In an effort to prevent forest fires, the government needs to introduce a regulation that prohibits the conversion of burned forests into plantations, a lawmaker has said.

'€œJust check, which burned forests have not been converted into plantations? Nearly all burned forests turn into plantations,'€ said Saleh Partaonan Daulay, chairman of House of Representatives'€™ Commission VIII overseeing natural resources, as reported by kompas.com on Saturday.

'€œDuring a recent hearing, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) explained that about 99 percent of forest fires were intentionally burned. It means that people want to clear the land through burning,'€ he said.

Previously, Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) executive director Abetnego Tarigan said that by paying people between Rp 500,000 (US$35) and Rp 1 million to start fires, thousands of hectares of forest land could be cleared. By contrast, land clearing that used clearing equipment cost between Rp 5 to 7 million to clear just one hectare.

Saleh believed that prohibiting the conversion of burned forests into plantations would be effective way to prevent forest fires in the future.

Annual forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan cause many problems. The fires destroy natural ecosystems, and the haze caused by the fires generates health problems and disrupts air transportation.

Singapore and Malaysia frequently lodged complaints to the Indonesian government when the haze spreads to the two neighboring countries. (bbn)(++++)

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