Jakarta, July 31 -- Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is stepping up cross-agency coordination to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to forest and land fires, particularly in Central Kalimantan Province.

BNPB Head Suharyanto said in a statement here in Jakarta on Friday that strengthening synergy is aimed at preventing further spread of the fires, which have already scorched thousands of hectares in the province.

According to the latest data, burned areas in Central Kalimantan have reached 3,069.52 hectares. This places the province high on the priority list for emergency response, given that much of its terrain consists of peatland, which is highly vulnerable to catching fire.

Suharyanto emphasised that...