Indonesia considers expanding dry ice trials to tackle haze after 'fairly effective' South Sumatra test

SINGAPORE: Following a successful trial of dry ice, Indonesian authorities are considering expanding its use to more regions affected by forest fires.

New head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Kristomei Sianturi said on Sunday (Oct 18) that the weather modification technology, which has been used twice in the South Sumatra province, has proved to be "fairly effective", local media reported.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the agency to continue evaluating the technology’s effectiveness in inducing rainfall and supporting firefighting efforts, he added. 

"We will continue carrying out these (weather modification) operations as effectively as possible until rain falls and the fires are extinguished," Kristomei told reporters in Palembang, as quoted by Indonesian news outlet Bisnis. 

"If this technology is considered effective, does not cost too much and can be applied across Indonesia, then why not?" Antara reported him as saying.

South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru said on Sunday that about 1.6 tonnes of dry ice are being used daily, with visibility in Palembang reaching 6,000m.

Siswanto, the head of Palembang’s Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport Meteorological Station, reported varying results, with visibility and air quality fluctuating during the operation.

Visibility improved at times, but deteriorated again towards the evening, he said, adding that flight operations at the airport could serve as an indicator of the effectiveness of using dry ice.

“If several scheduled flights are not delayed or cancelled, we can regard that as one indicator of the effectiveness of dry ice,” Siswanto said, as quoted by Bisnis.

The airport is one of the priority locations for dry ice seeding as haze has disrupted flight operations, local media reported. 

Authorities previously said that dry ice, or solid carbon dioxide, was being tested as an alternative method to disperse haze by weakening atmospheric conditions that trap smoke near the ground, potentially allowing it to rise and improve visibility. 

South Sumatra is among six provinces that Indonesia is prioritising for forest and land fire prevention and response, alongside Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.

It is also the first Indonesian province selected to test the dry-ice technique, which Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman earlier said was being carried out on Prabowo’s direct instructions to accelerate efforts to mitigate the impact of the fires.