Indonesia, May 24 -- Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has urged active palm companies in the southern part of Sumatra to help prevent the recurrence of forest and land fires this year.

According to ministry data, there are 400 active palm companies in the southern part of Sumatra, of which 277 are in South Sumatra province.

"All those companies are required to prepare their personnel, equipment, and funds to mitigate forest and land fires," he said here on Saturday.

According to Nurofiq, Indonesia is the second-largest global contributor to smog, mostly caused by recurring forest and land fires.

This has called Indonesia's commitment to global emission reduction into question, as forest fires can increase greenhouse gas emiss...