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Indonesian province moves to curb slash-and-burn clearances as fires rage

Source(s): Thomson Reuters
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By Gayatri Suroyo and Bernadette Christina Munthe

JAKARTA - Authorities in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province said on Thursday they had tightened rules to try and curb slash-and-burn clearances by plantation companies - a practice linked to a wave of forest fires.

Blazes have ripped through six Indonesian provinces in the past month, including West Kalimantan which borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

Some of Indonesia's neighbours, including Malaysia, have called for action, saying the fires are spreading pollution over their borders - an accusation dismissed by Jakarta.

[...]

The government launched the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certified plantation in 2011 but has accelerated certification in recent years amid mounting global pressure to address the environmental impacts of producing palm oil.

The ISPO chairman said on Thursday that certification, which covers more than 5 million hectares of land, could be revoked for plantations found to be burning land on purpose.

[...]

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Hazards Wildfire
Themes Environment and ecosystems Private sector Governance Disaster risk management
Country and region Indonesia
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