BNPB Reports Wildfires Catching Over 600,000 Hectares of Land Throughout 2023

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Around 600,000 hectares of land have been caught in wildfires throughout 2023, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). 

Head of BNPB Suharyanto explained that one of the leading causes of these fires is the El Nino phenomenon. The quadrennial weather phenomenon causes for dry weather and a rise in temperatures. This, in turn, causes hotspots to emerge in wildfire-vulnerable areas in the country. 

Based on the data collected by Tempo, in 2015, El Nino caused over 2.61 million hectares of land to be caught by wildfires. The next El Nino in 2019 saw a decrease to 1.65 million hectares of land and saw another decrease in 2023.

"It could be said that the wildfire management last year was better," Suharyanto said in a press conference on Friday in Jakarta.

The consequences of last year's wildfires were less dire compared to the past, Suharyanto claimed. "There was no protest by our neighboring countries regarding the smog. The wildfire management is also more modern with weather modification," he said.

Indonesia has learned from past experiences, Suharyanto said, contributing to the smaller amount of land set ablaze in 2023. One of the most fundamental improvements is seen in the comprehensive mitigation and analysis concerning the disaster risk.

"We deploy land task force before the fire spreads, no longer waiting for the air routes to put out the fire," he said.

However, Indonesia also experienced a unique fire situation with the fire in 16 different landfills from June to October.

Suharyanto also hopes that the wildfires in 2023 could become initial data to anticipate future disasters.

ALIF ILHAM FAJRIADI

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