Some firefighters in Jambi City attempt to extinguish peat fires in Kumpeh Ulu, Muarojambi, Jambi, on August 6.(Photo: ANTARA/Wahdi Septiawan/foc)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Meteorology,Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected at least 18,895 hotspots offorest and land fires in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea over the past twoweeks.
The figure was obtained from the Terra Aqua Satellite(LAPAN) and Himawari Satellite (Japan JMA) imagery and analysed by the BMKG.
Accordingly, on August 4, the number of hotspots inIndonesia went up to 3,191, concentrated in the provinces of Riau, CentralKalimantan, and West Kalimantan. They were also detected in other ASEANcountries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and thePhilippines.
Deputy head of the BMKG’s meteorology section Mulyono R.Prabowo, said the increasing number was a result of current atmosphericconditions and relatively hot and dry weather.
The BMKG has continued to coordinate with the Indonesian Ministryof Environment and Forestry, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and somelocal disaster mitigation agencies, other related agencies, and the communityto step up preparations for the risks of land and forest fires, air and smokepollution, and drought that can cause clean water shortages.
On August 7, the BNPB identified some 773 hotspots scatteredacross several areas in Indonesia. Of the total, 549 were classified in themedium category (30 to 70 percent) and 224 in the high category (equal or above80 percent).
Based on the SiPongi Forest and Land Fire Monitoring Systemof the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, fires have ravagedclose to 136,000 hectares of forest and land in 2019.-VNA
VNA
