Indonesia: Forest Fire

Fire Management

Introduction
The severe 1997 and 1998 Southeast Asia fire and haze event highlighted the need for effective, well-planned, and coordinated response mechanisms with local, national and regional implementation capacity. As a result of this fire and haze event, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Haze Technical Task Force (HTTF) developed a Regional Haze Action Plan (RHAP) comprised of three key focus areas; monitoring, prevention, and mitigation. The USDA Forest Service (USFS) initially identified the mitigation component as an area in which USFS technical skills could contribute to efforts addressing the fire and haze problems. Consequently, the majority of USFS Program activities have been conducted in partnership with the ASEAN/HTTP/Coordination and Support Unit (CSU).

The theme and purpose of the USFS Program has been to identify and implement activities to build capacity for appropriate fire management response. The strategic goals have been to: 1) introduce fire management models and processes; 2) evaluate and test the utility of these models and processes in the Southeast Asian environment; and 3) encourage replication and institutionalization of the adapted models and processes. As part of the total Program, the USFS has supported various activities, all of which can be reviewed by reading the complete program report (link). However, the Program focus was on three major activities: Regional Assessments; Fire Suppression and Mobilization Plans; and Fire Simulation Exercises.

Fire Suppression and Mobilization Plans
The Fire Suppression and Mobilization Plans (FSMP) were catalyzed, designed, and implemented for a pilot Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan in the provinces of Riau and South Sumatra, Indonesia in1999. Those involved in this pilot plan represented Indonesian agencies responsible for various aspects of fire management as well as two fire management specialists from the USFS. A significant outcome of this activity was the strengthened capacity of team members for developing mobilization plans. The information provided through the process of mobilization planning was the basis for identifying strengths and weaknesses within the existing fire suppression system.

During 2000, pilot provincial Fire Suppression Mobilization Plans were developed for two districts in South Kalimantan, Indonesia and three districts in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Interagency teams, led by Indonesian provincial officials, collected information and developed these plans with USFS technical assistance. The output from this activity increased the capacity of provincial/district officials to recognize and utilize Indonesian fire suppression resources, and created a prototype Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan, which identified resources and processes to mobilize for fire suppression. During 2001, the USFS partnered with the Integrated Forest Fire Management Project/German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) to develop a Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan for Kutai Barat District in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The same implementation model from previous Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan activities was applied by a provincial interagency team and technical experts from the USFS and GTZ. In 2002, a similar Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan activity was conducted in Jambi province, Indonesia.

Fire Simulation Exercises
The Fire Simulation Exercise activities began with the development and implementation of an exercise in the Kampar District of Riau Province, Indonesia. The objective of this activity was to strengthen the existing provincial and district level institutional structures for fire suppression. This first practical simulation exercise served as a valuable learning experience for both the simulation team and the participants and it helped to develop a process for future exercises. Subsequently, this technical simulation exercise package was replicated in the districts of Riau, South Sumatra, and West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

During 2001, the USFS designed, facilitated, and implemented a National Level Fire Simulation exercise in Indonesia. The exercise was linked and conducted simultaneously at three levels of government: national, provincial, and district. Six key institutions participated in this exercise: National Disaster Management Coordinating Board (BAKORNAS PBP), Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, BAPEDAL, South Sumatra provincial government, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Prior to this exercise, the three national agencies responsible for fire response, BAKORNAS PBP, Ministry of Forestry, and BAPEDAL had not interacted in the context of a national fire disaster. As a result of this simulation exercise, these key agencies clarified roles, responsibilities, interrelationships, and how they will work together in the event of such a disaster.

A Sub-Regional Fire Simulation Exercise is currently planned for 2003. This exercise will take place under the auspices of the ASEAN/HTTP Sub-Regional Fire Fighting Arrangements (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore). The USFS has provided a technical specialist to assist in designing this exercise. It is anticipated that the exercise will test each country's Standard Operating Procedures and the guidelines for offering and receiving assistance found in the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. (To find out more about the ASEAN Haze Technical Task Force and the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution click on this link - http://www.haze-online.or.id/index.php)