IPB expert urges new forest-fire strategy before 2026 El Nino peak

Sudarsono Soedomo, a professor at the IPB Faculty of Forestry and Environment, is urging Indonesia to change its strategy for preventing and handling forest and land fires ahead of the extreme El Nino peak in late 2026. He said drought driven by Super El Nino will make karhutla far harder to prevent and control, especially in fire-prone areas and peatlands. According to projections from the World Meteorological Organization, sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific could reach 3.7 degrees Celsius above normal, potentially among the strongest since 1950. Sudarsono said dry conditions, low humidity and strong winds could trigger large-scale fires, or megafire, so response efforts need to emphasize cross-sector coordination alongside precise law enforcement.