Indonesia is stepping up its regional and global environmental diplomacy by bringing a comprehensive package of forest and land fire management solutions to the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila and the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31 UNFCCC) in Türkiye.
Led by the Ministry of Forestry, the initiative builds on tangible results from domestic firefighting operations, firm law enforcement against companies found violating regulations, and innovative financing mechanisms for conservation and large-scale ecosystem restoration.
At COP31 in Türkiye, Indonesia presented an integrated approach to forest and land fire management, combining firefighting operations, fire prevention, satellite-based monitoring technology, law enforcement, cross-sector collaboration, and accelerated reforestation to offset emissions from forest fires amid the challenges posed by El Niño.
Indonesia will also present verified data on its fire management efforts and achievements as part of its commitment to credible climate diplomacy. These efforts, including fire prevention and control, forest protection, peatland restoration, mangrove rehabilitation, and reforestation, are directly aligned with Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target to reduce emissions from the forestry and other land use sector.
At COP31, the Ministry of Forestry is also advancing long-term solutions through green economy partnerships and forest landscape restoration initiatives. Key priorities include reaffirming commitments to restoration and high-integrity carbon cooperation, strengthening cross-regional peatland management, and developing innovative long-term conservation financing.
Under the leadership of Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, the ministry is promoting innovative conservation financing through the Task Force on Innovative National Park Financing at COP31. The scheme brings together the government, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector, covering 13 priority national parks and two conservation landscapes for iconic species. It also includes plans to transform four national parks into Public Service Agencies (BLUs) to secure sustainable funding and strengthen biodiversity protection.
Beyond the UN forum, Indonesia is taking a leading role in Southeast Asia by pushing for accelerated ratification of the agreement establishing the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC) at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila.
The regional centre, which is responsible for coordinating efforts to tackle transboundary haze pollution, already has a secretariat in Jakarta. However, it requires ratification by at least six ASEAN member states to become fully operational. According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam is currently the only member state to have completed the ratification process.
The ACCTHPC is intended to strengthen implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), which has been in force since 2003. Its operational mandate includes exchanging air quality data, monitoring fire hotspots, sharing fire-related information, providing technical assistance, and coordinating cross-border response protocols.
Alongside this regional initiative, Indonesia is also strengthening bilateral cooperation with Singapore on information sharing related to forest and land fire management, as well as enforcement measures against irresponsible business practices.
Indonesia’s diplomatic efforts at the ASEAN and UN forums are backed by its domestic fire management operations. According to data from the Ministry of Forestry’s SiPongi monitoring system, the number of high-confidence hotspots fell sharply to 55, down from 338 the previous day.
A similar decline was recorded across six priority provinces, where hotspot numbers dropped from 86 to 14. This followed monitoring on the night of 7 November 2026, which had detected 165 hotspots nationwide, including 17 across the six priority provinces, with Central Kalimantan accounting for the largest concentration.
Despite the sharp decline, comprehensive firefighting operations, patrols, water spraying, mop-up efforts to extinguish remaining embers, and field verification continue without interruption.
These efforts are focused particularly on underground fires in peatlands in South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan, including areas in Pulang Pisau and North Barito, where smouldering fires can persist beneath the surface and trigger repeated outbreaks.
Ground and aerial operations are continuing alongside the deployment of supporting technologies. Protecting habitats and threatened wildlife, as well as restoring affected areas, also remain key priorities for the Ministry of Forestry.
Indonesia’s forest and land fire management strategy at international forums is further reinforced by firm law enforcement against both individuals and corporations involved in violations.
To date, the Ministry of Forestry has imposed administrative sanctions on 32 corporate entities for fire-related violations. The total area of burned land associated with these companies has reached 12,926.74 hectares.
The sanctions comprise five permit revocations, 19 permit suspensions, and eight written warnings or orders requiring remedial action. The ministry has stressed that legal accountability investigations can extend to the corporations’ beneficial owners, alongside claims for compensation.
In coordination with the Indonesian National Police and the Attorney General’s Office, authorities have issued 334 notifications of the commencement of investigations (SPDP), involving legal proceedings against 241 individuals and 93 corporations. These actions follow the discovery of fires covering 33,514.01 hectares within the concession areas of 57 business entities across eight provinces.
In line with the Ministry of Forestry’s policy under Minister Raja Juli Antoni, the government has also revoked the land cultivation rights (HGU) of 11 companies suspected of involvement in forest and land fires in South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan. These include several corporations with investors from South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Meanwhile, coordination with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and regional governments is being strengthened to conduct field verification of companies holding Forest Utilisation Business Permits (PBPH) suspected of involvement in fires in South Papua.
Law enforcement and landscape restoration efforts are also being accompanied by action against illegal plantations in conservation areas. These measures include the removal of 11,180 illegally planted oil palm trees across 88 hectares in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.
Habitat restoration is also underway in Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau. Monitoring results show that the number of wildlife species recorded in the park increased from 17 in 2024 to 25 in 2026, including Sumatran elephants and Sumatran tigers.
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