Indonesia said it is strengthening wildfire prevention along its borders, where Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s Kalimantan fire agency warned that uncontrolled fires could produce haze affecting neighboring countries.
“We must strengthen prevention in border areas. Although winds are currently moving southeast to west beyond our control, prevention efforts must be reinforced,” the agency’s head, Yudho Shekti Mustiko, said here Wednesday.
Prevention efforts will include integrated border-security patrols involving local governments, the military, police, communities and other stakeholders in border areas, Yudho said. This comes after President Prabowo had instructed the ministry to address the wildfire issues and resolve them as quickly as possible.
Current weather conditions and the risk of a strong El Nino also require attention, Yudho said, urging communities to avoid burning land. Controlled burning must follow regulations and receive supervision.
He said monitoring and assistance remain essential to prevent new hotspots. Residents using controlled burning should coordinate with village governments and other authorities to prevent fires from spreading.
Sarawak and Singapore are the first cities to be affected by the haze with the air pollution index indicating unhealthy levels this has resulted in school closures and rise in respiratory problems.
