Kalimantan Forest and Land Fires Rage, Over 70% of Hotspots in Corporate Concessions

Forest and land fires (karhutla) are beginning to ravage the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia. According to data from Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi), from January to July 2026, 34,262 hotspots were detected on the island, with an indicative burnt area of 33,837 hectares, making it the epicenter of this disaster. This is occurring even before the peak of the dry season. Nationally, 118,420 hotspots have been recorded across Indonesia, with an indicative burnt area of 107,649 hectares. In Borneo, West Kalimantan (Kalbar) recorded the highest number of hotspots, with 17,236 points, and an estimated burnt area of 28,680 hectares. Hotspots and fires have also affected other provinces, including Central Kalimantan (Kalteng), South Kalimantan (Kalsel), East Kalimantan (Kaltim), and North Kalimantan (Kaltara). Walhi also noted a sharp increase in hotspots throughout July 2026. While hotspots did not exceed 74 points per month between April and June, they surged significantly in July to 615 hotspots. West Kalimantan saw a particularly striking increase with 778 hotspots, accounting for approximately 65% of the total high-level hotspots in Kalimantan. A critical finding from Walhi's data is that a significant portion of these hotspots are located within corporate concessions. Out of the total 34,262 hotspots in Kalimantan, a substantial 25,524 points, or about 74%, were found within licensed areas. Specifically, the breakdown shows 10,739 hotspots in palm oil concession areas, 7,880 in mining concessions, and 6,905 in forest utilization business permits. "The problem of karhutla cannot be separated from the governance of permits and weak law enforcement against companies," said Uli Arta Siagian, National Campaign Coordinator for Walhi, at the end of July. This highlights the urgent need for improved regulatory oversight and stronger legal accountability for corporations operating in these sensitive regions.