Jakarta, April 22, 2026 - MADANI Berkelanjutan's Indicative Burned Area (AIT) data indicates that a massive forest and land fire (karhutla) crisis has begun long before the arrival of the dry season. The total AIT from January to March 2026 reached 71 thousand hectares. This figure is significantly higher than the same period in 2025 (4.1 thousand hectares) when Indonesia faced El Niño.
Of this total, 94% constitutes newly burned areas during this period, which means it expands the environmental impact of the fires. Meanwhile, 3.6 thousand hectares (5.1%) are recurring fire areas indicated to have burned every month during this period.
“The rising fire figures early this year are highly alarming, given that BMKG predicts the 2026 dry season will arrive earlier, last longer, and potentially be influenced by a weak to moderate El Niño in the second semester,” said Nadia Hadad, Director of MADANI Berkelanjutan.
The rate of fires increased sharply in March 2026 across several affected provinces. West Kalimantan recorded the largest burned area at 23.85 thousand hectares, followed by Riau Province with 16.67 thousand hectares.
Carbon Emissions in Peatlands Threaten the FOLU Net Sink 2030 Target
The most significant finding shows that 65.1% of the total burned area (43.9 thousand hectares) is located within peatland ecosystem functions. Peatlands store a massive amount of carbon; fires in this essential ecosystem lead to the massive release of carbon emissions, directly threatening Indonesia's climate targets.
On the other hand, the Forest and Other Land Use (FOLU) sector is targeted to achieve a net sink by 2030. However, data shows that 53.52 percent of the fires (36 thousand hectares) actually occurred within the FOLU Net Sink operational plan area. This condition indicates that the net sink commitment has not fully provided robust protection for the peatland ecosystem.
Critical Governance Weaknesses Revealed
The analysis also reveals critical governance weaknesses:
First, corporate concessions remain highly vulnerable. More than half of the burned area (52.23% or 35 thousand hectares) overlaps with permits and concessions. Palm oil permits dominate with 19 thousand hectares of burned area, reinforcing that land management practices within corporate areas remain a primary factor of vulnerability. The spike in AIT within palm oil permits nearly doubled from January to March 2026. Of note, in 2025, the Ministry of Forestry carried out law enforcement multiple times against companies whose permit areas caught fire. However, the continuous recurrence of fires in permit areas indicates that, to this day, enforcement actions have not yet created a deterrent effect for corporations.
Second, the moratorium is ineffective in the field. Nearly half of the burned area (49% or 33 thousand hectares) lies within the moratorium area for new permits (PIPPIB), showing that this protection instrument is not working effectively on the ground. Aside from damaging forest cover in these areas, the fires will also degrade the ecological value of the moratorium zone, which should be protected not only for its canopy cover but also for its broader ecological worth.
“MADANI Berkelanjutan's findings in 2025 showed 49 thousand hectares of AIT within the Moratorium Area. Today, with only 3 months into the year, the AIT in the moratorium area has already breached 33 thousand hectares. With the threat of an extended dry season ahead, this event must serve as an alarm for the Ministry of Forestry as the management authority over these areas,” said Fadli Ahmad Naufal, GIS Specialist of MADANI Berkelanjutan.
Third, there is weak protection in biodiversity areas. A total of 7.8 thousand hectares of AIT are located within Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), which are highly critical for the survival of species and ecosystems. Amid collective efforts to promote protection in conservation areas through the KSDAE Law and the Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) document, the high incidence of fires in KBA areas must be a serious note for policymakers.
Urgencies for Law Enforcement and Massive Peatland Restoration
Facing predictions of a severe dry season, MADANI Berkelanjutan urges the government to take drastic and concrete steps to:
Tighten the oversight of permits and concessions by imposing strict sanctions, rather than mere administrative reprimands, on permit and concession holders.
Strengthen and enforce the forest moratorium on the ground, given that nearly half of the burned area lies within the moratorium zone.
Accelerate massive and responsive peatland restoration. Data records that around 65 percent of the fires occurred in degraded peatlands, indicating that current restoration efforts remain insufficient to prevent recurring fires.
Integrate forest and land fire prevention as a core component within the NDC and FOLU Net Sink achievement strategies, rather than treating it merely as a disaster management program.
“The forest and land fires at the beginning of this year serve as a loud alarm for all of us. If Indonesia is serious about its climate commitments, wildfire prevention is no longer an option, but an undeniable necessity that cannot be delayed,” concluded Nadia Hadad, Executive Director of MADANI Berkelanjutan.
Note: This press release data is based on the January–March 2026 Indicative Burned Area (AIT) report by MADANI Berkelanjutan, with a 91.35% correlation coefficient against the Ministry of Forestry's SIPONGI data.
Media Contact: Luluk Uliyah, Media & Engagement MADANI Berkelanjutan
Email: luluk@arsip.madaniberkelanjutan.id
