Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian environmental organisation Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Papua has compiled data on forest and land fires across Papua between 2023 and 2026.

WALHI Papua recorded 564 hotspots across West Papua, South Papua and Central Papua between August 1 and 13, 2023. The hotspots were spread across 10 regencies and cities, including Mappi, Merauke, Paniai, Asmat, Nabire, Dogiyai, Fakfak, South Sorong, Boven Digoel and Jayapura.

A further 512 hotspots were detected in Central Papua between August 23 and 26, 2026.

"More than 3,000 hotspots have been recorded across the Papua region as of August 2026, with a significant increase in South Papua, the Papua Highlands and Central Papua," WALHI Papua said in a statement issued on Saturday, August 29.

In Merauke, South Papua Province, forest and land fires between August 18 and 23, 2026, burned an estimated 116.13 hectares, affecting members of the Yei community and the Kwipalo clan.

In Nabire, Central Papua, fires between July 18 and August 23 burned an estimated 396.13 hectares across seven districts: Teluk Kimi, Nabire Kota, West Nabire, Wanggar, Nabire, Makimi and Yaur. Four families were reportedly affected.

Data overlaying fire hotspots with concession maps in South Papua between July 1 and 9, 2026, identified 1,292 fire hotspots. At least 245 were located within food estate areas, 115 within forest utilisation business licence concessions, and 39 within oil palm plantation concessions.

WALHI said almost one-third of the recorded hotspots were located within areas associated with national strategic projects or concessions.

The organisation also identified the Ifuleki River – Bian River and Dalik River Peatland Hydrological Unit as particularly vulnerable.

More broadly, WALHI estimates that 547,068.89 hectares of peatland hydrological areas in South Papua are classified as having a high risk of forest and land fires.

WALHI Papua said the pattern of fires was recurring and appeared to be concentrated in specific areas, rather than being a series of isolated incidents.

It said the number of fires had been increasing consistently since July 2023, particularly in areas containing peatland ecosystems.

According to WALHI, the concentration of hotspots around national strategic project sites and concessions in South Papua follows patterns seen previously in other parts of Indonesia, where peatlands and forests were cleared for large-scale projects.

The organisation pointed to previous food-estate projects, including the one-million-hectare Peatland Project launched during the presidency of Soeharto in 1995. The project failed to produce the planned rice fields and was later associated with major forest and land fires.

WALHI also cited the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project developed during the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which it said left extensive forest damage in Papua.

The organisation said similar development was now continuing and expanding.

The risk of further fires is expected to remain high as the dry season in South Papua begins around June or July and continues until early December 2026.

WALHI estimates that the national strategic food and energy projects cover around 2.32 million hectares and had resulted in the clearing of about 40,000 hectares of natural forest by early July 2026.

WALHI Papua said fires were currently concentrated in South Papua, particularly around the expansion of the Merauke food estate, and in Central Papua's Nabire Regency, where extreme dry conditions have increased the risk of fires.

"The pattern is repeated each dry season, overlapping with concession areas such as food estates, forest utilisation concessions and oil palm plantations, as well as peatland hydrological units with high vulnerability," WALHI Papua said.

Source: https://en.jubi.id/walhi-papua-compiles-data-on-forest-and-land-fires-across-papua-from-2023-to-2026