JAKARTA – Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto highlighted several pressing rural challenges during a Coordination Meeting discussing the latest political and security landscape. Chief among these issues was forest and land fires (karhutla), which occur predominantly within village boundaries and require swift, targeted mitigation strategies.

"Because these incidents occur within villages and directly impact rural residents, a tailored approach is essential to prevent misunderstandings," Minister Yandri stated at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs in Jakarta on Monday (October 19, 2026).

The proposed strategy hinges on cross-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration, leveraging the respective expertise and operational mandates of line institutions. The goal is to allow rural communities to breathe clean air and resume daily activities free from smoke haze disruptions.

As reported, forest fires and hotspot clusters have emerged across several regions, including Central Kalimantan, South Papua, and South Sumatra. Beyond local impacts, the smoke haze spread to adjacent regions, including Jakarta—where elevated pollution levels recorded last Friday caused unhealthy air quality.

Minister Yandri also outlined four other critical topics, including the operationalization of the Red and White Village/Subdistrict Cooperatives (Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih / KDKMP) and unresolved village land disputes. Disputed land ownership frequently triggers communal conflicts, hampers rural infrastructure development, and incurs economic losses. Additionally, he discussed the establishment of Legal Aid Posts (Posbankum) in partnership with the Ministry of Law to assist rural residents in resolving legal matters locally.

Finally, Minister Yandri highlighted the strategic importance of village associations as key partners in facilitating communication and accelerating rural development. These key associations include PAPDESI, APDESI Merah Putih, PP PPDI, APDESI, DPN PPDI, PABPDSI, ABPEDNAS, KOMPAKDESI, AKSI, and GEMA Desa.

"Maintaining constructive dialogue with village associations and local residents remains vital, as many rural challenges require collaborative solutions," Minister Yandri emphasized.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman welcomed the presentation, affirming that the issues will be followed up in partnership with relevant ministries and agencies. Resolving these challenges remains a government priority, as unaddressed fires and land issues threaten public safety, national security, and potentially trigger transboundary diplomatic concerns.

Photo: Mugi/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Ria/Kemendes PDT