Jakarta [Indonesia], May 5: Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has started weather modification operations in Riau province to anticipate forest and land fires that occur often in the region during the dry season.
Head of the emergency division of the Regional BNPB of Riau, Jim Ghafur, said that the operation has been on since Friday and will continue for the next few weeks.
For the operation, one special aircraft has been deployed for Rokan Hilir district, which is one of the regions that are vulnerable to forest and land fires every year.
"The Cessna aircraft will carry out cloud seeding in potential clouds to trigger artificial rain. This is expected to wet the peatlands that are starting to dry out due to the dry season," he explained as quoted by Indonesian News Agency (ANTARA).
According to Ghafur, Rokan Hilir has a large peat area that is highly prone to fires, especially in the absence of rain for long periods. In addition, the location was picked considering the presence of potential clouds for cloud seeding.
The operation will be carried out for the next few weeks, depending on atmospheric conditions and the availability of potential clouds. The BNPB, he said, is ready to extend the duration of the operation if necessary.
Ghafur further said that the operation is the result of intensive coordination between the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the BNPB, and the Riau BPBD.
Based on the BMKG's weather forecast, Riau is expected to enter the dry phase in early May 2025, and it will last until September.
This would increase the risk of forest and land fires, especially in coastal areas such as Rokan Hilir, Bengkalis, and Dumai. For this reason, land and air patrols will be intensified to detect hotspots early.
"We hope this operation can reduce the potential for fires early. Riau has had long experience with forest and land fires, and we do not want a similar incident to occur again this year," he said.
Source: Emirates News Agency
