Forest Fire Prevention Deemed Effective

Kompas/Irma Tambunan

Peatland fire in Bungo regency as seen from a Jambi Disaster Mitigation Agency Bolkow 105 helicopter, Sunday (27/8). Even though a regional regulation includes a ban on the use of fire, many cases of clearing land by burning still occur.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Forest and peatland fires continue to crop up. However, the government’s forest fire prevention efforts have been deemed effective in halting the fires from spreading across large areas and causing haze. Anticipatory measures by deploying integrated teams and local communities are deemed effective in preventing larger-scale disasters.

For instance, no haze has been reported in Riau through Sunday (27/8/2017). Since January, the Air Quality Index has not touched unhealthy levels, let alone the hazardous or extremely hazardous levels like it did in 2015. Conditions regarding forest and peatland fires were deemed better than they were in the dry season of 2016.