Tackling Indonesia’s floods from the sky: Cloud seeding to keep cities dry
The operation is aimed at reducing heavy rainfall in flood-prone regions, including Banten, Jakarta and West Java.
12 Mar 2025 04:24pm
The effort involves cloud seeding, a technique whereby aircraft fly into rain-heavy clouds and release salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), to encourage rainfall in less hazardous areas such as open seas or reservoirs and minimise the risk of flooding in densely populated urban zones.
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
Beginning on Tuesday and lasting for 10 days, the operation marks the second phase of a broader strategy to mitigate the recurring flood risks in the regions, according to a statement from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
The effort involves cloud seeding, a technique whereby aircraft fly into rain-heavy clouds and release salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), to encourage rainfall in less hazardous areas such as open seas or reservoirs and minimise the risk of flooding in densely populated urban zones.
BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari commented: "The cloud seeding operation has been effective in reducing the heavy rainfall that was initially predicted from midday to late afternoon.
"Areas like Bekasi only saw light to moderate rain, with the heaviest recorded rainfall reaching 34 millimetres,” he added.
He said three aircraft have been deployed for the operation, with teams based at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in East Jakarta, and Husein Sastranegara Airbase in Bandung, West Java.
On the first day of the operation, the Jakarta team carried out three flights, dispersing salt over the northwest region, the Sunda Strait, and the Thousand Islands.
Later flights targeted North Jakarta and the Java Sea, each releasing 800kg of NaCl, Abdul Muhari explained.
Meanwhile, the West Java team completed two flights over the northern waters of Cirebon and Indramayu, also releasing 800kg of salt per flight.
A night-time operation by the Banten team focused on the waters west of Jakarta and the Sunda Strait, releasing 1,000kg of salt per flight, Abdul Muhari explained.
While cloud seeding has proven to be a valuable tool for managing extreme weather events, experts caution that it should be regarded as a temporary measure in addressing the region’s ongoing flood challenges. - BERNAMA
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