Indonesia’s Catholic bishops have called for burned forests and land to be restored rather than converted into plantations, mining sites, or other commercial projects as fires affect several parts of the country.
The Commission for Justice and Peace, Migrants and Itinerant People of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference made the appeal Oct. 26 amid forest and land fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Papua, Maluku, Sulawesi and other areas.
“Burned forests and land must be restored and returned to forests and land, not converted into plantations, mining areas or for other economic interests,” the commission said.
The commission said the state and responsible parties must protect ecosystems, enforce the law and restore forests as a moral and legal duty to safeguard life, ecological balance and future generations.
KWI cited an Oct. 10 Forestry Ministry report that recorded 11,772 hotspots across Indonesia.
Health Ministry data cited by the bishops showed that more than 3 million people in seven provinces were exposed to haze in August. As of Oct. 17, 311,363 cases of acute respiratory infection had been recorded in fire-affected areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The commission noted that not every hotspot represented an actual fire and that not all respiratory infections could be confirmed as caused by smoke. It said the figures nonetheless showed “a serious threat to public health and the sustainability of life.”
The bishops said the fires should not be treated solely as an environmental problem.
“Forest and land fires are not merely an environmental issue, but also a humanitarian and ecological justice issue,” the commission said.
“When forests burn, people’s lives are threatened, living spaces shrink, and vulnerable groups face increasingly severe suffering,” it added.
The commission reminded the public that ecological destruction “cannot be separated from poverty, social injustice and the protection of human dignity.”
KWI also called for stronger protection of Indigenous Peoples and local communities affected by the fires.
“We affirm the importance of respecting and protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities over their land, forests, sources of livelihood, and social and cultural identities,” the commission said.
It urged the government and other parties to strengthen fire prevention and response, ensure access to health services and provide special protection for children, older people and other vulnerable groups.
“Human safety must be the highest priority,” it said.
The bishops also called for “firm, just and transparent” enforcement of environmental laws against those proven responsible for burning and environmental destruction.
“Economic interests must not sacrifice human safety, environmental sustainability and the people’s right to a healthy life,” the commission said.
KWI urged Catholics and “all people of goodwill” to practice ecological conversion through changes in lifestyle, ecological education, advocacy for affected communities and support for just policies.
“Ecological conversion must be expressed through changes in lifestyle, ecological education, defense of affected communities, advocacy for just policies, and concrete actions to care for the Earth as our common home,” the bishops said.
The commission said forests and land should not be regarded merely as economic resources.
“Protecting forests and land means protecting health, human dignity, biodiversity and the future of generations to come,” it said.
