Indonesia Ramps Up Response To Worsening Forest Fires In Sumatra

JAKARTA, July 24 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Indonesian authorities have been accelerating efforts to tackle forest and land fires, particularly in Riau province and other regions across Sumatra Island in the country's western territories, reported Xinhua.

According to the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, a spike in hotspots was detected in Riau between July 19 and 20, with smoke potentially drifting to neighbouring countries.

"The haze from the forest fires is starting to affect neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Singapore. They have expressed their concerns through diplomatic channels," he said during a virtual coordination meeting on wildfire management held in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday.

Budi added that significant forest fires were also reported in other parts of Sumatra, including Jambi and South Sumatra provinces, as well as in West Kalimantan on Borneo Island.

He urged the immediate deployment of all available personnel and equipment to the field to bring the fires under control.

Indonesia is frequently affected by forest and land fires, a major contributor to regional haze and greenhouse gas emissions. The country faces increasingly prolonged and drier dry seasons, making it more vulnerable to such disasters.

Recently, Riau Governor Abdul Wahid declared a state of emergency in response to the growing number of hotspots and fire points detected over the past week. The emergency status underscored the deteriorating conditions on the ground.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA