Jakarta Governor Pramono Authorises Cloud Seeding as Capital Faces Three-Week Dry Spell

The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta has announced it is coordinating with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to address the potential for drought during the current dry season. Governor Pramono Anung stated on Thursday in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, that he has granted permission to the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to conduct weather modification operations (OMC) to create rain if necessary. “The DKI Jakarta government has coordinated with the BMKG regarding Jakarta. The DKI Jakarta government has its own BPBD and I have conveyed internally at City Hall that if weather modification is needed, I give my permission,” he said. Pramono explained that OMC is one method to tackle drought during the dry season. He noted that the provincial government has previous experience with OMC, typically used to divert rainfall during the rainy season. “We will soon decide for the Regional Disaster Management Agency to carry out weather engineering in Jakarta. All this time, what we have done is push rain out to sea, but this time it is to create rain in Jakarta,” he stated. He acknowledged that some areas around Jakarta have already begun experiencing dryness as a result of the dry season, with almost three weeks having passed without rain in the capital and its surrounding areas. “Because now it has been almost two to three weeks without any rain at all, and moreover, some places in the upstream areas are also experiencing drought,” he said. Previously, the Head of the DKI Jakarta BPBD, Marulitua Sijabat, stated that no areas in the capital are currently classified as drought-affected. However, he said the agency will continue monitoring and preparing mitigation measures to face the potential for drought during the dry season.