RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Forestry and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) officially build up their strategic cooperation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. This step was taken to address the threat of the El Nino phenomenon, which is predicted to begin in the second semester of this year.

One of the main strategies agreed upon is the optimization of Weather Modification Operations (OMC). Currently, the operation is already underway in Riau and West Kalimantan as an early detection step.

The Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, referred to the OMC as a turning point or a pivotal moment in Indonesia's success in reducing forest fire numbers in recent years.

"Prevention is far better than cure. Preventing forest fires is far better than extinguishing the fire. We continuously monitor the groundwater level, especially in peatland areas. If it is below 40 cm, we will immediately carry out OMC for re-wetting to maintain groundwater reserves," Minister of Forestry, Raja Antoni said.

The Minister of Forestry appreciates the role of precise BMKG data, which has helped collectively reduce the number of forest and land fires year by year. He noted a significant learning process since the 2015 fires, with the extent of the fires continuing to decrease significantly in 2019, 2023, and last year.

"Collectively, our nation is a nation of learners. The data on forest and land fires continues to decline. However, this year the challenge is greater due to the threat of El Nino. Our interventions, such as data accuracy and OMC, will be very decisive," he conveyed.

In line with that, the Head of BMKG, Teuku Faisal Fathani, affirmed that the synergy focuses on preventive efforts rather than curative ones (extinguishing). With the prediction of a drought arriving earlier and ending later than last year, data integration becomes the main key.

"The task of BMKG is to support the Ministry of Forestry in controlling forest fires, land fires, and drought." We are striving to be better prepared for mitigation this year. We do not only work curatively when the fire has already started, but we strengthen the preventive aspect thru data integration to predict vulnerable points," the Head of BMKG said.

In addition to data integration, the BMKG has also coordinated with the Ministry of Forestry to install Aloptama (Main Operational Tools) and important meteorological sensors in forest areas. The addition of these sensors aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of national climate data.