Training for AFoCO Member Countries Successfully Held in Indonesia

The Korea Forest Service (KFS), in collaboration with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), conducted a Training of Trainers on Forest Fire Suppression in Peatland for Asian forestry officials in Bogor, Indonesia, until May 2.
* Peatland: Land formed by the long-term accumulation of partially decomposed plant material in water-saturated conditions.

This training is part of the Forest Fire Management in Asia (FFMA) Initiative, a trilateral agreement signed by Korea, France, and AFoCO in October 2023. Supported by financial contributions from Korea and France, the program aims to strengthen forest fire response capacities in Asia. Following three pilot training sessions in 2024, the full program will launch in 2026 for a five-year period.

The opening day on April 21 brought together around 40 participants, including Dr. Gun Gun Hidayat, Director of the Center for Sustainable Forest Development, Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia; Mr. Vincent Pairault, Lieutenant Colonel, French MOFA; AFoCO representatives; and forestry officials from Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and other countries. From Korea, Mr. Ha Kyungsoo, Counsellor and Forestry Attach? at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Indonesia, presented Korea’s forest fire response experience and emphasized the importance of international cooperation. The training program included theory sessions at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University, followed by field exercises in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, in peatland areas through May 2.

Through this pilot training, KFS aims to develop customized fire response training programs tailored to the diverse fire types in Asia. Future plans include expanding the program through joint research, degree exchanges, and the establishment of an online training platform.

Dr. NAM Song Hee, Director General of the International Affairs Bureau of KFS, stated, “As forest fires intensify due to climate change, the Korea-France-AFoCO initiative is expected to enhance Asia’s capacity for forest disaster response. KFS will continue to share its advanced forest fire prevention and suppression systems to support Asia’s role as a regional hub for forest fire management.”