The dry season is a precursor to forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indonesia. Since the 1990s, this disaster has remained a regular occurrence almost every year. Extreme climate factors, such as El Niño, cause prolonged droughts, triggering forest and land fires. Besides El Niño, according to findings by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), another trigger is the clearing of land for oil palm plantations. Many fires have been found in plantation concessions and priority peatland restoration areas.

The government has taken action to address forest and land fires. Suspected perpetrators have also been arrested. However, these law enforcement efforts often run into issues of transparency regarding land concession ownership data. Furthermore, many forest and land fires in Indonesia are triggered by human activity, such as land clearing for palm oil plantations and pulp and paper production. Furthermore, forest and land fires are increasingly challenging due to the vast extent of Indonesia's peatlands.

How was the mapping of areas potentially vulnerable to forest and land fires in 2020? How was the threat of forest and land fires mitigated amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

Watch the Katadata Virtual Forum Series
"The Threat of Forest and Land Fires and Covid-19 During the Pandemic"
Thursday, August 13, 2020 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM WIB

Together with:
1. Head of BNPB – Doni Monardo
2. Governor of West Kalimantan – Sutarmidji
3. Director General of Climate Change Control KLHK – Ruandha Agung Sugardiman
4. Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases (P3ML) – Wiendra Waworuntu
5. Executive Director of the Madani Berkelanjutan Foundation – Teguh Surya

Moderator:
Arie Mega, Katadata

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1. Registered participants will receive an email containing a link to the Zoom discussion and a password.
2. Please download Zoom first if you plan to participate via mobile device.
3. E-Certificates are available for participants in the Zoom application. The committee will use the name registered on the Registration Form for the E-Certificate.

To register, please go to the following link: Virtual Series “The Threat of Forest and Land Fires and Covid-19 During the Pandemic” .