inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has asked his staff to focus on addressing six provinces at risk of forest and land fires due to the El Niño Godzilla phenomenon, which could cause prolonged drought.

The six provinces include Riau, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Jambi, South Sumatra, and South Kalimantan, which are considered to have extensive peatlands, requiring detailed and concrete plans, particularly regarding peat ecosystem management.

"This year's El Niño is categorized as low to moderate, but it occurred during the dry season, so its impact is projected to be more significant. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) also estimates rainfall of less than 100 mm per month, or an average of less than 5 mm per day. This condition increases the potential for rainless days and hampers weather modification efforts to prevent forest and land fires," explained Hanif on Wednesday (4/22/2026).

He emphasized that monitoring peat groundwater levels must be a top priority for local governments, particularly local Environment Agencies, considering that several areas have shown drastic decreases of up to 150 cm and 80 cm. In general, peat conditions are considered relatively safe if the water level is above 40 cm from the ground surface.

"A drop below 80 cm is an indicator of an increased fire risk. Therefore, we need to anticipate this condition. The operational steps emphasized include detailed mapping of groundwater levels in all monitoring areas, as well as the activation and installation of automatic and manual monitoring devices (loggers)," explained Hanif.

Furthermore, he also requested his staff to focus on addressing forest and land fires in concession areas or those holding concessions, whether plantations or forestry companies.

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