In brief
The Nusantara Capital City Authority has identified 1,600 hectares of forest burned from July to October 2026, blaming deliberate land‑clearing by PT AJP. Field mapping and satellite imagery reveal a rectangular burn pattern, and the authority has imposed staged administrative sanctions on the company while tightening monitoring and requiring fire‑preparedness for all holders. Findings have been forwarded to the ministries for further action.
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan – In the eastern Indonesian province, the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) reported that 1,600 hectares of forest and land in the IKN area were burned between July and October 2026, with evidence pointing to deliberate land‑clearing by a palm‑oil company. The fires occurred over a four‑month period and have left large swaths of the region charred, triggering a swift administrative response.
The investigation is led by OIKN Deputy for Environment and Natural Resources Myrna Asnawati Safitri, who said field mapping revealed a distinct pattern of spread. The burn areas formed rectangular or elongated shapes on the landscape, a shape not typical of natural forest fires. According to Safitri, this pattern suggests systematic clearing rather than random blaze.
Even in several locations after the fires, new plant seedlings, such as oil palm and banana trees, were found. This pattern of cutting vegetation and then burning it is a common and recurring tactic.
Safitri explained the presence of seedlings as evidence that fires followed deliberate vegetation removal. “We keep seeing the same cycle: cutting, then burning, followed by rapid regrowth,” she said. The claim aligns with observations made during field inspections and satellite tracking of hotspots since early August.
Within the 1,600 hectares, about 900 to 1,000 hectares fell inside Bukit Soeharto Forest Park, a protected area known as Tahura. Approximately 500 hectares were within the concession area of the involved palm‑oil company, PT AJP, while the remaining burned sites lie on privately owned land. The authority ties the burned sections that belong to PT AJP’s concession to the company’s operational footprint in the IKN.
Law enforcement officials are currently handling the criminal investigation. The OIKN said it has coordinated with police to identify perpetrators found on the ground. For the private sector, the authority is enforcing administrative sanctions in staged steps, beginning with written warnings.
As part of the sanction regime, OIKN has issued a government coercion order to PT AJP that requires the company to restore the affected land. Failure to comply could lead to suspension or revocation of business permits, Safitri noted. The sanction follows months of monitoring via satellite imagery and on‑field inspections that confirmed the fires occurred in the company’s concession.
In addition to the initial penalty, the OIKN is tightening field monitoring across the entire IKN area. All concession holders now must improve fire‑preparedness systems in their respective zones. The Authority is also investing in reforestation of the burned areas to accelerate ecological recovery.
OIKN has forwarded its findings to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forestry for coordinated follow‑up. The ministries are expected to take additional action with respect to dozens of other companies whose concessions cross IKN and Kutai Kartanegara District boundaries. The coordination aims to prevent further incidents and enforce environmental standards across the region.
The incident underscores the challenges of managing large‑scale forest use in rapidly developing regions. While Indonesia has broad legislative frameworks for land use, the OIKN’s response signals a stricter enforcement stance under the current administration. Authorities have stated that they will keep marking hot spots as early as August and continue monitoring in the coming months.
Local residents near the burned zones report ongoing disruptions. Some report that small communities have lost access to forest resources and face soil erosion. The government maintains that reforestation efforts are underway to mitigate long‑term ecological damage.
