JAYAPURA — As the dry season approaches, the Papua Provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency has urged the public to increase vigilance against potential disasters.

Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency, B. Wisnu Raditya, explained that the beginning of the dry season is forecast to start in May and may continue for a fairly long period.

"These conditions will remain under disaster alert status," he said.

In addition to the potential for drought, the Regional Disaster Management Agency is also alert to the increased risk of forest and land fires during the dry season.

For this reason, the Regional Disaster Management Agency is urging the public to pay closer attention to environmental conditions, both in public places and around their homes, given that fires during the dry season are often triggered by simple activities such as burning trash.

"The public should not clear land by burning it, especially in slope and hillside areas, because it has the potential to trigger widespread forest fires," he concluded. ***