JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday ordered government officials to find a permanent solution to prevent devastating annual forest fires that he understood had been almost entirely started by humans but made worst by climate change. Indonesia last year suffered the worst forest blazes in four years when 1.6 million hectares of its forests and peat lands were burned. “Find a solution, a more permanent one against economic-motivated forest fires because according to reports I have received, 99% of forest fires were started by humans,” Widodo told a meeting with cabinet ministers and heads of agencies in charge of extinguishing fires. The Indonesian fires have been blamed for increasing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation that can endanger wildlife such as orangutans. Don’t let (fires) become big during the very hot weather or they will become hard to control,” the president said.

Source: New Strait Times February 06, 2020 06:33 UTC