Member of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), H. Jalal Abdul Nasir, welcomed President Prabowo Subianto’s visit, along with his ministers, and their efforts to address forest and land fires (karhutla) across Indonesia, particularly in Kalimantan. However, he said the karhutla problem cannot be solved through post-fire response alone.
“What needs to be done is measurable prevention of forest and land fires. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) predicts that El Niño will continue through 2027. This means that after this dry season, the government has a major task in ensuring that forest and land fires do not happen again, even with El Niño. It’s not simply a matter of putting out the fire and considering the problem solved,” H. Jalal told Kedai Pena on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
He said one of the problems encountered in tackling forest and land fires is the lack of adequate water supplies for firefighting and cooling operations.
“To address this, I am urging the government to establish a 10,000 Water Points for Forest and Land Fire Response Program for 2027–2030 in fire-prone areas. For example, in Kalimantan, reservoirs, bore wells, canal blockings, pumps, and water reservoirs could be built based on risk maps. That way, when a fire breaks out, water does not have to be sourced from far away. Water would already be available near the location. This would be much cheaper than continuously conducting aerial operations once a fire has already spread,” he said.
The next step, he said, is for the government to empower villages and local communities as the first line of detection.
“A One Village, One Forest and Land Fire Response Team program could be established. The government could form teams of 10–20 personnel per village and provide the necessary equipment, such as pumps, hoses, basic drones, communication devices, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Water reservoirs would also be available in the villages. Performance-based incentives should then be provided. Villages that successfully keep their areas free from fires would receive additional environmental incentives. This would transform communities from ‘spectators of fires’ into ‘guardians of forests and peatlands,’” he said.
By making villages the first line of detection, early warnings must also reach the village level. He emphasized that BMKG has a very important role because it can provide accurate data. The government must also make use of technology to predict fire hotspots.
“From my perspective, what needs to change is how data is translated into decisions. For example, if there is a statement that District X faces an extreme risk of forest and land fires over the next five days, then automatically the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the TNI/Polri, Manggala Agni, local governments, and villages should immediately enter an alert status. They should not wait until news reports of smoke emerge,” H. Jalal continued.
Finally, he urged the government to take firm action whenever violations of the law are found.
“Individuals who commit violations must be prosecuted, but companies and corporations must also be seriously investigated. There must be an evaluation of concession ownership, prevention measures, canal construction, firefighting facilities, response times to forest and land fires, and recurring fire incidents. If necessary, the government should establish a ‘Karhutla Corporate Risk Rating’ with three ratings: low, medium, and high risk. Companies that repeatedly experience fires should be subject to much stricter oversight and restoration obligations,” he concluded.
