AN AMOUNT OF $10K USD IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW !
Evacuation Measures : $ 5,000 USD
Firefighting team : $2,000 USD
Documentation & advocacy : $3,000 USD
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Volunteer from Youth Act Kalimantan firefighting team tried to extinguish fires spots that have been blazing under the surface of the ground for five days.
The current haze season is the worst yet given the heightened risks from El Nino. Our team has been going from village to village to educate people about how to protect their families during the haze season. Fires have been raging for the last three weeks in the Southern and Western part of Kalimantan. The air pollution in our city has reached the worst level yet.
This 2023-year fire season will also be another critical opportunity to advocate for policies to protect forests and promote reforestation policy. Our focus is on Indigenous Forest and land management. We have documented stories and wisdom from Dayak elders on how to protect the forests, to understand the ecosystem and manage the land responsibly. We want to use this opportunity to put pressure on the government involvement with local communities in land management and climate action. We also want to highlight deforestation in Kalimantan caused by the expansion of companies who keep clearing the forests despite the climate crisis.
Every year more than half the thousands of hotspots are in the palm oil concession area. Forest fires have burned in Kalimantan for over two decades, with corporate culpability and government complicity. Ranu Welum has a track record in effective advocacy for policy change. We have a two-pronged strategy to empower local communities to protect themselves from fire and smoke while instituting policies to prevent them in the first place.
The forest and peat fires season in Kalimantan occurs every dry season, from June-September. With this year’s El Nino, the fires can last until November.
News about the latest forest fires.
https://www.kompas.id/baca/nusantara/2023/06/25/kabut-asap-mulai-menyelimuti-kalimantan-selatan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz57lC8lYek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbEAVy9iVoc
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvtYdo4pOHH/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==
WHY THIS IS A EMERGENCY:
While fires have been set every year, the combination of El Nino and droughts from the climate crisis have created an unexpected situation. The government is still not able to stop the fires, but here on the ground, communities are reporting extreme cases of people with respiratory problems.
OUR PLAN:
1. Documentation and media coverage
We have a media team consisting of Indigenous filmmakers/videomakers. We are able to use cameras, drones, gps etc to track and record the fires. We also have the necessary equipment. We partner with official firefighters so through our monitoring and information, we expect the act of prevention can be done sooner. Ranu Welum has established strong media and community information networks who disseminate our information.
2. Public awareness and campaign
More than 30k followers of our social media channels will be informed about the fires in Kalimantan, the air quality in Palangkaraya city and educational content on how people can protect themselves during fire seasons. We will also use this coverage to amplify #ClimateJustice4Kalimantan. We have a team of experts in managing social media and creating content.
Join our Broadcast Channel to get information about forest fires in Kalimantan.
3. Firefighters team
Forty members of the firefighter’s team are ready to be deployed with necessary equipment, such as protection gear and a water pump machine.
4. Haze Shelters & Emergency Response
We'll be opening five haze shelters equipped with air purifiers and air razors to evacuate babies and elderly people as the air quality deteriorates. We will also provide emergency supplies, such as N95 masks and oxygen, along with medical and health workers, to villagers without any access in remote areas. Ranu Welum’s network of volunteers includes doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who will be deployed to reach them. Here is a short video of the emergency services Ranu Welum organized in the last El Nino fires:
OUR REQUEST:
Evacuation measures: Preparing our haze shelters runs at minimum of $5,000 USD, which includes supplies, medicine and organizing health workers. During the haze season, our filter machine and purifiers are on 24/7 and electricity is expensive. The funds will help provide food for those who need to stay at the shelter (usually babies and elderly) and the volunteers who care for them.
Firefighting Teams: Our team of 40 firefighters will be extinguishing fires in 3 dayshifts requires a minimum of $2,000 for coordinating efforts and supplies
Here is a short video of our team’s work while battling the fires.
Fire documentation and social media posts and policy work: $3,000 will enable Ranu Welum to begin to document the fires and air quality throughout the season and educate the public on more sustainable policies.
Ranu Welum and the communities of Kalimantan Forest deeply appreciate the opportunity to share our work at this critical time and welcome any questions.