Indonesia-South Korea Build Fire Management Center in South Sumatra  

Ogan Komering Ilir: Indonesia and South Korea are building a Forest and Land Fire Management Center in South Sumatra as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation on climate change resilience.
 
“This center represents one of the many initiatives we hope to embark on together,” Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said after inspecting the site on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
 
The minister cited transboundary haze – air pollution and smoke that travel across national borders – as the primary motivation behind the center’s construction, calling for stronger international coordination in forest and land fire prevention efforts.
 
He added that the Indonesian government had implemented precautionary measures in high-risk areas more prone to forest and land fires amid the early arrival of El Niño.
 
“We hope to improve on our efforts from 2023 (when the previous El Niño event occurred),” Raja Juli said.
 
Co-Director of the Korea-Indonesia Forest Center (KIFC), Jeong Cheol-Ho, highlighted the close partnership between the two countries, noting that the center’s construction was facilitated by the sharing of technology, knowledge, and best practices.
 
“This center is a result of our cooperation that began five years ago. It serves as a testament to our shared commitment to deepening bilateral relations and addressing forest fires,” he said.
 
In his speech, Jeong also reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to supporting Indonesia’s forest and land fire management programs and maintaining the partnership in the years ahead.
 
(Jonathan Sianto)