Prabowo to Establish National Peat and Mangrove Management Agency

President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto will re-establish the National Peat and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN). "The President has made a decision to establish a body called the National Peat and Mangrove Management Agency, abbreviated as BPGMN," said Minister of Environment and Forestry Raja Juli Antoni at a press conference after a meeting with 22 experts at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (24/9). Raja Juli conveyed that the agency will later be filled with experts who focus on mitigating forest and land fires and peatland management. He said that the agency is different from the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) which was formed in 2016 and dissolved at the end of December 2024. Raja Juli mentioned that one of the differences relates to structure and budget. He said that BRGM was previously under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, whereas BPGMN will be directly under the President. "And it will be filled with scientists and professionals and equipped with adequate funding," he said. He also expressed hope that the existence of BPGMN can mitigate and prevent forest and land fires so that they do not continue to recur every year. Raja Juli emphasized that prevention efforts are more efficient than reactionary actions when forest and land fires have already occurred.