Forest and Land Fires in NTT are the Most Extensive in 2019

Based on the Forest and Land Fire (karhutla) Information System, the area of forest fires from January 1st to September 15th, 2019, reached 328,722 hectares. The number of hotspots, according to Terra/Aqua satellite monitoring (LAPAN) with ?80% confidence, reached 14,352 points.

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province experienced the largest area of forest and land fires in 2019, reaching 108,000 hectares, or approximately 33% of the total fires this year. As a result, NTT appears the darkest compared to other provinces on the map. NTT, which was not previously a significant contributor to forest fires, became the largest contributor this year. Meanwhile, the provinces with the second and third largest areas of forest fires were Riau (49,000 hectares) and Central Kalimantan (45,000 hectares), respectively.

The forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have resulted in environmental damage, health problems, and disruptions to daily life. The smoke from the fires has reduced air quality in the affected areas and beyond. The smoke even reached neighboring countries.

(Read Databoks: Sumatera Selatan, Experienced the Largest Forest Fires in 2015)