Indonesian forestry ministry sets hotspot reduction target

Antara 23 May 13;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian forestry ministry has set a target for reducing hotspots of forest and plantation fires in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Sulawesi by 59.2 percent in 2013 from the average number of hotspots during 2005-2009.

If the total number of hotspots during the 2005-2009 period was 58,890, so the reduction target will be 24,027, the forestry ministry said in a press statement here on Thursday.

Based on the monitoring by the ministry`s fire control directorate, the number of forest fire hotspots on Kalimantan, Sumatra and Sulawesi Islands occurring from January 1 to March 31, 2013, totaled 2,672 hotspots.

During January to March 2013, 929 hotspots were detected on Kalimantan Island (443 hotspots were found in West Kalimantan Province, 210 in Central Kalimantan), 35 in South Kalimantan, and 241 in East Kalimantan).

On Sumatra Island, 151 hotspots were found in Aceh Province, 163 in North Sumatra, 84 in West Sumatra, 666 in Riau, 29 in Riau Islands, 216 in Jambi, 161 in South Sumatra, 61 in Bangka Belitung, 39 in Bengkulu, and 34 in Lampung.

On Sulawesi Island, there were 139 hotspots, namely in Gorontalo Province (one hotspot), North Sulawesi (two), Central Sulawesi (38), West Sulawesi (21), South Sulawesi (63), and Southeast Sulawesi (14).

Some 664 hotspots or 23.9 percent were found inside forest areas, and the remaining 2,113 hotspots or 76.1 percent were in plantation and public garden areas.
(Tx.F001/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH