Indonesia Strengthens Peatland Water Management Amid El Niño Fears

Indonesia is intensifying its forest and land fire (Karhutla) prevention measures in anticipation of a prolonged dry season, exacerbated by predictions of an extended El Niño phenomenon. A key focus is on managing peatlands to mitigate the risk of fire outbreaks. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLH/BPLH) has urged all concession holders to tighten their mitigation efforts, with a primary focus on rewetting peatlands. The ultimate goal is to reduce the incidence of fires to zero. Jumhur Hidayat, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, emphasized that managing peatlands goes beyond mere land preservation; it is about protecting an ecosystem that significantly contributes to environmental conservation, particularly its capacity to store carbon multiple times greater than ordinary plants. "So, in essence, we are not just avoiding fires, but peatlands themselves are a crucial part of our environmental ecosystem," he stated during a working meeting on the prevention and anticipation of Karhutla in peatland ecosystems in Jakarta on Friday (10/7/26). Hidayat explained that the mitigation strategy hinges on optimizing water management to prevent peatlands from drying out, even in their deeper layers. Companies are mandated to implement canal blocking to prevent water from flowing directly into rivers, thereby retaining water around their concessions to maintain soil moisture. The construction of water reservoirs is also part of the plan as a backup. "We want to ensure that there are no fires within their concessions. There should be no hotspots that have the potential to become fires, and mitigation must be carried out by all means." Canal blocking, Hidayat noted, is an integral part of the strategy to protect peatland ecosystems, which serve as a primary defense against Karhutla. According to KLH/BPLH records, approximately 4.15 million hectares of peatlands are currently managed by 314 companies, with... This article was originally published on Mongabay