Impressive, IPB Develop Forest Fires Potency Detector Application
Forest and land fires is one of natural disasters that highly related with Indonesian climate. The fires’ coverage and intensity is significantly increased during prolonged dry season. Fires has caused huge effects on various sectors in Indonesia, such as health, agriculture, air traffic, animals’ habitat, and global environment by its immense carbon dioxide emission.
Fires in 2015 had been said as “the worst environmental disaster in 21st century”. Approximately 1.7 millions hectare forest and plantation were vanished, about 43 millions people were exposed with heavy smoke, and many of them suffered respiratory tract infection due to the high air pollution. Ministry of Environment and Forestry RI estimated the loss caused by fires in 2015 is up to 211 trillion rupiah. Government itself had spent countermeasure fund of 850 billions rupiah.
Fires early warning system which currently exist is still short term, means that its estimation ability is only about 1-7 days ahead, such as Fire Danger Rating Index (FDRS) that has being used today. The availability of early warning system which is able to provide earlier warning information with seasonal interval (1-6 months ahead) will be more effective. Answering this challenge, Center for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Southeast Asia and Pacific (CCROM-SEAP) Institute of Research and Community Empowerment (LPPM) Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) since 2008 has been conducted research of developing seasonal-based forest and land fires early warning system, collaboration with International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), Earth Institute – Columbia University, USA by USAID funding through University Partnership Program.
“We are developing seasonal-based forest and land fires early warning system which is called Fire Risk System (FRS). FRS is expected can be used by government to help in anticipating and preventing forest and land fires complement the short term early warning information system, which is in daily scale (1-7 days ahead) such as FDRS and SiPongi,” stated Prof. Dr. Ir. Rizaldi Boer, Head of CCROM-SEAP LPPM IPB, during press conference at Rector’s Assembly Room IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor (21/8).
Forecast map for forest and land fire risk level has an adequately high resolution that is 5 x 5 kilometers for province area and 1 x 1 kilometer for regency area. Information about fires risk forecast will be updated at mid-month with forecasting time 1 to 6 months ahead. FRS system that is developed by IPB has currently covered 10 provinces (West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, North Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi and Lampung) and eight selected regencies in Riau and Central Kalimantan, those are Siak, Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir, Dumai, Pulau Pisau, Kapuas, Palangkaraya, and South Barito.
For example, FRS forecasting result for fires risk in Bengkalis Regency, one of regencies in Riau Province which is highly frequent having fire disaster, the fires risk level during August to November 2018 at some locations is classified as high. In general, fires risk level will be declined in early November. In September 2018, it is estimated about 100 thousands hectare forest and land has high fires risk level. More than 60 percent of these areas are located in five villages those are Tasik Serai, Bandar Jaya, Tanjung Kapal, Bukit Kerikil and Tioti Akar.
“Beside material loss, forest fire also causes smoke which is hazardous for human health. Especially Indonesia is currently having big event Asian Games. Government certainly has to anticipate so there will be no forest fire in the area surrounding Asian Games 2018 host location. Fires risk forecasting for South Sumatra Province, that is one of Asian Games host place, during August and September has shown that there is very high risk area that is Ogan Komering Ilir Regency. The very high risk area in August has spread to more than 150 thousands hectare. Therefore, these area is need to be prioritized for the implementation of forest and land fires prevention effort,” he conveyed. (qa)
