September 3, 2026 | 07:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysia began a three-day cloud seeding operation on Thursday in the eastern state of Sarawak to restore dam water levels and reduce the region’s haze.
As quoted by ANTARA, The operation targeted the Batang Ai, Bakun and Murum hydroelectric dams, with further flights planned over critical water catchment areas across the state, The Star daily reported.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas said the operation aimed to increase the reservoir's water level in anticipation of hotter and drier weather in October.
The move comes amid an unusually prolonged dry season in neighboring Indonesia, where the El Nino phenomenon has created conditions that have triggered forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, has land borders with the Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan.
Nearly 95,000 hectares of land burned in Indonesia in July alone, while the Ministry of Forestry estimates that around 202,000 hectares of land had burned nationwide by the end of July.
As authorities work to address haze related to fires in the region, Malaysia has requested permission from Jakarta to conduct cloud seeding operations using Indonesian airspace.
Cloud seeding involves dispersing salt-based particles into suitable clouds to induce rain. This process can help replenish water reserves and eliminate airborne pollutants.
Read: Indonesia Confirms Death of Rescued Orangutan Amid Haze Crisis
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