Jakarta Prepares Cloud Seeding to Curb Air Pollution

The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is preparing a weather modification measure in the form of artificial rain to reduce air pollution levels in the capital. This effort comes as Jakarta has not experienced natural rainfall for quite some time.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung explained that the implementation of artificial rain is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions. Weather modification can only be carried out if there are clouds that meet the technical requirements for seeding.

“We are preparing artificial rain, hopefully the clouds are there. As soon as the clouds are available, we will immediately create artificial rain for Jakarta and its surrounding areas,” Pramono said in South Jakarta on Tuesday.

Pramono believes that a downpour from artificial rain is effective for clearing the air of the pollutant concentrations blanketing Jakarta. He noted that the lack of rainfall is one of the main factors behind the deteriorating air quality that residents are currently complaining about.

He revealed that complaints about the dry and polluted air conditions even emerged during the recent friendly football match between Chelsea and AC Milan in Jakarta. This underscores the urgency of weather intervention in the capital region.

“Therefore, I am confident this will reduce the pollution,” he stressed.

This weather modification step is seen as the most feasible short-term solution when natural conditions do not support the occurrence of rain. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government continues to coordinate with relevant agencies to monitor cloud movements so that artificial rain can be executed promptly.