Forest fires not only threaten human life through the pollution from haze affecting our health and livelihood, it also threaten the survival of endangered native wildlife and indigenous people who have created homes within these forests.
In 2015 alone more than 2,600,000 ha of land burned. While a total of 3,403,000 hectares (ha) of land burned between the years 2015 and 2018 in Indonesia, according to analysis of official government burn scar data. Many of the fires were man-made disasters that could have been prevented. This is mainly because forests are being fragmented and cleared and peatlands being drained to make way for large scale plantations, mainly for palm oil or pulp wood. Peatland destruction is a particularly important factor in the fires, because they store huge amounts of carbon and thus when burnt they contribute to massive carbon emissions that drive global warming, and to particle emissions, creating unbearable smog over vast areas.
We must work together to resolve it as it is not Indonesia’s problem alone. So our call is for palm oil companies to take responsibility for their plantations in Malaysia and internationally. As well as a call for our Malaysian government to stop the problem at its source by holding culprits accountable with strict penalties as well as greater transparency to deter others in the future.
After the forest fires and haze disaster of 2015, Greenpeace began moving to directly respond to the ever-increasing forests and land-fire threats that reoccur yearly. In 2016, the Forest Fire Prevention (FFP) Team was formed. Consisting of 25 people from Riau, Kalimantan and Jakarta who give their 100% to fight for Indonesian forests. The FFP Team also works with communities in affected areas, mapping and monitoring hot spots, building new water canals then monitoring them, as well as introducing fire prevention techniques at schools, concessions and government institutions, alongside a number of other activities.
The Forest Fire Prevention Team has undergone strict and extensive training to support their work – from training on potential fire investigations, fire prevention education, and peat management supervision, all the while reaching out to companies and governments to carry out discussions and consultations.
A drone image shows smoke rising from the burning peatland forest within the oil palm concession of PT Globalindo Agung Lestari (GAL) in Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan. PT GAL is part of the group of the Malaysian company Genting Plantations Berhad. © Alif Rizky / Greenpeace
A Dayak Ngaju tribe man points to the fires on a burned peatland at a sanctuary reserve area inside palm oil concession of PT Globalindo Agung Lestari (GAL) in Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan. PT GAL is under group of Malaysian company Genting Plantations Berhad. © Jurnasyanto Sukarno / Greenpeace
A drone image shows smoke rising from the burning peatland forest within the oil palm concession of PT Globalindo Agung Lestari (GAL) in Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan. PT GAL is part of the group of the Malaysian company Genting Plantations Berhad. © Alif Rizky / Greenpeace
A Dayak Ngaju tribe man tries to extinguishes fire using tree on a burned peatland at a sanctuary reserve area inside palm oil concession of PT Globalindo Agung Lestari (GAL) in Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan. PT GAL is under group of Malaysian company Genting Plantations Berhad. © Jurnasyanto Sukarno / Greenpeace
A Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Fire Prevention (FFP) team documenting fire on the peatland at palm oil concession of PT Globalindo Agung Lestari (GAL) in Mantangai, Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan. PT GAL is under group of Malaysian company Genting Plantations Berhad. © Jurnasyanto Sukarno / Greenpeace
We’re fighting to protect forests around the globe from deforestation and degradation. Working together with Indigenous peoples, allies, and people like you, we’re calling out the companies destroying our forests and the governments who have failed to protect them.
Forests are a vital part of our survival. They are the green lungs of the planet – they are our lungs, providing more than the oxygen we need to help us breathe. Forests regulate the earth’s temperatures by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) that fuels global warming, and acts as the home of many species of plants, animals as well as our fellow people.
Join the #ForestsNotFires movement by sharing your knowledge on the issue with others.
We’re fighting to protect forests around the globe from deforestation and degradation. Working together with Indigenous peoples, allies, and people like you, we’re calling out the companies destroying our forests and the governments who have failed to protect them.
Forests are a vital part of our survival. They are the green lungs of the planet – they are our lungs, providing more than the oxygen we need to help us breathe. Forests regulate the earth’s temperatures by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) that fuels global warming, and acts as the home of many species of plants, animals as well as our fellow people.
Join the #ForestsNotFires movement by sharing your knowledge on the issue with others.
