Troop deployment and wildfire response
Indonesia is deploying an additional 1,500 soldiers to Borneo to help tackle wildfires that have burned through swathes of the island and created thick smog choking some areas, officials said. The announcement came as President Prabowo Subianto visited the region on Saturday to lead wildfire response meetings and ordered increased troop deployment, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
"An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1,500 personnel, will be brought in from outside Kalimantan starting today," Teddy said in a statement. Six helicopters were also set to arrive to boost waterbombing operations, he added. Kalimantan is Indonesia's part of Borneo, which the country shares with Brunei and Malaysia.
Scale of the fires
Fires between January and July burned over 200,000 hectares of land — an area three times the size of the capital Jakarta, the government said this week. The dry conditions driving the fires are caused by a powerful El Nino weather pattern. The area burned is already larger than during previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, but not as large as in 2015, during a particularly strong El Nino.
Presidential assurances and local impact
The government is monitoring the situation closely and mobilising resources to help contain the spread of the blaze, Prabowo told reporters in the Central Kalimantan provincial capital of Palangkaraya. "We're taking mitigation measures. The important thing is to immediately stop the spread of fire spots," the president said.
Smog from the fires has prompted local governments in Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and vast plantations, to advise residents to wear masks and reduce outdoor activities. The fires have also sent smoke into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas of Sarawak state recording "unhealthy" air quality.
Causes and context
El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns. It typically brings drought in Indonesia. Human-caused climate change can amplify its impacts because a warmer ocean and atmosphere provide more energy and moisture to fuel extreme weather.