After three years of La Nina, El Nino is predicted to return this year. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has forecast that there is a 90% probability of the El Niño event will hit certain regions during the second half of 2023, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns that will affect human health and many economic sectors, especially agriculture, plantations, and forestry.

“The onset of El Niño will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Board’s (BMKG) Chairperson Dwikorita Karnawati said recently that Indonesia will see the peak of El Nino in September this year in almost all parts of the country. It will affect agriculture, forestry, plantations, including oil palm plantations.

She reminded the worst problems in 2019 caused by drought and forest and land fires (Karhutla) as a result of the El Nino. Such impacts were not only found within the country but also in neighbouring countries, especially because of the haze problem.

“It could repeat the condition in 2019, when El Nino caused forest and land fires, and drought in many parts of Indonesia that had incurred a loss of US$5.2 billion,” she told the press recently in Jakarta.

But the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) has stated that it will be a different story for Indonesia’s palm oil industries, as the oil palm growers have drawn important lessons from the forest and land fires in 2015, 2018 and 2019. The association has ensured that all of its member companies are obliged to prepare all necessary means and facilities to anticipate the Karhutla in their respective operational areas.

GAPKI Deputy Chairman Satrija B. Wibawa said that GAPKI has been regularly conducting trainings and roll-call of alertness, especially due to the warning on El Nino impacts. “GAPKI is strongly committed to complying with regulations, and preventing fires,” he said.

As part of its commitment, GAPKI organized on Monday, 26 June 2023, an assembly of alertness for all of its member companies to anticipate the forest and land fires 2023 in the plantation area of PT Tri Buana Mas (TBM) in Sawaja village of Candi Laras Utara district in Tapin regency, South Kalimantan province.

GAPKI South Kalimantan (Kalsel) Office Head Edy Sapta Binti said that the assembly of alertness organized by GAPKI Kalsel and other stakeholders is part of the realization of oil palm growers’ commitment to prevent their concessions from fires.

Satrija said that GAPKI members are particularly concerned with the fires in their respective concessions. “Tackling the forest fires is the authority of other institutions, and it’s not the task of GAPKI,” Satrija said in South Kalimantan province as quoted in a press release on Tuesday, 27 June 2023.

But he noted that not all of the concession fires should be the responsibility of GAPKI. It is because until now only 25 percent of the oil palm plantation companies are grouped as members in GAPKI.

Rujito Purnomo, a Director of PT Astra Agro Lestari, has also stated that the oil palm growers have drawn important lessons from the forest and land fires in 2015, 2018 and 2019. “Companies prepare all needed units of equipment based on existing regulations. All are based on the check list and our teams are assigned 24 hour standby,” he said.

To tackle the fires within the concessions, Rujito said that they will follow the directions from the agriculture ministry’s plantations director general, the regional disaster mitigation board (BPBD) and other government institutions.

Based on data from the ministry of environment and forestry (KLHK), the forest and land fires and deforestations have been declining during the last few years. The declining trend of the forest and land fires are said due mainly to the La Nina that caused cold weather, while the decrease of deforestation is resulted from the implementation of government policies and collaborative actions with other stakeholders, including the palm oil industry players.

The declining trend has been confirmed by the World Resources Institute, which states that Indonesia is now leading the world in terms of reducing deforestation rates. The international organization shows that Indonesia has reduced its deforestation rate in primary forests by 65 percent since 2015.

It reported that the dramatic lowering of the deforestation rate is a result of years of commitment by two successive Indonesian Presidents (President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono—SBY and incumbent President Joko Widodo—Jokowi), as well as the plantation sector, that together have implemented policies to reduce deforestation across the country.

The WRI report states:

“Government policies and corrective actions have contributed to this reduction, in line with reaching Indonesia’s target of net sink (meaning negative CO2 emissions) from the forestry and other land use sectors by 2030. Increased fire prevention and monitoring efforts, termination of granting new licenses on primary forest or peatland (moratorium), law enforcement, and a renewed commitment not only to protect and restore peatlands but also to rehabilitate mangroves have led to fewer fires and less primary forest loss.

Relatively wet conditions and cloud-seeding efforts from the government and private sector may have helped with the fire suppression in Indonesia. On-the-ground community efforts to suppress fire have also contributed.

Mandatory and voluntary corporate commitments also appear to be working.”

Underlining the importance of all stakeholders’ commitments and collaborations, Rujito said that preventing fires within growers’ concessions is easier task than doing it outside. But the oil palm growers realized that in tackling the problem of fires they cannot do it alone and they need collaborations with many stakeholders.

“For preventing fires outside of concessions, companies involve the joint teams of companies, the public under the fire care community (MPA), military (TNI), police (Polri), plantation services and the ministry of environment and forestry (KLHK),” Rujito concluded. (Benget Besalicto ST)