Leading environmental watchdog Greenpeace demanded that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tackle the mostly man-made forest fires that have ravaged the nation every year for over a decade.
The current spate of forest and ground fires raging across parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan were lit deliberately to clear land for palm oil and paper plantations, Greenpeace said on Monday.
"President Yudhoyono needs to wake up to the climate crisis and take immediate action by declaring a moratorium on deforestation," said Zulfahmi, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
"The president has been handed the historic opportunity to become a world leader in global efforts to reverse the worst effects of climate change, beginning at the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December."
Greenpeace said the fires were destroying forests at a faster rate than in any other country, turning Indonesia into the world's third-largest climate polluter.
"To show his good intentions, the President should make this year a 'fire-free' season by stopping palm oil and paper companies from burning and destroying our forests," Zulfahmi said.
"Only then will forest-protection funds start to flow from developed countries to provide solutions that encompass sustainable forests, the people and the biodiversity and help win the global battle against climate change."
A law against the burning of forests was introduced in 1999, after fires spun out of control in 1997 and 1998, creating a thick haze that blanketed Southeast Asia.
The law carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison and Rp 10 billion ($1.01 million) in fines, but enforcement is weak due to corruption, lengthy legal proceedings and inadequate funding.
A logging moratorium was declared by Riau Governor Wan Abu Bakar in 2007, but the current governor, Rusli Zainal, has blocked its implementation.
Greenpeace has sent a team to help local communities fight forest fires in Kuala Cinaku, southern Riau, using equipment that Greenpeace gave to the community following firefighting drills in 2007.
The small team of 15 has so far only managed to contain flames in an area measuring 10 hectares, close to palm oil concessions where fires have claimed over 1,000 hectares of land. Companies have denied access to firefighters on some concessions.
There were 2,800 fire hotspots in Riau in July alone and the province is bracing for more as the dry season kicks in. Many of the fires are on carbon-rich peatlands, Greenpeace said.
Forests are a defense against rapid climate change because they absorb carbon. When they are destroyed, the carbon is released and contributes to global warming.
Stopping the destruction of forests in places like Indonesia would reduce one fifth of global greenhouse-gas emissions. It would be the fastest way to keep fight climate change, Greenpeace said.