Indonesia is utilizing a weather modification technique called cloud seeding over the site of its future capital, Nusantara, to alleviate the effects of heavy rainfall that has been hindering construction progress. The new capital, slated to open on August 17th, will replace Jakarta, which is facing issues with sinking land and traffic congestion. However, persistent rainfall has posed challenges for construction crews, prompting them to request weather modification operations.
Tri Handoko Seto, a senior official at Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical agency (BMKG), explained that contractors sought the intervention to mitigate the impact of daily rainfall. “They submitted a request to carry out a weather modification operation so that the rain that occurred every day can be diverted to another place, eliminated in a certain area, or at least be reduced,” Seto told AFP.
Cloud seeding, which involves introducing particles or chemicals into existing clouds, has gained global traction as a method to induce rainfall during droughts or enhance local water resources. However, scientists emphasize that the technique cannot create weather conditions or trigger rainfall on the scale observed in countries like Germany and the United States.
The cloud seeding operation around Nusantara commenced last week and is scheduled to conclude on Sunday. Following this, an evaluation will be conducted to determine whether the operation should be extended. Seto confirmed that this is the first instance of authorities employing cloud seeding around the planned city to decrease rainfall.
Flooding and landslides are common occurrences during the archipelago’s six-month rainy season. The BMKG has predicted that the heavy rainfall around Nusantara will persist until August. The Indonesian government aims to establish a population of 1.9 million in Nusantara by 2045, attracting a wave of human and industrial activity to the heart of Borneo. Environmentalists have raised concerns that the new city will accelerate deforestation in one of the world’s largest tropical rainforests.
Thousands of civil servants are anticipated to relocate to Nusantara in September to commence work. However, Jakarta’s relocation plan has already faced delays of several months due to slow construction progress.
