Indonesia is filled with well-known attractions that make the country a must-visit for so many people. The coffee is ranked as the most expensive across the globe, it’s considered home to over 300 ethnic groups, and it’s the largest archipelagic state worldwide with 17,000 islands.
Many visitors credit Indonesia as a “land of contrast” because of the fiery volcanoes, calm seas, bustling cities and beautiful temples. Yet, the land is burning at an alarmingly fast rate.
Indonesia contains the world’s third-largest rainforest after the Amazon and Africa’s Congo Basin. It’s also home to the world’s most carbon-dense peatlands, known as terrestrial wetland ecosystems.
These peatlands have been severely degraded and drained to meet the world’s demand for oil palm. Once they dry, they become the most vulnerable to severe wildfires, posing a major risk to the wildlife, biodiversity, and people living in the surrounding region.
Over the years, especially in 2023, Indonesia’s peatland regions have experienced the highest number of burning and fire incidents, which have impacted air quality and, most importantly, health.
Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s largest peatland regions, is one of the most affected regions by these wildfires. Peatlands often catch on fire due to human activity and the dry atmosphere, according to the Borneo Nature Foundation. As a result, these fires mainly affect vulnerable communities, especially those with chronic risk factors.
The residents in this area had enough and decided to take action into their own hands.
On the island of Borneo, where the lush tropical rainforest serves as a lifeline for the people of Indonesia, a group of women are working on the frontlines to fight against the growing threat of forest fires. The Power of Mama is a crew fighting Indonesia’s ongoing forest fire crisis.
The Power of Mama, established in 2022, had only 44 women who volunteered to protect the health and livelihoods of the local community and help preserve the environment against peatland fires. They are the first-ever group of female-led firefighters.
Now, the group has over 96 women from six local villages, aged 19-60. Most group members are mothers or homemakers working diligently to protect their communities and kids.
During the dry season, the group regularly patrols fire-prone areas, mainly focusing on fire prevention rather than firefighting.
Siti Nuriani is the coordinator of The Power of Mama. She told BBC News that they experience fires yearly, and the smoke from the surrounding peatlands would sometimes get so bad that “residents were forced to evacuate and a lot of children suffered from respiratory infections.”
As they continue to grow, part of their mission is to educate younger generations on the importance of wildfire and land conservation to prevent any ecological catastrophes.
As the fight for climate change and the risk of these wildfires grows, the group continues to be a powerhouse of women whose contributions cannot be overlooked.
These women are not only protecting Indonesia’s forests but also paving the way for other women to make a change for a better, more sustainable future for generations to come.