In July 2018 the Forest Management Unit (FMU) of Kapuas Hulu Utara in West Kalimantan and FORCLIME TC conducted a campaign for forest and land fire prevention.

During the dry season from May to September, Forest Management Units in Indonesia are required to inform the rural population about forest and land-fire prevention and to monitor compliance with forestry legislation.

Considering the Asian Games, which will take place from 18 August, the prevention of forest and land fire is currently of particular importance: Air traffic in Indonesia should not be impaired by the formation of smoke from major slash-and-burn operations.

Therefore, the FMU Kapuas Hulu Utara set up information panels regarding forest and land fire prevention in the immediate vicinity of the village administrations and along roads in 17 villages of Embaloh Hulu and Lanyak counties. This should hold primarily farmers -who practice slash-and-burn management – to reduce the amount of slash during the dry season to a minimum.

The FMU Kapuas Hulu Utara and FORCLIME work closely with the village leaders to ensure a positive response from the population. Furthermore, the FMU Kapuas Hulu Utara documented burned areas on critical land surfaces.

Further information campaigns in five other districts are planned until the end of August.

For more information, please contact:
Moritz Zetzmann, Development Adviser for Forest Management Unit