Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the state has set a bad example which has encouraged companies to set fire to forests and land.

Andhika Prasetia, Pekanbaru -- A state of emergency has been declared in Riau province due to the haze from forest and land fires (karhutla). Hoping for rain to get rid of the haze, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has held a salat istisqa -- a prayer for rain from Allah during drought.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the deployment of the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) personnel to help extinguish forest and land fires (Karhutla) fails to address the root cause of the problem.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) says that eighty percent of the land destroyed by forest fires in Indonesia this year will be converted into plantations, pointing the blame for the fires at unsustainable practices in the country’s agriculture industry.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that 2,087 out of 4,258 hotspots recroded between January and July were located on concession land. Concession land is land for which the government has given land use rights or permits to companies or other agencies.

Jakarta – The Jakarta provincial government plans to plant and establish mother-in-law tongue (lidah mertua) gardens at the mayor’s office and local administrative offices to reduce pollution in Jakarta.

Siti Sadida Hafsyah, Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) researcher Cahyo Pamungkas says that the Trans Papua Highway has yet to bring any benefits to the Papuan people.

Rustam Agus, Palu (Bisnis) – The Central Sulawesi branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has declared that pushing for the formation of an alternative political party, namely the Indonesia Green Party, is a move that arose out of an idea and an effort to maximise the protection of the environment and the country’s natural res

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) plans to form a political party, the Indonesian Green Party, and make the issue of the environment its main political agenda.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the narrative of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s Vision Indonesia speech in which he sated he would pursue those obstructing investment in Indonesia has the potential to increase the number of people being criminalised for fighting to protect the environment.