FOREST FIRES IN KALIMANTAN

FOREST FIRES IN KALIMANTAN
By Saritha Kittie Uda

Kalimantan consists of large forest. It functions as a lung of the world as it produces oxygen. However, nowadays Kalimantan is more popular due to its forest fires than its biodiversity. Forest fires in Kalimantan have already been well-known since they occur every year. The worst forest fires occurred in 1997 and 2002. The fire burned the tropical rain forest and the peat land which covers an area of about 91.53% of the total Kalimantan forest. Forest fires in Kalimantan are at least caused by three types of human activities such as clearing of land by means of fire; intended forest fire, and accidental forest fire caused by irresponsible human beings. These factors will be explained and viewed from its relation with the activities of human beings which have caused forest fires.

First of all, clearing of land by means of fire is the one of the triggers for forest fires by human activities done for economical purposes. It can come from logging or estate companies and small scale farmer’s activities when they clean up an area. They burn the bushes so carelessly that the fire also burns the surrounding forest areas and even those in the radius of more than 3 kilometers. As a result, a big forest fire which is very difficult to control, occurs.
Another cause for forest fires is intended forest fire. This type of forest fire is due to the lack of responsibilities of several individuals. For instance, they burn or fire the forest due to their anger or revenge against the government or to other people. It means that the fire is coming from his expression of anger or revenge. This might be true and it is proved by statement of one of farmers in small and isolated village who said: “the trees surrounding our village have been cut by outsiders. How about us? We have the right to cut our trees because the trees here all belong to us”. The government has identified their activity as illegal logging.

Accidental forest fires by irresponsible human beings are the third cause of forest fires. They cause forest fires when they do some activities in the jungle and are not aware of their fires. For instance, the fires may triggered by a small fire from cigarette butt, from match butt, and from fires which are not completely extinguished in the jungle.

In conclusion, from all the three causes of the forest fires, the key factor that causes forest fire is human carelessness and the lack of human responsibility due to complicated influences from any inappropriate social, economic, cultural and policies made by government concerning the exploitation of natural resources and environment.