BNPB runs week-long weather modification in Jambi to prevent wildfires

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is conducting a week-long weather modification operation in Jambi Province as a preventive measure against forest and land fires ahead of the peak dry season.

The Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, on Monday said the operation aims to moisten vulnerable areas, particularly in peatlands, to prevent them from easily catching fire as rainfall levels start to drop.

"The steps taken to mitigate these forest and land fires are a combination of prevention and extinguishment. Before the fires spread, weather modification operations must be carried out to moisten the peat," he explained.

The OMC in Jambi is scheduled to take place from June 5 to 12, 2026, following the declaration of a forest and land fire emergency alert status by the Jambi Provincial Government, effective from April 27 to the end of November 2026.

In the first few days of the operation, the air mitigation team seeded one sortie of salt over vulnerable areas such as West Tanjung Jabung, East Tanjung Jabung, and Muaro Jambi Districts.

Muhari informed these cloud seeding efforts succeeded in producing localized rainfall in a number of these vulnerable areas.

Jambi is among six priority provinces in Indonesia for forest and land fire control, receiving central government support for technological interventions and aerial operations.

In preparation for the dry season, which may increase the risk of haze disasters, BNPB emphasized that all parties must adhere to Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2020 regarding forest and land fire control.

"We remind regional governments, communities, and forestry and agricultural businesses to collaborate in early prevention," Muhari emphasized.

He added that increasing rainfall through weather modification is considered crucial in reducing fire risks during the peak of the dry season.​​​​​​​

Serving as a mitigation measure, the program comes in response to the statement from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) saying that global climate conditions could evolve into a weak to moderate El Niño in the latter half of 2026, with a likelihood of around 50–80 percent, potentially raising the risk of drought and forest and land fires in Indonesia.

BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani previously explained that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a neutral phase, but indications of strengthening toward El Niño require vigilance, as it could exacerbate the dry season.

Studies also show the potential for an earlier and longer dry season, with overall climate conditions in 2026 expected to be drier than normal.

The risk of forest and land fires is expected to increase in Riau in June, then spread to Jambi and South Sumatra, and continue to West Kalimantan and South Kalimantan from July to August.

The number of hotspots in Indonesia has now reached 1,601, higher than in the same period in previous years.

Related news: Riau puts 11 regions on forest fire alert ahead of dry season

Related news: A harsher dry season tests Indonesia's fire strategy

Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Primayanti

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