Ogan Komering Ilir, April 29th, 2021– KEMITRAAN and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) support the efforts of the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) District Government in dealing with the threat of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in 2021.
Prevention of forest and land fires this year will focus on cluster schemes; village development both within/around the concession area; early detection/warning; and premature blackouts by concessionaire companies.
“The pattern is insistently, companies are required to determine their fostered villages based on three village ratings, that is ring-1, ring-2 and ring-3 villages,” said the Head of BPBD OKI, Listiadi Martin at a hybrid meeting held on Thursday (29/04) in Kayuagung.
Prevention of forest and land fires through a cluster scheme requires concession owners to carry out a coaching program, including funding for the concession villages and villages within 3 kilometers of the outer boundary of the concession. In addition, the company appointed as the cluster leader is responsible for coordinating the development of villages in ring-3 which is more than 3 km from the concession area boundary.
The Regent of Ogan Komering Ilir, H. Iskandar, SE said strengthening the capacity of cluster management in the context of anticipating land fires is a collaborative effort from various parties.
“The outcome of this consolidation is to produce joint efforts to reduce forest and land fires through a cluster approach which is internationally known as the Fire Protection Associations,” said Iskandar.
The government, added Iskandar, wants to change the paradigm from countermeasures to preventing forest and land fires.
“If the paradigm is to address the costs, the costs incurred will be much more expensive, forest and land fires have already occurred,” he said. In the OKI itself, he said, his party has divided clusters spreaded over 10 districts that are prone to forest and land fires.
“This approach is considered the most suitable because it can achieve the goal optimally with a comprehensive division of tasks,” he explained.
The Program Manager of KEMITRAAN, Glady Hardiyanto (Yayan), said that this integrated cluster-based fire management capacity building project involves the government, private sector, non-government, and the community.
“Efforts to empower rural communities in peat and mangrove areas, as well as environmental management, conservation and rehabilitation of peat and mangroves are also carried out in an integrated manner,” he explained in front of representatives of the OKI Regency government, including; Regent, Military District Commander, State Attorney, Head of Police, Head of BPBD, and Head of BMKG.
In addition, representatives from companies were also present as part of the commitment to carry out joint efforts to prevent forest and land fires, including; representatives from PT Sriwijaya Palm Oil, PT Russelindo Putra Prima, PT Pratama Nusantara Sakti, PT Rambang Agro Jaya, PT Bintang Harapan Palma, and PT Tempirai Palm Resources.
The activity was also attended by representatives from civil society organizations, such as WALHI South Sumatra by online.
Furthermore, according to Yayan, this program is also aimed at strengthening regulations at the village, district and provincial levels. “In order to emerge integrated regulations and policies between lines in preventing forest and land fires,” he concluded.
