EduAsiaNews, Bandar Lampung — Preventing forest and land fires requires addressing the root causes of land and water governance as well as communities’ socioeconomic conditions to prevent fires from recurring, Indonesian Forestry Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) chairman Soewarso said.
“Forest and land fires are an effect, not a cause. Therefore, we need to identify the underlying problems, from how land and water are managed to how communities and their socioeconomic conditions are addressed,” Soewarso said during an online public lecture hosted by the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Lampung on Thursday (Sept. 24).
The public lecture, titled “Examining the Anatomy of Forest Fires in Indonesia: Prevention and Response,” was part of a series of activities marking the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Lampung and APHI. The two parties had previously signed a five-year cooperation agreement. The event was opened by Faculty of Agriculture Dean Kuswanta.
During the lecture, Soewarso explained that recurring fires in the same locations indicated that fundamental problems remained unresolved.
According to him, forest and land fire management needs to combine technical preparedness with a social approach. Strengthening firefighting and early-warning infrastructure must go hand in hand with community empowerment, improved governance and the development of sustainable alternative livelihoods.
“Fire suppression remains important, but permanent solutions must begin before the fire starts. Prevention needs to be part of development and efforts to improve community welfare,” he said.
Soewarso outlined several factors that need attention, including the use of fire to clear land because it is considered inexpensive and quick, limited knowledge about the impacts of fires, and conflicts over land control.
These issues, he said, require approaches tailored to the conditions of communities in each region. Education needs to be accompanied by assistance and alternative economic activities that can help communities reduce their dependence on burning practices.
He also emphasized the importance of water management in peatland areas. The provision of water sources, construction of reservoirs and management of canal-blocking infrastructure need to be integrated with field monitoring and early-warning systems.
At the operational level, Soewarso called for stronger coordination among the government, businesses, communities and law enforcement agencies through information sharing, joint monitoring, and the readiness of personnel and equipment.
Such technical approaches need to be combined with community empowerment programs in and around concession areas so that local residents can play an active role in prevention efforts.
“The success of forest and land fire control should be reflected in risks being identified at an earlier stage, faster decision-making, fires being contained before they spread, and fires not recurring in the same locations,” he said.
Christine Wulandari of the National Forestry Council (DKN), who is also a professor of forest management at the University of Lampung, emphasized the importance of placing communities at the center of forest and land fire prevention efforts through meaningful participation from program planning to evaluation.
According to Christine, the sustainability of prevention efforts depends largely on how well communities understand the benefits of protecting forests while receiving support to manage their livelihoods sustainably.
“Communities need to be involved from identifying problems and designing activities to assessing their results. Through such involvement, forest and land fire prevention can become a shared need,” she said.
She said partnerships among the government, forestry business permit holders, universities and community groups need to provide sustained assistance. Such support could include skills development, business development and strengthening community institutions.
Christine also stressed the importance of communication that takes into account local social and cultural conditions so that prevention messages can be understood and applied in everyday life.
“Education will be more effective when communities have practical alternatives they can pursue. Therefore, prevention messages need to be accompanied by tangible support for livelihoods and land management without burning,” she said.
Strengthening land and water governance, technical preparedness and community empowerment are complementary measures in preventing forest and land fires. Sustained collaboration is needed to reduce recurring fires while safeguarding forest conservation and community welfare.
