Forest and Land Fires in Indonesia: Assessment and Mitigation

Abstract

Fire has been used in traditional farming in Indonesia for centuries. However, large forest and land fires were experienced after independence era. Since 1997–98, peatland fire, in particular, has been a tremendous environmental disaster in Indonesia, which caused transboundary haze pollution in the ASEAN region and peatland degradation and socioeconomic loss. On the other hand, challenges in fire assessment and mitigation indicate gorgeous responses from academicians, government, private sectors, organizations, as well as local community. Large forest and land fires in Indonesia occur mostly in Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, where large areas of plantation and agricultural development are found. The fire can be classified as ground fire, surface fire, and crown fire. Impacts of the fire on soil, vegetation, and carbon emission have been studied intensively. However, there are still gaps on the fire impact studies on wildlife, air pollution, health, and other socioeconomic problems. Good practices on fire assessment and mitigation will be discussed.