Disaster Risk Mitigation for Forest and Land Fire Prevention in Sumatera

Abstract

The phenomenon of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Sumatera always recurs every year. During the dry season, it is necessary to be aware of the emergence of hotspots and be addressed immediately before an actual fire occurs. This study aims to prevent the risk of forest and land fires by applying Weather Modification Technology (TMC). The application of TMC is intended to wet the land (rewetting) so that hotspots do not appear. The research was conducted in Riau, Jambi and South Sumatera Provinces. Research observations were carried out from May to June 2020. The results showed that TMC could increase the intensity of rainfall. The volume of rainwater produced for Riau is 44.1 million m³ and in Jambi and South Sumatera as much as 50.20 million m³. The rainfall that falls is expected to wet the peatlands and fill the peat domes so that TMAT (ground water level) is maintained and soil moisture is maintained. During the implementation of TMC, it was possible to keep the TMAT from dropping more than 40 cm, even for some locations where the TMAT peat measurement had increased.