Indonesia targets fire‑prone peatland hotspots and sues firms over forest‑fire damages

Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment announced a national restoration drive focused on three peatland hotspots – Pelalawan in Riau, Kubu Raya in West Kalimantan and Ogan Komering Ilir in South Sumatra. The ministry reported that about 400,000 hectares of degraded land have been replanted and aims to plant two billion trees in fire‑prone areas. A meeting with roughly 400 concession‑holding companies emphasized joint responsibility for peatland protection and hydrological monitoring.

In a related enforcement action, the ministry has filed civil lawsuits against four companies alleged to have caused forest‑fire damage on peatland. The lawsuits seek compensation of tens to hundreds of billions of rupiah, with prior cases already contributing roughly Rp 500 billion to state revenue. The legal push covers six priority provinces – Jambi, Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan – and combines civil, administrative and criminal sanctions to curb future fires.