Wildfires Ravage State-Run Food Estate in Papua, Covering One-Third of Island Burned Area
Independent monitoring shows about 60,000 hectares of fire inside the Merauke food estate, accounting for roughly a third of Papua's total burned land.
Data from an independent forest monitoring platform reveal that roughly 60,000 hectares have burned inside the Merauke food estate, representing about one-third of the total area burned across Papua. South Papua's fire season has produced a burn scar of 25,838 hectares by late July, already exceeding the 8,107 hectares damaged the previous year. The Merauke project, a national strategic initiative involving state-owned and approved private firms, aims to develop rice, sugarcane and related infrastructure.
Indigenous watchdog Pusaka Bentala Rakyat documented fires along a 58-kilometre corridor from Wanam village to Muting district between August and early September, alleging deliberate clearing for plantations, a road and an airport. The large-scale scheme has sparked public opposition due to high deforestation risk and an ongoing lawsuit over alleged illegal appropriation of customary forest land.
Why it matters
The fires highlight environmental and legal challenges surrounding a major state-backed agricultural project in Papua.
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