FOREST FIRES CHRONOLOGY 2002

INDONESIAN FOREST FIRES CHRONOLOGY 2002

DOWN TO EARTH 2002

Nearly 38,000 ha of land has been damaged by fires over the decade from 1990-2000 in West Kalimantan. Damage is estimated at Rp73 bn (US$7 million approx). 17,800ha were burnt in the 1997 fires. The deputy governor announced the figures as part of a bid to get ITTO funding from central government to prevent fires in the province. (SP 21/Feb/02)

Burning coal seams due to forest fires are a serious contribution towards global warning, says US expert (NYT 15/Jan/02)

DATE SOURCE INCIDENT/ACTION

A 9/Jan/02 Vice President Hamzah Haz (also co-ordinator for refugees and natural disasters) told governors and administrators to take action against companies burning to clear land, as Riau authorities have done
(NOTE: reference to successful prosecution of Malaysian-owned plantation company PT Adei – the only one in 2001)

JP 14/Jan/02 Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said it is too early to say whether El Nino is coming or not. The sea surface temperature is rising and remains unstable.

Reuters 8/Feb/02 Scientists with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) say El Nino may occur in 2002.

31/Jan/02 MI 13/Feb/02 First hotspots appeared in Riau (Sumatra)

4/Feb/02 SP 13/Feb/02 41 hotspots in Riau: Bengkalis 15; Kampar 1; Kepulauan Riau 2; Dumai (14); Pelalawan (3); Rokan Hilir (3); Siak (3)

10/Feb/02 K 11/Feb/02 Fires affecting forests and land around town of Dumai and in Siak & Kampar districts. Local forestry office had no further info. Hotspots bigger than 500ha. 100ha oil palm & HPH burnt to ash at Pelintung, nr Dumai. Strong wind. No rain for 10 days. Smoke levels in Pekanbaru are 'medium', but smoke did not clear until 11am.

11/Feb/02 SP 13/Feb/02 Thick smoke from forest fires affecting 3 towns in Riau: Minas, Duri, and Dumai. Local fisherfolk will not go out to sea. People can't work outside in mornings – health threat. Visibility down to 20-30m.

MI 13/Feb/02 Environmental Impact Agency for Sumatra reported 14 hot spots at Badan Dumai, Duri and Bagansiapi-api. Bad fires are affecting concessions of PT Tribuana Dumai and PT Bukit Kapur Reksa Riau is affected by thick smoke.

SP 15/Feb/02 Over 100 hot spots in Riau. Visibility in Pekanbaru down to 50m. Local forestry office says legal action has failed to deter companies as clearing land by burning is cheap. Riau Corruption Watch calls for tough legal action; says sentence imposed on company burning at Tanah Air was too lenient.

Business Times 20/Feb/02 Palm oil traders predict increase in palm oil prices if El Nino hits Indonesia/Malaysia this year

Dow Jones 20/Feb/02 Dry spell in Southeast Asia will cause an immediate drop in palm oil output; more drastic impact expected six to eight months time. About 15,000 hectares of land in Malaysia have been scorched by fires in the last couple of weeks; nearly 400 hectares were still burning 2 days ago.

Reuters 20/Feb/02 Singapore concerned smoke from Sumatra will affect it, but winds carrying smoke away and air quality still OK.

19/Feb/02 JP 20/Feb/02 Haze affecting Riau, Jambi & parts of N. Sumatra. NOAA and the Forest Fire Prevention Control Project detected at least 222 hot spots in Riau – all in forestry concessions and plantations. At least 7 in Jambi & 4 in North Sumatra.

20/Feb/02 JP 21/Feb/02 Smoke from forest fires turns 'day into night' in Riau provincial capital Pekanbaru. Caltex flies red flag showing dangerous pollution levels.

25/Feb/02 JP 27/Feb/02 PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia closed schools in oil-rich area of Duri, Bengkalis, Riau due to thick haze. People in Mandau wearing masks outside their homes. Motorists used their lights during the day as visibility only 20 meters.

25/Feb/02 SP 27/Feb/02 Forest Fire Prevention Management Project reported 480 hotspots in Riau; Aceh 2; N. Sumatra 13; Peninsular Malaysia 38.

AFP 27/Feb/02 Rains in Sumatra during last 4 days have helped clear smoke. Pekanbaru (Riau) visibility 6km.

Via SawitWatch 27/Feb/02 Local NGOs says fires had been burning in Riau for a month but local govt had taken no action. Riau Env. Impact Agency concerned smoke will affect Singapore and Malaysia if wind changes. And that fires could affect 50,000ha of peat forest in Indragiri Hilir & Hulu parts of province if dry season is severe.

