Indonesia: BMKG: Satellite Found 15 Hotspots in Sumatra

NetralNews 9 Sep 18;

BANDA ACEH, NNC - The local Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that the satellite has encountered 15 hotspots monitored by fashionable sensors in four provinces in Sumatra. "There are three hotspots from the total of 15 points in Sumatra," Head of BMKG Data and Information Section Blang Bintang Meteorology Station, Zakaria Ahmad, said in Aceh Besar, Aceh Province, on Sunday, Sept 9.

Those three hotspots showed as monitored hotspots in two provinces, Bengkulu and Lampung, as it had a confidence level above 81 percent. Then there were seven hotspots, including suspected hotspots in four provinces, including three points in Aceh. The remaining four points were spoted in Bengkulu, South Sumatra and Lampung.

Meanwhile, the remaining five hotspots in Sumatra, he said, have not shown alarming figures, as it have a low level of confidence. "There are five concentrated hotspots in three districts in Aceh, three of it included as hotspots lasting since since yesterday. Two points in Tawar Sea, Central Aceh, and Geulumpang Tiga in Pidie," he said. "Two hotspots in Bandar Dua in Pidie Jaya, and Linge in Aceh Tengah with a low level of confidence," Zakaria said. The government in 2018 closely guarded forest and land-prone areas, thus successfully reducing the number of hotspots up to 96.5 percent throughout Indonesia in the 2015-2017 period.

"Based on NOAA's satellite monitoring data, the number of hotspots in 2015 reached 21,929 while it reduced in 2016 to 3,915. In 2017, the number of hotspots declined to 2,257," said Forest and Land Fire Control Director of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Raffles B Panjaitan. KLHK recorded that the area of forest and land burned in 2015 reached 2,611,411 hectares (ha). The number was decreased to 438,360 ha in 2016, then dropped again to 165,464 ha in 2017. "Since 2016, companies do not have the audacity to clear lands by burning it. This definitely has an effect. Even if there is a fire, its only small spots from negligence," Raffles said.


Satellites detect 22 hotspots in three Sumatran provinces
Antara 10 Sep 18;

Illustration. Photo document of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan. (gs.reddplus.go.id/monitor)

Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA News) - Satellites detected 22 hotspots, indicating forest and plantation fires, in three provinces on Sumatra Island on Monday.

The three provinces were Lampung, Bangka Belitung, and South Sumatra, Zakaria Ahmad of the Blang Bintang meteorology office, stated here, Monday.

Of the total 22 hotspots, four were believed to have arisen from fires.

Aceh was free from hotspots on Monday, but the province`s over 347 hectares of forest area were destroyed due to wildfires over the last two months.

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo earlier remarked that land and forest fires had declined significantly this year as compared with previous years due to the country`s firm stance in protecting its forests.

"This assertiveness would not have yielded these ideal results without public support and participation," Widodo stressed in his presidential speech on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of Indonesia`s independence at the parliament building in Jakarta on August 16, 2018.

The head of state expressed gratitude to the Indonesian military and police, local administrations, and the public for their dedication in preventing forest fires.

"We need courage to make the leap. We have to be firm in making the best decision for the people of Indonesia, including being firm in protecting our land and forests," he stated.

South Sumatra bore the maximum brunt of one of the country`s biggest forest fires in 2015 that ravaged the nation`s tropical forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan, sending haze of thick smoke as far as Malaysia and Singapore.

Environmentalists blamed farmers and plantation companies for the disaster that resulted in boycott of the country`s plantation commodities, mainly palm oil, by certain countries.

The government, however, has succeeded in reducing cases of forest fires over the past several years, although hotspots are still reported during drought that occurs almost every year.

Based on data of an Indonesian environmental NGO, Walhi, from January to August 14, a total of 2,173 hotspots were detected in various areas in the country, including 779 in West Kalimantan and 368 in Riau.

Reporting by Muhammad Said
Editing by Fardah Assegaf
Editor: Heru Purwanto