Sebaran titik api di Papua terpantau lewat Zoom Earth. (Foto: Screenshot detikINET)
PAPUA — The hashtag and call “All Eyes on Papua” has spread across social media in recent days. Users have shared satellite imagery, photos of smoky skies and accounts from residents affected by forest and land fires in Papua.
As detikINET reported, heat maps on Zoom Earth show many hotspots across southern Papua. Data from MapBiomas Indonesia and the Auriga Nusantara Foundation record 70,808 hectares burned in 47 national parks in Indonesia from January to September 2026. Wasur National Park in Merauke was hit hardest at 21,277.79 hectares, followed by Lorentz National Park at around 14,345 hectares.
Health Impact on Residents
The smoke also threatens public health. detikINET cited data showing 81,355 cases of acute respiratory infection (ISPA) in Mimika Regency. Desa Bersuara previously reported that the total burned area in South Papua had reached about 319,000 hectares, according to Celios and GoodStats.
Wasur and Lorentz are key biodiversity areas, including habitat for birds of paradise, and are home to Indigenous communities. Repeated fires risk damaging swamp and savanna ecosystems that take a long time to recover.
The wave of online calls is expected to push faster action from central and regional governments, from firefighting and law enforcement against land burning to health services for affected residents.
Summarized from detikINET (in Indonesian).
