Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Decades of peatland drainage linked to the failed Mega Rice Project have left Central Kalimantan vulnerable to recurring forest and land fires, Deputy Coordinating Food Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said on Friday.
The one-million-hectare project, also known as the Mega Rice Project, was launched under then-President Soeharto in 1995 to convert vast areas of Central Kalimantan's peatlands into rice fields as part of efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency.
The project involved extensive drainage canal construction but was abandoned in 1998 after agricultural failures and mounting environmental concerns. The canals disrupted the peatlands' natural water systems, leaving large areas dry and vulnerable to recurring fires.
Deputy Coordinating Food Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said Central Kalimantan's peatlands had suffered extensive damage, making them particularly susceptible to fires during periods of hot weather.
Unlike regions dominated by mineral soils, Central Kalimantan has extensive peatland ecosystems that can remain vulnerable to repeated fires once their natural water-retention capacity is disrupted.
"I hope we can all take a measured approach to the situation in Central Kalimantan. The province is built on a peatland ecosystem, unlike other regions dominated by mineral soils, where forest fire risks tend to be temporary," Hanif told reporters in Jakarta.
He said degraded peatlands in areas such as Palangkaraya had increasingly become hydrophobic, meaning they repel water rather than retain moisture as healthy peatlands naturally do.
"Central Kalimantan's peatland ecosystem has been severely degraded, making fires a systematic problem. Even a slight rise in temperatures can cause problems because the peatland can no longer retain water properly," he said.
Hanif linked the degradation to drainage activities during the Mega Rice Project, which dried out large areas of peatland.
"The project involved extensive drainage, causing the peatlands to dry out. Once peat dries out, it cannot easily return to its original condition," he said.
The government is also reviewing the types of crops cultivated in Central Kalimantan, as certain plants may be unsuitable for the province's peatland conditions and could increase fire risks.
To restore damaged ecosystems, the government plans to promote peatland rewetting, replant vegetation suited to waterlogged conditions, and encourage paludiculture, an agricultural approach designed to work with wet peatlands rather than drain them.
The government also plans to maintain bore wells and canals built for firefighting operations, potentially reinforcing the structures with cement, once the current fire season ends.
Hanif said the government would prepare a detailed recovery plan in coordination with the National Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency, led by Satyawan Pudyatmoko.
Nationally, the indicative area affected by forest and land fires reached 202,010 hectares as of October 2026, according to data from the Forestry Ministry's Forest and Land Fire Control Information System (SiPongi).
The Health Ministry has also recorded 401,586 cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) linked to smoke from forest and land fires across seven provinces and 63 cities and regencies.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/failed-mega-rice-project-leaves-central-kalimantan-vulnerable-to-fire