Sumatra, Carbon stock, Biodiversity loss, fire hotspots, forest fire, haze, Riau, Rokan Hilir,
Hotspots report that received by EoF said that after July 14, they escalate to 93 on Jul.15, 219 hotspots on Jul. 16, 66 on Jul.17 and the highest 228 hotspots on Jul.18.From Jul.1 to Jul.19 hotspots found inside HTI (Industrial Timber Plantation) concession is 204, while outside is 514. While hotspots found in oil palm plantation is 158 during the period. Hotspots detected on concession of companies associated to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is 42 and to Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL) is 33 hotspots.
Rokan Hilir, is the district that badly filled with hotspots, said Riau Province Environmental Control Impact Agency. EoF learns from data received that the district contributed to 158 hotspots during Jul.1-19.In Rokan Hilir district, haze blanketing the region discouraged fishermen to fish as thick fog blocked their vision. An official of the District’s Transportation Service said poor visibility caused by thick haze occurred on the waters where it ranges 30 to 50 meters only, Riau Post daily reported.
Head of Riau Province Environmental Control Impact Agency, Khairul Zainal, told Riau Terkini website (riauterkini.com) that haze blanketed the province are from neighboring Jambi province.“NOAA detected very few of hotspots numbers found on Riau province skies,” he told the Pekanbaru-based online media.ASMC – NOAA satellite data monitored that on July 19 and 18, hotspots detected in Riau are 23 hotspots spreading in four districts, Indragiri Hulu (4 hotspots), Pelalawan (3), Rokan Hilir (4), Kuantan Singingi (2), Siak (6) and Kampar (4).
Alex Sismoyo, head of Pekanbaru’s airport Sultan Syarif Kasim II, said haze appeared in early morning in Pekanbaru recently did not affect flight schedules.Haze Online , a website managed by ASEAN Secretariat, reported today that "hotspots/smoke haze were detected in central part of Sumatra” and Sulawesi on July 19 and 18.The report on the website said that three NOAA satellites (NOAA 12, 16, and 18) detected 48, 12, and 56 hotspots respectively on July 18. While, on July 19, only NOAA 18 could detect hotspots in Sumatra amount to 4.Hotspots detected in Kalimantan in these two days are much more than Sumatra with 34, 64, and 44 on July 18.
On the next day hotspots detected in Kalimantan are respectively 12, 31 and 21.The Riau Environmental Agency deployed three teams –comprising 10-15 fireguards- to three sub-districts in Rokan Hilir. The firefighters’ equipment is not sophisticated which cannot reach many fire sites.Haze Online reported that on July 17 hotspots detected by NOAA 12, 16, and 18 are respectively 170, 29, and 91. Hotspots mostly occurred in Riau province, reaching to 36 hotspots in Pelalawan and Kampar districts, the website said. The visibility reading in Pekanbaru is 6 km where Riau Provincial Government said the air quality in the province was in good range.* EoF Hotspots Data Collection |
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