InfoSAWIT, JAMBI -2015 was the bad year for some regions in this country, namely Sumatera, and Kalimantan. The fire in the forest and areas took place in some regions in the two islands. Thousand hectares were burned and the losses might reach Rp 200 billion.

The fire took place in 7 provinces covering 731 villages both having mineral and peat land. 99% of the fire happened for the human error both intentionally and unintentionally done.

The fire, of course, hit the government of Indonesia. The previous government officers committed to reduce carbon emission reaching 29% by its own ability, and emission reduction reaching 41% by the help of the other countries in the Climate Conference (COP) in France two years ago.

The fact showed that the fire dragged palm oil plantation as the trigger. The stakeholders certainly denied the accusation for there was no (scientific) evidence that the fire took place because of palm oil enlargement.

The stakeholders say no to palm oil enlargement by burning or zero burning. This is what one national palm oil plantation company does, Minamas Plantation. Having about 202 thousand hectares of planted areas in 8 provinces in Indonesia, the villages are next to the palm oil areas of the company.

To prevent the fire to happen in the forest and areas again, the company implements the fire prevention in people’s participation – base. Since 2016 Minamas Plantation has launched ‘Desa Mandiri Cegah Api’. It is the program to prevent the fire in the forest and areas in active cooperation with the villages around the company’s palm oil areas.

To get the best solution to prevent the fire, the company takes the scientists and reseachers from the local university. For example, since the early of August 2017, Minamas Plantation cooperates with Universitas Jambi (UNJA), as the academic partner in the program.

In the cooperation, the subsidiary of Minamas Plantation, PT Bahari Gembira Ria (PT BGR) and UNJA would focus to get the solution for the villagers in 4 villages, they are, Village of Gambut Jaya, Village of Sumber Agung, Village of Parit, and Village of Arang-arang. The villages are listed in 731 villages where the fire is susceptible to happen that the government has published.

Head Plantation Operations, Minamas Plantation, Roslin Azmy Hassan, said, the cooperation would be one effort to prevent the fire in the forest and areas.

In the cooperation too, UNJA would be the partner of the company to prevent the fire and to get the solution so that there would be no fire in the forest and areas in every year.

To empower 4 villages, it started with development and guidance for six months by implementing sustainable cultivation and the zero burning planting to every villager. “It would continue with the cultivation system and the choice of right commodity to plant in each village,” he recently said in Jambi.(T2)