Indonesia Deploys 70,000 to Prevent Forest Fires
At the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Indonesian climate envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo said the country had increased its forestry and firefighting workforce from 8,000 to 70,000 as El Niño and drought heighten fire risks.
ANTALYA, Turkey — Indonesia has expanded its forest-fire prevention workforce to 70,000 people, its climate envoy said at COP31, as prolonged El Niño conditions and drought raise the risk of fires and cross-border haze in Southeast Asia.
Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the president’s special envoy for climate and energy and head of Indonesia’s delegation, told the COP31 Leaders’ Summit on Thursday, Nov. 12, that the government had increased the number of forestry and firefighting personnel from 8,000. More than 25,000 local communities are also involved in prevention efforts, he said.
Fires and smoke can threaten people living near forest areas, damage ecosystems and affect neighboring countries. Hashim said Indonesia was strengthening prevention, restoration and law enforcement while working with regional partners to address the wider effects.
“We are working closely with regional partners to address wider impacts, including transboundary haze, through sustained cooperation,” Hashim said.
He said the government was also building staff capacity, improving early-warning systems and strengthening protected areas and national parks. Conservation investments are intended to protect biodiversity, including endangered orangutans, elephants and Sumatran tigers.
Community forestry and forest protection
Hashim said Indonesia’s social forestry program has given more than 1.4 million families access to manage over 8 million hectares of forest. Nearly 400 hectares of customary forest have been designated, he said, with a target of 1.4 million hectares by 2029.
He also cited the establishment of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency and the appointment of its leadership. Indonesia, he said, aims to protect forests while improving community welfare.
“President Prabowo Subianto’s vision is clear. Both must be achieved,” Hashim said, referring to climate action and development.
The government wants to drive economic growth through food and energy security, job creation and higher-value industries, he said, while accelerating the shift to cleaner energy and raising productivity on degraded land. Hashim said Indonesia would not expand agriculture into forest areas, particularly primary forests, and reiterated the country’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 or sooner.
Clean energy and climate finance
Indonesia’s national adaptation priorities include food and water security, health and resilience in coastal areas, Hashim said. He also highlighted the relationship between oceans and climate and the potential for “blue carbon” storage in mangroves and seagrass ecosystems.
The government plans to develop 100 gigawatt-peak of solar power capacity to widen energy access. Indonesia is also drafting a law on climate-change management, Hashim said.
He urged countries to deliver on climate-finance and technology-transfer commitments to help developing nations strengthen resilience. Hashim cited a pledge by developed countries to mobilize $300 billion a year through 2035 and the Baku-to-Belém roadmap, which calls for $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance for developing countries by 2035.
“Climate finance must be accessible, affordable and aligned with national priorities,” Hashim said, adding that Indonesia was opening multiple financing channels, including through carbon pricing.
