Forestry Ministry Launches Cloud Seeding in South Sumatra to Anticipate Surge in Forest Fires

The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) is carrying out Phase II of the Weather Modification Operation (OMC) in South Sumatra Province as a precautionary measure against the rising threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) during the 2026 dry season. M. Hariyanto, Head of the Forest Fire Prevention Sub-Directorate at the ministry, said the operation was launched in response to increasingly dry climatic conditions caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to strengthen until the end of 2026.

“The El Niño phenomenon has become active and is predicted to reach a strong level until the end of 2026, accelerating meteorological drought across most of Indonesia, including South Sumatra,” Hariyanto said in a statement on Monday (20 July).

He revealed that the number of national hotspots between 1 January and July 2026 had reached 1,412, an increase of 110.75% compared with the same period last year, which recorded 670 hotspots.

According to Hariyanto, the OMC forms part of a paradigm shift in karhutla control that now prioritises prevention. By seeding potential clouds during the transition period and the start of the dry season, the government hopes to induce rainfall to maintain land moisture.

Beyond wetting vegetation to make it less flammable, rainfall from the OMC is expected to keep the peatland water table above critical thresholds and to replenish reservoirs, canals, retention basins and ponds as water reserves for firefighting operations should fires break out.

Phase II of the Weather Modification Operation, supported by the Ministry of Forestry, will run for 12 days, from 19 to 30 July 2026. All activities are centred at the Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Force Base in Palembang.

Hariyanto said the success of the operation depends on cross-agency synergy. The ministry is working with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Indonesian Air Force through the Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Force Base, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), regional disaster management agencies (BPBD), and the South Sumatra Provincial Government.

He also reminded all personnel to strengthen coordination throughout the operation, adhere to aviation and material-seeding safety standards, and ensure seeding is carried out optimally in fire-prone peat dome areas.