Participation of Korea-Indonesia Cooperation in the 8th IWFC in Porto, Portugal

The 8th International Wildland Fire Conference (IWFC) was held from 16 to 19 May 2023 in Porto, Portugal. This event takes place every four years and serves as a platform for global wildfire practitioners, including governments, private companies, NGOs, and academics, to discuss and exchange ideas and experiences regarding global forest and land fire issues, as well as mitigation and management efforts. With the theme “Governance Principles: Towards an International Framework,” IWFC 2023 was attended by over 1,500 participants from 90 countries. The activities of this year’s IWFC included conferences, thematic presentation sessions, and exhibitions held at Alfândega do Congress, Porto.

Forest and land fires have been a recurring threat during the dry season in Indonesia, especially when the massive fires occurred in 2015 and 2019, predominantly in peatland areas. Indonesia has the largest tropical peatland in the world, making this ecosystem a priority for conservation and mitigation of fire events. In response to this, Korea and Indonesia have collaborated through the Korea-Indonesia Forest Cooperation Center (KIFC) to support the Indonesian Government in realizing the FOLU Net Sink 2030 commitment related to forest and land fire issues. The 8th IWFC event provides a suitable opportunity for KIFC to promote collaborative projects that have been implemented by both countries.

KIFC participated and enlivened the 8th IWFC by setting up an exhibition booth, along with 44 other exhibitors. KIFC aimed to promote collaborative efforts between Korea and Indonesia in addressing climate change through two projects titled “Development of Forest and Land Fire Systems in South Sumatra” and “Restoration of Burnt Peatland in Jambi.”

The project “Development of Forest and Land Fire Systems in South Sumatra” is a joint effort by both countries to enhance the forest fire mitigation system and firefighting competence in the operational area of Manggala Agni XVII Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) in South Sumatra. The main activities of this project include establishing a forest and land fire management center, developing fire information systems and applications, enhancing the competence of Manggala Agni brigades through training and certification, and providing firefighting equipment. This project is a collaboration between KIFC and the Directorate of Forest and Land Fire Control (PKHL, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK).

Furthermore, KIFC also promoted the project “Restoration of Burnt Peatland in Jambi,” which is a result of collaboration between KIFC and the Directorate of Peatland Ecosystem Damage Control (PKEG), KLHK. This project is implemented as a post-fire intervention on peatland areas affected by the 2015 forest and land fires in the Londerang Peatland Protected Forest. The restoration effort follows the 3R approaches, which include rewetting, revegetation, and revitalization. KIFC’s presence in the 8th IWFC opens new opportunities for countries worldwide regarding peatland management in Indonesia.

The KIFC exhibition booth provides an opportunity for participants of IWFC 2023 to understand the joint efforts undertaken by Korea and Indonesia in addressing forest fire challenges, as well as introducing forest and land fire management in Indonesia, particularly in peatlands. The presence of KIFC is supported by the Korea Forest Service (KFS) and the Directorate of PKHL of KLHK. In addition to KIFC, representatives from the Directorate of PKHL of KLHK also attended and shared Indonesia’s tangible work through a thematic presentation session titled “Forest and Peatland Fire Management: Best Practices & Challenges from ASEAN” on 18 May 2023.

Through this opportunity, KIFC acknowledges the importance of international cooperation in addressing climate change and mitigating forest fires. In this participation, KIFC is committed to expanding its collaborative network and promoting best practices in forest fire control. Additionally, KIFC hopes to establish wider partnerships with stakeholders involved in IWFC to strengthen global cooperation in forest and land fire management.

“The initiation of the cooperation project between KLHK and KFS in the management of forest and land fires is crucial, considering that Indonesia will begin a long dry season and El Nino event in this year. We are optimistic that this project will have a significant positive impact for both countries. Furthermore, participation in the IWFC can be a crucial momentum for the project to establish a broader network to achieve goals beyond,” said Dr. Israr, Deputy Director for PKHL, KLHK.