Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 02:23 PM

Use of local knowledge needed to curb recurring wildfires: minister

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Anita Dewi, Uyu Liman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar stressed the importance of incorporating Indigenous and local knowledge into strategies to combat recurring forest and land fires.

Despite annual mitigation efforts, policymakers have failed to fully use the experience of communities living closest to vulnerable forest areas, Iskandar said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We continue struggling with recurring disasters from widespread forest fires. Yet we fail to recognize that knowledge, including scientific knowledge, exists within Indigenous groups and local custodians,” he said.

“Their experience and wisdom should serve as the foundation of our policies,” he added.

Conservation policies and environmental solutions cannot rely solely on technical and administrative approaches, Iskandar said, noting that Indigenous groups have centuries-old systems for maintaining ecological balance.

“Why do we continue using the same routine methods every year to tackle forest fires? Let us return to local knowledge and wisdom,” he said.

Iskandar instructed ministries and agencies under his coordination to conduct field observations and adopt local conservation practices to strengthen national policymaking.

He also called for the “decolonization” of natural-resource conservation, saying customary stakeholders should be treated as active decision-makers rather than afterthoughts in government conservation programs.

“Let us position customary stakeholders and local communities as the driving force behind sound policies, ensuring root causes are addressed comprehensively while preserving our natural wealth,” Iskandar said.

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