Facing El Niño, BMKG Intensifies Weather Modification Operations Across Several Regions

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) is conducting weather modification operations to maintain water availability in several regions as a precautionary measure ahead of the dry season, which coincides with El Niño. Speaking after attending the National Dialogue on the Impact of El Niño at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas office in Jakarta on Tuesday (4/8/2026), BMKG Deputy for Weather Modification Tri Handoko Seto stated that reduced rainfall due to El Niño could impact the water supply flowing into Indonesia’s reservoirs. These reservoirs play a crucial role in meeting raw water needs, agriculture, and hydroelectric power generation. “Therefore, BMKG is collaborating with stakeholders, reservoir operators, the Ministry of Public Works, and other relevant parties to carry out weather modification operations to increase reservoir water supplies,” Tri said. He explained that weather modification operations have been conducted in several regions to support water availability, including in catchment areas that support the energy sector, such as Lake Toba in North Sumatra and Lake Poso in Central Sulawesi. “We are currently conducting operations in the Citarum River Basin in West Java to ensure that energy supply, water, and agricultural needs are well maintained,” he stated. Tri added that weather modification is also a measure to mitigate forest and land fires amid drier dry season conditions. According to him, reduced rainfall causes the water supply to peat domes to decrease, while the evaporation process continues, making the peatlands drier and more susceptible to fire. “For this mitigation, weather modification operations are also carried out using the peatland wetting method to keep them moist so they are difficult to burn, let alone catch fire,” he said.