26/Feb/02 JP 27/Feb/02 100 fires still burning in Riau. At least 69 near Dumai, 17 near Bengkalis, 7 in Siak area; 7 near Rokan Hilir. Many others put out following two days of heavy rain in Riau. Caltex schools in Bengkalis reopened. Fire damage to 10,906 hectares of plantations and protected wildlife forest reserves in Bukit Batu subdistrict in Bengkalis regency, Riau. Includes hundreds of hectares of peat land. Authorities (Bapedalda) conducting an investigation to find those responsible, but lack of staff. Predictions smoke will return to Riau in July-October.

Reuters 1/Mar/02 Meterological experts are predicting the return of El Nino this year. NOAA says El Niño would likely return in spring, though its intensity was unclear. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said another bout may be approaching. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has put the risk at double the norm. Southeast Asia produces 25 percent of the world's rice. To avoid famine this year, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation last week urged Asia to start stockpiling.

SH 2/Mar/02 PAN Indonesia says Indonesian government should do more to advise farmers on drought resistant rice varieties to plant, including traditional varieties, instead of using El Nino as a pretext for large-scale rice imports.

Liputan6 4/Mar/02
(via INCL 10/Mar/02) Smoke has thinned due to some rain in Riau. Fears that fires are spreading underground where peat has caught light. Police have arrested one field staff of PT Bukit Kapur Reksa about fire damage to 400ha in Dumai.

JP 6/Mar/02 El Nino to return around July, but not as bad as 1997, says Indonesian Meterological Agency chief. Parts of Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan would experience below normal rainfall and crop failures, health hazards and environmental degradation could result.

JPonline 7/Mar/02 Fires have damaged 11,500ha in Riau this year – all plantations and logging concessions. Bengkalis badly affected: still hotspots in plantation areas of PT Budidaksa Dwi Kesuma, PT Makmur Platindo Nusantara and PT Panuasurya Agrosejahtera, and in the forest concession areas of PT Arara Abadi and PT Rimba Rokan Lestari. About 150 ha of protected forest (Bukit Batu) reported burnt.

A 8/Mar/02 Fires damaged 100ha forest on Batam island. Smoke may affect nearby Singapore. Authorities blame dissidents.

JP 11/Mar/02 ASEAN pledges action on forest fires. ASEAN working groups members on firefighting for Sumatra and Borneo have agreed to intensify early warning efforts and surveillance activities starting in March to September 2002.

