{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1936227,
        "msgid": "kalimantan-wildfires-bnpb-resumes-intensive-cloud-seeding-efforts-1787482217",
        "date": "2026-08-23 16:42:17",
        "title": "Kalimantan wildfires: BNPB resumes intensive cloud seeding efforts",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_EN",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Environment",
        "summary": "Indonesia's disaster agency BNPB has resumed cloud seeding and deployed 30 helicopters to combat worsening forest and land fires across Kalimantan, where peatland blazes are proving difficult to extinguish. The government has also allocated up to 100 water trucks per province and reinforced health posts as haze affects visibility and public health. President Prabowo Subianto has instructed officials to expedite suppression efforts and meet all equipment needs for field teams.",
        "content": "<p>BNPB Head Suharyanto stated in a release on Sunday that an increase\nin forest and land fires was concentrated primarily in West Kalimantan,\nCentral Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.<\/p>\n<p>The situation has been exacerbated by nearly a week without rain,\nheightening the risk of fire and causing haze to persist across several\nareas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFires in Kalimantan present unique challenges because so many occur\non peatlands. Even when the surface appears extinguished, fires can\ncontinue smoldering underground,\u201d Suharyanto explained.<\/p>\n<p>He added that heavy, sustained rainfall plays a key role in\nthoroughly rewetting the peat and extinguishing those subsurface\nfires.<\/p>\n<p>Following a joint technical evaluation with the Meteorology,\nClimatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Sunday (August 23),\nintensive salt-based cloud seeding operations resumed across target\nareas in Kalimantan. To support the effort, BNPB has readied 30\nhelicopters to strengthen water bombing and aerial patrols in\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to air operations, the government has bolstered ground\ntask forces with extra equipment and allocated up to 100 water trucks\nper province based on local needs. The trucks will help distribute water\nfor ground crews operating in affected districts and cities.<\/p>\n<p>Suharyanto emphasized that the central government is giving priority\nto the disaster response in Kalimantan. Following inspections in\nhard-hit areas of West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, President\nPrabowo Subianto instructed officials to meet all equipment and\ninfrastructure needs for joint field teams and to speed up suppression\nefforts.<\/p>\n<p>BNPB also continues to monitor the impact of haze on daily\nactivities, particularly air travel, as thick smoke has temporarily\nreduced visibility in several areas, including Banjarbaru, Palangka\nRaya, and Pontianak, mainly in the morning before gradually clearing by\nafternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Air traffic monitoring on Sunday morning showed that flights at\nseveral airports, including Syamsudin Noor Airport, Supadio Airport, and\nTjilik Riwut Airport, operated safely and on schedule. To address health\nrisks from haze, the agency continues to coordinate with the Ministry of\nHealth and local governments.<\/p>\n<p>Integrated health posts have been reinforced in affected regions to\nensure necessary protection and care for vulnerable groups, such as\nchildren, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with underlying\nmedical conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the risk of transboundary haze, the Indonesian government\nis maintaining continuous monitoring and inter-agency coordination based\non evolving conditions on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith all of these efforts, we are optimistic that forest and land\nfires in Kalimantan can soon be brought under control,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n<p>Related news: Prabowo steps up fight against Central Kalimantan\nforest fires<\/p>\n<p>Related news: Indonesia fast-tracks foreign aircraft to fight forest\nfires<\/p>\n<p>Translator: Mecca Yumna, Raka Adji<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kalimantan-wildfires-bnpb-resumes-intensive-cloud-seeding-efforts-1787482217",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}