Forest and land fires not only harm the community financially but also waste energy and time. The health of the surrounding community is also affected because they inhaled too much smoke.
Owners of the burned land suffered huge losses because of crop failure, reduced turnover, and run out of capital. “About four hectares of my land was burned. As a result, I could not harvest at all,” said Syahril, an oil palm farmer in Teluk Makmur.
People who do not own land also suffered economic losses because non-farmers were also involved in the effort to extinguish the fire, so they needed to leave their main work, such as selling goods. Without working, they did not get any income.
Moreover, forest fires greatly disrupt people’s activities. Ayu, one of the residents, said, “The smog is very disturbing because it limits our visibility, so you have to be careful when driving. Moreover, schools are closed when there is a large forest fire.”
Forest and land fires continue to occur in some areas in Riau. On 11 June 2019, 27 hotspots with a high confidence level were observed throughout the Riau region. The community hopes that the Government will handle forest and land fires in a more serious and coordinated manner to prevent this disaster.
