Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinar Mas is using smart mapping technology to enhance their capabilities in responding to and pre-empting forest fires.
Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinar Mas is using smart mapping technology to enhance their capabilities in responding to and pre-empting forest fires.
The smart map uses a location-based analytics platform called ArcGIS to integrate real-time data from Esri’s Living Atlas of the World database with APP Sinar Mas’ map of concession areas.
This enables them to more effectively identify the location of all forest fire hotspots within the last 24 hours, verify if they are from its properties, and evaluate what needs to be done to address these fires.
In addition, the system also equips Sinar Mas’ firefighting team with actionable information that can help them pre-empt potential peatland fire.
Asep Karsidi, the former head of the National Geospatial Information Agency and now the GIS consultant for APP Sinar Mas, said, “Peatland is very delicate and prone to burning if the ground temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius. In order to maintain an appropriate level of soil moisture, it should not fall below 40 cm in depth – any lower can potentially start a forest fire.”
“By using soil moisture data from the weather station as an indicator, the system visually represents this data on a dynamic smart map allowing our team at APP Sinar Mas to quickly identify areas which might potentially cause peatland fire,” Mr Karsidi said.
Prior to its roll-out, relevant forest fire and land surface data had to be obtained from multiple sources, which resulted in greater delays and longer lead times. Now, the system integrates data from APP Sinar Mas supplier concession areas, the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Council, National Disaster Management Agency, and relevant local government authorities to provide stakeholders with an easier and effective way to collaborate and make well-informed decisions.
“The new GIS system supports Sinar Mas’ new data centre, the APP Sinar Mas Situation Room. This data centre aims to host geospatial information on disaster and area management for early detection of hot spots in forest fire management and it is the first in Indonesia’s private sector,” said Esri Indonesia CEO A. Istamar.
“APP Sinar Mas’ business is geographic in nature. From resource and asset management to emergency response and precision farming – location is at the heart of everything they do and is critical in their day-to-day decision-making.”
GIS technology enables Sinar Mas to map and analyse their business data with environmental information to generate compelling insights into forest fire risks that are unattainable through any other tool.
It is the same tool supporting many of the world’s leading military, law enforcement agencies and smart cities. Now, it’s in the hands of APP Sinar Mas’ firefighting team.
“This technology will make a significant contribution to reducing forest fires and will benefit not only Sinar Mas, but Indonesia as a whole,” Mr Istamar said.