Spatiotemporal Distribution of Peatland Fires in Kapuas District, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Peatland fires occur almost every year in Indonesia and their impact is harmful to human life and the environment. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of peat fires, including hotspot characteristic, fire period and spatial distribution according to biophysical factors and human activities. Characteristics of peatland fires were determined through spatial analysis between hotspots and rainfall and factors affected peatland fires such as land cover, distance from the river, distance from road, spatial plan and peat thickness. The study found that strong indication of peat fires in Kapuas is indicated by the hotspot with a confidence value of more than 50%. August to October is the hotspot increasing time in Kapuas because the rainfall is low. The densest hotspots are generally found in swamp shrubs, close to the river, close to the roads, in the very deep peat, with a spatial planning of peatland conservation area. We concluded that peatland conservation area and unmanaged land in Kapuas District were in vulnerable condition of the fire. We suggest to the government to improve unmanaged land utilization and protect peatland conservation area in Kapuas District.