Indonesia works to prevent forest fires during Asian Games

Burning peat land is seen in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan of Indonesia (Source: www.thejakartapost.com)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) has taken measures to prevent forest fires and smoke as the country will host the 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD 18) next month, which is the regular time of forest and peat land fire in Indonesia each year.

Jakarta and Palembang in Sumatra are set to host about 11,000 athletes and 5,000 officials from 45 Asian countries for the games between August 18 and September 2.

Raffles B Panjaitan, Director of Forest and Land Fire at the MoEF, said that Indonesia has overcome smoke over the last two years. Forest fire hotspots in some high-risk provinces such as South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau were timely discovered and handled immediately. 

A research group analyse data every day to give warnings and tackle forest and land fires by working closely with fire fighting forces of the MoEF, police, army, private companies and community.

Currently, the MoEF has deployed groups of fire fighters to 11 high-risk provinces, along with nearly 2,000 personnel from other forces to prevent forest and land fires. 

In addition, fire fighting teams have been dispatched to nature reserve centres and national parks. In South Sumatra alone, five teams were set up and received training in fire prevention.

Regular forest and land fires have caused huge damage in Indonesia. In 2015, smoke from widespread fires affected the air environment of regional countries including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.-VNA