Female Forest Rangers Survive The Extreme Heat
Lingkungan & Krisis Iklim
October 27, 2025
Jon Afrizal & Zulfa Amira Zaed/Simpang Macan Luar, Batanghari
The Community Warden is on duty. (credits: Jon Afrizal/amira.co.id)
THE last hot temperature has been very unfriendly. Especially for forest rangers. Debalang Rimbo, as it is called, according to the Orang Batin Sembilan.
Orang Batin Sembilan, is an indigenous people who lives in a forest group located on the border of Jambi and South Sumatra Provinces.
And, according to the history of the Jambi Malays, they are a group trusted by the Jambi Sultanate to guard the border area of Jambi Sultanate – Palembang Sultanate in the past era. They, according to the history of the Jambi Malays, are called the Orang Suko Pindah (: semi-nomadic communal).
The word Debalang is a narration of the word Hulubalang. Although, the actual meaning is not always the same.
The territory of the Orang Batin Sembilan, under Indonesian law, today, is in the concession of PT Restorasi Ekosistem Indonesia (Reki). Namely a stretch of 98,555 hectares on the border of Jambi Province – South Sumatra, which in the past was a former logging area, and then, in 2004, was designated as the first ecosystem restoration area in Indonesia. Then this restoration area is better known as: Harapan Rainforest.
Around 30 Orang Batin Sembilan have been empowered as community wardens by PT Reki. Their main task is as a forest rangers.
Of the total number, as many as 11 people came from the Simpang Macan Luar Group. Where six of them are female.
“We feel the difference in the weather. The weather is currently very hot, compared to the same time last year,” said Yu Nani, a female forest rangers from the Simpang Macan Luar group.
Moreover, she said, if you are indoors.
While working, she and 10 other people, in turn, had to go around a radius of 10 kilometers. A 1-liter water bottle is always carried by each member.
“The current hot temperatures make you thirsty, and you always have to drink water,” she said.
Obstacles are common. This area is an open area, with so many roads, relics of former logging in the past.
Visualization of the existence of a Jet Stream, a flow of wind in the upper atmosphere that resembles a river flow. (credits: climate4life)
However, after passing through a road that always spreads yellow dust when dry season, but the situation will turn cool, when they enter the forest area. The shade of the canopy of the trees, will protect them from the sun’s rays.
Forests have been their livelihood, for a long time. Without forests, of course, there is nothing for them.
With the current conditions, the disease of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) will attack them very quickly. Cough, runny nose, dizziness, and lead to fever.
“It’s possible that traditional herbs can help. There are many types of plants in the forest that we can use to relieve the symptoms of this disease,” she said.
They, generally, will look for leaves and roots to be processed into medicine.
However, as is known, herbal medicines can only be used as an initial treatment for many diseases. Within the relatively slow working power of herbal medicines, it can sometimes be beaten by the speed of technological development. Although, in fact, the side effects of herbal medicines tend to be minimal.
“We, indeed, advocate the use of herbal medicines as a precursor. This is because it is to minimize the resistance to the use of modern chemical drugs, for them,” said Susani, Coordinator of “Maju Besamo” Health Clinic from PT Reki.
But, she said, if the illness has not healed for 1×24 hours since taking or eating herbal medicines, then Orang Batin Sembilan people are asked to go to the clinic immediately.
Based on data collection, there were 30 Orang Batin Sembilan patients with URTI complaints, from October 1 to 22. The most, are female and children, about 70 percent.
“This number increases by 30 percent, when compared to the number of Orang Batin Sembilan patients in each month. And this has been happening for the last two months,” she said.
The complaints from them, are the same. Namely cough, runny nose, dizziness and fever.
And, the health clinic will provide reasonable medicines, the dosage of which is in accordance with the Orang Batin Sembilan, who can be categorized as a little understanding and consuming modern chemical medicines.
“But, if after three days the disease has not been cured, then in addition, we will give antibiotics,” she said.
If, after six days the disease still persists, of course, according to the rules, it will be referred to the nearest health center. And, so far, no Orang Batin Sembilan patients have been found who were referred for extreme heat.
With the current weather conditions, the clinic recommends to drink enough water. Generally, according to HaloDoc, a female body needs 2.7 liters of water per day.
Therefore, one’s should be wise about water consumption during extreme heat.
Deforestation in Jambi Province and South Sumatra Province since 1984 to 2022. (credits: EarthTime)
Drink too much water, especially for women, make body lose of sodium. A condition known as hyponatremia.
Besides that, it also has to be using a protective mask of a respirator, and using a head covering.
The current weather, citing Climate4Life, is a condition called a Heat Wave. That is the condition of the earth where the area of high pressure at an altitude of 3,000 to 7,600 meters strengthens and remains in the region for several days and up to several weeks.
This is a common summer condition, in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, since the 1950’s.
This condition occurs because the jet stream is positioned to follow the sun. Meanwhile, the high-pressure area is on the equatorial side of the jet stream in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
Weather patterns generally occur in summer. Thus, the high pressure in the upper layer is also slow, and under high pressure, the air sinks to the surface.
As a result, the weather tends to be hot and getting hotter, and drier. This weather condition, which is simply referred to as: Heat Wave.
In the human body, it can cause symptoms, such as; dry lips, excessive thirst, excessive sweating, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, small blisters and rashes.
Also, mild fever, nosebleeds, cramps in the arms and legs, and, drowsiness. In the worst conditions, it can result in seizures, coma, and even death.
Karangmunting (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa), a plant eaten by birds in Harapan Rainforest. (credits: Jon Afrizal/amira.co.id)
Some ways to anticipate the adverse effects of the Heat Wave, citing Unicef, are; knowing the weather forecast per day. Also, always provide first aid for emergencies.
That is; Oral rehydration Salt (ORS) packages, thermometers, water bottles, towels or cloths to wet for cooling, handheld or mister fans with batteries, and checklists to identify and treat symptoms of heat stress.
However, according to the official website of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), on Monday, May 13, 2025, what occurred in Indonesian territory was not a heat wave. Rather, the temperature is hot as usual.
As the dry season is generally the case, the peak of the dry season in Indonesia occurs from July to August.
“Climate change is one factor in high temperatures in Indonesia. So that it causes hot weather lately,” said BMKG Deputy for Meteorology, Guswanto.
In the period 1981 to 2022, the rate of change in national average air temperature in Indonesia increased by 0.6 degrees Celsius per 30 years.
Climate change, citing the United Nations, refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. These shifts occur naturally, such as through variations in the solar cycle.
The reason is that the use of fossil fuels over the last two centuries, since James Watt’s Steamship era, has produced greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapping around the earth, generating solar heat and increasing temperatures.
It is therefore important to switch the energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energies such as solar or wind will reduce emissions that drive climate change. Although, Climate Action requires a lot of significant costs by governments and the business community.*
