Indonesian forest fire relief and prevention efforts

In response to forest and land fires (karhutla), political and government figures in Indonesia have initiated both immediate relief and long-term prevention strategies.

In Pekanbaru, Riau, the National Awakening Party (PKB) inaugurated a ‘Smoke-Free House’ at the Dar El Hikmah Islamic Boarding School to assist residents and students affected by smoke. This initiative included the distribution of masks to mitigate health impacts.

Expanding on these efforts, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar proposed integrating Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) into forest fire prevention strategies, particularly in South Kalimantan. Iskandar suggested that these institutions could utilize local wisdom for environmental preservation and urged the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Forestry, and local governments to integrate pesantren into forest protection strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. Alongside this policy proposal, aid such as cash, food, clean water, masks, and medicine was provided to firefighters, volunteers, and residents impacted by haze in South Kalimantan.

In Batakan Village, Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan, Rustini Muhaimin Iskandar, founder of Jendela Dunia Kita, visited children impacted by the fires to encourage continued learning and reading despite environmental disruptions. Meanwhile, the Inter-faith Climate Action Joint Secretariat has called for immediate health protections, urging authorities to provide medical assistance, clean water, and air quality information without waiting for an official emergency status, citing a high number of acute respiratory infections in the region.