Indonesia drops 3.2 tonnes of dry ice to combat wildfire haze
Indonesia has launched an aerial operation to tackle persistent wildfire haze, dispersing more than 3.2 tonnes of dry ice over Palembang to improve visibility as smoke from forest and peatland fires spreads across Southeast Asia.
Footage showed Indonesian Air Force personnel loading dry ice onto a military aircraft before releasing it into the atmosphere during flight.
The operation, led by the National Disaster Management Agency, has focused on areas surrounding Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport, where thick smoke has disrupted flights.
“Over the previous four days, we have achieved quite significant results,” said Colonel Asep Wahyu Wijaya, commander of Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Base.
Officials reported that visibility improved from as low as 650 metres to approximately 6,000 metres following the operation.
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Unlike conventional cloud seeding, which aims to stimulate rainfall, the technique is intended to disrupt atmospheric conditions that trap smoke near the ground.
However, authorities acknowledged that the haze often returns by evening, while experts warned that the operation does not address the fires responsible for the smoke.
The aerial intervention is scheduled to continue until October 25.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