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DATE	SOURCE	INCIDENT/ACTION
	A 9/Jan/02	Vice President Hamzah Haz (also co-ordinator for refugees and natural disasters) told governors and administrators to take action against companies burning to clear land, as Riau authorities have done (NOTE: reference to successful prosecution of Malaysian-owned plantation company PT Adei – the only one in 2001)
	JP 14/Jan/02	Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said it is too early to say whether El Nino is coming or not. The sea surface temperature is rising and remains unstable.
	Reuters 8/Feb/02	Scientists with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) say El Nino may occur in 2002.
31/Jan/02	MI 13/Feb/02	First hotspots appeared in Riau (Sumatra)
4/Feb/02	SP 13/Feb/02	41 hotspots in Riau: Bengkalis 15; Kampar 1; Kepulauan Riau 2; Dumai (14); Pelalawan (3); Rokan Hilir (3); Siak (3)
10/Feb/02	K 11/Feb/02	Fires affecting forests and land around town of Dumai and in Siak & Kampar districts. Local forestry office had no further info. Hotspots bigger than 500ha. 100ha oil palm & HPH burnt to ash at Pelintung, nr Dumai. Strong wind. No rain for 10 days. Smoke levels in Pekanbaru are 'medium', but smoke did not clear until 11am.
11/Feb/02	SP 13/Feb/02	Thick smoke from forest fires affecting 3 towns in Riau: Minas, Duri, and Dumai. Local fisherfolk will not go out to sea. People can't work outside in mornings – health threat. Visibility down to 20-30m.
	MI 13/Feb/02	Environmental Impact Agency for Sumatra reported 14 hot spots at Badan Dumai, Duri and Bagansiapi-api. Bad fires are affecting concessions of PT Tribuana Dumai and PT Bukit Kapur Reksa Riau is affected by thick smoke.
	SP 15/Feb/02	Over 100 hot spots in Riau. Visibility in Pekanbaru down to 50m. Local forestry office says legal action has failed to deter companies as clearing land by burning is cheap. Riau Corruption Watch calls for tough legal action; says sentence imposed on company burning at Tanah Air was too lenient.
	Business Times 20/Feb/02	Palm oil traders predict increase in palm oil prices if El Nino hits Indonesia/Malaysia this year
	Dow Jones 20/Feb/02	Dry spell in Southeast Asia will cause an immediate drop in palm oil output; more drastic impact expected six to eight months time. About 15,000 hectares of land in Malaysia have been scorched by fires in the last couple of weeks; nearly 400 hectares were still burning 2 days ago.
	Reuters 20/Feb/02	Singapore concerned smoke from Sumatra will affect it, but winds carrying smoke away and air quality still OK.
19/Feb/02	JP 20/Feb/02	Haze affecting Riau, Jambi & parts of N. Sumatra. NOAA and the Forest Fire Prevention Control Project detected at least 222 hot spots in Riau – all in forestry concessions and plantations. At least 7 in Jambi & 4 in North Sumatra.
20/Feb/02	JP 21/Feb/02	Smoke from forest fires turns 'day into night' in Riau provincial capital Pekanbaru. Caltex flies red flag showing dangerous pollution levels.
25/Feb/02	JP 27/Feb/02	PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia closed schools in oil-rich area of Duri, Bengkalis, Riau due to thick haze. People in Mandau wearing masks outside their homes. Motorists used their lights during the day as visibility only 20 meters.
25/Feb/02	SP 27/Feb/02	Forest Fire Prevention Management Project reported 480 hotspots in Riau; Aceh 2; N. Sumatra 13; Peninsular Malaysia 38.
	AFP 27/Feb/02	Rains in Sumatra during last 4 days have helped clear smoke. Pekanbaru (Riau) visibility 6km.
	Via SawitWatch 27/Feb/02	Local NGOs says fires had been burning in Riau for a month but local govt had taken no action. Riau Env. Impact Agency concerned smoke will affect Singapore and Malaysia if wind changes. And that fires could affect 50,000ha of peat forest in Indragiri Hilir & Hulu parts of province if dry season is severe.
26/Feb/02	JP 27/Feb/02	100 fires still burning in Riau. At least 69 near Dumai, 17 near Bengkalis, 7 in Siak area; 7 near Rokan Hilir. Many others put out following two days of heavy rain in Riau. Caltex schools in Bengkalis reopened. Fire damage to 10,906 hectares of plantations and protected wildlife forest reserves in Bukit Batu subdistrict in Bengkalis regency, Riau. Includes hundreds of hectares of peat land. Authorities (Bapedalda) conducting an investigation to find those responsible, but lack of staff. Predictions smoke will return to Riau in July-October.
	Reuters 1/Mar/02	Meterological experts are predicting the return of El Nino this year. NOAA says El Niño would likely return in spring, though its intensity was unclear. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said another bout may be approaching. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has put the risk at double the norm. Southeast Asia produces 25 percent of the world's rice. To avoid famine this year, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation last week urged Asia to start stockpiling.
	SH 2/Mar/02	PAN Indonesia says Indonesian government should do more to advise farmers on drought resistant rice varieties to plant, including traditional varieties, instead of using El Nino as a pretext for large-scale rice imports.
	Liputan6 4/Mar/02 (via INCL 10/Mar/02)	Smoke has thinned due to some rain in Riau. Fears that fires are spreading underground where peat has caught light. Police have arrested one field staff of PT Bukit Kapur Reksa about fire damage to 400ha in Dumai.
	JP 6/Mar/02	El Nino to return around July, but not as bad as 1997, says Indonesian Meterological Agency chief. Parts of Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan would experience below normal rainfall and crop failures, health hazards and environmental degradation could result.
	JPonline 7/Mar/02	Fires have damaged 11,500ha in Riau this year – all plantations and logging concessions. Bengkalis badly affected: still hotspots in plantation areas of PT Budidaksa Dwi Kesuma, PT Makmur Platindo Nusantara and PT Panuasurya Agrosejahtera, and in the forest concession areas of PT Arara Abadi and PT Rimba Rokan Lestari. About 150 ha of protected forest (Bukit Batu) reported burnt.
	A 8/Mar/02	Fires damaged 100ha forest on Batam island. Smoke may affect nearby Singapore. Authorities blame dissidents.
	JP 11/Mar/02	ASEAN pledges action on forest fires. ASEAN working groups members on firefighting for Sumatra and Borneo have agreed to intensify early warning efforts and surveillance activities starting in March to September 2002.