Indonesia opts for cloud seeding to stop forest fires

Indonesia opts for cloud seeding to stop forest fires

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will resort to cloud seeding in its
efforts to contain forest fires that have been ravaging many
parts of the country, State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja said.

The exact locations and times for the artificial rain,
however, will be decided tomorrow.

Sarwono told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview yesterday
that he was waiting for survey reports about the method's
feasibility and the areas in need of immediate treatment.

He did not reveal which areas had been surveyed for cloud
seeding. However, it is likely that the Central Kalimantan and
South Sumatra provinces, where satellite imaging revealed the
most "hot spots", would be prioritized.

This year's prolonged drought, which has hit several parts of
the Southeast Asian region, has caused the worst bush, plantation
and forest fires in Indonesia and Malaysia in the last 50 years.

The fires have caused major air pollution in the provinces of
West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi
and areas in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Singapore.

The thick blanket of haze has also put millions of people in
the region in danger of respiratory problems and disrupted air
transportation for the last three months.

In the latest developments, the air quality index has hit its
highest level of 118 on the Pollution Index (PSI) in Singapore
and 121 on the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Kuala Lumpur,
according to a report in the Malaysian daily The Sunday Times
yesterday.

Malaysia also plans to use cloud seeding today in a bid to
clear away the haze that has plagued the nation for the last
three months, the Times reported.

It is believed that the haze came from forest fires in
Indonesia and persists because of the dry weather.

Sarwono said: "What's most important now is to impel people to
stop burning (trees for the purpose of land clearing) and this
needs local governments (across the forest fire-prone provinces)
to develop a sense of urgency."

Though criticizing the Central Kalimantan's local government
of being "a little bit too late" in taking action to prevent bush
and forest fires from spreading across the province, Sarwono said
the province had developed a "sense of urgency now."

The 110 million square-kilometer province is home to almost
two million people and its forests covering about 11 million
hectares.

"(Central Kalimantan's) governor and the administration levels
below him have worked along with their people and the businessmen
(the plantation and forest timber estates owners) to address the
problems," Sarwono said.

He said the results of local government work could be seen
from the decreasing number of hot spots detected through the
satellite.

He said the province of South Sumatra was the nation's worst
when it came to addressing the fire problems. The province was
yet to respond to his office's demands despite being "routinely
sent satellite data on the fires" for the last three weeks.

Sarwono said staff from the Environment Impact Management
Agency would be sent to inspect the province's handling of the
matter.

Sarwono has blamed the widespread bush and forest fires, which
have affected more than 100,000 hectares, on the ignorance of big
plantations and timber estate companies that still use fire to
clear land. (aan)