Government Rejects National Disaster Status for Wildfires

The government has not declared the forest and land fires a national disaster even though the wildfires have been burning for about three months in several regions of Indonesia. The proposal was pushed by Commission IV member Daniel Johan, who said the haze had disrupted public health, schools, flights and residents' livelihoods. But after a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the palace, Coordinating Political and Security Affairs Minister Dudung Abdurachman said the government was still able to handle the situation. Dudung said response efforts are now concentrated in six priority provinces. Challenges in the field include dry, deep peatland, hard-to-reach areas and thick smoke that has limited helicopter operations, forcing more of the firefighting to be carried out on the ground. The President also called for weather modification and stronger prevention efforts with regional heads.