Jakarta to Conduct Cloud Seeding Operations Amid Drought  

Jakarta: The Jakarta provincial government is preparing to conduct weather modification operations to address a prolonged and intensified dry season.
 
The move comes after Jakarta experienced little to no rainfall over the past three weeks amid the early arrival of El Niño. Beyond triggering drought conditions, the dry spell could also worsen the city’s air quality.
 
In response to the situation, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has authorized the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to coordinate with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on artificial rainfall efforts.
 
Previous efforts were aimed at diverting rain clouds toward the sea to reduce the risk of flooding. However, given the current conditions, Pramono has shifted the approach, saying that “this time the goal is to make it rain in Jakarta.”
 
Cloud seeding operations will be carried out by the BPBD and BMKG once potential rain cloud formation is detected over Jakarta.
 
With 72.8 percent of Indonesia entering the dry season, regional governments across the country are bracing for potential drought conditions and forest and land fires.
 
(Jonathan Sianto)