deputy minister

BY AZRIL ANNUAR | 11 Nov 2019

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Malaysia saw nearly 1,500 cases of open burning and forest fires during the haze season in August and September this year.

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CAMBODIA RFMRC-SEA VIETNAM

Cambodia, Vietnam to hold joint disaster rescue exercises

| 31 October 2019

 

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and the People’s Army of Vietnam will hold joint disaster rescue exercises in further collaborations to “maintain peace, order and stability in the neighbouring countries”.

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Environment Forest Fire International RFMRC-SEA

South America forest fires could disrupt rainfall in region’s farm belt: experts

Monica Machicao | October 9, 2019
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia (Reuters) – Forest fires that swept across Bolivia and Brazil this year could disrupt rainfall distribution across South America’s grains-and-beef producing regions in unpredictable ways for years to come, a scientist and meteorologist said

Recent rains in both countries have helped put out the wildfires, which were likely started by farmers and ranchers using slash-and-burn agricultural methods.

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Hotspots INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA SOUTHEAST ASIA

Climbers Evacuated From Forest Fires in East Java

BY :TELLY NATHALIA | OCTOBER 05, 2019

 

Jakarta. Search and rescue teams rescued 13 climbers, including seven Singaporeans, from forest fires raging on Mount Raung in East Java on Saturday morning, the National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas, said.

The fires started around the Camp 7 and Camp 9 areas on the mountain on Friday afternoon.

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Forest Fire INDONESIA RFMRC-SEA SOUTHEAST ASIA

Land clearance for plantations causal to Indonesia’s forest fires

September 21, 2019
“The fire will not break out on its own, but human beings do it”

 

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Rasio Ridho Sani, director general of law enforcement of the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry, pointed to the slash-and-burn deforestation technique to make way for plantations as among the three factors causing forest fires.

“Fire will not break out on its own, but human beings do it,” he stated during a polemic talk here on Saturday.

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