Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, November 2, 2026 at 04:10 PM UTC

Indonesia shifts focus from wildfires to floods as rainy season begins

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Riezko Bima, Uyu Liman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is reviewing its cloud-seeding operations for wildfire containment as it pivots operational focus toward hydrometeorological disaster preparedness amid the onset of the rainy season.

Speaking at an operational review meeting at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base here on Monday, BNPB Head Kristomei Sianturi said the evaluation is critical to determining which areas still require weather intervention and which regions have transitioned into the wet season.

Under the operational reassessment, cloud-seeding aircraft and equipment deployed in provinces that have already entered the rainy season — such as South Sumatra, Jambi, Riau, and West Kalimantan — will be relocated to regions that remain dry and vulnerable to wildfires, including Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, and South Papua.

"Where feasible, we will redeploy our assets and reinforce operations in vulnerable regions," Sianturi noted.

Addressing the shift from fire hazards to flood risks, Sianturi said the agency issued an official directive – Circular No. 4/2026 – on October 30, outlining preparedness guidelines for the 2026/2027 rainy season.

Distributed to governors, district heads, and mayors nationwide, the circular instructs regional governments to step up vigilance and ensure the readiness of personnel, rescue equipment, and community-level mitigation systems to handle potential floods and landslides.

"With several regions already reporting inundation during this seasonal shift, I urge all regional leaders to remain on high alert for flood hazards in their respective jurisdictions," Sianturi emphasized.

The hybrid coordination meeting was also attended by representatives from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), relevant ministries, and local administrations.

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