Jakarta, Aug. 2 -- The Indonesian government is prioritizing faster handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) to prevent further ecosystem damage, Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, stated.

"Speed and accuracy are crucial. When a fire occurs, it must be extinguished immediately to prevent it from developing into a major fire, especially on peatlands, which require extraordinary efforts to control," he noted in a statement on Saturday.

Speaking while chairing the Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Nurofiq stated that accelerating the handling of forest and land fires is currently a top priority.

He believes that an early fire response can prevent air pollution, ecosystem da...