Prabowo Convenes Ministers to Discuss Forest Fire Prevention Ahead of Dry Season

President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia convened ministers and heads of relevant agencies at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/7) to discuss prevention measures against forest and land fires (Karhutla) ahead of the dry season. CNNIndonesia.com observed the attendance of, among others, Minister of Environment and Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, Deputy Chief of Police Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo, Air Marshal M. Syafi'i (Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency - Basarnas), Lieutenant General Suharyanto (Head of the National Disaster Management Agency - BNPB), Arif Satria (Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency - BRIN), Teuku Faisal Fathani (Head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency - BMKG), and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, and Finance Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. "We will hold a special internal meeting on Karhutla, forest and land fires," said Minister Raja Juli. He stated that the meeting would discuss anticipatory measures for the El Niño phenomenon. While the El Niño cycle typically occurs every four years, predictions suggest it may arrive earlier than expected, with the drought commencing sooner and lasting longer than usual. Meanwhile, BRIN Head Arif Satria explained that the meeting would address potential extreme weather. He mentioned that BRIN has been tasked with conducting research to overcome these issues by developing water resilience technologies. "The goal is to ensure we can provide alternative water sources. During El Niño, it is crucial to maintain the safety of agriculture and daily life," Satria stated. He also indicated that they are continuing to coordinate with BMKG to identify focus areas for addressing potential drought issues. "We are coordinating with BMKG, reviewing the El Niño occurrence map, assessing the risks, and preparing to receive directives from the President," he added. Source: CNN Indonesia