Bobby Nasution responds to ban on land clearing by burning

North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution has responded to Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian’s Instruction Number 1 of 2026, which prohibits regional heads from allowing land clearing through burning to prevent forest fires.

Nasution stated that the provincial government has been socializing this policy since last year. To support this, the administration has established community organizations and task forces involving local residents to educate them on the dangers of burning land.

Regarding recent forest and land fire (Karhutla) incidents in North Sumatra, Nasution reported that the fires were limited in scale, involving areas of approximately 2 to 5 hectares, and were successfully extinguished within two days. Other Indonesian regions, including Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Riau, are also currently facing forest fire challenges.