Jakarta, Sept. 22 -- Although Indonesia is experiencing a wetter-than-usual dry season with above-average rainfall, forest fires in the country continue to pose serious challenges.

An independent report by the environmental group Madani Berkelanjutan revealed that from January to August, at least 218,000 hectares of forests and land were destroyed by fire - an area three times the size of Jakarta. Of this, about 42% (some 80,000 ha) is located within concession zones for palm oil plantations, oil and gas operations, and mineral extraction. In July alone, nearly 100,000 ha went up in flames, almost double the figure recorded in the same month of 2023, when Indonesia was severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

Analyst Fadli Ahma...