It's undeniable that forest and land fires (Karhutla) have become part of the annual series of disasters that plague this country. Yet, this country, situated on the Ring of Fire, is already rife with potential disasters.
But what can be done? Forest and land fires continue to occur because the perpetrators are not satisfied with enriching themselves. According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), approximately 99% of forest fires are caused by human activity.
Until now, the option of burning forests and land has always been chosen because it is considered very economical. Just imagine, using heavy equipment or providing special burners to collect logging residues when clearing new land is considered highly inefficient and even expensive. Besides being expensive, this method of land clearing is also quite time-consuming. Indeed, when calculated economically, the comparison with burning is like a match made in heaven and earth.
The narrow economic logic of using as little capital as possible for maximum profit is a fact that still applies in cases of forest and land fires. As a result, the method of clearing land by burning ( slash and burn ) has become popular among the community.
The method of land clearing by burning is considered highly economically profitable for those who use it. That's the simplification of the current forest and land fire economy, or Karhutlanomics. It's common knowledge that these greed-fueled forest fires not only threaten public health but also the overall economy. It's true that land clearing by burning offers advantages because it successfully cuts production costs.
But the impact of forest and land fires is like a bigger peg than a pillar. This means that the benefits from burning land are not as great as the suffering that will follow. As with disasters in general, economic problems are always an unavoidable consequence. In the context of disasters, the global agreement outlined in the Sunday Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction no longer views disasters solely in terms of their threat to human life, but also in terms of the economy. This is because disasters cause community activities to stop or even paralyze. This paralysis ultimately leads to economic slump, which in the affected region will spread to other regions that are interdependent. Therefore, it is natural that in cases of forest and land fires, the economic losses caused by this disaster must be a serious concern.
Regarding economic losses, the World Bank once revealed that Indonesia's total losses throughout 2019 due to land and forest fires reached US$5.2 billion, equivalent to Rp 72.95 trillion (at an exchange rate of Rp 14,000/US dollar). This figure is equivalent to 0.5% of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP).
Important lessons
In my opinion, there are three important lessons that can be learned from the forest and land fires as guidance to stop the forest and land fires that have become inevitable.
First , there's the issue of law enforcement. It's common knowledge that the law in this country has a very difficult time prosecuting those who commit arson. Indecisiveness and indications of corruption make forest and land fire cases a tangled mess that's difficult to unravel.
It's also deeply regrettable that while the forest and land fire problem remains unresolved, concessionaires will be absolved of responsibility for the fires, thanks to the Job Creation Bill, whose passage is now being pushed even harder. Law enforcement was already weak, and now with Job Creation, it's losing its edge.
Second , the relevance of the budgeting system. Many believe that budget allocations for government agencies and institutions responsible for forest and land fire management are no longer relevant.
For example, if the intensity of forest fires decreases or even disappears altogether, it's clear that budget allocations for forest and land fire management will also fall short of targets. In this case, under-targeted budget allocations will reduce the agency's budget allocation in the following year.
In this regard, it would be beneficial if budget allocations were based on achievements. When forest and land fires decrease or disappear altogether, an agency can be considered successful, allowing budget allocations to be maximized for other programs. This achievement-based budget allocation can also stimulate agencies to implement new, more creative ideas in forest and land fire management.
Third , a lack of sustainable commitment. The perpetrators of forest and land fires, typically corporations, have demonstrated that sustainable or green commitment to environmental protection is minimal among the public.
This also proves that the government itself lacks a grand design for sustainable development that specifically addresses all levels of society, from upstream to downstream, from the middle to upper classes to the grassroots level. Yet, to build a greener economy, the government clearly cannot act alone. All parties must have a green commitment so that environmental protection, particularly forests, becomes a mainstream aspect of economic and development activities.
Now is the time for environmental awareness to become a fundamental shared awareness. All parties must realize that destroying the environment, forests, and nature for profit is no longer relevant. Enriching oneself through destruction, including forest burning, must be immediately abandoned.
Wasn't it not long ago that the government, and indeed all of us, were proud of our achievements in reducing deforestation? If that pride is truly there, then the best way to maintain it is to abandon everything that damages the environment, one of which is forest and land fires .
Therefore, it would be good if National Forest Day, which falls every August 7th, is used as a momentum to raise awareness that forests are valuable future assets, so that protecting them from fires, degradation, and deforestation is a necessity.
By: Delly Ferdian
Sustainable Civil Research
This article was published in the Kontan Daily edition of August 7, 2020.pdf
