By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-10-03 22:16:34 | Updated at 2026-10-03 23:52:53
1 hour ago
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
- President Prabowo Subianto has established the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN) to directly tackle Indonesia’s peatland fires and haze, aiming for stronger authority and cross-ministry coordination.
- The agency will focus on preventing fires and restoring degraded peatlands, with a need for clear mandates, sufficient funding, and power to regulate company concessions effectively.
- Experts stress the importance of political will, local community involvement, real-time monitoring, and regional cooperation to ensure successful peatland protection and restoration efforts.
JAKARTA – As haze from Indonesia’s fires again reaches Singapore, President Prabowo Subianto is reviving a dedicated agency to tackle a major cause: dried-out peatlands that can burn for weeks once they catch fire and are notoriously difficult to put out.
The thick, toxic smoke from burning peat is a major source of the haze and can cause respiratory illnesses in Indonesia and across the region.
