Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has criticized local regulations that allow landowners to burn areas of up to two hectares, as Indonesia grapples with thousands of hotspots and worsening air quality across parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded 10,446 hotspots across six priority provinces as of Sept. 23, while the Forestry Ministry's SiPongi monitoring system continues to detect thousands of hotspots each day, mainly in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Speaking during a discussion with academics and experts on forest and land fire prevention, Prabowo said eight district-level regulations still contained what he described as loopholes allowing land burning.

“Allowing one person to burn two hectares is complete nonsense,” Prabowo said in the discussion, which was broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel Friday.

Prabowo questioned how an individual could control a fire once it had spread across such a large area, warning that the provision could make it harder to prevent fires from spreading.

The government should instead help communities clear land without using fire, he said. Assistance could include land preparation and equipment such as water pumps.

“If you need land, report it to us. We will prepare the land for you. We will provide pumps for you,” Prabowo said. “We want our people to prosper. We would never want to endanger them.”

The fires have also affected air quality and public health in several provinces. The Environment Ministry's environmental management agency, KLH/BPLH, reported unhealthy to hazardous air quality in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan.

In Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) reached as high as 578, placing it in the hazardous category.

The Health Ministry recorded 174,694 cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) across seven affected provinces as of Sept. 21, including more than 40,000 cases among children under five.

Some schools in heavily affected areas have also switched to remote learning to reduce children's exposure to polluted air.

Corporate fire prevention

Prabowo also called for stricter enforcement of fire-prevention requirements for companies operating in concession areas.

Companies are already required to provide fire-prevention infrastructure and emergency response teams, but compliance varies, he said.

“Some companies comply, some do not. This must be put in order,” Prabowo said.

He cited requirements for companies to establish fire-monitoring infrastructure, water reservoirs and firefighting teams made up of their employees.

Seeking scientific solutions

Prabowo also sought scientific advice on how to manage peatlands productively without increasing the risk of fires.

He held discussions with 22 academics and experts from universities in Indonesia and abroad on Thursday, including experts from the University of Nottingham, University of Indonesia, University of Riau, Bandung Institute of Technology and University of Lambung Mangkurat.

Prabowo said he wanted the experts to provide concrete recommendations for preventing forest and land fires from recurring each year.

He said the government had deployed various technologies, including water-bombing helicopters, but ground personnel remained the most effective line of defense.

“I have ordered that we anticipate this. It turns out that despite all the helicopters and other measures, the most effective response is still personnel on the ground,” Prabowo said.

The meeting came after Prabowo faced criticism over remarks he made at an event on Sept. 18, when he referred to some people who considered themselves experts as being “so smart that they become stupid.”

On Friday, he told the academics that his comments had sometimes been distorted to suggest that he did not respect experts.

“Don't get me wrong. Sometimes when I speak to an audience, my words are twisted and I am portrayed as someone who does not respect experts. I respect experts very much,” Prabowo said.

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