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View all search resultsIncrease in enforcement did not mean that forest and land fires were getting out of hand but showed the seriousness of law enforcement in against land and forest fire perpetrators, Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Herry Heryawan said.
Up to 3.8 million hectares of peatland areas are at high risk from being burned, as peatland-restoration efforts are overshadowed by lackluster fire mitigation and weak law enforcement, according to environmental coalition Pantau Gambut
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called on authorities to prepare better disaster mitigation measures ahead of the dry season in August, when forest fires are more likely to occur throughout most of the archipelago.
The use of fire in swidden agriculture is not as simple as just burning down the forest. It presents an interconnected relationship between ecological knowledge and socialcultural values. However, swiddening communities are often accused as being one of the contributors to catastrophic fires in Indonesia. In addition, they often become victims of reactive fire policies (e.g. the prohibition of using fire).
Peatland was there long before people settled in the area, and that peatland is flammable. People, therefore, have to adjust themselves to the circumstances. So, there have to be constant efforts to remind people of these facts. Vulnerability should be translated into caution, being aware that the daily practices of people could harm the peatland, exposing themselves to dangerous situations leading to suffering. The constant reminder or awareness-raising process is a way to form a new “habitus”.
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