Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said that the El Niño phenomenon affecting the world is accelerating the forest and land fires that have occurred in recent times. A strong-category El Niño has begun and is estimated to last until early October, with this condition accelerating the spread of fire.
"This situation will greatly accelerate the process of our forest fire response that is currently occurring," said Djamari at a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Monday. Based on government records, more than 107,000 hectares have been affected by forest and land fires in Indonesia by early August.
The government is implementing various efforts to address this issue through aerial and ground operations. For aerial operations, the government is deploying approximately 43 helicopters, as well as 10 to 15 fixed-wing aircraft that can be deployed as needed.
The Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency predicts that the El Niño phenomenon could persist until early 2027. Deputy Head of Climatology at the agency Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan explained that the current strength of El Niño has exceeded the threshold of the strong category, with the Niño 3.4 index reaching more than 1.56°C. The agency predicts the peak of El Niño will occur in December 2026 or January 2027, and there is a significant likelihood that this year's El Niño conditions could exceed the strong El Niño category.
In the Indian Ocean, the index shows a negative value of -0.38, indicating a significant likelihood of the Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon occurring, which typically occurs in tandem with El Niño. Several regions of Indonesia will also enter the period of peak dry season in the coming August.
